On Saturday, July 7, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the suspension of risk adjustment payments for the 2017 benefit year until the resolution of risk adjustment litigation following the decision in New Mexico Health Connections
health insurance market
Senators Alexander and Murray release draft bill intended to stabilize the ACA marketplaces
On October 17, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) announced a bipartisan proposal intended to stabilize Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces and relax ACA State Innovation Waiver restrictions.…
U.S. Senators continue ACA stabilization and repeal efforts
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee has held three hearings in the past few days attempting to reach a bipartisan agreement on stabilizing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance markets and will hold a fourth hearing later…
CMS issues blanket waivers as a result of Hurricane Harvey; health care reform efforts continue
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued several blanket waivers of Medicare requirements as a result of Hurricane Harvey. Examples of requirements that CMS may waive include those relating to conditions of Medicare participation or certification, preapproval…
CBO releases report on effects of terminating ACA cost-sharing reduction payments; CMS proposes to end two incentive payment models
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…
Health care reform discussions continue in U.S. Senate; CMS issues multiple rules relevant to payments to and policies for hospitals, hospices, and skilled nursing facilities
On August 1, Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Minority Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions announced that the committee will hold hearings the week of September 4th on actions …
CMS proposes rule to stabilize health insurance market

On February 15, 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule to stabilize the individual and small group health insurance market by increasing incentives for individuals to maintain enrollment in health plans, decreasing incentives to…