Enrollment in Medicare Advantage has grown over the last 20 years following the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, which renamed the program from private Medicare plans.

A man from Glendale, Calif., was sentenced Jan. 31 to 10 years in prison for a Medicare fraud scheme.

CMS finalized a rule Jan. 17 requiring certain payers to include a specific reason when denying requests, publicly report certain prior authorization metrics, and send decisions within 72 hours for urgent requests and seven calendar days for standard requests beginning in 2026.

While physicians have been calling on Congress to reverse the 3.37% Medicare physician pay cuts that took effect Jan. 1, Congress chose not to halt the pay cut as it averted a government shutdown. 

An owner of three medical practices was convicted of aggravated identity theft for placing the name and address of another man with the same name in legal documents to avoid a settlement payment.

Kentucky is the worst state to retire in, according to a Jan. 22 report from WalletHub.

Florida is the best state to retire in, according to a Jan. 22 report from WalletHub.

HHS' Office of Inspector General has determined that a consultant's proposed provision of gift cards to existing physician practice customers does not violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, according to an article by law firm Harris Beach published Jan. 18 on JDSupra.

Fifty-two percent of healthcare employees indicated they feel fairly paid for the work they do — the lowest score of any industry studied, according to a recent report by experience management company Qualtrics. 

Here's what physicians need to know in 2024 about Stark law, the strict liability statute that places restrictions on physicians making referrals for many Medicare-payable services to an entity if the physician or immediate family member has a financial relationship with the services.

The 3.37% Medicare physician pay cut that took effect Jan. 1 is not the only compensation cut some physicians are facing in 2024, according to a Jan. 11 report from the American Medical Association.

Here are 10 things to know about physician compensation:

Washington is the highest-paying state for physician assistants, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Indianapolis-based Community Health Network agreed to pay the U.S. $345 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and Stark law.

Steward Health Care and Steward Medical Group, both based in Dallas, and St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston — which is part of the health system — have been accused of violating Stark law, allegedly paying a cardiologist nearly $4.9 million in incentive compensation. 

Wisconsin governor Tony Evers has signed a bill making it easier for physician assistants to receive interstate credentials, Wisconsin Public Radio reported Dec. 11.

The largest portion of female physicians have a net worth below $500,000, while the largest portion of male physicians have a net worth between $2 and $5 million, according to Medscape's 2023 "Female Physician Wealth and Debt Report."

Mortgage on their primary residence was the leading expense female physicians reported paying down in Medscape's 2023 "Female Physician Wealth and Debt Report."

Nephrologists saw the lowest annual salary increase in the last 10 years — a bump of only $49,000 — while the pay for plastic surgeons increased by more than $300,000, according to Medscape's "Physician Compensation Report" for 2013 and 2023.

The American Medical Association has compiled a list of terms physicians should know involving prior authorization, the process requiring physicians to receive approval from the health plan before the prescribed treatment, test or medical service can be delivered to the patient.