Congress

Federal Health Policy Update for Thursday, December 16

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, December 16. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Provider Relief Fund HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is releasing $9 billion in phase 4 Provider Relief Fund grants. Payments will average $58,000 for what HHS is calling “small” providers, $289,000 for medium providers, and $1.7 million for large providers. Learn more about the release of these funds from this HHS news release and go here for an explanation of how the agency calculated the payments. [...]

iqtsupport2021-12-16T16:47:23-05:00December 16, 2021|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Congress, Coronavirus, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicare, Medicare reimbursement policy|

Federal Health Policy Update for Thursday, December 9

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 9. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Update on Efforts to Delay Medicare Sequestration Cuts The Senate has advanced S 610, a bill that would: Extend the COVID-19-driven moratorium on the long-time two percent Medicare sequestration until the end of March 2022, reducing that sequestration from two percent to one percent from the beginning of April through the end of June 2022. Avoid the additional four percent sequestration necessitated by federal PAYGO rules by moving [...]

iqtsupport2021-12-09T16:47:04-05:00December 9, 2021|Congress, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Medicaid, Medicaid and housing for the disabled, Medicare cuts, Medicare reimbursement policy|

Federal Health Policy Update for Friday, November 19

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Friday, November 19. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress On Friday the House passed a $1.7 trillion social spending bill, H.R. 5376 - Build Back Better Act, with no Republican votes and all but one Democratic vote. The Congressional Budget Office score indicates that the health care policies in the bill are paid for by cuts in other health care programs. The bill includes nearly $300 billion in health care provisions, including: $57 billion to provide [...]

iqtsupport2021-11-19T17:30:27-05:00November 19, 2021|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Congress, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Medicare reimbursement policy|

Federal Health Policy Update for Thursday, November 4

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, November 4. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. New Federal Vaccination Requirements CMS has unveiled its new COVID-19 vaccine requirements for health care providers that receive reimbursement from the federal government. The highlights include: CMS is requiring COVID-19 vaccination of eligible staff at health care facilities that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The staff vaccination requirement applies to the following Medicare and Medicaid-certified provider and supplier types: ambulatory surgery centers, community mental health centers, [...]

iqtsupport2021-11-04T17:17:11-04:00November 4, 2021|340b, Alternative payment models, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Congress, Coronavirus, COVID-19, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicaid upper-payment limit, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare regulations, MedPAC, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for Thursday, October 28

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, October 28. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The White House The Biden administration has updated its “Build Back Better Framework” to reflect the results of recent negotiations between the White House and congressional Democrats. Congress’s next steps on the Build Back Better Act, the social spending reconciliation bill, are unclear. The $1.75 trillion framework is far short of the $3.5 trillion plan embraced by congressional progressives. The text of the bill, HR 5376, was released this [...]

iqtsupport2021-10-28T17:08:42-04:00October 28, 2021|Congress, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Medicare|

Federal Health Policy Update for Thursday, September 30

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 30. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Provider Relief Fund: Applications Are Now Being Accepted The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has opened its portal for providers to apply for $25.5 billion in health care relief funds, including $8.5 billion in American Rescue Plan resources for providers that serve rural patients covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program and $17 billion for Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 grants for a broad [...]

iqtsupport2021-09-30T17:11:32-04:00September 30, 2021|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Congress, Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Federal Health Policy Update for Thursday, September 9

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 9. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The White House The White House has issued a fact sheet outlining how the administration plans to improve the country’s readiness for future pandemics. The major elements of the plan are transforming medical defenses, ensuring situational awareness, strengthening public health systems, building core capabilities, and managing the mission. The White House has posted a transcript of the September 2 press briefing given by its COVID-19 response team and [...]

iqtsupport2021-09-09T17:42:36-04:00September 9, 2021|Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMMI, Congress, Coronavirus, COVID-19, MACPAC, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC, post-acute care|

Federal Health Policy Update for Wednesday, May 19

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. NASH Advocacy NASH has written to all members of Congress urging them to contact Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra about directing more of its remaining CARES Act Provider Relief Fund money to private safety-net hospitals to help them serve their diverse, predominantly low-income communities during the COVID-19 emergency. Go here to see NASH’s message to Congress. The White House COVID-19 The White House has posted a [...]

iqtsupport2021-05-19T18:01:19-04:00May 19, 2021|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Congress, Coronavirus, hospitals, Medicare, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for Tuesday, April 27

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27. The White House COVID-19 The White House has posted a transcript of the April 23 press briefing provided by its COVID-19 response team and public health officials. Health Policy News The White House has nominated Miriam Delphin-Rittmon to serve as Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use in the Department of Health and Human Services. The nomination is subject to Senate confirmation. Congress The New Democrat Coalition is a group of 94 mostly centrist Democrats working to bridge the gap [...]

iqtsupport2021-04-27T22:25:58-04:00April 27, 2021|Congress, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Medicaid, Medicare|

Federal Health Policy Update for Tuesday, April 20

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20. Congress This afternoon Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) put a hold on the president’s nomination of Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to be CMS administrator in response to the administration’s decision to revoke a Medicaid waiver the previous administration granted to his state. The White House COVID-19 The White House has posted a transcript of the April 19 press briefing provided by its COVID-19 response team and public health officials. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services COVID-19 CMS has issued section 1135 waivers to Colorado, Maine, [...]

iqtsupport2021-04-20T17:08:52-04:00April 20, 2021|Congress, COVID-19, MACPAC, Medicare|