The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing to rescind the authority of states to make Medicaid payments to a third party on behalf of an individual provider, rather than directly to the provider, “for benefits such as health insurance, skills training, and other benefits customary for employees,” under certain circumstances. This authority, … Continue Reading
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing to exempt states with high rates of Medicaid managed care enrollment from current requirements to analyze and monitor access in fee-for-service (FFS) delivery systems. The proposed rule also would loosen current state access analysis requirements when states make what CMS contends are “nominal” reductions in … Continue Reading
The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission’s (MACPAC) March 2018 Report to Congress examines three aspects of Medicaid policy: managed care, telehealth, and disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments. First, MACPAC proposes statutory changes to allow states to require all beneficiaries to enroll in Medicaid managed care programs, along with changes to Section 1915(b) waiver … Continue Reading
CMS has announced a new initiative allowing states to propose demonstrations to “improve Medicaid enrollee health and well-being through incentivizing work and community engagement.” Specifically, states may propose Section 1115 waivers to make participation in work or other community engagement a requirement for continued Medicaid eligibility or coverage for non-elderly, non-pregnant adult Medicaid beneficiaries who … Continue Reading
CMS is hosting a call on January 23, 2018 to brief state Medicaid agencies, Medicaid providers, managed care organizations, and other Medicaid stakeholders about the new Medicare card project. Under this initiative, CMS is moving away from Social Security Number-based Health Insurance Claim Numbers to new Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBIs). 1/22 update: this call has … Continue Reading
The GAO has had ongoing concerns about the integrity of the Medicaid program due to its size, diversity, and recent rapid growth as a result of the Affordable Care Act. It is the second largest health insurance program in the U.S. based on expenditures ($576 billion combined federal and state spending projected for 2016). At the … Continue Reading
CMS has published a final rule intended to codify its existing interpretation of how third-party payments are considered in the calculation of Medicaid uncompensated care costs for the purpose of making Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments. Under the final rule, CMS specifies that uncompensated care costs for purposes of calculating hospital-specific DSH limits are … Continue Reading
The House of Representatives is moving ahead on the Republican plan -– the American Health Care Act (AHCA) – that would repeal and replace major provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). On March 16, 2017, the House Budget Committee approved sending the bill to the full House as part of fiscal year 2017 budget … Continue Reading
In her first act as CMS Administrator, Seema Verma joined HHS Secretary Tom Price in writing to the nation’s Governors to urge collaboration on improving the Medicaid program, with an emphasis on services for “truly vulnerable” populations. Price and Verma contend that the “expansion of Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to non-disabled, working-age … Continue Reading
CMS is seeking public input on ways to improve the quality and reduce the cost of care for children and youth enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In particular, CMS is interested in comments on topics such as: The potential to include the pediatric population in integrated service model concepts like … Continue Reading
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health has approved two bills that would modify Medicaid eligibility rules to consider additional sources of income. First, HR 829 would establish standards for states to consider lottery winnings and other lump sum payments for purposes of determining Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) for Medicaid and CHIP eligibility. … Continue Reading
The House Energy & Commerce Committee has scheduled two hearings this week on Medicaid policy: a January 31 hearing on “Medicaid Oversight: Existing Problems and Ways to Strengthen the Program,” and a February 1 hearing on “Strengthening Medicaid and Prioritizing the Most Vulnerable.” … Continue Reading
CMS has finalized without change its proposed rule to block states from adopting or increasing Medicaid managed care “pass-through” payments to hospitals, nursing facilities, and physicians beyond those in place when pass-through payment transition periods were established in a May 6, 2016 final Medicaid managed care rule. As we previously reported, CMS considers pass-through payments … Continue Reading
Included in the 21st Century Cures Act are numerous changes to Medicare and Medicaid policies, including provisions with significant reimbursement impacts for certain types of Medicare providers and suppliers, along with changes intended to reduce the regulatory and administrative burdens associated with the use of electronic health records. Furthermore, the law once again expands the … Continue Reading
CMS has published a final rule that implements various Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility, appeals, and related administrative changes under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that were proposed in January 22, 2013 but not included in a July 15, 2013 rule finalizing selected provisions. According to CMS, the rule will support “modernization … Continue Reading
CMS is proposing to prohibit states from adopting new or increased “pass-through” payments to hospitals, nursing facilities, and physicians under their Medicaid managed care contracts beyond those in place when the pass-through payment transition periods were established in a May 6, 2016 final Medicaid managed care rule. CMS considers pass-through payments to be amounts that … Continue Reading
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has published the FY 2018 Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP), Enhanced FMAP, and disaster-recovery FMAP adjustments. These amounts will be used to determine federal matching amounts for state expenditures for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and certain other medical and other social services, applicable from October … Continue Reading
Observers are digesting what the Trump Administration will mean for the health care and life sciences industry. Forecasting is more challenging for this incoming Administration than most given the relatively sparse policy details released during the campaign and the lack of a government service record to examine for clues. Today President-elect Trump’s transition team released … Continue Reading
The OIG has issued an “Investigative Advisory on Medicaid Fraud and Patient Harm Involving Personal Care Services” that identifies various “fraud schemes” it has encountered involving personal care services (PCS) — nonmedical assistance typically provided by an attendant working for a personal care agency. PCS is an optional Medicaid benefit offered in certain states. According … Continue Reading
The OIG has issued a memo to CMS suggesting that some states may be claiming matching funds for government-owned but privately-operated hospitals, where no state or local government funds are used to operate the hospital. The OIG suggests that CMS consider requiring that an entity be operated by a unit of government in order to … Continue Reading
CMS has issued a proposed rule to make changes to the PERM and MEQC programs to align with changes to state adjudication of Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. The proposed rule also includes revisions to PERM and MEQC policies that are intended to reduce state burdens associated … Continue Reading
The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently issued a report examining implementation of Medicaid National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) edits, as required by the Affordable Care Act since October, 2010. The report finds that several problems have limited the success of these edits (medically unlikely edits and procedure-to-procedure edits), which are designed to encourage … Continue Reading
CMS has published a notice giving states more time to submit state access monitoring review plans under a November 2015 rule intended to assure access to covered Medicaid services. By way of background, the final rule required states to develop and submit to CMS an access monitoring review plan for the following service categories: primary … Continue Reading
The House of Representatives has unanimously approved H.R. 3716, the Ensuring Access to Quality Medicaid Providers Act. The bill, which still awaits Senate consideration, would implement several OIG recommendations to improve CMS oversight of terminated providers and state screening of providers. Among other things, H.R. 3716 would require states and Medicaid managed care plans to … Continue Reading
