By Tom Keane & Steven Posnack – ASTP/ONC released a final rule enabling the use of certified EHRs to submit prior authorizations, select drugs consistent with a patient’s insurance coverage, and exchange electronic prescription information with pharmacies and insurance plans.
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By Elisabeth Rosenthal – The No Surprises Act, which took effect in 2022, was rightly heralded as a landmark piece of legislation, which “protects people covered under group and individual health plans from receiving surprise medical bills,” according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. And yet bills that take patients like Chen by surprise just keep coming.
By Kathy Sucich – The price of healthcare. It’s a hot-button issue for many Americans, and a costly one too. Statistics from the Commonwealth Fund show Americans pay a median of $3,700 each year in premium contributions and out-of-pocket healthcare expenses combined.
By Steven Findlay – With much fanfare, federal officials required hospitals nationwide this year to post their “list” prices online. But it’s not yet clear how many are doing it, even as the government has taken the rare step of asking consumers to monitor hospital compliance.
At a ceremony in his office, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed legislation to establish a fully functional All-Payer Claims Database (APCD), which will give consumers, providers and employers important new information to understand the quality and affordability of health care in Washington.