Trump Administration Continues Efforts to Overhaul U.S. Healthcare

The Trump Administration has shown itself willing, and able, to make numerous policy and regulation modifications throughout its incumbency thus far. U.S. healthcare has been no exception, with a continuing stream of alterations to existing policy and practice in April 2018. On April 9, 2018, the  Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services  (CMS) released its final 2019 payment notice rule, a lengthy document that makes substantive changes to numerous provisions contained within the  Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act  (ACA). In addition, on April 10, 2018, President Trump signed an executive order entitled “ Reducing Poverty in America by Promoting Opportunity and Economic Mobility ,” which imposes work requirements on U.S. beneficiaries of low-income federal aid programs. Both of these actions, consistent with the President’s campaign promises, were implemented with little fanfare, but will have a potentially substantial impact on American consumers. (Read more...)  

MedPAC Outlines Proposed MIPS Replacement Program

On March 15, 2018, MedPAC released its 2018 annual Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy , which includes MedPAC’s rationale behind the proposed elimination of Merit Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) as well as details regarding a proposed framework for “ moving beyond ” MIPS with the development of an alternative value-based reimbursement program. MIPS was originally established, along with Alternative Payment Models, as part of the Quality Payment Program under the Medicare Access & CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), with the goal of moving physician reimbursement away from a volume-based framework toward a value-based structure. (Read more...)  

Capitalism in U.S. Healthcare: The Case of Walmart

The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), a/k/a Obamacare, passed in response to untenable rising costs in the healthcare industry, commenced the latest iteration of U.S. healthcare reform. Although the ACA substantially decreased the number of uninsured Americans, and instituted myriad value-based reimbursement programs, it has not been the panacea for the continuously rising cost of U.S. healthcare that was expected. As a result, the private sector, e.g., retail giants such as Amazon and Walmart, has taken up the mantle to solve what has been described as “ the single-most pressing American economic issue ” of the 21st century. In addition, with the recent repeal of the ACA’s Individual Mandate penalty and general efforts toward “de-regulation” of U.S. healthcare under the Trump Administration, new opportunities for alternative, non-traditional players in the healthcare market have expanded exponentially. (Read more...)  

What’s Your Brand Worth? The Benefits of a Brand to the Grantor

Trademarks and trade names hold distinct economic value for each party involved. They reduce information asymmetries for consumers and bring recognition and “ brand loyalty ” to the subject enterprise through the perception of quality assurance in the goods and/or services provided by the branded organization. Healthcare enterprises have grown their business, in part, by licensing the use of their trademarks and trade names to others, i.e., granting permission to a licensee (grantee) to use the trademark(s) and/ or trade names(s) owned by the licensor (grantor), subject to certain conditions and restrictions. This fourth installment will review the economic benefits accruing to the grantor (licensor) of the trademark or trade name. (Read more...)  

ANNOUNCING

Advanced Distance Education to Launch in 2018

The  Institute for Healthcare Valuation  (IHV) &  Consultants' Training Institute  (CTI) are pleased to announce premier healthcare valuation training through a distance education program, the Certificate of Educational Achievement (CEA) for Advanced Education in Healthcare Valuation. The program will launch in 2018 and will bridge the interdisciplinary nature of healthcare valuation to include: the Four Pillars of Healthcare (regulatory, reimbursement, competition, and technology); the market forces shaping the U.S. healthcare industry; and the valuation of healthcare enterprises, assets, and services. Legal professionals and healthcare providers, as well as those wishing to expand their scope of activities in healthcare valuation engagements and those seeking to enhance their current healthcare valuation service lines, will gain comprehensive knowledge through completing the expansive program. The program has been developed and is being presented by industry thought leader Health Capital Consultants , alongside a blockbuster faculty of healthcare subject matter experts from the legal, federal regulatory, and valuation professions.

HCC President, Todd Zigrang , HCC Senior Vice President, John Chwarzinski , and HCC Vice President and General Counsel, Jessica Bailey-Wheaton , are honored to have co-authored the article entitled, " Beyond FMV: Commercial Resonableness of Physician Compensation Post-MACRA ," in ASA's Spring 2018 issue of Business Valuation Review .

AICPA, 2015

Wiley, 2014

Taylor & Francis, 2013

Beard Books, 2005