Policy Updates

Innovation Center Unveils Blueprint

The CMS Innovation Center has published a document that shares its strategic direction for the coming years. Driving Health System Transformation – A Strategy for the CMS Innovation Center’s Second Decade reviews the lessons the agency has learned over the past ten years and lays out its objectives for the next ten: Drive Accountable Care – increase the number of people in a care relationship for quality and total cost of care. Advance Health Equity – embed health equity in every aspect of CMS Innovation Center models and increase focus on underserved populations. Support Care Innovation – leverage a range [...]

iqtsupport2021-10-21T13:00:01-04:00October 21, 2021|Alternative payment models, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, CMMI|

CMS Funds Expanded Telehealth in Four States

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is building on its Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model by awarding up to $20 million to organizations in four states to expand the use of telehealth in their communities and introduce other improvements that enhance access to care in rural areas. Organizations in Alabama, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington state will receive $2 million for planning and up to $3 million each for achieving specific objectives. The CHART model seeks to use telehealth and other means, reimbursed through an accountable care organization model, to address health disparities and reduce hospital [...]

iqtsupport2021-10-21T06:00:15-04:00October 21, 2021|Accountable Care Organization, ACO, Alternative payment models, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for October 19

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 19. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Provider Relief Fund: Reminder That 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 [...]

iqtsupport2021-10-19T17:26:31-04:00October 19, 2021|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Medicare, Medicare regulations|

Lotteries Didn’t Boost Vaccine Acceptance

Highly publicized lotteries for vaccinate-resistant individuals who changed their minds and got their shot in exchange for an opportunity to win a six- or seven-figure drawing did little, if anything, to persuade people to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Or so concludes a new study published by JAMA Network. In all, 19 states tied big-money lotteries to new vaccines, but the study found that “…the association between an announcement and vaccination rates were very small in magnitude and statistically indistinguishable from zero,” according to the report “Association Between Statewide COVID-19 Lottery Announcements and Vaccinations.” Go here for a summary of the [...]

iqtsupport2021-10-19T13:41:31-04:00October 19, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Federal Health Policy Update for Tuesday, October 12

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, October 12. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Provider Relief Fund: Reminder That 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 [...]

iqtsupport2021-10-12T17:17:12-04:00October 12, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicare, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC|

Federal Health Policy Update for Wednesday, October 6

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, October 6. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Provider Relief Fund: Reminder That 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 [...]

iqtsupport2021-10-06T19:24:30-04:00October 6, 2021|340b, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Coronavirus, COVID-19, hospitals, MedPAC|

Changes Coming in Innovation Center Payment Models

Future Medicare payment models will probably feature less risk for participants and a greater emphasis on health equity. At least that is the vision shared by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services chief operating officer Jon Blum during a recent conference. While not backing away from including risk in future value-based purchasing models, CMS and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Center will probably propose fewer full-risk models, which the agency fears favor wealthier providers that can afford to shoulder more risk to begin with, and a greater focus on reporting race and ethnicity data among future model participants [...]

iqtsupport2021-10-05T06:00:24-04:00October 5, 2021|Alternative payment models, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, CMMI|

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 Tuesday, September 28

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 28. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Provider Relief Fund: Application Reminder Beginning on September 29, health care providers may 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 range of providers that have experienced changes in operating [...]

iqtsupport2021-09-28T17:36:29-04:00September 28, 2021|Coronavirus, MACPAC, Medicaid|

Federal Health Policy Update for Thursday, September 23

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 23. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Provider Relief Fund HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration has posted new information about planned distributions of additional COVID-19 supplemental funding for health care providers through the Provider Relief Fund and for qualified rural hospitals through funding made available through the American Rescue Plan. Included in the new posting is information about: Web events to explain what the agency is doing and what providers must do to pursue [...]

iqtsupport2021-09-23T17:39:28-04:00September 23, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19, MACPAC, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Telehealth|