Federal Health Policy Update for December 7
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for December 1-7. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress While Congress has more than a month before the next federal funding [...]
Feds Tackles State Medicaid Redetermination Problems With Penalties
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has unveiled plans to penalize states that fail to comply with federal standards for redetermining the eligibility of individuals who enrolled in their Medicaid programs during the COVID-19 emergency. Under a new CMS [...]
Medicaid Redeterminations Trigger Increase in Self-Pay Care
As states continue redetermining Medicaid eligibility for participants who were protected from disenrollment during the COVID-19 emergency, the number of patients telling providers they will pay for their own hospital, primary care, and emergency department visits has risen. The increase [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for November 30
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for November 17-30. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. No Surprises Act CMS has released two new FAQs to provide guidance in [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for November 16
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for November 10-16. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress This week Congress passed another continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal [...]
Senate Looks at Telehealth in Medicare
The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing this week on “Ensuring Medicare Beneficiary Access: A Path to Telehealth Permanency.” Go here for a video of the hearing and here for links to the testimony submitted to the committee.
MACPAC Meets
The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission met for two days recently in Washington, D.C. The following is MACPAC’s own summary of the meeting. To kick off MACPAC’s November meeting, the Commission continued its work on denials and appeals [...]
Bill Would Halt Medicaid DSH Cuts, Bring Other Changes
A wide-ranging bill passed by the Senate Finance Committee would eliminate $16 billion in Medicaid disproportionate share (Medicaid DSH) payments over the next two years. Just last week ASH asked Congress to delay the scheduled Medicaid DSH cut for two [...]
MedPAC Meets
The commissioners of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission recently met virtually. The subjects on the agenda of their two-day meeting were: rural emergency hospitals dual-eligible special needs plans MedPAC’s work plan for hospice issues Medicare coverage of and payment for [...]
ASH Asks Congress for Two-Year Delay of Medicaid DSH Cuts
Delay Medicaid disproportionate share (Medicaid DSH) cuts for two years, the Alliance of Safety-Net Hospitals has requested in a message to members of Congress. Noting that Medicaid DSH payments are “… a vital tool for helping safety-net hospitals care for [...]
