Tag archives: CBO

U.S. Senate passes tax bill eliminating penalties for failure to comply with ACA individual health insurance mandate

By Thomas Dowdell (US) on December 4, 2017 Posted in News from DC

On December 2, the U.S. Senate passed a tax bill by a 51-49 vote. The legislation would not repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual health insurance mandate but instead would eliminate tax penalties for con-compliance with the mandate. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) announced her support for the bill in a press release in which … Continue reading

Senate tax bill would effectively repeal ACA individual mandate; House legislation to reverse 340B Drug Discount Program cuts; CMS addresses prescription drug costs and the opioid crisis

By on November 20, 2017 Posted in News from DC

On November 14, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) released the Chairman’s Mark to the Senate version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Hatch’s version of the tax plan effectively repeals the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual mandate by reducing the associated penalty to $0. The ACA individual mandate requires individuals to buy … Continue reading

Federal judge rejects preliminary injunction mandating ACA cost-sharing reduction payments; CBO estimates $3.8 billion deficit reduction from bipartisan ACA bill

By Thomas Dowdell (US) on October 30, 2017 Posted in News from DC

On Wednesday, October 25, Judge Vince Chhabria, federal district court in San Francisco, rejected a request for a preliminary injunction by 18 states and the District of Columbia to compel the Trump Administration to continue to pay cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments to health insurance companies. Judge Chhabria concluded: (i) States have been preparing for months … Continue reading

President Trump announces end of cost-sharing reduction payments to insurers; President signs executive order promoting association health plans

By Thomas Dowdell (US) on October 17, 2017 Posted in News from DC

On October 12, President Trump announced in a filing by the Department of Justice in the ongoing litigation challenging the cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments that such payments will no longer be made to insurers. CSR payments help offset deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses for Affordable Health Care Act (ACA) exchange health insurance coverage for approximately … Continue reading

US Senators Graham and Cassidy revise Affordable Care Act repeal legislation prior to Finance Committee hearing; AHA requests CMS guidance on hospital co-location and shared space arrangements

By Thomas Dowdell (US) on September 25, 2017 Posted in News from DC

On Sunday evening, September 24, U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) released a revised version of their Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal legislation in advance of the Senate Finance Committee hearing scheduled for Monday, September 25, at 2 PM EST. The amended bill is similar to the legislation previously released in … Continue reading

CMS clarifies when hospitals are primarily engaged in inpatient care; U.S. Republican Senators introduce ACA repeal legislation while Democrats promote Medicare for all

By on September 18, 2017 Posted in News from DC

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued Survey and Certification Letter 17-44, clarifying what it means for a facility to be “primarily engaged” in inpatient care for purposes of meeting the definition of a hospital and qualifying for reimbursement as a hospital under Medicare and Medicaid. A facility is primarily engaged in … Continue reading

CBO releases report on effects of terminating ACA cost-sharing reduction payments; CMS proposes to end two incentive payment models

By on August 21, 2017 Posted in News from DC

On August 15, the Congressional Budget Office (“CBO”) released a report on the effects of terminating payments to insurers for cost-sharing reductions under the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) in 2017. The CBO estimated that by 2018, insurance premiums for silver plans would increase by 20 percent and leave 5 percent of Americans living in areas … Continue reading

Senate delays vote on health care bill; CMS issues OPPS and physician fee schedule proposed rules; House subcommittee to hold hearing on 340B drug pricing program

By Thomas Dowdell (US) on July 17, 2017 Posted in News from DC

As reported last week , on Thursday U.S. Senate Republican leadership released their latest version of the “Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017.” The Congressional Budget Office score of the revised bill was expected today, with Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell intending for the full Senate to debate and vote on the legislation this week. However, last … Continue reading

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell continues work on Senate health care reform legislation; CMS delays changes to home health agency conditions of participation.

By Thomas Dowdell (US) on July 10, 2017 Posted in News from DC

The U.S. Congress was not in session last week, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) continued to work on the Senate Republican health care reform legislation. Senator McConnell proposed: (i) adding $45 billion to the bill to combat the opioid epidemic, up from $2 billion in the original legislation; and (ii) expanding Health Savings … Continue reading

Senate Republicans unveil health care reform bill; CMS proposes updates to the Quality Payment Program

By on June 26, 2017 Posted in News from DC

On June 22, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell unveiled the draft Senate health care reform bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017. Earlier today, Senate Republican leadership released a new discussion draft. As of this afternoon, Republican leadership reportedly has firm commitments from less than the 50 Senators needed to approve the legislation … Continue reading

U.S. Senate Republican leadership releases draft text of health care reform legislation entitled “Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017”

By Thomas Dowdell (US) on June 22, 2017 Posted in News from DC

This morning U.S. Senate Republican leadership released a 142-page “Discussion Draft” of the Senate health care reform legislation entitled “Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly is pushing for a vote as soon as next Thursday, June 29. The Congressional Budget Office is considering the projected financial effects of this … Continue reading

Congressional Budget Office releases score of American Health Care Act of 2017 as passed by the U.S. House of Representatives; Senate Republicans continue work on their version of health care reform legislation

By Thomas Dowdell (US) on May 30, 2017 Posted in News from DC

On May 24th, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its score of H.R. 1628, the American Health Care Act of 2017 (AHCA), as passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. The CBO estimates that the AHCA would reduce the federal deficit by $119 billion over 10 years. The CBO also estimates that if enacted, in … Continue reading

U.S. Senate begins considering health care legislation; CBO to release score of American Health Care Act next week

By Thomas Dowdell (US) on May 15, 2017 Posted in News from DC

Congressional work on health care legislation took a back seat last week to President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey. Nonetheless, there was some health care activity. As previously reported, on May 4 the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act of 2017 (H.R. 1628) (AHCA) by a vote of 217-213. … Continue reading

CBO releases assessment on American Health Care Act; FDA fees double under President Trump budget proposal

By on March 20, 2017 Posted in News from DC

On Monday, March 13, 2017, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) released an assessment on the impact of the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the Republican proposed legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The assessment evaluated the impact of the AHCA on the federal budget and … Continue reading