Medicare COVID-19 Data Release Blog
By Seema Verma – CMS released preliminary data on COVID-19 derived from Medicare claims. The data provides a highly instructive picture of the impact of COVID-19 on the Medicare population.
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Putting our Rethinking Rural Health Strategy into Action
By Seema Verma – Approximately 60 million Americans or roughly 1 in 5 live in rural areas, with nearly every state having a rural county. The Trump Administration recognizes the significant obstacles faced by patients and providers in rural areas.
Better Data Will Serve as the Foundation in Modernizing the Medicaid Program
By Seema Verma – Between 2013 and 2016, Federal spending on Medicaid grew by over $100 billion. The program is often the first or second largest line item in state budgets.
Modernizing Medicare to Take Advantage of the Latest Technologies
By Seema Verma – Healthcare is taking up an increasing share of the U.S. economy, and by 2026 the CMS Office of the Actuary projects that one in every five dollars spent in America will be spent on healthcare.
Health IT Issues that Deserve a Second Read – July 2018
The thought leaders in our community are good about sharing their thoughts on the issues of today. Here are the top read and shared guest posts of July that we think deserve sharing again.
A Letter to Doctors from CMS Administrator Seema Verma
By Seema Verma – Dear Doctor, Thank you for the difference you make in your patients’ lives. Many of our nation’s best and brightest students go into medicine – the competition is intense for every spot.
CMS Doubling Down on Health IT; Patients
By Seema Verma – Americans enjoy the benefits of the best healthcare providers and innovators in the world. Yet while the volume of care consumed by American patients has not increased dramatically comparative to similar economies, the cost of care in the US has accelerated at an alarming pace.
Working Together for Value
By Seema Verma – Over the past year, CMS has engaged with the provider community in a discussion about regulatory burden issues. This included publishing a Request for Information soliciting comments about areas of high regulatory burden.
Quality Payment Program Exceeds Year 1 Participation Goal
By Seema Verma – I’m pleased to announce that 91 percent of all clinicians eligible for MIPS participated in the first year of the QPP – exceeding our goal of 90 percent participation.