Drugs: Deal or No Deal

Drugs: Deal or No Deal

The only government program that I can think of that did not authorize price negotiations for prescription medications was the Medicare Part D program. In its inception in 2006, price negotiations were not part of the law, and drug manufacturers were essentially at...
OIG Files: Go Your Own Way 

OIG Files: Go Your Own Way 

While CMS reported that is collected half of the overpayments previously identified by OIG, the OIG in another recent review (full report) found that number to substantially less. The OIG is the watchdog for HHS.  All OIGs serve in this role for the respective...
The Importance of Getting Risk Adjustment Right

The Importance of Getting Risk Adjustment Right

Background Anyone who has taken the CRC™ (Certified Risk Adjustment Coder) curriculum can tell you that risk adjustment was first utilized in the mid-90’s for Medicaid purposes. The goal of risk adjustment has always been to collect data on patients so that money...
Our Next Health Crisis

Our Next Health Crisis

Do you think 15M people will lose Medicaid when the pandemic ends? The Medicaid market has been changing in unprecedented rates since the start of the Pandemic and there are some good things to come from such a terrible time. This week, I attended the Medicaid...