On June 15, 2021, the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) released one of their two annual Reports to Congress.[1],[2] The June report addresses high-cost specialty drugs in the Medicaid program; access to mental health services for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees; the use of EHR [...] Read More
On May 28, 2021, the White House released the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget.[1] This full version of the budget follows the Administration’s “top-line” budget released in early April. For the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the administration is requesting $131.8 billion in discretionary.[2] In a statement about the budget request HHS [...] Read More
On April 29, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted the final rule Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model Three-Year Extension and Changes to Episode Definition and Pricing to the inspection desk of the Federal Register (link). This final rule extends the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) model through December 31, [...] Read More
On the evening of April 27, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its proposed rule, Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Final Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2022 Rates (link), which updates the FY 2022 payment systems and [...] Read More
Budget Proposal Hearing Summaries from Appropriation Subcommittees April 15, 2021: House Subcommittee on Labor, Health & Human Services (HHS), Education, & Related Agencies · Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) lauded the proposal and noted the success of vaccination efforts (link) · Ranking Member Tom Cole (R-OK) believed this request spends too much on domestic programs at [...] Read More
On April 8th, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a fact sheet and unpublished proposed rule, Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Updates to the Quality Reporting Program and Value-Based Purchasing Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2022, which updates payment rates and policies for these facilities: Increase [...] Read More
On the evening of April 8th, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the fiscal year (FY) 2022 proposed rule for hospices. This proposed rule includes the annual payment and quality reporting updates, a request for feedback on hospice utilization, and a proposal to make certain blanket waivers permanent that were adopted in [...] Read More
On April 7, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the proposed rule for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year (FY) 2022. CMS proposes updates related to payment and the IRF Quality Reporting Program. Comments on this proposed rule are due June 7, 2021. Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities to Get a $160m [...] Read More
Congress is working on Phase 5 of coronavirus relief using the budget reconciliation process. As described by the House Committee on the Budget, “Budget reconciliation provides a fast-track process for consideration of bills to implement the policy choices embodied in the annual congressional budget resolution.”[1] Just like with the budget resolution, reconciliation bills are not [...] Read More
On January 15, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule containing policies for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D plans in contract year 2022. The rule finalizes policies initially proposed in February 2020. Some policies in that February proposed rule were finalized in previous rulemaking while the remainder [...] Read More