MedPAC Meets
Last week the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission met in Washington, D.C. to discuss a number of Medicare payment issues. The issues on MedPAC’s April agenda were: Expanding the use of value-based payment in Medicare Medicare Shared Savings Program performance Redesigning [...]
Groups Work to Create New Codes for Social Determinants
Social determinants of health could have their own ICD-10 codes if a new initiative from the American Medical Association and United Healthcare succeeds. The two are working together to develop new ICD-10 codes that would take into consideration social determinants [...]
New Web Site Shows Maximum 340B Prices
Providers can now see the maximum prices for 340B-covered drugs on a new web site established by the federal Health Resources & Services Administration. The web site, mandated by Congress after the U.S. Department of Health and Services’ Inspector General [...]
Bill Would Enable Foreign-Born Docs to Work in Underserved U.S. Areas
More foreign-born, U.S.-trained doctors would be permitted to remain in the U.S. if they practice in medically underserved areas under a bill unveiled last week in Congress. Introduced with bipartisan support, the legislation would extend for two years the current [...]
Pressure Off 340B?
Two key House subcommittees will not hold hearings on the controversial 340B prescription drug discount program in the near future. The chairs of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee and its Health Committee have both suggested [...]
ACA Repeal Would Drive Up Uninsured, Uncompensated Care
At the same time that the Trump administration announced that it has asked a federal court to repeal the entire Affordable Care Act, the Urban Institute has published a report detailing the potential impact of the health care reform law’s [...]
Medicaid Transportation Services in Jeopardy?
The White House has proposed removing non-emergency transportation from the list of mandatory Medicaid benefits. The proposed FY 2020 budget released last week explained that Statute allows, but does not require, States to provide non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT). Instead, these [...]
MACPAC Makes DSH, UPL Recommendations
Changes could come in Medicaid DSH and UPL payments if new MACPAC recommendations are adopted. Last week the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission released its annual report to Congress, with most of the report focusing on its analysis [...]
More Potential Budget Obstacles for Private Safety-Net Hospitals
Part two of the Trump administration’s proposed FY 2020 budget brought more potential bad news for private safety-net hospitals. Last week’s “lean budget” released by the White House included a number of challenges for private safety-net hospitals and this [...]
“Rejected” Medicaid Reforms May Resurface
Partial Medicaid expansion, desired by some Republican governors but rejected by the Trump administration last year, may not be so rejected after all. At least not according to Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which [...]
