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Federal Health Policy Update for January 22

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for January 16-22. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress The House today passed an Appropriations Committee FY 2026 partial spending proposal that includes a Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill. Policy highlights include: Telehealth. The bill would extend the major Medicare telehealth flexibilities and the waiver of periodic in-person visits for mental health telehealth services through the end of 2027. Medicaid DSH. The bill would cancel the FY 2026 and FY 2027 cuts [...]

January 22, 2026|Categories: Affordable Care Act, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Congress, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid DSH allotments, Medicare, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC, post-acute care, Telehealth|Tags: Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits, ARPA-H, Geographic Practice Cost Index, GME payments, GPCI, Graduate Medical Education payments, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid state plan amendments, Medicare Acute Hospital Care at Home program, Medicare Advantage, Medicare dependent hospital program, Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program, Medicare home health payments, Medicare Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model, Medicare hospice payments, medicare improper payments, Medicare inpatient payments, Medicare inpatient rehabilitation facility payments, Medicare low-volume hospital program, Medicare outpatient payments, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, Medicare physician payments, Medicare safety-net index, Medicare skilled nursing facility payments, Medicare telehealth flexibilities, MedPAC, outpatient cardiopulmonary rehabilitation services|

MedPAC Meets

MedPAC’s commissioners held their latest public meeting on Thursday, January 15 and Friday, January 16. The primary subject of the meeting was discussion of MedPAC’s preliminary recommendations for Medicare rates for 2027. The topics on the meeting’s agenda were: Medicare payments for hospital inpatient and outpatient services Medicare payments for physicians and other health professional services Medicare payments for skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, outpatient dialysis, and hospice services mandated reports on dual-eligible special-needs plans and the impact of recent changes in the [...]

January 21, 2026|Categories: Medicare, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC|Tags: Medicare Advantage, Medicare and ambulatory surgical centers, Medicare and dual-eligible special needs plans, Medicare home health rates, Medicare hospice rates, Medicare hospital inpatient rates, Medicare hospital outpatient rates, Medicare inpatient rehabilitation facility rates, Medicare Part D, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, medicare physician rates, Medicare skilled nursing facility rates, MedPAC|

White House Unveils Health Care Plan

The White House has unveiled “The Great Healthcare Plan,” which it describes as “… a broad healthcare initiative that will slash prescription drug prices, reduce insurance premiums, hold big insurance companies accountable, and maximize price transparency in the American healthcare system.” The major components of the plan, and the key steps for each, are: lower drug prices slash prescription drug prices allow more over-the-counter medicines lower insurance premiums send the money directly to the American people fund cost-sharing reduction program cut kickback costs hold big insurance companies accountable create the [...]

January 19, 2026|Categories: health care reform|Tags: White House Great Healthcare Plan, White House health plan|

Federal Health Policy Update for January 15

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for January 9-15. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The White House The White House has unveiled “The Great Healthcare Plan,” which it describes as “… a broad healthcare initiative that will slash prescription drug prices, reduce insurance premiums, hold big insurance companies accountable, and maximize price transparency in the American healthcare system.” The major components of the plan, and the key steps for each, are: lower drug prices slash prescription drug [...]

340B Pilot in Limbo After Court Acts – Twice

The future of the Department of Health and Human Services’ 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program is in jeopardy after two setbacks in federal court. A federal court issued a preliminary injunction preventing HHS from implementing the limited model, which was to test replacing the discounts that pharmaceutical companies provide to eligible providers participating in the section 340B prescription drug program when they purchase prescription drugs with post-purchase rebates for products they have already purchased. In issuing its injunction, the court wrote that … the Administrative Procedure Act’s (APA) arbitrary and [...]

January 15, 2026|Categories: 340b|Tags: 340B, 340B Drug Pricing Program, 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program|

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