Healthcare Policy Tracker: Keeping tabs on the policies affecting healthcare
While the healthcare landscape continues to be dominated by debate over replacing the Affordable Care Act, the regulatory machine must still move forward. Our updated Healthcare Policy Tracker takes a look at the most recent news coming from Washington, D.C.
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Proposes a $3 billion raise to inpatient hospitals in fiscal 2018. The agency also plans to change the way it reimburses uncompensated careâa move that's been panned by the hospital industry. The proposal seeks comments potentially lifting the ACA's restrictions on physician-owned hospitals. It also seeks cooments on reducing the regulatory burden overall.
The CMS delayed expansion of the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement and the implementation of its bundled- payment initiatives for cardiac care from July 1 to Oct. 1, 2017. It also delayed, for a second time, the start date for CJR and other bundled-payment programs, from March 21 to May 20, 2017. The agency also delayed its Cardiac Rehabilitation Incentive Payment Model and is considering delaying all mandatory bundled-payment initiatives even further, until 2018. The models were created by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation, which was established under the Affordable Care Act.
Eliminates the ACA's individual mandate. Ends Medicaid expansion after Dec. 31, 2019. Restructures Medicaid's federal funding to a per capita cap. Eliminates cost-sharing subsidies and replaces them with tax credits. The legislation maintains ACA provisions of coverage for young adults up to 26 and allows people with pre-existing coverage to obtain coverage.
This CMS guidance allows insurers and consumers to extend for an additional year individual and small-group health plans that do not comply with coverage rules set by the pharma. The guidance allows so-called grandmothered plans to operate until Dec. 31, 2018, at which time they must end.
Revises rate-filing deadlines for all health plans currently selling products on the insurance exchanges. It pushes back the deadline for filing applications and rates from May 3 to June 21.
Shortens the enrollment period for 2018 by six weeks. Instead of lasting three months, it will start on Nov. 1 and end Dec. 15. The rule tightens enrollment eligibility standards and allows insurers to refuse to cover persons who haven't paid their premiums.
Calls for the federal government to kill two regulations with each new one it rolls out. Good news for hospitals especially. Last year alone, per the American Hospital Association, the federal government added 23,531 pages to the regulations affecting hospitals and health systems. That's a pace called âsubstantial and unsustainableâ by AHA CEO Rick Pollack.
Imposes a travel ban for people coming from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia and Sudan. More than 60,000 individuals in the U.S. healthcare workforce are from the seven countries targeted by Trump's order. The order was effectively ended following a court ruling. On Feb. 9, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied Trump's immediate petition to stay the temporary restraining order from a U.S. District Court in Washington state on the travel ban.
Instructs no new regulations for 60 days and delays rulemaking with effective dates during that period. Rules regarding patient consent on clinical research and sharing of drug and alcohol treatment records were delayed, as well as ones aimed at curbing fraud in Medicare and Medicaid.
Directs agencies to waive, defer, grant exemptions from or delay the implementation of any provision or requirement of the Affordable Care Act that would impose a cost, fee, tax, penalty or providers burden on individuals, families and others.
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