CMMI

Federal Health Policy Update for Thursday, April 7

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 7.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. White House The administration is proposing to address a flaw in the Affordable Care Act often referred to as the “family glitch.”  Under the ACA, people who do not have access to “affordable” health insurance through their jobs may qualify for a premium tax credit to purchase coverage on the ACA’s health insurance marketplaces. Current regulations define employer-based health insurance as “affordable” if the coverage for the employee [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for Friday, April 1

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Friday, April 1.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Provider Relief Fund After April 5, this program also will stop accepting claims for administering vaccines to uninsured individuals.  See this notice for further information about both deadlines for submitting claims. Proposed Medicare Payment Regulations for FY 2023 CMS has published its proposed inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) prospective payment system and IRF quality reporting program for FY 2023.  The agency proposes a 2.8 percent net increase in Medicare [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for Wednesday, March 30

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Provider Relief Fund The Provider Relief Fund last week distributed more than $413 million to more than 3600 providers across the country, the fourth round of Phase 4 payments since those payments began last November.  This is in addition to nearly $7.5 billion in American Rescue Plan (ARP) Rural payments over the past four months.  HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which administers the Provider Relief Fund, [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for Tuesday, March 22

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Provider Relief Fund As of March 22 at 11:59 p.m. (eastern) the HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) COVID-19 Uninsured Program will stop accepting claims for testing and treatment due to lack of funds and on April 5 at 11:59 p.m. (eastern) the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program and COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund will stop accepting vaccination claims due to a lack of funds.  HRSA has released additional information [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for Wednesday, March 2

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Provider Relief Fund The Provider Relief Fund FAQ has been updated with three modified questions that address 1099 forms and procedures involved in returning Provider Relief Fund money to the federal government.  Find the three updates, all marked “Modified 2/25/2022,” on pages 6 and 8 of the Provider Relief Fund FAQ. Federal Response to Surprise Billing Regulation Court Decision Last week a federal court decision invalidated a major [...]

FEDERAL HEALTH POLICY UPDATE FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Friday, February 25.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Provider Relief Fund HHS made more than $560 million in Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Phase 4 General Distribution payments to more than 4100 providers across the country this week.  According to HHS, approximately 86 percent of all Phase 4 applications have now been processed and the remaining applications will continue to be processed throughout early 2022.  To date, HHS has distributed $11.5 billion of the $17 billion allocated [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for Friday, February 18

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 3:00 p.m. on Friday, February 18.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. White House The White House has posted a transcript of the February 16 press briefing given by its COVID-19 response team and public officials.  Go here to see the slides presented during the briefing. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Health Policy Update CMS has issued a request for information (RFI) seeking feedback on topics related to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), such as enrolling [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for Thursday, February 3

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 3.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Provider Relief Fund The reconsideration window for Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 payments and American Rescue Plan rural hospital payments is now open for providers to request reconsideration of their payments.  This process is intended only for providers that believe their payment was not calculated correctly.  They will not have an opportunity to submit an application if they missed a deadline; will not be able to revise or [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for Wednesday, January 19

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, January 19.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Public Health Emergency Declaration Renewed HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra has renewed his department’s declaration of a public health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The renewal took effect on January 16 and extends the declaration for three months.  Find the declaration here. Free COVID-19 Tests and Masks Upon request, the federal government is now providing four free monthly home COVID-19 tests to every household.  Order those tests [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for Thursday, January 13

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, January 13.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Supreme Court The Supreme Court has ruled that the administration’s vaccine mandate for health care workers will remain in effect while the mandate is challenged in the lower courts.  See the court’s ruling here. White House The White House has announced new efforts to protect children from COVID-19 and keep schools open.  The new measures include: Sending more point-of-care and lab-based PCR tests to schools. Deploying federal surge [...]

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