If you are a physician, mid-level provider, or work with those providers, then you have been bombarded with new acronyms for new programs and promises to remove older acronyms from your Medicare vocabulary. Medicare...more
On Oct. 8, the House Republican caucus did not select a candidate for Speaker of the House and selection has been delayed. The current Speaker, John Boehner (R-OH), had announced that he would step down and retire from...more
This Week: Senate Reauthorizes Older Americans Act; Bill Heads to the House... White House Holds 2015 Conference on Aging and Launches Several New Administration Healthy Aging Initiatives Enveloping Alzheimer’s, Dementia,...more
In This Issue: - With SGR Behind Us, Delivery Reform Up Next - Implementation of the Affordable Care Act - Other Federal Regulatory Initiatives - Congressional Initiatives - Other Health...more
This week, CMS proposes continued 90% funding for Medicaid eligibility and enrollment system development. Montana is on the verge of becoming the 29th state (plus D.C.) to expand Medicaid eligibility, and Florida Governor...more
On April 16, President Barack Obama signed into law the “Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015,” ending a perennial struggle over the Medicare reimbursement formula for physicians. Although the law is most...more
In This Issue: - SGR Bill Facing Final Hurdles This Week - Implementation of the Affordable Care Act - Other Federal Regulatory Initiatives - Congressional Initiatives - Other Health Care...more
This Week: House Approves FY 2016 Budget Proposal... House Passes Permanent SGR Reform and Two-Year CHIP Reauthorization... Senate Passes FY 2016 Budget Plan... HHS Report: ACA Led to $7.4 Billion Decline in Uncompensated...more
In This Issue: - Permanent Medicare Doc-Fix Entering Critical Week - Implementation of the Affordable Care Act - Other Federal Regulatory Initiatives - Congressional Initiatives - Other...more
In This Issue: - Permanent Medicare Doc-Fix Could be a Reality, CHIP Reauthorization May Be Lynchpin - Implementation of the Affordable Care Act - Other Federal Regulatory Initiatives -...more
In This Issue: - SGR Already Strong Focus of 114th Congress: - Implementation of the Affordable Care Act - Other Federal Regulatory Initiatives - Congressional Initiatives - Other Health...more
As we head into the mid-term election cycle, the ongoing implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to consume the nation’s healthcare industry and political leaders in 2014. On the...more
On April 14, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) reported their findings that show a smaller rise in insurance premium costs under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) than previously...more
In This Issue: Implementation of the Affordable Care Act; Other Federal Regulatory Initiatives; Other Congressional and State Initiatives; Upcoming Hearings and Markups; Excerpt from Implementation of the...more
Today the House of Representatives passed by voice vote H.R. 4302, which would temporarily delay the 24% cut to Medicare physician payments resulting from the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula for one year. MGMA has...more
On Sunday, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) turned four. Unsurprisingly, Democrats celebrated the law’s birthday by touting its many successes and Republicans used it to highlight the problems the law has faced, as well as...more
This week President Obama released his Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Proposal, which provides useful information on his priorities for the year but, as is normally the case, is not likely to gain much traction; the administration...more
In This Issue: Implementation of the Affordable Care Act; Other Federal Regulatory Initiatives; Other Congressional and State Initiatives; Other Health News; and Hearings and Mark-Ups Scheduled. Excerpt from...more
The end of 2013 proved a remarkable, albeit brief, period of bipartisanship as the Committees of jurisdiction worked together to adopt legislative solutions to several pressing national health care concerns. While the last...more
President Obama Signs Pathway for SGR Reform Act of 2013 – On December 26, 2013, President Obama signed the Pathway for SGR Reform Act of 2013 (the “Act”), preventing the scheduled payment reduction for...more
The deadline to enroll in coverage for January 1 was officially extended by a week, but the new December 23 deadline is fast approaching, and premium payments are required to be paid by the last day of 2013 for January 2014...more
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released the calendar year 2014 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule (Proposed Rule)....more
The Obama administration announced yesterday it was delaying the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Employer Mandate, which requires employers with 50 or more full-time workers to provide affordable health insurance to its employees...more
Discussions around reforming Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) continued this week as the Committee on Energy & Commerce held a hearing to solicit input on a draft bill for replacing the current SGR formula...more