Bulletin Board
Bulletin Board
Some States Seek to Expand Medicaid Work Requirements
While last year’s H.R. 1, often referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Act Bill,” introduced a requirement that Medicaid applicants document that they have worked, attended school, or participated in some form of community engagement for one month as a condition of eligibility for the program, a few states are looking to make that requirement more rigorous. Indiana, for example, has turned that one-month requirement into three months and Missouri, Arizona, and Kentucky are considering increasing the requirement as well. Missouri officials are even proposing a constitutional amendment that [...]
Feds End Support for Fentanyl Test Strips
The federal government will no longer help states pay for fentanyl test strips. This was among several messages included in a “Dear Colleague” letter sent late last week by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to state health departments and federal grant recipients. The decision, according to the letter, is consistent with the agency’s indication last year about its “… clear shift away from harm reduction and practices that facilitate illicit drug use…” SAMHSA’s action reflects a view within the administration and Department of Health and [...]
LTCH Numbers in Free Fall
The number of long-term care hospitals in the U.S. is falling fast. According to hospital industry sources, more than a quarter of all long-term care hospitals – commonly referred to as LTCHs – have closed over the past decade. Among the reasons for all the closings, according to those same sources, are low Medicare payments; Medicare site-neutral payment policies that limit the kinds of patients for which LTCHs can receive full, LTCH-level payments and not lower reimbursement; and the refusal of some Medicare Advantage plans to include LTCHs in their [...]
Medicare Innovations Foster Focus on Behavioral Health
A number of recent changes in the Medicare program appear designed to make it easier for beneficiaries to pursue behavioral health assistance. Among them: A greater focus on the integration of physical and behavioral health. A greater willingness to pay for digital behavioral health interventions. The release of several requests for information addressing behavioral health services. The introduction of new behavioral health procedure and billing codes. The inclusion of behavioral health in new Medicare models, including the LEAD (Long-Term Enhanced ACO Design) Model, the ACCESS (Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for April 23
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for April 17-23. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The White House President Trump has issued an executive order calling for accelerated access to medical treatments for patients with serious mental illness, with an emphasis on greater access to psychedelic drugs. Learn more from this executive order and an accompanying White House fact sheet. Shortly after the White House issued this executive order, HHS’s Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) announced [...]