DMEPOS Oversight Moves Upstream
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that starting October 15, 2026, it will “require probationary prior authorization for certain DMEPOS items billed by newly…
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CMS Expands ACCESS Model
Less than three months after the start of the Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions (ACCESS) Model, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that…
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MACPAC Holds September 2026 Meeting
On September 24 and 25, 2026, the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) held a public meeting, which included the following sessions:…
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The Evolution of Anesthesia
The history of anesthesia is inextricably bound to the history of surgery (a topic we will cover in a future article). Until the 19th century, infection from a…
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CMS Releases GLOBE Model Final Rule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Global Benchmark for Efficient Drug Pricing (GLOBE) Model final rule and an accompanying press release on September 30,…
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CMS Releases BPCI Advanced Evaluation
On September 23, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final evaluation of its Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI Advanced) Model. The evaluation,…
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Meet Applied Policy Fellow Dr. Damion Simpson
Damion Simpson started at the University of Florida planning to become an architect. He left with a bachelor’s degree in health science and an acceptance to the Howard…
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MedPAC Holds September 2026 Meeting
On September 3 and 4, 2026, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) held a public meeting, which included the following sessions: The full agenda for the meeting and…
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CMS Reshapes Medicare Pathways for Medical Devices
Medical device manufacturers are navigating a shifting Medicare landscape for breakthrough technologies, following two actions by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this summer. In the…
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The FDA Considers Options for Regulating Generative AI
On August 18, 2026, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a discussion paper on how the Center for Devices and Radiological Health should regulate generative artificial intelligence…
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States Move to Close Gaps in Health Data Privacy
Americans overwhelmingly believe their health information should remain private. In a 2022 survey of 1,000 patients, more than 92% said privacy is a right and that their health…
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Employer Oversight of Pharmacy Benefits in Self-Insured Health Plans
Employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) is the predominant source of health coverage for working-age Americans. For these beneficiaries, decisions made by their employers regarding pharmacy benefit design can directly shape…
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