May 2021

Federal Health Policy Update for Wednesday, May 5

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The White House COVID-19 The White House has posted a transcript of the May 5 press briefing by its COVID-19 response team and public health officials. Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 HHS has created a web page for its new COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund through which providers can be reimbursed for the cost of administering COVID-19 vaccines to the uninsured and to those whose health insurance [...]

2021-05-05T17:25:41-04:00May 5, 2021|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Coronavirus, COVID-19, MACPAC, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, post-acute care|
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Some Patients May Safely Leave Nursing Homes Faster, Study Finds

Some patients can be safely discharged from skilled nursing facilities faster than they currently are, a new study has found. And not just a day or two, either:  as much as a week or more. The study focused on patients who had been in SNFs for about 20 days – the point at which Medicare beneficiaries begin shouldering a portion of the cost of their nursing care.  Discharging some of these patients a week early, the study found, did not affect rehospitalization by day 28 for 98 percent of the patients discharged around day 20. The study, its authors assert, [...]

2021-05-05T06:00:18-04:00May 5, 2021|Medicare post-acute care|
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Federal Health Policy Update for Monday, May 3

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 3:15 p.m. on Monday, May 3.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The White House COVID-19 The White House has posted a transcript of the April 30 press briefing provided by its COVID-19 response team and public health officials. Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 HHS and its Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) have announced a new program to cover the costs of administering COVID-19 vaccines for patients enrolled in health plans that either do not cover vaccination [...]

2021-05-03T17:28:49-04:00May 3, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19|
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Surprise Billing Ban: Now the Hard Part Begins

Congress’s passage of a ban on surprise medical bills came after years of debate on the issue and was still somewhat of a surprise. But in hindsight, passing the ban may end up being the easy part. Now, federal officials need to develop regulations that will flesh out the ban, define terms, establish new processes, and more, and every indication is that this will be no less difficult than developing and passing legislation. According to Politico, lobbying on future regulations has already begun, with providers, consumer advocates, insurers, and even private equity interests vying to ensure that their needs are [...]

2021-05-03T06:00:45-04:00May 3, 2021|Uncategorized|
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