Trending News Today: Medicare Changes Seeks to Prevent Higher Out-of-Pocket Costs

With the FDA approval of Probuphine, many physicians are having to learn new skills in order to properly implant the device. Probuphine is used to treat opioid use disorders, and delivers a constant dose of buprenorphine through an implant of 4 match-sized rods. However, some physicians may not have surgical experience or access to a sterile space, making this a difficult treatment to administer, Kaiser Health News reported.

Patients covered by Medicare will have to be notified that they may receive a large bill if they stay in a hospital without being admitted for over 24 hours. This notification, brought due to the Notice Act, will likely have patients receiving the notifications in January, according to The New York Times. Hospitals do not admit patients because they fear they will be fined by Medicare for admitting patients unnecessarily, but this causes the patients to pay high out-of-pocket costs.

The Obama administration is continuing to work to change the way physicians receive payments. They are hoping to move away from traditional payments to a model that pays providers based on how their patients recover and the cost of their care, according to the LA Times. The administration believes that a new payment model will incentivize physicians to provide a higher quality of care.