Medicare

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 在一次数据泄露事件中，不慎泄露了数千名医生的社会安全号码。 • 该机构未能对其系统中的敏感个人信息采取充分的安全保护措施，引发了人们对联邦数据保护惯例的担忧。 • 此次泄露已促使相关部门对 CMS 的安全协议进行调查，并可能推动监管改革。

• Medicare underpayments to hospitals totaled more than $100 billion in 2024, according to testimony provided to the House Ways and Means Committee by the American Hospital Association. • Hospitals are managing significant cost pressures while treating a sicker, more medically complex, and aging patient population, with persistent misalignments between care provision and reimbursement rates. • The financial strain reflects broader healthcare system challenges as providers struggle with inadequate government reimbursement alongside rising operational costs.

• The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission released its March 2026 Report to Congress, recommending a 0.5% increase in physician payments above current levels. • This proposal aims to address payment updates for Medicare services amid ongoing discussions on healthcare financing sustainability. • The report influences federal policy decisions on Medicare reimbursement rates for physicians across the US.

• The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee held a March 17 hearing on CMS fraud prevention, with Deputy Administrator Kimberly Brandt detailing data analytics and real-time monitoring shifts. • Republicans highlighted improper payments in hospice, home health and Medicaid, calling for stronger oversight; Democrats urged balancing enforcement with patient access. • Lawmakers addressed fraud risks in durable medical equipment amid calls to end 'pay-and-chase' models.