JAMA: Payments to healthcare providers should be based on the value of their service
It's the type of radical reform that would help control the cost crisis in health care, two University of Michigan Health System doctors argue in the Feb. 15 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association.

FBI reports nearly $4.1 billion in healthcare fraud recovery in 2011
Attorney General Eric Holder and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released a new report showing that the government's health care fraud prevention and enforcement efforts recovered nearly $4.1 billion in taxpayer dollars in fiscal year (FY) 2011.

Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) initiative announced by CMS
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that on Jan. 1, 2012, it will launch a new Pioneer Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) initiative to test the effectiveness of particular payment arrangements in providing beneficiaries with better care experiences through ACOs, while also reducing Medicare costs.

House passes bill repealing medicare withholding law
The House of Representatives passed a bill that would repeal a requirement that government agencies withhold federal taxes from payments to contractors, including Medicare providers.

Federal regulation expands role of DCs in healthcare reform initiative
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released their final rule regarding the CMS Shared Savings/Accountable Care Organization Program (Complete Final Rule available here).

... more clearinghouse news