In This Issue:

Implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA); Other HHS and Federal Regulatory Initiatives; Other Congressional and State Initiatives; Other Health Care News; and Hearings & Mark-ups Scheduled.

Excerpt from Implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

On February 24th the Congressional Research Service released a memorandum describing how the ACA’s requirement that health plans provide preventive services could be enforced. The report finds that the type of enforcement depends on the type of plan. The requirement could be enforced via private lawsuits by beneficiaries who are denied coverage, by monetary penalties of up to $100 per day per violation, or by actions by individual states.

On February 27th Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced a bill to repeal the ACA’s Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). The bill, unlike a similar bill currently in the House, offsets the cost of the repeal by increasing the amount the IRS can recover for overpayment of health insurance tax credits.