Michael Charlton, president and CEO of AtlantiCare, welcomed CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, to New Jersey last week for a tour of medical facilities and healthcare policy discussion.
Dr. Oz visited AtlantiCare’s medical and educational facilities, as well as community outreach sites in an effort to showcase the system’s healthcare delivery, education and innovation services. He also joined a private roundtable including healthcare, government, education and technology leaders to discuss the future of Medicare and Medicaid.
“I was pleased to join leaders from healthcare, education, government and technology at AtlantiCare for a thoughtful and solutions-driven conversation,” said Dr. Oz. “AtlantiCare’s vision is transformative for the city of Atlantic City and approach that other health systems could model.”
Leaders at the roundtable discussed:
- Prior authorization
- Care delays
- Provider burden
- Technology opportunities
- Regulatory issues
The conversation comes at a particularly important time, as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed earlier this month includes Medicaid cuts phased in over the next two years, draining resources for hospitals with a high percentage of Medicaid beneficiaries.
CMS also released plans to phase out the inpatient-only list over the next three years and expand site neutral payments. At the same time, the agency is accelerating a repayment plan to claw back $7.8 billion in overpayments made for 340 B non-drug services.
During the sessions, AtlantiCare’s leaders described how important the health system is to the community. AtlantiCare’s expansion in the region has driven economic revitalization and regional growth, according to a system press release.
“AtlantiCare is small enough to be nimble in our transformation efforts, yet big enough matter and make a real difference,” said Mr. Charlton. “That’s what allows us to move fast, build partnerships that matter, and create real outcomes. [Friday’s] discussion made clear how important it is for national policy to stay grounded in what’s actually happening on the front lines.”
The health system has a six-year strategic plan to transform care delivery with community investment, workforce development for 6,500 team members, clinical innovation and operational growth.
