Telehealth

MedPAC to Talk Telemedicine, Doc Payments, 340B, More

Members of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission will meet publicly on Thursday, April 11 and Friday, April 12. Medicare reimbursement subjects on the two-day session’s agenda include: telehealth inpatient rehabilitation hospital payments the physician fee schedule Medicare Advantage Part D generic drug pricing Part B rate and 340B ceilings Go here for a more detailed look at the MedPAC agenda and for information about how to participate in the meeting.

joe2024-04-09T17:14:42+00:00April 9, 2024|340b, Medicare, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC, Telehealth|

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 [...]

joe2024-03-14T20:46:56+00:00March 14, 2024|Affordable Care Act, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Congress, hospitals, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicare, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for February 22

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for February 16-22. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. CMS and Medicaid DSH Payments CMS has published a final rule governing how third-party payers are factored into the calculation of hospitals’ Medicaid disproportionate share hospital-specific payment limit. This change requires that the calculation be based solely on Medicaid costs and payments and that costs and payments associated with dually eligible (Medicare and Medicaid) patients be excluded from the calculation of that limit. The effect of this change is that hospitals that are [...]

joe2024-02-22T22:00:03+00:00February 22, 2024|Alternative payment models, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, COVID-19, health equity, hospitals, Medicaid, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid regulations, Medicaid upper-payment limit, Medicare, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for February 8

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for February 2 - 8. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress Members of the Senate’s 340B bipartisan working group have released a discussion draft of legislation that would update the 340B prescription drug discount program. Last year the group sought stakeholder input on policy solutions that might provide stability and transparency to the 340B program to ensure that the program can continue to achieve its original intent of supporting entities serving eligible patients. Find a news release describing the discussion draft [...]

joe2024-02-08T20:43:44+00:00February 8, 2024|340b, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicare, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, post-acute care, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for February 1

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for January 26 – February 1. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS has released its calendar year (CY) 2025 Advance Notice for the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Programs that would update payment and other policies for these programs. Under the notice, federal Medicare Advantage spending would increase an expected 3.7 percent, or more than $16 billion, but the agency also proposes reducing by 0.16 percent the program’s base rate. CMS also detailed [...]

joe2024-02-01T21:47:38+00:00February 1, 2024|Accountable Care Organization, Alternative payment models, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMMI, COVID-19, Federal Update, health equity, hospitals, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicare, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for January 25

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for January 12 - 25. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Department of Health and Human Services – Funding Models HHS has announced a new model to test approaches for addressing the behavioral and physical health and health-related social needs of people with Medicaid and Medicare. The goal of the Innovation in Behavioral Health Model (IBH) is to improve the overall quality of care and outcomes for adults with mental health conditions and/or substance use disorders by connecting them with the physical, behavioral, [...]

joe2024-01-25T22:30:26+00:00January 25, 2024|Alternative payment models, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMMI, health equity, hospitals, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicaid regulations, Medicare, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC, social determinants of health, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for January 11

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for January 5 - 11. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS will establish 200 new Medicare-funded residency slots in FY 2025. Learn more about the additional slots here and find information about how to apply for those slots here. The deadline for applications is March 31. CMS released guidance for Medicare Part D plans that describes coverage and processing claims for COVID-19 therapeutics. Medicare Part D plans must cover commercially available oral antivirals for COVID-19 [...]

joe2024-01-11T21:27:47+00:00January 11, 2024|hospitals, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare reimbursement policy, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for December 14

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for December 8-14. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. MedPAC Rate Recommendations At their latest public meeting, members of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission voted preliminary approval of the following rate updates for 2025 Medicare payments: Inpatient and outpatient services –update provided for in current law plus 1.5% and adoption of a safety-net index policy to pay safety-net hospitals another $4 billion. Physicians and other health professionals –update of 50% of the Medicare economic index and a new add-on payment for services [...]

joe2023-12-14T22:30:50+00:00December 14, 2023|340b, ACO, Alternative payment models, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMMI, COVID-19, health equity, Medicaid, Medicaid managed care, Medicaid regulations, Medicare, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC, post-acute care, Telehealth|

Senate Looks at Telehealth in Medicare

The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing this week on “Ensuring Medicare Beneficiary Access: A Path to Telehealth Permanency.” Go here for a video of the hearing and here for links to the testimony submitted to the committee.

admin2023-11-16T06:00:47+00:00November 16, 2023|Medicare, Telehealth|

Bill Would Halt Medicaid DSH Cuts, Bring Other Changes

A wide-ranging bill passed by the Senate Finance Committee would eliminate $16 billion in Medicaid disproportionate share (Medicaid DSH) payments over the next two years. The Better Mental Health Care, Lower-Cost Drugs, and Extenders Act, passed by the committee with unanimous, bipartisan support, also seeks to improve access to mental health care for Medicare patients living in rural and underserved areas; improve access to behavioral health services via telehealth for Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries; reduce some of the recently adopted cuts in Medicare payments to physicians that will take effect in 2024; toughen federal regulations governing pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs); [...]

admin2023-11-15T13:00:58+00:00November 15, 2023|Congress, Medicaid, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicare reimbursement policy, Telehealth|