Bulletin Board
Bulletin Board
Medicaid Redeterminations Trigger Increase in Self-Pay Care
As states continue redetermining Medicaid eligibility for participants who were protected from disenrollment during the COVID-19 emergency, the number of patients telling providers they will pay for their own hospital, primary care, and emergency department visits has risen. The increase in self-pay has been greatest for emergency department visits, and overall, the increases occurred most often in states that began disenrolling Medicaid participants as soon as the continuous eligibility afforded by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act ended. The rise in self-pay patients suggests that many previous Medicaid participants have [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for November 30
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for November 17-30. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. No Surprises Act CMS has released two new FAQs to provide guidance in advance of the Independent Dispute Resolution portal reopening for batched disputes and air ambulance disputes; that service remains temporarily suspended. These FAQs together explain how certified IDR entities may determine whether a dispute is appropriately batched in light of recent court rulings; provide information about policy for extending existing IDR [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for November 16
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for November 10-16. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress This week Congress passed another continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government beyond Friday, when the current CR expires. This bill establishes two separate deadlines for lawmakers to pass certain spending bills so they can avoid an omnibus bill that includes all 12 appropriations bills. Congress must pass four of the spending bills by January 19 and the other bills by [...]
Senate Looks at Telehealth in Medicare
The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing this week on “Ensuring Medicare Beneficiary Access: A Path to Telehealth Permanency.” Go here for a video of the hearing and here for links to the testimony submitted to the committee.
Bill Would Halt Medicaid DSH Cuts, Bring Other Changes
A wide-ranging bill passed by the Senate Finance Committee would eliminate $16 billion in Medicaid disproportionate share (Medicaid DSH) payments over the next two years. The Better Mental Health Care, Lower-Cost Drugs, and Extenders Act, passed by the committee with unanimous, bipartisan support, also seeks to improve access to mental health care for Medicare patients living in rural and underserved areas; improve access to behavioral health services via telehealth for Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries; reduce some of the recently adopted cuts in Medicare payments to physicians that will take effect [...]