Medicaid DSH

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|

Federal Health Policy Update for March 21

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for March 15-21. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The White House The White House has announced new actions to advance women’s health research and innovation and issued an executive order in support of that objective. The order directs executive branch agencies to integrate women’s health across the federal research portfolio; prioritize investments in women’s health research; pursue new research on women’s midlife health; and assess unmet needs to support women’s health research. Learn more from this White House fact sheet, which [...]

MACPAC Issues Annual Report to Congress

The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission has issued its annual report to Congress. This year’s MACPAC report primarily addresses three issues: How state Medicaid agencies can improve beneficiary engagement with state medical care advisory committees and what the federal government can do to facilitate that engagement. The current process for monitoring and overseeing denials of care and appeals of those denials by Medicaid managed care plans and how states and the federal government can improve those processes and make them more transparent. MACPAC’s annual review of Medicaid disproportionate share (Medicaid DSH) allotments to states. MACPAC is a non-partisan [...]

joe2024-03-20T14:28:46-04:00March 21, 2024|MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid DSH allotments|

Federal Health Policy Update for March 7

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for March 1-7. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress On Wednesday, March 16 the House passed, by a vote of 339-85, the first package of spending bills to fund some federal agencies through the remainder of the 2024 federal fiscal year. The House bills include several health care provisions extending programs that were set to expire on Friday, March 8. The bills would extend the following provisions and programs through December 31, 2024: The continued delay of cuts to Medicaid disproportionate [...]

joe2024-03-07T21:42:53-05:00March 7, 2024|Alternative payment models, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Congress, hospitals, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid DSH allotments, Medicaid regulations, Medicare, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC, post-acute care|