Medicaid DSH

Federal Health Policy Update for December 19

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for December 13-19. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress Funding for the operation of the federal government will expire tomorrow, December 20, unless Congress passes a funding bill. Earlier this week, congressional leaders agreed on a continuing resolution that included a number of health care priorities, including relief from scheduled Medicaid DSH cuts, relief for Medicare physician payment cuts, extension of telehealth flexibilities, extension of the Acute Hospital Care at Home program, a number of changes in the practices of pharmacy [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for December 12

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for December 6-12. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress Funding the Federal Government With funding for the federal government set to expire in eight days, Congress is still negotiating the details of the next continuing resolution. Speaker Johnson has indicated that the next continuing resolution will extend until an unspecified date in March. Last week, the House majority and House minority exchanged proposals for additional items to include in the next continuing resolution and both parties listed health care extenders – [...]

joe2024-12-12T16:16:50-05:00December 12, 2024|340b, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMMI, Congress, COVID-19, Federal Update, hospitals, Medicaid, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid DSH allotments, Medicare, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy|

182 House Members Ask for Halt to Medicaid DSH Cut

182 members of the House of Representatives have written to House Speaker Mike Johnson and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries to ask them to prevent a major cut in Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments (Medicaid DSH) that is scheduled to take effect on January 1. As members of Congress negotiate how to fund the federal government when the current continuing resolution ends on December 20, the bipartisan group of legislators as urges its leaders to prevent the $8 billion cut in Medicaid DSH allocations to the states. Their letter states that Hospitals that receive Medicaid DSH funding treat the most [...]

joe2024-12-11T12:37:18-05:00December 11, 2024|Congress, Medicaid, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid DSH allotments|

Federal Health Policy Update for November 14

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for November 8-14. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Election Update House of Representatives Though the outcome of nine races for seats in the House remains undecided, Republicans have won enough seats to control the House in the new Congress. Yesterday, Republicans voted to nominate the current Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson (LA), for Speaker in the new Congress and will hold the vote for that position when the 119th Congress convenes in Washington, D.C. on January 3. It is expected, after [...]

joe2024-11-14T15:18:02-05:00November 14, 2024|ACO, Alternative payment models, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMMI, COVID-19, health equity, hospitals, Medicaid, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid DSH allotments, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC, Telehealth|

Looking Ahead to Lame Duck

When the dust clears after next week’s presidential election, Congress will return to Washington with numerous unfinished matters on its agenda – including many with implications for health care organizations. They include: Federal government funding, authorization for which expires on December 20. Medicare payments to physicians, which many in Congress want to increase if, as proposed, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reduces those payments for 2025. A potential temporary extension of the continued use of telehealth to prescribe Schedule 2 drugs such as Adderall. Payment adjustments for low-volume and Medicare-dependent hospitals. Renewal of authorization for the COVID-era Acute [...]

joe2024-10-30T17:22:55-04:00October 31, 2024|COVID-19, hospitals, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid DSH allotments, Medicare, Medicare cuts, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for September 26

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for September 20-26. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress Yesterday, Congress passed a continuing resolution to fund the federal government when the new federal fiscal year begins on October 1. The continuing resolution will extend funding for federal agencies at current levels through December 20 of this year. The bill did not include other significant policy provisions. President Biden will sign the bill this week and avoid a shutdown of the federal government. Find the bill text here. Following passage of [...]

joe2024-09-26T16:49:25-04:00September 26, 2024|Accountable Care Organization, ACO, Affordable Care Act, Alternative payment models, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, COVID-19, Medicaid, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid DSH allotments, Medicaid managed care, Medicaid regulations, Medicare, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for September 19

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for September 13-29. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress Energy and Commerce Committee. Yesterday the House Energy and Commerce Committee marked up 16 bills, including several that address health care. These bills are unlikely to proceed to votes in the full House until after Congress returns following the November elections. The committee passed a bill that would extend the current telehealth waivers, scheduled to expire on December 31, for two years and would extend the Medicare Hospital at Home program, also [...]

joe2024-09-19T14:56:55-04:00September 19, 2024|340b, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, COVID-19, Medicaid, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid DSH allotments, Medicare, Medicare disproportionate share, Medicare DSH, Medicare reimbursement policy, Telehealth|

MACPAC Meets

Members of the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission met publicly last week in Washington, D.C. The following is MACPAC’s own summary of its meeting. The April 2024 Commission meeting began with a presentation of a draft chapter on demographic data collection in Medicaid for the June Report to Congress. Racial and ethnic health disparities persist throughout the U.S. health care system. Previous meetings have focused on the collection of primary language and limited English proficiency, sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), and disability data to help assess and address these health disparities. Measuring differences in access and use of [...]

joe2024-04-16T17:34:59-04:00April 17, 2024|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, hospitals, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid long-term services and supports, Medicaid regulations|

Federal Health Policy Update for April 12

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for April 5-11. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. CMS – Proposed FY 2025 Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System Regulation Earlier this week CMS issued its proposed FY 2025 Medicare inpatient prospective payment system regulation – the rule under which it envisions paying acute-care hospitals, critical access hospitals, and long-term care hospitals for inpatient care in the coming fiscal year. Highlights of the proposed rule include: Rate increases of 2.6 percent for acute-care and critical access hospitals and 2.8 percent for LTCHs. [...]

MACPAC to Talk Medicaid Financing, Supplemental Payments, More

Members of the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission will meet publicly on Thursday, April 11 and Friday, April 12. Subjects on the two-day session’s agenda include: Medicaid and children’s health insurance program (CHIP) financing access to home- and community-based services supplemental Medicaid hospital payments such as Medicaid disproportionate share (Medicaid DSH) Medicaid unwinding recommendations for MACPAC’s June report to Congress Go here for a closer look at the MACPAC meeting agenda and for information about how to participate in the meeting.

joe2024-04-09T18:26:20-04:00April 10, 2024|hospitals, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH|