From Health Plan Week - Despite the best efforts of a top CMS official to ease concerns over whether insurance exchanges will be ready to open on time this fall, it seems that nobody will be shocked if just such a delay occurs. Gary Cohen, director of CMS’s Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO), on April 24 testified before a House Energy and Commerce oversight panel, and insisted all systems are go for… Read more

From Medicare Advantage News - Medicare Advantage plan sponsor Universal American Corp. is building a potentially substantial new business helping rural providers start MA plans of their own, sometimes in areas where the company itself has MA operations. Universal American will be supplying capital, taking risk and performing insurance-related functions in return for 50% of the net profits in an approach linked partly to aiding the providers as managed care business for Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles… Read more

From Report on Medicare Compliance - Compliance officers may grumble when they aren’t included in meetings with executives, but it’s up to them to insert themselves. Don’t wait for an invitation because you are, by definition, on the list. “Go to the meeting and bring donuts,” said attorney Brian Beard, director of compliance and ethics at McKesson Specialty Health in Houston. Similarly, consider revising the way you interact with departments, such as lab, pharmacy and radiology. Read more