Payment & Revenue News

• 3M Ordered to Pay $77.5 Million to Veteran in Latest Earplug Trial A jury in Pensacola, Florida federal court ordered 3M Co to pay $77.5 million to a US Army veteran who said he suffered hearing damage as a result of using the company's military-issue earplugs.
  Reuters Health Information, May 20, 2022
• Improved Cancer Survival in States with ACA Medicaid Expansion An increase in cancer survival rates has been seen in states that implemented Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
  Medscape Medical News, May 18, 2022
• Growing Hospital Expenses: Rising Nurse Pay or Poor Planning? While hospitals are struggling to manage labor costs, payers and employers aren’t footing the bill. Meanwhile, nurses are leaving the profession after 2 years of battling a pandemic.
  Medscape Medical News, May 18, 2022
• Gastroenterologists' Income Up 12%, Most Happy With Career Pick Gastroenterologists, like many other physicians, fared better in 2021 than during the height of the pandemic, and most continue to enjoy their work and would pick gastroenterology again.
  Medscape Medical News, May 17, 2022
• Heart Hospital Pays $1.1 Million in False Claims Settlement The DOJ launched an investigation after Oklahoma Heart Hospital South self-disclosed Medicare billing irregularities related to intensive cardiac rehabilitation services provided to beneficiaries.
  Medscape Medical News, May 17, 2022
• New US Hospitals Face Fiscal Crisis Over COVID Relief Money Three US medical centers say they are missing out on federal pandemic relief money because the facilities are so new they lack full financial statements from before the crisis to prove how much it cost them.
  Associated Press, May 17, 2022
• Gilead Settles With Defendants in HIV PrEP Fraud Lawsuit Gilead settled its lawsuit alleging a $68 million scheme took advantage of its program to supply free HIV prevention drugs.
  Medscape Medical News, May 16, 2022
• 'Goodie Bag' Pill Mill Doctor Sentenced to Two Decades in Prison Regardless of the patients' complaints, internist gave them tote bags with prescription drugs, including muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatories, and controlled substances, according to federal officials.
  Medscape Medical News, May 11, 2022
• ARVO 2022 Medicare Pays Women in Ophthalmology Half What it Pays Men Medicare pays male ophthalmologists almost $200,000 for every $100,000 it pays female ophthalmologists.
  Medscape Medical News, May 05, 2022
• Doc Pay Up; Patient Demand, Labor Market Cause Struggles: Report The spike in inflation, patient demand, and a tight labor market contribute to physician practices' woes, according to a new market report.
  Medscape Medical News, May 04, 2022
• Massachusetts Takes Aim at Hospital Building Boom and Costs Other states are looking at whether Massachusetts' decade-old model of controlling health costs is worth emulating.
  Kaiser Health News, May 03, 2022
• Black Doctors Say They Face Discrimination Based on Race Black doctors across the country commonly experience discrimination, ranging from microaggressions to career-threatening disciplinary actions.
  Associated Press, May 02, 2022
• Los Angeles County COVID Cases Up 40% Over Past Week Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director, called the latest increase “pretty significant” and encouraged people to take actions to limit the spread of the virus.
  WebMD Health News, May 02, 2022
• HRS 2022 Why Are Numbers of Women, Minorities So Low in Cardiac EP? The very low number of women and individuals from ethnic minorities in the cardiac electrophysiology speciality in the United States has been highlighted in two new studies.
  Medscape Medical News, April 29, 2022
• 19, Including Physician, Charged in NBA Health Fraud Case Federal officials allege healthcare professionals provided former basketball players with false invoices to submit for reimbursement.
  Medscape Medical News, April 28, 2022
• Hospitals Awarded $4.5M Over ED Billing Dispute With Anthem A recent case shines a spotlight on a far-reaching trend that finds healthcare insurers downgrading or flat out denying payment for care delivered in US emergency departments.
  Medscape Medical News, April 20, 2022
• Med School to Pay $1.2M in Refunds, Debt Cancellation The Federal Trade Commission secured a settlement with the Saint James School of Medicine, based in the Caribbean with operations in Illinois, alleging deceptive marketing ― claims the school disputes.
  Medscape Medical News, April 19, 2022
• Naturopath Admits to Fake COVID Cards, Offering Protective Pills Practitioner told patients to mark vaccine date as the day they ingested homeoprophylaxis pellets promising lifetime protection. Also, medical center settles unnecessary procedure claims for $22 million.
  Medscape Medical News, April 19, 2022
• Physician Incomes Begin to Recover From Pandemic: Survey After a tough year, physician incomes — and love of the job — are making a comeback, but many doctors still struggle.
  Medscape Medical News, April 15, 2022
• Who Doesn’t Text in 2022? Most State Medicaid Programs As states prepare for the end of the COVID public health emergency, they are making plans to reevaluate each Medicaid enrollee’s eligibility. They will rely primarily on mail and email.
  Kaiser Health News, April 13, 2022