MACPAC Holds May 2026 Meeting
On May 7, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) held a public meeting, which included votes on recommendations on the following topics. All but three…
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CMS Drug Pricing Models Encounter Delays and Resistance
As Applied Policy has previously reported, in 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an ambitious suite of drug pricing models designed to align what…
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CMS Proposes Interoperability Standards and New Prior Authorization Requirements for Drugs
On April 10, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the Interoperability Standards and Prior Authorization for Drugs proposed rule, along with a fact sheet…
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President Continues Make America Healthy Again Focus in FY 2027 Budget
On April 2, 2026, the White House released the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2027 budget. A summary of the HHS FY 2027 Budget in Brief is below, and…
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President Trump’s EO on Lowering Drug Prices by Putting Americans First at One Year
A year after President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 14273, Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First, federal agencies continue to take steps to advance its…
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CMS Proposes FY 2027 Payment Updates for Hospices
On April 2, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the fiscal year (FY) 2027 proposed Medicare Program; FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment…
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MedPAC Releases March 2026 Report to Congress
Each March, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is required to report to Congress on the Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) payment systems, the Medicare Advantage (MA) program, and the…
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MACPAC Holds March Meeting
On March 5 and 6, 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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MedPAC Holds March Meeting
On March 2 and 3, 2026, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) held a public meeting, which included the following sessions: Access to hospice and certain complex palliative…
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Winter Drug Pricing Recap: Where We are and What’s Next
Although we are less than halfway through winter, we have already seen significant activity in drug pricing. In this article, we explore what has happened in recent months…
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CMS Finalizes 2.2 Percent Payment Increase for ESRD Facilities in CY 2026
On November 20, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) final rule (CMS-1830-F) for calendar year…
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CMS Releases Final Guidance for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program for 2028
On September 30, 2025, hours before the government shutdown began, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Final Guidance for Initial Price Applicability Year 2028…
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