Governors Form New Health Care Coalition
The governors of 15 states have joined forces to create a new organization. The governors – all Democrats – announced the launch of the Governors Public Health Alliance, a group they say is “…designed to protect the health of people [...]
Feds Clarify H-1B Visa Payment Requirement
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has issued guidance on new restrictions on H-1B visas issued in a presidential proclamation on September 19. The new guidance explains that for the requirement of a $100,000 payment to apply for such a [...]
Senate Committee to Look at 340B
The 340B prescription drug discount program will be the subject of a hearing to be held by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Thursday, October 23. The hearing will explore the growth of the program and whether [...]
Hospital at Home Program in Limbo
Medicare’s Acute Hospital Care at Home program is in limbo after the law authorizing it lapsed at the end of the 2025 federal fiscal year on September 30. As a result of this loss of authorization, CMS directed the more [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for October 16
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for October 10 - 16. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Please note that most HHS and other health care-related agencies have [...]
Medicaid DSH Cuts Have (Seemingly) Arrived
Cuts in Medicaid disproportionate share payments, mandated in 2010 under the Affordable Care Act to take effect in 2014 but delayed by Congress ever since, are now scheduled to begin taking effect because Congress’s latest extension of the delay lapsed [...]
Protecting Consumers AND Providers? No Surprise
As intended, the No Surprises Act is protecting consumers from unexpected medical bills. But it’s also protecting someone else: providers. In the three years since the No Surprises Act’s Independent Dispute Resolution process was implemented, providers have won about 85 [...]
Hospital Financial Progress in Jeopardy
While hospitals and health systems in general continue to move closer to their pre-pandemic level of financial performance, they now face challenges that threaten to undermine that progress. While they have slowly gotten their labor costs under control, providers now [...]
Misinterpretation of Shutdown Plagues Telehealth
When federal authorization for Medicare-covered telehealth services lapsed at the end of the federal fiscal year on September 30, it was only supposed to affect traditional Medicare participants. But not everyone got the message. Some providers, confused about the lapse [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for October 9
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for October 3-9. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Please note that most HHS and other health care-related agencies have indicated that [...]
