Cuts in Mandatory Entitlement Programs Center of Budget Negotiations: As budget negotiators from both sides of the Hill come together to work out a two-year budget deal, determining how sequestration relief will be paid for...more
10/20/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Barack Obama ,
Cadillac Tax ,
Co-Op ,
Congressional Committees ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Consumer Price Index ,
Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) ,
Entitlements ,
Federal Budget ,
GAO ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Healthcare ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
Medicare Part D ,
MedPAC ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Reconciliation ,
Social Security Act ,
Social Security Benefits ,
Undocumented Immigrants
Coinciding with the end of the current fiscal year, the EB-5 regional center program is set to expire on September 30, 2015 but will get a temporary reprieve with expected final passage of a Continuing Resolution (CR) that...more
Major Medicaid Drug Payment Rule Under OMB Review: Last week a highly anticipated rule that could set the standards for the Medicaid Drug Rebate program arrived at the White House for final review. The Medicaid Outpatient...more
8/11/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Amarin ,
Caronia ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
FCC ,
First Amendment ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Hackers ,
Health Care Providers ,
ICD-10 ,
Medicaid ,
Off-Label Promotion ,
OIG ,
OMB ,
Pending Legislation ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drug Coverage ,
Regulatory Agenda
CMS Releases Final Payment Rules (IPPS, IRF, LTCHs, Hospice, and Psych): At the end of last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a set of final 2016 payment rules affecting acute care hospitals...more
8/4/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Alternative Payment Models (APM) ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
DSH ,
Electronic Medical Records ,
Final Rules ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Hospitals ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Psychiatric Hospitals ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Two-Midnight Rule ,
Value-Based Purchasing
ACA Repeal Votes Continue: As part of a rare Senate Sunday session to consider a bill to replenish the highway trust fund for six years, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) brought up an amendment to repeal the ACA—in...more
7/29/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medicare ,
Obama Administration ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Substance Abuse
Congress Slowly Works on Budget Reconciliation; ACA Reform Proposals Still Up in the Air -
The FY 2016 budget resolution, which was agreed to by Congress this past April, included broad reconciliation instructions...more
7/21/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
AHRQ ,
Budget Reconciliation ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Drug Pricing ,
Electronic Medical Records ,
Federal Budget ,
Fraud Prevention ,
GAO ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare.gov ,
Home Health Care ,
ICD-10 ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
Medicaid ,
Medical Records ,
Medicare ,
Mental Health ,
Obama Administration ,
OMB ,
ONC ,
Pending Legislation ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
In This Issue:
- Recent Mandatory APMs Signal Evolution in Delivery Reform Efforts
- Implementation of the Affordable Care Act
- Federal Regulatory Initiatives
- Congressional Initiatives
- Upcoming...more
7/14/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Alternative Payment Models (APM) ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
CMMI ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Home Health Care ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
New Regulations ,
Telehealth
On July 7th, the House introduced much anticipated bipartisan telehealth legislation. The Medicare Telehealth Parity Act of 2015, introduced by Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA) and co-sponsored by Representatives Gregg...more
7/14/2015
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Patients ,
Pending Legislation ,
Physicians ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
Created by the Immigration Act of 1990, the Immigrant Investor Program, more commonly referred to as the EB-5 program, offers foreign investors an opportunity to secure permanent residency in the United States by making a...more
7/8/2015
/ EB-5 ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Foreign Investment ,
Green Cards ,
Immigrant Investor Program ,
Immigration and Nationality Act ,
Investors ,
Job Creation ,
Lawful Permanent Residents ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Permanent Residence Cards ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Reauthorization ,
Regional Centers ,
Targeted Employment Area ,
USCIS ,
Visas
In This Issue:
- Medicare Releases Set of Payment Rules, Physician Fee Schedule on Deck
- Implementation of the Affordable Care Act
- Federal Regulatory Initiatives
- Congressional Initiatives
- Other...more
7/8/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Ambulatory Surgery Centers ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Ebola ,
ESRD ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Home Health Agencies ,
Hospitals ,
Medicaid ,
Medical Devices ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Payment Reform ,
OIG ,
OPPS ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Premiums ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Reinsurance ,
SAMHSA ,
Unique Device Identifiers
In This Issue:
- Pathway for Bipartisanship following King v. Burwell
- Federal Regulatory Initiatives
- Congressional Initiatives
- Other Health Care News
- Upcoming Congressional...more
In This Issue:
- Post- King v. Burwell Strategy is TBD
- Implementation of the Affordable Care Act
- Federal Regulatory Initiatives
- Congressional Initiatives
- Other Health Care News
- Upcoming...more
In This Issue:
- CMS Finalizes ACO Program Rules; Scales Alternative Payment Model
- Implementation of the Affordable Care Act
- Federal Regulatory Initiatives
- Congressional Initiatives
- Other...more
In the previous Congress, we saw a burst of policy and industry attention to telehealth as lawmakers and stakeholders alike recognized the cost, quality, and accessibility benefits of telehealth. In the first few months of...more
In This Issue:
- Federal Regulatory Initiatives
- Congressional Initiatives
- Upcoming Congressional Hearings
- Excerpt from Federal Regulatory Initiatives:
CMS Releases Draft Rules on Medicaid...more
In This Issue:
- House Energy and Commerce Unanimously Advances 21st Century Cures Legislation
- Implementation of the Affordable Care Act
- Federal Regulatory Initiatives
- Congressional...more
In This Issue:
- 21st Century Cures Markup; Full Committee to Take Up this Week
- Senate Finance Committee Solicits Health Bills for Upcoming Markup
- Implementation of the Affordable Care Act
- Federal...more
In This Issue:
- 340B Drug Discount Program Guidance Nearing Finish Line
- Implementation of the Affordable Care Act
- Federal Regulatory Initiatives
- Congressional Initiatives
- Other...more
In This Issue:
- House Energy and Commerce Continues 21st Century Cures Progress
- Pioneer ACO Program to be Expanded
- Federal Regulatory Initiatives
- Congressional Initiatives
- Other Health Care...more
In This Issue:
- House E&C Proceeds with Cures Initiative this Week
- Congress Continues Budget Considerations; Health Care Playing Leading Role
- Implementation of the Affordable Care Act
- Other Federal...more
In This Issue:
- With SGR Behind Us, Delivery Reform Up Next
- Implementation of the Affordable Care Act
- Other Federal Regulatory Initiatives
- Congressional Initiatives
- Other Health...more
In This Issue:
- SGR Bill Facing Final Hurdles This Week
- Implementation of the Affordable Care Act
- Other Federal Regulatory Initiatives
- Congressional Initiatives
- Other Health Care...more
4/14/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
ICD-10 ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicare ,
Physician SGR Formula ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Revenue Growth
In This Issue:
- SGR Deal Must Wait until after Recess; CMS Outlines Extraordinary Measures
- Implementation of the Affordable Care Act
- Other Federal Regulatory Initiatives
- Congressional...more
4/2/2015
In This Issue:
- Permanent Medicare Doc-Fix Entering Critical Week
- Implementation of the Affordable Care Act
- Other Federal Regulatory Initiatives
- Congressional Initiatives
- Other...more
In This Issue:
- Permanent Medicare Doc-Fix Could be a Reality, CHIP Reauthorization May Be Lynchpin
- Implementation of the Affordable Care Act
- Other Federal Regulatory Initiatives
-...more