Bulletin Board
Bulletin Board
Health Policy Update for Friday, March 26
Beginning this week, DeBrunner & Associates is expanding its regular updates to encompass a broader scope of federal health policy endeavors to include other matters of importance to providers. Feel free to share this newsletter with others in your organization or to send us the email addresses of those you think might be interested and we will send it directly to them. The following is the latest such information from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Friday, March 26. The White House COVID-19 With funding in large part [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for Wednesday, March 24
Beginning today, DeBrunner & Associates is expanding its regular updates to encompass a broader scope of federal health policy endeavors to include other matters of importance to providers. Feel free to share this newsletter with others in your organization or to send us the email addresses of those you think might be interested and we will send it directly to them. The following is the latest such information from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24. Congress The temporary delay of implementation of the Medicare two [...]
New Medicare Policy May Save Money for Government But Cost Patients More
A new Medicare policy expected to save money for the federal government may end up doing so at the expense of Medicare beneficiaries who may find themselves faced with costs that Medicare previously paid. Under the new policy, selected procedures that Medicare once authorized only when performed on an inpatient basis can now be performed on an outpatient basis. The underlying rationale for the policy, which took effect on January 1 and will be phased in over the next three years, is that such an approach should foster competition and [...]
COVID Drives Major Increase in PA Medicaid Enrollment
Medicaid enrollment in Pennsylvania has risen nearly 14 percent in the past year as rising unemployment resulting from COVID-19 drives people to turn to the state for health insurance. As a result, Pennsylvania has added nearly 400,000 people to its Medicaid rolls in the past year. Today, 3.2 million Pennsylvanians are enrolled in the state’s program, although among them are approximately 250,000 who would have been dropped from the program except for a federal requirement that the state not drop people from the program in exchange for a major increase [...]
Earmarks Expected to Return
After a ten-year absence, congressional earmarks appear to be on their way back. Earmarks – special budget items chosen by members of Congress specifically for their districts – were banned in 2011 but now, members of the House have voted to revive them, citing the oft-used rationale that members of Congress are more qualified to choose projects for their districts than federal bureaucrats. In addition, it is widely thought that earmarks can help build bipartisan support for challenging legislation. Amid concern about the possibility of increasing federal spending at a [...]