Taking the Pulse, A Health Care and Life Sciences Video Podcast | Episode 187: South Carolina Hospitals and Healthcare Industry Trends with Thornton Kirby, SCHA President
On October 20, 2020, CMS approved Nebraska’s Medicaid expansion program – named the “Heritage Health Adult,” or HHA – under Section 1115 of the Social Security Act, creating a new two-tiered system of Medicaid benefits for...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), and other Federal and State agencies and...more
With crisis comes uncertainty, and even the best-intentioned regulations can leave those combating the current COVID-19 public-health emergency out in the cold. Many have asked whether the recent Declaration under the...more
This post is the second installment in our blog series looking back on the 10-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and will examine Medicaid expansion under the ACA. Medicaid is joint federal-state program that...more
In light of findings from the COVID-19 outbreak at a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that it will suspend all routine facility inspections and surveys...more
Outlook for This Week in the Nation’s Capital - Budget Release. The President is scheduled to release his Fiscal Year (FY) 21 budget request today. The bipartisan budget agreement passed earlier this year set the FY 21...more
On January 30, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released long-anticipated guidance that invites states to pursue capped funding demonstrations for the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion population as well...more
Over the past several years, federal Medicaid oversight and advisory bodies, including the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), have issued reports calling...more
On November 4, 2019, Georgia officials announced a proposed Section 1115 demonstration waiver, referred to as the “Georgia Pathways Health Waiver,” to expand Georgia’s Medicaid program eligibility for non-disabled adults. If...more
Lawmakers continued to move legislation this week, however the House has yet to attempt to override Governor Cooper’s veto of the budget. House Speaker Tim Moore said that they are waiting until the time is right, and wants...more
The House and Senate reached a compromise on the budget this week and both chambers moved to pass the conference report. Governor Cooper held a “veto ceremony” this afternoon where he expressed his concerns with the budget....more
On March 27, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg for the District of Columbia issued two opinions that struck down the Secretary of HHS’s approval of Medicaid work requirement waivers in Kentucky and Arkansas. ...more
Health care issues will remain a central focus in Washington throughout 2019. Having gained control of the House following the 2018 mid-term elections, Democrats now have the ability to block President Trump's legislative...more
As of December 2018, 37 states (including DC) have adopted Medicaid expansion. Of the remaining 14 states, some are considering expanding Medicaid. States with recent activity relating to Medicaid expansion include – Florida,...more
In a bipartisan effort to combat the opioid crisis, H.R. 6, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act (the Act), was enacted on October 24,...more
Healthcare was a top voter priority in the 2018 midterm elections, with 41 percent of national voters stating that healthcare was their "most important" issue. Accordingly, the Democratic strategy to focus on healthcare...more
Days before the Medicaid work requirement for Medicaid patients in Kentucky was to take effect, U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg struck down the requirement in a decision issued June 29, 2018....more
To date, 34 states (including D.C.) have adopted Medicaid expansion. Of the remaining 17 states, some are considering expanding Medicaid. States with recent activity relating to Medicaid expansion include Florida, Idaho,...more
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recently laid out a road map for improving behavioral health services in the state. The report to the state legislature was the result of numerous stakeholder...more
Congress passed a funding bill early this morning just after the February 8th deadline. The new legislation will make several changes to the Medicare program, delay cuts to disproportionate share hospitals, provide two years...more
CBO says the House repeal and replace bill could destabilize the individual insurance market in some states; Indiana posts a work requirement amendment to its Medicaid expansion waiver application; and states allow insurers...more
HHS's position on cost-sharing reduction payments remains unclear as insurers seek certainty before Marketplace rate filing deadlines; states continue to finalize Medicaid budgets and seek waiver flexibility; and North...more
Arkansas - Governor Proposes Changes to Medicaid Expansion Waiver as House Passes Bill to Cap Expansion Enrollment - Governor Asa Hutchinson (R) released a proposal to amend the State's Medicaid expansion waiver by...more
States react to the failure of the AHCA; the HHS Inspector General launches an investigation into the Trump Administration's suspension of Marketplace enrollment outreach efforts; and the Kansas Legislature sends a Medicaid...more
Late last week, two major proposals arose that will have a significant impact on the health care industry. First, the Trump Administration’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under new HHS Secretary Tom Price...more