The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has finalized a rule that aims to strengthen Medicare Advantage, lower prescription drug costs and protect senior patients and those with disabilities.

The American College of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons have endorsed the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act.

Value-based care platform Agilon Health has inked a partnership with Holland (Mich.) Physician Hospital Organization, a 50+-physician network that collaborates with Holland Hospital.

Emergency medicine physicians saw the biggest pay increase in 2022, according to data from online networking service Doximity.

Physicians saw a 2.4 percent decline in pay in 2022, according to Doximity's annual "Physician Compensation Report."

The American Medical Group Association has released a letter opposing the Federal Trade Commission proposal to ban the use of noncompete agreements.

The American College of Physicians published a statement March 8 expressing support for the Biden administration's proposed 2024 federal budget.

Several medical associations are urging CMS to resume independent dispute resolution payment determinations.

Physicians in California and Texas must have a direct government loan or consolidate their loans into a direct loan by May 1 to be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, according to a March 6 news release from the California Medical Association.

Lance Wobus, MD, psychiatry resident at Richmond University Medical Center in New York City, recently spoke with Becker's to discuss the changes he'd like to see related to physician compensation. 

Fourteen senators from rural states sent a letter Feb. 23 to CMS administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure urging her department to extend the Low Wage Index Hospital Policy.

Fifty-three percent of hospitalists in the West reported being "very happy" or "somewhat happy," according to Medscape's "Hospitalist Lifestyle & Happiness Report 2023" released Feb. 22. 

Bashar Kiama, MD, was sentenced to eight months in prison for evading income taxes related to the medical practice he owned, the U.S. Justice department said Feb. 22. 

HCA Healthcare is the largest healthcare system by expenses, according to a Feb. 9 report from Definitive Healthcare. 

Three major health system deals have unwound or been called off since the start of 2023:

Congress has extended the advanced alternative payment model incentive payment an additional year as part of its year-end omnibus deal.

Although the role of physician was ranked the 13th best job for 2023, 53 percent of providers said they are burned out and 23 reported experiencing depression, according to a survey published Jan. 27 by Medscape.

The National Rural Healthcare Association has partnered with Stroudwater Associates to launch a compensation survey for physicians and advanced practice providers for rural organizations.

The American Medical Association recently released a guide for residents, fellows and young physicians on how to manage their student debt. Here are five tips from that guide:

Congress released omnibus legislation in a $1.7 trillion spending bill that halts the planned 4.5 percent Medicare reimbursement cut, which is scheduled to grow over the next two years.