A lawsuit accuses President Donald Trump's Treasury, Labor and HHS secretaries of weakening Americans' access to life-saving medical care by letting the rule regarding short-term plans bypass the ACA's essential health benefit and pre-existing condition requirements, according to reports. According to the Trump Administration: This final rule amends the definition of short-term, limited-duration insurance for purposes of its exclusion from the definition of individual health insurance … [Read more...] about Trump Administration Sued Over Short-Term Health Plans Offering Limited Benefits
In The News: 5 Healthcare Legal Battles That Could Head To The Supreme Court
Changes to the healthcare market nationwide could manifest if these 5 lawsuits make it to the highest court in the nation. According to news reports, there are several significant pieces of healthcare legislation that could result from multiple major healthcare cases going through the federal courts. The consequential healthcare cases include: Texas vs Alex Azar - Re: ACA is unlawful and the Court should enjoin its operation. Therefore, Plaintiffs seek declaratory and injunctive relief … [Read more...] about In The News: 5 Healthcare Legal Battles That Could Head To The Supreme Court
$8.6 Million in State Flexibility Grants Awarded by CMS to 30 States For Obamacare
The $8.6 million in State Flexibility Grants announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that would be allocated to 30 states and the District of Columbia comes with the Trump Administration' approval despite recent attempts to disassemble the ACA. The funding from Obamacare, which is part of $250 million for State Rate Review Grants provided by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to improve the process for how States review proposed health … [Read more...] about $8.6 Million in State Flexibility Grants Awarded by CMS to 30 States For Obamacare
$434 Million in Financial Payments Improperly Issued by CMS to Insurers
In a new report by The HHS Office of Inspector General, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) was found to have wrongly funded $434.4 million in financial assistance payments to qualified health plan (QHPs) issuers for 461,127 policies. The audit revealed that the improperly authorized funding occurred in 2014, the first year the ACA law’s health insurance marketplaces went online. According to the report, CMS relied on insurers to verify that their enrollees were confirmed and … [Read more...] about $434 Million in Financial Payments Improperly Issued by CMS to Insurers
Proposed Rule for Permanent Risk Adjustment Program for 2018
A new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Press release details the proposed additional rule to address risk adjustment program for the 2018 benefit year. The rule would give payers the ability to receive 2018 risk adjustment payments by resolving legal contentions of the program’s operation and give CMS the ability to issue risk adjustment payments without interruptions for the current plan year. According to reports the risk adjustment payments also reimburse health insurers … [Read more...] about Proposed Rule for Permanent Risk Adjustment Program for 2018
Who has the greatest impact on high healthcare costs?
In a new NEJM Catalyst Buzz Survey, the question of who is the biggest driver of high healthcare costs brings physicians, healthplans, pharmacuetical & bio-tech companies under scrutiny. Doctors who have been blamed for the inflated cost of US healthcare due to expensive recommendations or overtreating patients have maintained that even though the discussion needs to be had with patients about healthcare costs, they have no power to determine the price of a drug or new healthcare … [Read more...] about Who has the greatest impact on high healthcare costs?
Medicare Extra for All Plan: A Universal Healthcare plan backed by Progressives and Conservatives.
A proposal was recently released by the Center for American Progress (CAP) for Medicare Extra, an enhanced version of the Medicare program and a plan to guarantee universal health coverage in the United States. The plan would be available to all Americans, regardless of income, health status, age, or insurance status. According to reports, Medicare Extra highlights and tries to resolve the reasons for the high cost of the American healthcare system head-on by placing caps on doctor and … [Read more...] about Medicare Extra for All Plan: A Universal Healthcare plan backed by Progressives and Conservatives.
Trump proposes new rule for affordable Healthcare: Limited duration health plan for 364 day
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and the Trump administration are proposing new regulations for short-term health insurance plans, focusing on value-based care as a priority. According to reports, Azar's speech focused on value-based care, an approach in which doctors and hospitals are reimbursed by private health insurance and the government for how well patients emerge after a medical procedure versus the amount of care provided. The proposed rule — which would allow people to … [Read more...] about Trump proposes new rule for affordable Healthcare: Limited duration health plan for 364 day
