Are you willing to pay a small annual fee if it means a faster ambulance response in critical situations? The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP), in its 2023 CCAP EMS Task Force Report stated, "Emergency Medical Services in Pennsylvania are in crisis, affirmed by findings of multiple studies." All these reports contain recommendations to deal with the issues facing EMS and emergency services in Pennsylvania because the current system is failing and not sustainable without significant changes.
If the government hoped Medicare Advantage plans would reduce the costs of care, that has not been the outcome. Medicare pays the plans 6 percent more than it would spend if plan enrollees were covered under regular, fee-for-service Medicare, the MedPAC report found. Medicare payments to the plans will total $27 billion more in 2023 than if patients were enrolled in traditional Medicare, the report projected.
Demand for medical devices has seen a surge following a sharp decline in COVID-19 infections as customers, particularly older adults. GE HealthCare also raised the low end of its annual adjusted profit forecast range to $3.75 per share from $3.70, while maintaining its top end at $3.85.
WellNow previously informed patients that it would stop accepting the company’s insurance if it did not update its reimbursement rates. In a notice of termination sent to Excellus by WellNow, the urgent care says, "The seemingly intractable position taken by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield to keep reimbursement rates well below historical reimbursement over the past decade and failure to recognize and appreciate the distinction between primary care practices and urgent care centers makes our business relationship an untenable proposition going forward."
Two doctors groups with Scripps Health in San Diego are terminating contracts with private Medicare plans over concerns about payments and routine denials. Experts say these disputes could be an early warning sign of more contract terminations ahead as hospitals and large doctor groups seek lucrative payments to offset inflation, healthcare workers' double-digit raises and escalating prices for medical supplies.