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Category Archives: Health Policy

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Weekly Health Policy Update: New Exchange Guidance Released by CCIIO

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Last week, the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) was confirmed by… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: Funding announcements and exchange news

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Last week, the White House announced enrollment assistance funds, PCORI awarded research funds and CCIIO issued… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: CMS Releases Shorter Exchange Applications

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Last week, CMS released shorter Exchange applications and CCIIO provided additional details on the roles of… Continue Reading

Fiscal Outlook Worsens for State and Local Governments

Posted in Health Policy

by Dennis G. Smith The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has just released its annual update on the long-term fiscal outlook for state and local governments and the picture has gotten worse. GAO’s simulation model shows that the “fiscal gap,” which is “an estimate of the action needed today and maintained for each year to achieve… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: HHS Hill Testimony, New CMS Regulations & Exchange News

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Last week, Senator Baucus announced he will retire, Marilyn Tavenner’s confirmation was put on hold and… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: HHS/CMS Congressional Testimony & Exchange News

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Last week, HHS Secretary Sebelius testified before Congress at numerous hearings and the Federal Basic Health… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: CCIIO Navigator Funding Opportunity and FY14 Budget

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Last week, CCIIO released the Navigator funding opportunity announcement while the White House released its long-awaited… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: PCORI Advisory Board Members Selected

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Last week, the chairman of the House Committee on Small Business sent a letter to CMS… Continue Reading

Is Arkansas’ Premium Assistance Proposal a Game Changer?

Posted in Governors, Health Policy, Legislation (Federal), Legislatures (State)

By Dennis Smith The news that Arkansas and the Obama Administration have agreed to put the Medicaid expansion population into the health exchange market by using premium assistance has spread to other states like wildfire. The Administration is apparently hopeful that this approach will bring reluctant governors to the expansion table. But details about what… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: Non-Binding Medical Device Tax Repeal Passes Senate

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Last week, the House of Representatives approved House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan’s budget and the Senate… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: HHS Approves New Marketplace Plan Management Option

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Last week, HHS approved a new marketplace plan management option and longtime health staff member to… Continue Reading

Video Interview: Discussing the Lack of Attention Paid to Medicaid with LXBN TV

Posted in Health Policy

By Dennis Smith Following up on our recent post focusing on Medicaid, we had the opportunity to speak with Colin O’Keefe of LXBN. In this brief video interview, I offer my thoughts on why Medicaid receives less attention than Medicare and what lessons we can learn from the 2012 Actuarial Report on the Financial Outlook for Medicaid. 

Medicaid The Program Serving 70 Million Americans Still Going Unnoticed

Posted in Health Policy

By Dennis Smith When the annual Medicare Trustees report is released around cherry blossom time in DC, it will receive full Washington news honors: cabinet level press conferences, leaks to favored journalists congressional pre-briefings, followed by official hearings, and extensive commentary from think tanks to investment houses. But there was nary a peep last week… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: HHS Conditionally Approves Four Partnership Exchanges

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Four states received conditional approval this week from HHS to establish State Partnership Exchanges for the… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: HHS Releases ACA Final Rules

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. With no action from Congress last week, the across-the-board spending cuts known as “sequestration” are slated… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: HHS Releases Final Rules Related to Essential Health Benefits, Actuarial Value and Accreditation

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Last week, HHS issued final rules this week related to essential health benefits, actuarial value… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: HHS Final Deadline for State Partnership Exchange

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Last week, President Obama addressed Medicare reforms in his State of the Union address and… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: IRS, HHS Release New Proposed Rules

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Last week, CMS announced that over 500 organizations will begin participating in the Bundled Payments… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: CMS Announced Approval of New ACOs

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the approval of over 100… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: HHS Announced New Guidance for States

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Last week, Congress passed legislation designed to avert the so-called “Fiscal Cliff” and HHS announced… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: HHS Releases FAQs on Medicaid Expansion & Exchanges

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a series of FAQs designed… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: IRS Released New Rule and Regulations

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Last week, the IRS released the final rule for the medical… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: HHS Releases New Round of Proposed ACA Rules

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Last week, the Department of Health and Human… Continue Reading

Weekly Health Policy Update: HHS Delays Exchange Deadline…Again

Posted in Health Policy

By Elizabeth Carpenter Each week, our Health Policy team recaps recent health care developments in two reports, Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up and Health Insurance Exchanges: State of the States. Weekly Health Care Wrap-Up is our weekly look at regulatory developments affecting health care at the federal and state level. Last week, HHS pushed the deadline for both… Continue Reading