CMS launches tool that prices surgeries for patients 

By: Tauren Dyson 

UPI.com –The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, on Tuesday unveiled a new online tool that gives consumers the power to compare Medicare payouts for various hospital procedures.The Procedure Price Lookup tool allows users to see the national averages for what Medicare pays to hospitals or ambulatory surgical centers, along with the national average copayment amounts that beneficiaries without Medicare supplemental insurance would pay the provider.

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CVS Closes $69B Acquisition of Aetna, Altering Consumer Landscape

By: Jennifer Bresnick 

Healthpayerintelligence.com –  CVS Health has announced that its $69 billion takeover of Aetna has been completed.  The acquisition promises to radically transform the healthcare industry by creating new care delivery options for consumers.

“Today marks the start of a new day in health care and a transformative moment for our company and our industry,” said CVS Health President and Chief Executive Officer Larry J. Merlo.

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Study: Average hospital outpatient visit cost approaching $500

By: Tauren Dyson 

UPI.com – The average outpatient visitor to a U.S. hospital will pay close $500, a new study says. The findings, published Wednesdayin The Lancet Public Health, also found that the average inpatient stay in 2016 cost more than $22,000, putting health costs in the United States well beyond most other countries. 

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Early Participants And Focus Areas In BPCI-Advanced 

By: Amol S. Navathe, Jack Huang, Joshua M. Liao 

Healthaffairs.org – In October 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) doubled down on bundled payments through its launch of Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI-Advanced). 

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