Medicare

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 在一次數據洩漏事件中，不慎洩露了數千名醫生的社會安全號碼。 • 該機構未能對系統中的敏感個人資訊採取足夠的保護措施，引發對聯邦數據保護實踐的擔憂。 • 此次洩漏已促使相關部門對 CMS 的安全協議及潛在的監管改革展開調查。

• 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.