Virgil Dickson
Modern Healthcare
Washington, United States
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Past articles by Virgil:
Rate of children without insurance rises for first time since 2008
Anti-immigration rhetoric by the Trump administration may be a reason why the rate of children without insurance is on the rise for the first time since 2008, according to a new report. → Read More
HHS finalizes long awaited 340B drug price rule
HHS finally will allow a ceiling price rule for the 340B program to kick in after years of delays. The price cap will go into effect on Jan.1, 2019. → Read More
CMS allows states to get creative with federal exchange funds under 1332 waivers
The CMS has issued four new examples on how states can use 1332 waivers to customize health insurance offerings. But a former agency official warns that using any of the new flexibilities could result in litigation. → Read More
Medicare price tool compares surgery costs
The CMS has launched a new tool to make it easier for consumers to know their out-of-pocket costs for surgery. → Read More
CMS has a plan if federal judge strikes down ACA
CMS Administrator Seema Verma wants to reassure individual market enrollees that they won't lose access to care if a federal judge in Texas strikes down the Affordable Care Act. → Read More
FDA looks to revamp medical device approval pathway
The FDA wants to make substantial changes to the regulatory pathway through which most medical devices enter the U.S. market. The clearance procedure has been in place since 1976. → Read More
CMS unveils new nursing home safety effort
The CMS is seeking to improve quality of care at nursing homes via a new safety training effort. → Read More
Human drug testing protocols being reviewed by FDA
The FDA hired a research firm to find out if its current process for approving or denying human testing request needs to be revamped. → Read More
CMS will study quality measures at home health agencies
The CMS wants to make sure it's using the right quality measures to track care given by home health agencies, which costs the agency around $18 billion every year. → Read More
Improper Medicare payments hit lowest level in nearly a decade
More targeted enforcement activity and reduced regulatory burden led to a nearly $5 billion drop in improper Medicare payments in fiscal 2018. → Read More
CMS tells Congress federal law inhibits use of telehealth for seniors
Federal laws are preventing greater use of telehealth, according to a CMS report sent to Congress on Thursday. → Read More
CMS to ask if HIPAA is a barrier to care coordination
The CMS has drafted a request for information on what barriers HIPAA regulations are posing for care coordination efforts. → Read More
CMS plans to overturn Medicaid ban on mental health facility pay
States may soon have a new waiver option to use federal funds to pay for Medicaid beneficiaries' treatment at inpatient mental health facilities. The CMS has had a ban on reimbursing those providers for decades. → Read More
Medicaid birthing model yields success for CMS
A federal initiative targeting pregnant Medicaid patients reduced medical costs for both mothers and their babies. → Read More
Azar says new mandatory oncology pay model is coming
HHS Secretary Alex Azar said the Trump administration is reversing course on voluntary payment models and said more mandatory ones are in the works, including one for cancer care. → Read More
CMS will tweak, not overhaul Medicaid managed care
The CMS wants to make a series of smaller changes to an Obama-era rulemaking that revamped managed Medicaid policy two years ago. The proposals fall short of the overhaul that states expected. → Read More
Medicaid drafts rule that may limit rides to medical appointments
The CMS is drafting a rule that would make it easier for states to stop offering Medicaid beneficiaries paid transportation to medical appointments, a move that could affect providers' revenue drastically. → Read More
HHS finalizes rules to deny birth control for religious reasons
HHS has finalized a pair of rules that allow more companies to opt out of covering birth control for their employees. → Read More
Children's hospitals bear largest brunt of Trump immigration crackdown
Children's hospitals could see their revenue dip if increased anti-immigration sentiment from the Trump administration causes an exodus from Medicaid. Chronically ill children on Medicaid primarily go to these facilities for their hospital stays. → Read More
Medicaid will pay doctors, hospitals more next year
The majority of state Medicaid agencies are planning to issue raises next year for providers thanks to the stronger economy. States are also seeing the first drop in Medicaid enrollment in a decade. → Read More