CMS has posted results from its implementation of the ACA’s value-based payment modifier program, and out of more than 13,800 eligible physician groups, just 128 groups—less than one percent—will receive “upward adjustments,” or bonuses, for strong performances. The rate for those adjustments is quoted as 15.92 percent, or 31.84 percent for some groups that treated high-risk beneficiaries.

More than 5,500 diagnosis and procedures codes will be added to the ICD-10 coding system for fiscal year 2017.

Howard P. Kern is the new president and CEO of Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Healthcare as of March 4.

Any surgery carries risk, which is why decisions to put patients under the knife should be carefully considered. However, one surgeon is calling attention to the fact that some common procedures end up being about as effective as a placebo procedure would have been—and the placebo would have cost a lot less while doing the patient zero harm.

The American Medical Association (AMA) has joined forces with the Florida Medical Association and Florida Osteopathic Medical Association, and written a letter to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, calling on her to reject the proposed merger of Aetna and Humana.  

Community Care of North Carolina won the inaugural Hearst Health prize on March 8 and $100,000 for excellence in managing or improving health.

A plan proposed by the Obama administration to test how limiting prescription drug payments might help lower excessive spending has been met with swift opposition from physicians, providers, drug manufacturers and healthcare organizations.

An analysis from Harvard’s department of healthcare policy shows such wide variation in baseline spending levels from one ACO to the next that any future benchmarking efforts, including those performed within single given regions, must roll out parity measures only gradually—or pay the price in the form of participation falloffs.