Holland & Knight Health Dose is an in-depth weekly dose of legislative and regulatory insights to keep stakeholders abreast of happenings in Washington, D.C., impacting the health sector....more
The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) is a Medicare value-based purchasing program that reduces payments to hospitals with excess readmissions. This performance program penalizes hospitals up to three percent of...more
Below is Alston & Bird’s Health Care Week in Review, which provides a synopsis of the latest news in healthcare regulations, notices, and guidance; federal legislation and congressional committee action; reports, studies, and...more
As Part of an ongoing series, we have previously provided details on the structure, funding, and evaluation of the Maternal, Infant, Early Childhood, Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, Medicare therapy caps, and community health...more
This Week: MedPAC votes on changes in Part D... Senate HELP Committee reports five “Cures” bills... One report shows uninsured number decreasing... Another says, but we still need the safety net. ...more
I. REGULATIONS, NOTICES, & GUIDANCE - On March 15, 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued voluntary guidelines entitled, “CDC Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain — United...more
This Week: The House is not in session this week... The Senate returns today... Committees in the Senate will hold hearings on co-ops and mental health... Vice President Biden will attend the World Economic Forum in...more
Ways & Means Leadership Changes – Health Policy Implications Looming: As Congress pushes forward with a two-year budget deal, and new Speaker Paul Ryan begins his tenure as the top Republican in the House of...more
Cuts in Mandatory Entitlement Programs Center of Budget Negotiations: As budget negotiators from both sides of the Hill come together to work out a two-year budget deal, determining how sequestration relief will be paid for...more
This Week: CMS Releases Guidance on Fast Track Process for 1115 Waivers for Medicaid and CHIP... Healthcare.gov CEO Sends Letter to State Insurance Commissioners Concerning 2016 Premium Decisions... Medicare Board of Trustees...more
This Week: Leading Up to the SCOTUS King v. Burwell Decision... House Votes to Repeal the Medical Device Tax... CMS Announces It Will Bolster Transitional Reinsurance Payments... MedPAC Releases June Report to Congress....more
This Week: CMS Releases Three Documents on Biosimilar Reimbursement... SCOTUS: Agencies, Not State Courts, in Charge of Medicaid Rate Setting... HHS OIG and Treasury IG Release Report on ACA’s Advanced Premium Tax Credits....more
A provision of the Affordable Care Act includes a requirement that hospitals disclose their standard charges to the public. 42 U.S.C. § 300gg-18(e) states that “[e]ach hospital operating within the United States shall for...more
Over the past several days, the second open enrollment period through the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) health insurance exchanges began; Republican lawmakers, now with majorities in both the House and the Senate, explored...more
In This Issue: - Policymakers Continue Bi-partisan Push to Accelerate ACO Evolution - Implementation of the Affordable Care Act - Other Federal Regulatory Initiatives - Other Congressional and...more
In This Issue: - Top News ..The Congressional Agenda is Light as the Focus Shifts to the Midyear Elections ..Physician Supervision Requirement for Small and Rural Hospitals ..CMS Offers Hospitals...more
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) received a great deal of attention this past week in Washington. The House held numerous hearings on implementation issues, including oversight of access to care for ACA enrollees and improper...more
Last Thursday Kathleen Sebelius resigned from her post as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). On Friday President Obama nominated Sylvia Matthews Burwell, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director. As...more
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) met on December 12-13, 2013, to discuss draft recommendations regarding 2015 payment updates for Medicare providers. MedPAC, which is responsible for issuing an annual...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
Last week the House Committee on Ways & Means Health Subcommittee held a hearing on Medicare overhaul proposals affecting post-acute care; the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) wrote to House Budget Committee Chairman Paul...more
Last week, as the Affordable Care Act turned three, the drumbeat of concern over Medicare Advantage cuts grew louder when Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch – as well as 98 house...more