Taking the Pulse, A Health Care and Life Sciences Video Podcast | Episode 187: South Carolina Hospitals and Healthcare Industry Trends with Thornton Kirby, SCHA President
Within the first six months of President Trump’s second term, his Administration and the GOP have already implemented significant policies that are reshaping health care in the United States. Through his Administration’s...more
On the afternoon of July 4, President Trump signed into law H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act – comprehensive budget reconciliation legislation that represents the core of President’s second-term domestic agenda and...more
As budget negotiations heat up in Washington, Medicaid has emerged as a key target for cost-cutting measures. With policymakers looking to trim federal spending while maintaining commitments to Social Security and Medicare,...more
In a new form of outreach from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the U.S. Department of Treasury, and the U.S. Department of Labor, a letter was issued to employers, plan sponsors, and insurance issuers (the...more
On September 7, 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule in the Federal Register to reduce red tape and make it easier for individuals to enroll and retain eligibility in Medicaid, the...more
Welcome trends in health care put bad news in perspective We've had plenty of gloom-and-doom news about health care lately, but as we near the year-end holidays that focus on giving thanks, let's look at some positive...more
On June 24, 2020, House Democrats proposed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act (H.R. 1425) (the “Proposed Act”), legislation aimed at reinforcing the Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”) by: (i) lowering...more
In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court in NFIB v. Sebelius struck down a provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”) which, for all intents and purposes, made the expansion of the Medicaid program...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), and other Federal and State agencies and...more
With crisis comes uncertainty, and even the best-intentioned regulations can leave those combating the current COVID-19 public-health emergency out in the cold. Many have asked whether the recent Declaration under the...more
In light of findings from the COVID-19 outbreak at a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that it will suspend all routine facility inspections and surveys...more
In recent weeks, the states of California and Washington, and New York City have proposed expanding Medicaid eligibility for undocumented young adults. Given Medicaid’s combination of state and federal funding, House and...more
The Akerman Healthcare Practice Group, as part of its ongoing informational blogs and Practice Updates, will be publishing a series of articles, each outlining a significant healthcare industry issue from 2018, with an eye...more
In an unexpectedly broad ruling issued December 14, 2018, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas declared the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) as unconstitutional in its entirety. This decision, if ultimately...more
As of December 2018, 37 states (including DC) have adopted Medicaid expansion. Of the remaining 14 states, some are considering expanding Medicaid. States with recent activity relating to Medicaid expansion include – Florida,...more
Tuesday’s midterm elections showed that healthcare is now a top issue among voters, according to exit polls. In an NBC News poll, healthcare was the top issue for a plurality of voters, ahead of the economy, immigration, and...more
Healthcare was a top voter priority in the 2018 midterm elections, with 41 percent of national voters stating that healthcare was their "most important" issue. Accordingly, the Democratic strategy to focus on healthcare...more
Last week’s election leaves two questions lingering about health care: Will politicians really hear what voters said? And, what help might beleaguered patients now expect from their elected officials?...more
The evidence accumulates that partisans’ persistent attacks on the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid run counter to their constituents’ needs and wishes, but will Republicans course-correct or will voters soon force them to?...more
Earlier this month, Virginia became the 33rd state to expand its Medicaid program, and voters in Idaho, Montana and Utah are expected to decide in November ballot initiatives whether to join them. Medicaid provides health...more
Hundreds of thousands of poor, middle-class, old, sick, and young Virginians will get increased access to health care as the Commonwealth, joining 33 states and the District of Columbia, saw the crumbling of five years of...more
To date, 34 states (including D.C.) have adopted Medicaid expansion. Of the remaining 17 states, some are considering expanding Medicaid. States with recent activity relating to Medicaid expansion include Florida, Idaho,...more
Let’s give the faintest cheer — maybe of the Bronx variety — to the Republican-controlled Congress for, finally, reauthorizing the Children’s Health Insurance Program, aka CHIP....more
On October 19, Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Management Associates hosted a joint briefing to release their 17th Annual 50-State Medicaid Budget Survey for state fiscal years (FY) 2017 and 2018. The survey highlights...more
Under the Dome: Inside the Maine State House provides a high-level overview of recent activity at the Maine State House. Republicans Challenge Wording of Medicaid Expansion Question on Fall Ballot - Question 2 on...more