Bulletin Board
Bulletin Board
Federal Health Policy Update for October 22
Don’t Miss: Senate Finance Democrats release home care RFI New NIH Women’s Health Division Updated “Health Care Fraud Self-Disclosure” protocol The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for October 16-22. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) released a Request for Information (RFI) titled “Delivering An Affordable Home Care Guarantee for American Families,” seeking feedback on policy proposals aimed at making home care affordable and accessible, especially for those with disabilities [...]
IRS Lays Groundwork for Changes in ACA Premium Tax Credits
The Internal Revenue Service has started the process for redefining who will be eligible for future health insurance premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act health exchange insurance policies. In a recently published notice, the IRS proposes bringing access to those premium tax credits into line with changes adopted in the FY 2025 reconciliation law that introduced major changes in Medicaid eligibility, Affordable Care Act health insurance premium subsidies, and other aspects of federal health care policy. The proposed rule would establish stricter eligibility and enrollment requirements for health premium [...]
GLP-1 Model Popular Among Seniors
It looks like a lot of seniors want help losing weight. That seems like a reasonable conclusion after a Department of Health and Human Services official told a recent gathering that more than one million Medicare beneficiaries have signed up to participate in Medicare’s GLP-1 Bridge Model, which will temporarily reduce the price of the popular weight-loss drug to $50 a month. The program, which operates outside of Medicare Part D plans, is intended to serve as a bridge to CMS’s broader BALANCE (Better Approaches to Lifestyle and Nutrition for [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for October 15
Don’t Miss: IRS proposes changes in rules governing ACA premium tax credits Lawsuit and legislation aim to block 340B Rebate Model Program CMS updates telehealth FAQ The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for October 9-15. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress Both chambers of Congress will reconvene after the mid-term elections on November 9. Upon their return, one of their priorities will be advancing a government funding package because the current continuing resolution (CR) expires on December [...]
The Curious Case of Improper Medicaid Payments
While the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services continues its efforts to “crush” Medicaid fraud, a new report says that the biggest source of improper Medicaid payments is… Flawed paperwork. While improper payments generally are categorized as fraud, waste, and abuse, CMS’s focus has been squarely on fraud. At the same time, however, the Congressional Research Service recently reported that flawed paperwork, and not necessarily an attempt to inappropriately or illegally profit from Medicaid payments, is most of the problem. According to the report, CMS estimates that most improper payments [...]