MACPAC Reports to Congress
The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) has released its second of two 2015 reports to Congress on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In the report, the agency looks at the role of Medicaid in [...]
MedPAC Sends Annual Report to Congress
As required by law, the independent federal agency that advises Congress on Medicare payment issues has transmitted its annual report to Congress with its observations, analysis, and policy recommendations. The June 2015 report of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) [...]
Variations on Medicaid Expansion
While most states that have taken advantage of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion have simply expanded their existing Medicaid programs to incorporate the newly eligible, six states have taken a different path, pursuing what are known as section 1115 [...]
“Medical Homes” Shows Potential in New Study
While the “medical homes” approach to coordinating care has received mixed reviews in a number of studies, a new report suggests that the approach still has potential – under the right conditions. According to a study published in JAMA Internal [...]
30-Day Readmission Standard Flawed, Study Suggests
A new study raises the possibility that Medicare’s policy of penalizing hospitals that readmit patients within 30 days of their discharge may be flawed. According to a new report in the Annals of Internal Medicine, risk factors for readmission often [...]
But Does Coverage Mean Access?
More than 12 million people have joined the Medicaid rolls in the U.S. since the Affordable Care Act’s voluntary expansion of Medicaid eligibility began in January of 2014. Historically, however, many Medicaid patients have had a difficult time finding doctors [...]
Senate Takes Testimony on Medicare Observation Status
The Senate Special Committee on Aging recently heard testimony about the challenges posed by the “observation status” designation conferred on some Medicare patients in hospitals. Among the concerns raised at the hearing were the financial vulnerability of some seniors hospitalized [...]
Feds Propose New Medicaid Managed Care Regs
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed its first major changes in regulations governing Medicaid managed care in more than a decade. In a 653-page draft regulation published on Monday, CMS proposes imposing a medical-loss ratio on [...]
Underinsurance Remains a Problem
Twenty-three percent of American adults are uninsured, according to a new survey by the Commonwealth Fund. Among them, 14 million had deductibles that exceeded five percent of their income while another 24 million had deductibles that fell below that threshold [...]
GAO Examines Medicaid Section 1115 Waivers
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) frequently exercises the authority granted to it under section 1115 of the Social Security Act to authorize Medicaid expenditures for uses not strictly permitted under that law if those uses extend [...]
