On January 14, 2025, the US Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Treasury (collectively, the Departments), along with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), jointly issued Part 69 of a series of...more
3/18/2025
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Final Rules ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medicaid ,
New Guidance ,
No Surprises Act (NSA) ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Trump Administration
On December 17, 2024, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP) published the Health Data,...more
1/15/2025
/ 21st Century Cures Act ,
Compliance ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Final Rules ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
OCR ,
Privacy Laws ,
Reproductive Healthcare Issues
Senate Special Committee on Aging Holds Hearing on People with Disabilities. Senators and witnesses acknowledged the significant barriers that exist for Americans with disabilities and discussed current and proposed federal...more
12/16/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Disabilities ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Final Rules ,
GAO ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) ,
MedPAC ,
NDAA ,
OIG ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Senate Committees ,
U.S. House ,
Veterans' Benefits
On November 1, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2025 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems Final Rule [CMS-1809-F],...more
On November 1, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2025 Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Other Revisions to Medicare Part B...more
Congress Votes on CR, Health-Related Legislation. After reaching a deal over the weekend, both chambers passed a CR to avoid a government shutdown and fund the federal government through December 20, 2024. This tees up a push...more
9/30/2024
/ Abortion ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Final Rules ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
HELP ,
HRSA ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid Drug Rebate Program ,
New Legislation ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State Bans ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
House Education & the Workforce Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Holds Hearing on ERISA’s 50th Anniversary. Members and witnesses assessed how the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA)...more
9/16/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Final Rules ,
GAO ,
Healthcare Reform ,
HRSA ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicare ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
MHPAEA ,
New Legislation ,
NQTLs ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
U.S. House
On August 1, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) final update for fiscal year (FY) 2025, along with proposed policy and regulation changes....more
Senate HELP Committee Marks Up Public Health Program Reauthorizations. The bills would reauthorize several programs related to older adults, individuals with developmental disabilities and individuals with traumatic brain...more
House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Holds Legislative Hearing on Improving Medicaid Access. Daniel Tsai, deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS), testified. Members...more
5/6/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
DACA ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Final Rules ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Senate Committees ,
U.S. House
The Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Certification Program Updates, Algorithm Transparency, and Information Sharing (HTI-1) final rule, issued by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of...more
4/10/2024
/ Algorithms ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Certification Requirements ,
Data Protection ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Final Rules ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Healthcare ,
Information Technology ,
ONC ,
Risk Management ,
Technology
Senate HELP Committee Holds Field Hearing on Private Equity. In the hearing, held at the Massachusetts State House, members discussed the impact of private equity ownership on patients, providers, quality of care and...more
4/8/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Final Rules ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
Payment Systems ,
Proposed Legislation ,
U.S. House
Congress Passes CR and Averts Government Shutdown. As appropriators continue to draft the 12 funding bills for FY 2024, a new stopgap CR was needed to avoid a partial government shutdown on January 19. The Senate passed the...more
Congress Works to Meet Imminent Funding Deadlines. Speaker of the House Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader Schumer (D-NY) announced an agreement on top-line spending levels to fund the government for the remainder of...more
1/15/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Definition ,
Employees ,
Final Rules ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Independent Contractors ,
Mental Health ,
OCR ,
Religious Discrimination ,
SAMHSA ,
Senate Committees
On December 13, 2023, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) issued the Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Certification...more
It’s Thanksgiving week, so instead of eating eggs with your regs, you should sit back, relax and reflect on the regs you are thankful for as you eat your turkey legs (or whatever you enjoy on Thanksgiving). Many of the...more
11/21/2023
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Digital Health ,
Final Rules ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) ,
Medicare ,
Mental Health ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
No Surprises Act (NSA) ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Telehealth
On November 2, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2024 Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Other Revisions to Medicare Part B...more
CONGRESS -
House Ways & Means Chair Smith, House Energy & Commerce Chair Rodgers and Senate Finance Ranking Member Crapo Call for Withdrawal of Nurse Staffing Mandate. Rep. Smith (R-MO), Rep. Rodgers (R-WA) and Sen. Crapo...more
11/6/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Dispute Resolution ,
ESRD ,
Executive Orders ,
Final Rules ,
Hospitals ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare Advantage ,
OIG ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS)
On November 2, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2024 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems Final Rule [CMS-1786-FC]. The...more
On October 27, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) Calendar Year (CY) 2024 final rule (CMS-1782-F). The rule finalizes minimal...more
Congress is officially in recess for the month of August and will return after Labor Day. On the regulatory front, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final fiscal year (FY) 2024 Inpatient...more
8/4/2023
/ Acute Facilities ,
Billing ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Final Rules ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Hospitals ,
Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part D ,
No Surprises Act (NSA) ,
Patient Prospective Payment System ,
Payment Systems
On August 1, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) final rule. The rule updates Medicare payment policies and quality reporting...more
On February 6, a US district court in Texas vacated provisions of the No Surprises Act final rule related to the independent dispute resolution (IDR) process for determining payment for out-of-network services....more