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Archive Tag: health policy

CMS Proposes Changes Increasing Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Payments and Seeks Comments on Future Payment Adjustments and Health Equity

On March 31, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the fiscal year (FY) 2023 proposed rule for inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPFs), which includes proposed policies for payment and quality reporting in these facilities. CMS also released a fact sheet on the proposed rule. This year’s proposals are primarily payment related including [...] Read More

CMS Increases Payments for Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities and Proposes Future Health Equity Considerations to the Quality Reporting Program

On March 31, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the fiscal year (FY) 2023 proposed Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs) payment rule. The proposed rule includes the annual payment update and proposals related health equity in the IRF Quality Reporting Program. CMS released a fact sheet accompanying the rule. This proposed rule [...] Read More

CMS Finalizes Policies for Additional GME Slots, Organ Procurement Payment, & Decides Against Changes to 1115 Waiver Days (CMS-1752-FC3)

On the evening of December 17, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a follow-up to its final rule, Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Final Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2022 Rates,[1],[2] which addresses policies that were proposed but [...] Read More

President’s Blog: CMS Is Not Prepared for Aduhelm

Two years ago, in my role as Chairman of the Board of the Alliance for Aging Research, I wrote about the failure of CMS to adequately reimburse for the use of PET amyloid scans to help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. At that time, I noted that with the appropriate use of PET scans, which can detect [...] Read More

White House Releases Full Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2022

On May 28, 2021, the White House released the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget.[1] This full version of the budget follows the Administration’s “top-line” budget released in early April. For the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the administration is requesting $131.8 billion in discretionary.[2] In a statement about the budget request HHS [...] Read More

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319)

Congress is working on Phase 5 of coronavirus relief using the budget reconciliation process. As described by the House Committee on the Budget, “Budget reconciliation provides a fast-track process for consideration of bills to implement the policy choices embodied in the annual congressional budget resolution.”[1] Just like with the budget resolution, reconciliation bills are not [...] Read More

HHS Proposes Modifications to the HIPAA Privacy Rule to Support Coordinated Care

On December 10, 2020, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)  issued a press release, fact sheet, and an unpublished proposed rule announcing intended changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule.[1] The proposed changes follow a request for information from December [...] Read More

CMS Issues 4th COVID-Specific Rule, Including Coverage, Payment, and Enforcement Policies Regarding COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments

On the evening of October 28, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a press release, fact sheet, and an unpublished interim final rule with comment period (IFC) on its website related to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). The IFC interprets and implements CARES Act requirements regarding COVID-19 immunizations and treatments, [...] Read More

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