The U.S. Senate is in session for three days this week while the U.S. House of Representatives is in recess all week. Both chambers will return for a week before breaking for the July 4 recess. Negotiations on the...more
Looking Ahead: House to Vote on Compromise Budget Resolution On the heels of the U.S. Senate's passage of a compromise budget resolution, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to consider the budget resolution on the...more
The Trump Administration and 119th Congress will likely be targeting trillions of dollars in savings in the year ahead. Healthcare makes up a significant portion of mandatory spending and therefore likely will be a large part...more
Should Congress Stay or Should They Go Now? Congress has two more weeks to extend government funding past the September 30 deadline through a short-term continuing resolution (CR). So, the question isn’t really if they...more
Although I previously declared January 2024 Medicare Advantage (MA) Month, this week has also been filled with news about the MA program. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final rate announcement...more
Earlier this week, President Biden released his Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 President’s Budget. As a reminder, every year, the White House releases a budget that serves as its official funding request to Congress for the following...more
There have been several significant developments with regard to Federal government telehealth policy. These include the recently enacted appropriations bill funding the Federal government for the balance of the fiscal year, a...more
On August 6, 2019, CMS finalized its 2020 hospice rule, including adopting, without substantial modification, two controversial and material changes to the hospice benefit: Rebasing payment rates to shift about $500...more
President Obama signed the 21st Century Cures Act on December 13, 2016. The act encourages biomedical research investment and facilitates innovation review and approval processes, but also serves as a vehicle for a wide...more
On November 30, 2016, the House of Representatives passed the 21st Century Cures Act, a bill intended to modernize health care delivery and speed up and improve medical research and innovations by removing bureaucratic...more
Ways & Means Leadership Changes – Health Policy Implications Looming: As Congress pushes forward with a two-year budget deal, and new Speaker Paul Ryan begins his tenure as the top Republican in the House of...more
Without fanfare or any significant discussion, the Bipartisan Budget Act (Act) contains the first legislative action related to provider-based status—and it is a sweeping action with negative financial consequences to many...more
Legislation being drafted as part of a budget deal between members of Congress and the White House includes language that will significantly alter the future of hospital-based outpatient care. The “discussion draft” of the...more
On October 26, 2015, Congressional and White House budget negotiators released the legislative text of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. The Act is aimed primarily at lifting the Federal debt limit and avoiding a looming...more
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
On September 10-11, 2015, MedPAC held a meeting to discuss several issues related to the Medicare program, including (1) improving the Open Payments program, which makes public the payments from drug and device manufacturers...more
On September 8, 2015, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) released its comments to the proposed rule that will begin implementing the new Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for physician services, in...more
This Week: CMS Releases Guidance on Fast Track Process for 1115 Waivers for Medicaid and CHIP... Healthcare.gov CEO Sends Letter to State Insurance Commissioners Concerning 2016 Premium Decisions... Medicare Board of Trustees...more
This Week: Leading Up to the SCOTUS King v. Burwell Decision... House Votes to Repeal the Medical Device Tax... CMS Announces It Will Bolster Transitional Reinsurance Payments... MedPAC Releases June Report to Congress....more
1. Congress - House - House Republican Working Group Outlines King v. Burwell “Off-Ramp” Plan The House Republican Health Care Working Group has released an outline of policies they would support if the...more
In This Issue: - Top News ..The Congressional Agenda is Light as the Focus Shifts to the Midyear Elections ..Physician Supervision Requirement for Small and Rural Hospitals ..CMS Offers Hospitals...more
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) recently submitted its annual report on Medicare payments to Congress. The report analyzes Medicare payment policy and makes payment update recommendations relating to...more
On January 16, the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC) unanimously voted to recommend that Congress direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to...more
News sources are reporting that the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) voted unanimously on January 16, 2014, to recommend that Congress narrow the differences in what Medicare pays providers depending on where a...more
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) met on December 12-13, 2013, to discuss draft recommendations regarding 2015 payment updates for Medicare providers. MedPAC, which is responsible for issuing an annual...more