Government
Disease management demo gives HHS unprecedented authority
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted March 22, 2004
Tucked into the creases of the mammoth Medicare Modernization Act is a provision that may change the way the government conducts health care demonstration projects. The law creates a chronic care demonstration project that for the first time in Medicare's history would allow the secretary of the Dept. of Health and Human Services to expand a demonstration project without asking Congress for permission.
Under the project, HHS will enter into contracts with disease management organizations to offer programs in geographic areas that, combined, contain at least 10% of Medicare beneficiaries. If results of the demonstration are positive, the secretary could expand it.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/03/22/gvbf0322.htm.
