Bulletin Board
Bulletin Board
FEDERAL HEALTH POLICY UPDATE FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 19-27
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for the week of September 19-27. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. White House The White House has issued a fact sheet summarizing new actions and funding to address the overdose epidemic and support recovery as part of its September “National Recovery Month.” Awarding $1.5 billion for all states and territories to address addiction and the opioid crisis. Investing more than $104 million to expand substance use treatment and prevention in rural [...]
MACPAC Meets
The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission met for two days last week in Washington, D.C. Supporting the discussion were the following briefing papers: Background on Medicaid Race and Ethnicity Data Collection and Reporting State Strategies and Stakeholder Engagement for Unwinding the Public Health Emergency Continuous Coverage Requirement Improving Rate Setting and Risk Mitigation in Medicaid Managed Care Principles for Assessing Medicaid Nursing Facility Payments Relative to Costs Countercyclical Disproportionate Share Hospital Policies Medicaid Coverage of Monoclonal Antibodies Directed Against Amyloid for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease Review of [...]
Feds Pursue Next Regs for Surprise Billing Law
In their continuing effort to implement the complex No Surprises Act, the 2020 law that seeks to prevent consumers from receiving surprise medical bills, federal regulators are now turning their attention to how providers and payers should inform insured individuals about the costs they may incur for procedures and purchases. Specifically, the federal agencies with jurisdiction over the law and its implementation – the Department of Health and Human Services, the federal Office of Personnel Management, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Labor, and [...]
Risk Adjustment Has Impact on Medicare Readmissions Program
The use of social risk adjustment has helped reduce differences in the penalties assessed to safety-net hospitals and other hospitals by Medicare’s hospital readmissions reduction program, according to a new study. According to the study published in the journal Health Affairs, Seven studies found that adding social risk factors to the program’s base risk-adjustment model (which adjusts only for age, sex, and comorbidities) reduced differences in risk-adjusted readmissions and penalties between safety-net hospitals and other hospitals. Three studies found that peer grouping, the HRRP’s current approach to social risk adjustment, [...]
Hospital Financial Woes Continue and Will Persist
The immediate financial future for many hospitals is bleak, according to a new study. The study, by the health care management consulting company Kaufman Hall, concludes that “Margins remain depressed relative to pre-pandemic levels.” “More than half of hospitals are projected to have negative margins through 2022.” “Expenses are significantly elevated from pre-pandemic levels.” “Hospitals have faced a profound financial toll.” “Ultimately, U.S. hospitals are likely to face billions of dollars in losses in 2022 under both optimistic and pessimistic." The study cites the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation among the [...]