Medicaid

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 [...]

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.

Federal Health Policy Update for April 4

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for March 29 – April 4.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The White House The White House has announced that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued a government-wide policy to attempt to mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence (AI) and harness its benefits.  The order directs action to strengthen AI safety and security, protect privacy, advance equity and civil rights, stand up for consumers and workers, and promote innovation and competition.  It includes components on addressing risks from [...]

Medicaid Unwinding After One Year

The process known as “Medicaid unwinding” has now been under way for a year. When Congress expanded Medicaid eligibility in response to the COVID-19 pandemic it also banned states from removing participants from their Medicaid rolls; the penalty for doing so was reduced federal Medicaid funding, a price no state was willing to pay. During the course of the pandemic, nationwide Medicaid enrollment rose 22 million, to 94 million last March. But a year ago states were directed to begin reviewing the eligibility of those then on their Medicaid rolls and to remove those who no longer met eligibility criteria.  [...]

2024-04-02T20:56:42-04:00April 3, 2024|COVID-19, Medicaid|

Federal Health Policy Update for March 28

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for March 22-28.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The Cyberattack on Change Healthcare HHS, its Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, and CMS have published a resource guide for providers seeking assistance in response to the Change Healthcare cyberattack.  Find that guide here. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS has issued a proposed rule to update Medicare payment policies and rates under its Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) Prospective Payment System and the IRF Quality Reporting Program (QRP) for FY 2025.  The proposed rule [...]

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 [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for March 14

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for March 8-14.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The White House The Biden administration this week released its proposed FY 2025 federal budget.  Health care highlights include: Making permanent the expanded health care premium tax credits introduced to make health insurance marketplace plans more affordable for middle-class Americans. Extension of coverage similar to Medicaid to residents of the 10 states that have not taken advantage of the Affordable Care Act opportunity to expand their Medicaid programs. Permission for states to extend [...]

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 March 2024 MACPAC meeting began with proposed recommendations on improving the transparency of Medicaid financing. The proposed recommendations are intended to improve the transparency of Medicaid financing methods, state-level financing amounts, and provider-level financing amounts. The presentation also included a recommendation to apply the proposed Medicaid financing transparency requirements to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Staff reviewed the rationale for the recommendations and the implications for various stakeholders. The Commission will vote on [...]

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