Bulletin Board
Bulletin Board
Health Care Reportedly Out of Biden American Families Plan
President Biden’s soon-to-be-introduced “American Families Plan” proposal apparently will not include a major health care component. The New York Times reports that The plan will not include an up to $700 billion effort to expand health coverage or reduce government spending on prescription drugs. Officials have decided to instead pursue health care as a separate initiative… Learn more about what is expected from the American Families Plan – and what is not expected – in the New York Times article “Biden Will Seek Tax Increase on Rich to Fund Child [...]
CMS Reconsidering Medicare Payment Models
Five Medicare alternative payment models previously slated for implementation are being delayed, cancelled, or reconsidered. The five APMs whose futures are not clear are: The Community Health Access and Rural Transformation Model ACO Track Primary Care First Kidney Care Choices Geographic Direct Contracting Part D Payment Modernization Model Learn more about the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ latest actions on these models in the Becker’s Hospital Review article “5 CMS payment models that are under review, delayed.”
Federal Health Policy Update for Thursday, April 22
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 22. Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response has published a new edition of its online publication The Exchange. The issue focuses on the work of hospital allied and supportive care providers during COVID-19 and is divided into three subjects: COVID-19 and acute hospital care, home care, and hospice; the role of allied health care professionals; and engineering and environmental support [...]
Feds Rescind Texas Medicaid Waiver
A federal Medicaid waiver approved for the state of Texas in the waning days of the Trump administration has been rescinded by the Biden administration. The waiver called for spending as much as $100 billion for health care for low-income Texans over the next ten years. Officially, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services revoked the waiver on technical grounds, maintaining that the agency “… erred in exempting the state from the normal public notice process – a critical priority for soliciting stakeholder feedback and ensuring public awareness.” The Washington [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for Tuesday, April 20
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20. Congress This afternoon Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) put a hold on the president’s nomination of Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to be CMS administrator in response to the administration’s decision to revoke a Medicaid waiver the previous administration granted to his state. The White House COVID-19 The White House has posted a transcript of the April 19 press briefing provided by its COVID-19 response team and public health officials. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid [...]