Federal Health Policy Update for August 28
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for August 22-28. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress The House and Senate are in recess and will return to Washington [...]
New Committee to Consider Federal Role in Health Care
The Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are forming a new committee to “restore patient-driven care.” The group, to be called the “Federal Healthcare Advisory Committee,” will consist of “… experts charged with [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for August 21
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for August 15-21. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress The House and Senate are in recess and will return to Washington [...]
Potential Implications of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
The publication Health Affairs has published a number of newsletters and articles about the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill and its potential implications for consumers and providers. To learn more, see the following pieces: “The BBB: Consumer Choice and Market [...]
Putting Some Meat on CMS’s WISeR Bones
In June, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a new CMS Innovation Center model: The Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction Model, or WISeR. The idea behind WISeR is for Medicare to seek to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse [...]
The Likelihood of Major Medicare Cuts
While the potential for significant Medicaid cuts resulting from passage of the FY 2025 federal budget reconciliation bill – the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill – has received a great detail of attention, the possibility of Medicare cuts as well [...]
Survey Looks at Prior Authorization in Medicaid
A recently published study takes a closer look at the state of prior authorization practices in state Medicaid managed care programs. The survey explored prior authorization decision time frames, the use of electronic denial notices, patient access to external medical [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for August 14
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for August 8-14. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress The House and Senate are both in recess and will return to [...]
Potential Medicaid Implications of the “One Big Beautiful Act”
Growing uncompensated care. Service cuts. Reduced access to care, especially in rural areas. Expansion projects placed on hold. These are among the potential implications of the Medicaid cuts included in the recently passed FY 2025 budget reconciliation bill, often referred [...]
Changes Coming to 340B?
The 340B prescription drug pricing program, created more than 30 years ago to help low-income outpatients receive discounted prescription drugs, has long been a source of controversy – and the subject of a number of lawsuits in recent years. Now, [...]
