Federal Health Policy Update for October 26
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for October 20-26. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress More than three weeks after House Republicans voted Rep. Kevin McCarthy (CA) [...]
Medicaid Unwinding Continues
States continue to work on redetermining Medicaid eligibility for those who were enrolled in the program during the period of continuous eligibility that extended through the COVID-19 public health emergency and ended on March 31. Six months into what has [...]
Telehealth May Help Medicaid Patients With Opioid-Related Addictions
When access to buprenorphine treatment became available to Medicaid beneficiaries in response to the COVID-19 crisis, patients who obtained such treatment via telehealth were more likely to remain under treatment for their disorder than those who received similar care through [...]
MedPAC Outlines Plans for the Coming Year
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has shared its agenda for its 2023-2024 public meeting cycle. According to MedPAC, it will engage in its regular work of offering recommendations to Congress on the adequacy of Medicare payments to providers and, as [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for October 19
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for October 13-19. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress At this moment there is still no Speaker of the House of [...]
When a Safety-Net Hospital Closes
A year ago the Atlanta Medical Center, a safety-net hospital, closed its doors, overwhelmed by financial problems. In the year that followed, the burden on Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta’s only public hospital, grew considerably – especially for emergency behavioral care. [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for October 12
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for October 6-12. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. No Surprises Act CMS has reopened the federal independent dispute resolution (IDR) portal [...]
Survey Looks at Work of Hospital Equity Officers
With more and more hospitals hiring equity officers to lead their efforts to address social determinants of health and the health care disparities that often result, a new survey examines the obstacles those health equity officials are encountering in their [...]
DEA Okays Continued Remote Prescribing of Controlled Substances
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has extended the authority of qualified health care providers to prescribe controlled substances via telehealth through the end of 2024. This authorization originated as a temporary measure in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency [...]
Medicaid Unwinding Runs Into More Problems
When the COVID-19-era policy of continuous Medicaid eligibility came to an end and the process known as Medicaid unwinding began, policymakers expected significant numbers of people who lost their Medicaid eligibility to find new, affordable coverage in Affordable Care Act [...]
