Following up on yesterday’s post about CMS’s release of a final rule on Medicare Part B reimbursement to physicians, Becker’s Hospital CFO report provide six takeaways which includes the FEHBlog’s lead takeaway about an increase in telehealth spending. Becker’s also notes that

Physician payment rates will increase 0.41 percent in 2018 compared to this year. CMS arrived at this increase after accounting for a 0.5 percent increase required by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act and a negative 0.09 percent adjustment required under the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014.

Earlier this week, the Leapfrog Group released its latest hospital safety grades.  Typically when the FEHBlog makes note of this event, he remarks that there are no A graded hospitals in Maryland, his home state. The Leapfrog Group press release alerts us that

One state appears on the state rankings for the first time today, the state of Maryland. Maryland had previously been the only state unable to be graded due to an exemption from reporting key safety metrics at the national level. Unfortunately, Maryland ranked fourth from the bottom. Of the 44 hospitals graded in Maryland, just one (2.3%), Howard County General Hospital in Columbia, earned an “A”

When the FEHBlog took a look at the grades of hospitals within 50 miles of his home zip code in Maryland, it appeared that 40-50% of the facilities declined to participate. 

For new parents out there, the Centers for Disease Control has created a new app called Milestone Tracker. The free app allows you to

Track your child’s milestones from age 2 months to 5 years with CDC’s easy-to-use illustrated checklists; get tips from CDC for encouraging your child’s development; and find out what to do if you are ever concerned about how your child is developing.

Handy!