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Federal Health Policy Update for August 24

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for August 11-24. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services After suspending the No Surprises Act-created Independent Dispute Resolution process in the wake of a court ruling striking down a recent increase in fees for that process, CMS has established a new rate structure for initiating the adjudication of payment disagreements between providers and payers. It explains the new rate structure in this new FAQ, which nevertheless notes that despite the creation of new rates, the Independent [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for August 10

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for August 4-10. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS has temporarily suspended the federal Independent Dispute Resolution process, which adjudicates problems involving surprise medical bills, in the wake of a federal court ruling that found some of the process’s underlying regulations invalid. CMS has directed the certified Independent Dispute Resolution entities to pause all dispute resolution activities. As a result, providers and insurers temporarily cannot initiate new disputes. Learn more from this CMS notice. CMS [...]

iqtsupport2023-08-10T16:32:27-04:00August 10, 2023|Alternative payment models, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, COVID-19, hospitals, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicare, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for August 3

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for July 29-August 3. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Medicare Payment Regulations CMS has issued a final rule updating Medicare payment policies and rates for inpatient and long-term-care hospital services under its inpatient prospective payment system and long-term care prospective payment system for FY 2024. The final rule increases hospital inpatient rates 3.1 percent and LTCH rates 3.3 percent in FY 2024. Other highlights include a nearly $1 billion cut in Medicare disproportionate share (Medicare DSH) and Medicare DSH uncompensated care [...]

iqtsupport2023-08-03T15:28:05-04:00August 3, 2023|Alternative payment models, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMMI, COVID-19, health equity, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare disproportionate share, Medicare DSH, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for July 28

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for July 21 -28. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Medicare Payment Regulations CMS has published a final rule to update Medicare payment policies and rates under its inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) prospective payment system and IRF quality reporting program for FY 2024. The final rule includes a 3.4 percent rate increase and changes in the outlier threshold, the case-mix-group relative weights and average length of stay values, and the wage index. In addition, this rule rebases and revises the IRF market [...]

iqtsupport2023-07-28T14:28:17-04:00July 28, 2023|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, health equity, hospitals, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicare, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for July 20

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for March 13-16. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, has introduced a bill, the “Primary Care and Health Workforce Expansion Act.” The bill would: Increase funding for community health centers by $65 billion over five years, fund the National Health Service Corps at $8.3 billion over five years, and provide $250 million for HRSA coordination for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. Add 10,000 graduate [...]

iqtsupport2023-07-20T16:54:58-04:00July 20, 2023|Alternative payment models, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Congress, COVID-19, health equity, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicare, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy|

Federal Health Policy Update for July 13

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for June 30 – July 13. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. 340B CMS has published a proposed regulation outlining how it plans to reimburse hospitals for reductions in 340B prescription drug payments that it implemented from 2018 to 2022 but that a federal court found to be illegal. The agency calculates that it owes participating 340B providers $9 billion, which it proposes paying to those providers in single lump-sum payments. CMS also proposes offsetting these payments through reductions in future non-drug [...]

iqtsupport2023-07-13T15:50:46-04:00July 13, 2023|340b, Affordable Care Act, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMMI, COVID-19, health equity, hospitals, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicare, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy|

Federal Health Policy Update for June 29

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for June 23-29. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The White House President Biden has issued an executive order on strengthening access to affordable contraception and family planning services for women with private health insurance and through Medicaid, Medicare, and federally supported health programs and to foster research on access. Learn more from this White House fact sheet and the administration’s executive order. Department of Health and Human Services HHS’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has posted its final rule [...]

iqtsupport2023-06-29T15:36:39-04:00June 29, 2023|Affordable Care Act, Alternative payment models, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMMI, COVID-19, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicare reimbursement policy|

Federal Health Policy Update for June 22

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for June 9-22. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS has announced new flexibilities to help keep Americans insured as states resume Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) renewals. The new flexibilities were announced in a letter sent by HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to the nation’s governors urging them to adopt all available flexibilities to minimize avoidable coverage losses among children and families. The new flexibilities include permitting managed care plans to assist people currently [...]

iqtsupport2023-06-22T16:04:30-04:00June 22, 2023|Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, COVID-19, hospitals, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid DSH allotments, Medicare, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC, Telehealth|

Health Policy Update for June 8

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for May 28 – June 8. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS has announced a new primary care model – the Making Care Primary Model – that will be tested by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation in eight states. The model seeks to improve care for patients by expanding and enhancing care management and care coordination, equipping primary care clinicians with tools to form partnerships with health care specialists, and leveraging community-based connections [...]

iqtsupport2023-06-08T16:41:06-04:00June 8, 2023|Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMMI, COVID-19, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare disproportionate share, Medicare DSH, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC|

Federal Health Policy Update for May 25

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for May 19-25. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress The House Energy and Commerce Committee has advanced to the full House two bills with significant implications for health care providers. H.R. 3561 calls for delaying $8 billion a year in Medicaid DSH cuts for two years – cuts scheduled to take effect in October; imposing site-neutral payments for drug infusion services provided in off-campus hospital outpatient departments; imposing stronger price transparency requirements on hospitals; and requiring hospitals to report selected ownership [...]

iqtsupport2023-05-25T15:37:35-04:00May 25, 2023|340b, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, COVID-19, Medicaid, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid regulations, Telehealth|