What you need to know about Medicare's physician Quality Payment Program: "MACRA's approach to reimbursing physicians is here, but many doctors and administrators are still trying to get a handle on how it works. Read on for tips on how to deal with this major change to the Medicare payment system." - Modern Healthcare

Medicare shared-savings ACOs cut $1 billion in costs over three years: "Accountable care organizations in the CMS' Medicare shared-savings program reduced spending by about $1 billion in the first three years, while also improving quality of care, according to a report by HHS' OIG." - Modern Healthcare 

Providers feel the pain of slow Medicaid mental services rule rollout: "After a 50-year ban, the CMS announced last year that Medicaid would pay for inpatient psychiatric and substance abuse care. Hospitals hoped the change would decrease their ER case loads, but have seen no relief yet." - Modern Healthcare

More than 1,200 doctors now signed up for medical marijuana program: "The Florida Department of Health's Office of Medical Marijuana Use, formerly called the Office of Compassionate Use, has been authorizing an average of more than 20 doctors a week this year to assist patients seeking to use marijuana products." - Florida Politics

Express Scripts to limit opioids; doctors concerned: "The American Medical Association says doctors and their patients, not pharmacy benefit managers, should determine opioid treatment plans, criticizing Express Scripts' plan to limit the number and strength of opioid drugs prescribed to first-time users." - Modern Healthcare