WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 14, 2019)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated its Drug Spending Dashboards with data for 2017. This Administration’s version of the drug dashboards, first released in May of 2018, adds information on the manufacturers that are responsible for price increases and includes pricing and spending data for thousands more drugs across Medicare Parts B and D and Medicaid.
Medicaid
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (February 14, 2019)—On February 12th, the Home Medical Equipment & Services Association of New England (HOMES) was invited by Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar and Region 1 director John McGough to the CMS and HHS Region 1 office to listen and understand issues related to Medicare policies and home medical equipment.
February 5, 2019—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the expiration of the Medicare Provider Enrollment Moratoria on Jan. 30, 2019. The announcement includes states where a moratorium had been issued for new home health agencies (HHAs).
February 5, 2019—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the expiration of the Medicare Provider Enrollment Moratoria on Jan. 30, 2019. The announcement includes states where a moratorium had been issued for new home health agencies (HHAs).
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 10, 2019)—On Dec. 27, 2017, CMS released guidance related to 2016 CURES bill provisions that mandated that federal Medicaid reimbursement to states for HME could not exceed what Medicare would have allowed for these items, in aggregate, beginning on Jan. 1, 2018.
(October 24, 2018)—Former commissioner of Maine Department of Health and Human and Services (DHHS), Mary Mayhew, has been tapped by the Trump administration as the deputy administrator for the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services.
(July 19, 2018)—The U.S. Senate unanimously approved legislation to delay until 2020 the requirement of electronic visit verification (EVV) to document when personal care services are provided. An identical bill passed the House of Representatives, sending the legislation to President Trump to sign into law.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 11, 2018)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed changes to the Medicaid Provider Reassignment regulation that would eliminate a state’s ability to divert Medicaid payments away from providers, with the exception of payment arrangements explicitly authorized by statute.
Catching up with AAHomecare's efforts to clarify Medicaid Cures claims
(June 27, 2018)—The Integrated Care Resource Center (ICRC) recently released a briefing titled “Facilitating Access to Medicaid Durable Medical Equipment for Dually Eligible Beneficiaries in the Fee-for-Service System.” As the title states, the brief explores the approaches of Connecticut, California and Illinois in ensuring dual-eligible beneficiaries receive the medical equipment they need.
Background
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 27, 2018)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced new and enhanced initiatives designed to improve Medicaid program integrity through greater transparency and accountability, strengthened data, and innovative and robust analytic tools.
RENTON, Wash. (June 13, 2018)—Medicaid provides health coverage for 1 in 5 Americans, and, while 63 percent of the population says it is important, positive opinion of the program increases dramatically when people learn more, according to the latest national survey from Providence St. Joseph Health (PSJH).
Governor Malloy signed SB 243 into law on June 1.
HARTFORD, Conn. (June 6, 2018)—On Friday, June 1, 2018, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy signed SB 243, “An Act Concerning Audits of Medical Assistance Providers,” into law, effective July 1, 2018. For claims on or after July 1, 2018, Connecticut Medicaid providers will no longer be required to retain the original signature on prescriptions and proof of delivery.
Strategy seeks to ensure individuals in rural America have access to high quality, affordable care.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 8, 2018)—Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the agency’s first Rural Health Strategy intended to provide a proactive approach on health care issues to ensure that the nearly one in five individuals who live in rural America have access to high quality, affordable health care.
What Happens When an Algorithm Cuts Your Health Care
A computer program in Arkansas cut care to Medicaid recipients. (Colin Lecher/The Verge)
Superior HealthPlan re-evaluates planned cuts to services.
AUSTIN, Texas (March 6, 2018)—Dozens of medical equipment suppliers in Texas rallied together to successfully prevent proposed reimbursement cuts by Superior HealthPlan. The cuts, which suppliers were notified of in a letter received in early February, would have been substantially lower than Texas state Medicaid, reducing rates for certain product categories from 85 percent of Texas Medicaid to 60 percent, with a few suppliers receiving a reduction to 65 to 70 percent.
Grace period for death or retirement restored.
Via AAHomecare, WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 28, 2018)—AAHomecare has been working for many months with CMS and the Jurisdiction D Council to fix a claims system problem related to physician’s PECOS enrollment.
The focus group looked at compliance and CMS requirements for providers.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 25, 2018)—Last Friday, AAHomecare attended the first Provider Compliance Focus Group meeting held at CMS’s main campus in Baltimore. This was an opportunity for Medicare stakeholders to engage in a conversation with CMS on a variety of compliance related issues. AAHomecare and several Regulatory Council members spoke to CMS on:
The guidance directs state Medicaid directors on how to best set reimbursement rates.
Via AAHomecare, WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 29, 2017)—As mandated in the December 2016 CURES bill, federal Medicaid reimbursement to states for home medical equipment cannot exceed what Medicare would have allowed for these items, in aggregate, beginning on January 1, 2018.