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The article reports on the Universal Foundation framework proposed by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to streamline quality measurement to inform reimbursement rates while sustaining incentives that promote high-quality care. Focus is given on the effort of the CMS to counter a phenomenon known as measure cacophony. It also shows the split within the private sector over appropriate standardization of quality measures.

The article cites that the mandatory hospital payment called Transforming Episode Accountability Model finalized in 2024 by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) could slash earnings for healthcare providers, according to a research from the Institute for Accountable Care. The report cites the impact of financial losses on hospitals' access to services and patient care, the need to invest in care transition support and develop effective post-acute care management strategies.

The article highlights the 5 things to know about Medicaid trends for 2025 based on a survey of Medicaid directors.

State and local governments in the United States are facing a shortage of workers, with thousands of job postings remaining unfilled. To address this issue, the public sector can leverage its advantage over the private sector by offering pensions as a highly attractive benefit. Participation in defined benefit plans has declined over the years, making retirement security more difficult to attain for the average American. Research shows that pensions play a crucial role in worker retention in the public sector, with many millennials citing their pension benefits as the reason for staying in their jobs. By quantifying and demonstrating the value of pension benefits, public-sector employers can attract job applicants and retain skilled employees. Cutting pension benefits can have negative consequences, as seen in cases where municipalities closed their defined benefit plans and struggled to recruit and retain employees. Overall, the public sector can capitalize on its pension benefits to address the worker shortage through effective messaging and education about total compensation packages. [Extracted from the article]