The Trump administration has made clear that it intends to restrict enrollment in Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans, most recently with a rule proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that would implement a number of changes that are intended to lower plan costs.
However, some argue that the changes will make it...
The West Texas measles outbreak continues with cases recorded in 17 states and Washington, D.C..
The total number of measles cases this year has now exceeded the 2024 total, with the Texas Department of State Health Services reporting that its measles outbreak has grown to 327 cases with 40 hospitalizations and the death of one child....
Now that Congress has funded the government through September, Republicans are beginning to seriously negotiate President Donald Trump's massive legislative package. The bill will be required to include $880 billion in cuts to programs under the purview of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which is virtually guaranteed to...
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted notice and a fact sheet for Quality Payment Program (QPP) exemptions notifying providers that the deadline for data submission has been pushed back from March 31 to April 14.
The extension does not apply to certain opt-in eligible groups or to Alternative Payment Model...
Leadership throughout the health agencies continues to fluctuate this week as the Senate affirms new agency heads and longtime career bureaucrats leave amid the turmoil of the Trump administration's onboarding.
Last week, the Senate Finance Committee heard testimony from Dr. Mehmet Oz on his vision for the Centers for Medicare and...
The Trump administration's sweeping changes to military health plans and mass firings at veterans health facilities are already having major impacts on the country's military service members and their families.
Some veterans in Phoenix have expressed concern about the future of their healthcare after a Trump administration memo that...
In response to a district court's order to reinstate thousands of fired federal employees, the Trump administration's Justice Department (DOJ) has appealed to the Supreme Court.
President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk have endeavored to unilaterally and swiftly shrink the size of the federal workforce through unceremonious...
A new study from the Commonwealth Fund demonstrates how federal cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) could trigger the loss of millions of jobs and have an impact on state-level revenue.
The study found that combined losses from Medicaid and SNAP cuts as proposed could reach $1.1 trillion over a decade,...
The Paragon Institute is gaining influence over Washington lawmakers as they wrangle U.S. health policy, and in this paper, its President Brian Blase argues states deploy what amounts to legalized money laundering practices to collect more federal funds to support the growing price tag of Medicaid at no real cost to themselves.
The...
Health Care Service Corp. (HCSC) acquired Cigna's MA plans, supplemental plan assets, and CareAllies business. Proceeds from the sale, overseen by Cigna Group's new CEO Brian Evanko, are expected to fund share repurchases as Cigna shifts focus to its health services subsidiary, Evernorth, which includes PBM giant Express...
Private equity firms have targeted companies that care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to a new report.
Residential, home health and personal assistance care have historically been provided for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through nonprofits and paid for by Medicaid....
The House and Senate Health and Human Services (HHS) Committees reviewed bills on healthcare at the Arizona State Legislature this week.
The Senate HHS Committee looked at three bills that passed unanimously. The first, HB2173 would prohibit health profession regulatory boards or licensing authorities from asking about an applicant's...
Just ahead of the government shutdown deadline, Congress passed a funding bill that would slightly cut spending and empower President Donald Trump to further cut programs. The bill also extended some expiring healthcare waivers.
The Senate approved the legislation passed by the House on Tuesday, averting a government shutdown. Modern...
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced last week that it would cut four Medicare payment models, including Maryland Total Cost of Care, Primary Care First, ESRD Treatment Choices and Making Care Primary.
The models will end at the close of 2025, a year earlier than anticipated for all programs. According to...
The Medicaid and CHIP Payment Advisory Commission (MACPAC) submitted its annual March Report to Congress, including recommendations for improvements to home- and community-based services (HCBS).
The report recommends that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) direct the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to...
The Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC), which advises Congress on Medicare policy, submitted its annual March report to Congress and included a number of suggestions for payment policies, including tying payment increases to the Medicare Economic Index (MEI).
The report specifically suggests tying it to the MEI "minus one...
Last Friday, the Senate Finance Committee held the confirmation hearing for Dr. Mehmet Oz, former daytime television host and President Donald Trump's pick to helm the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Oz has been publicly scrutinized for his investments and public support for the Medicare Advantage program, and sought to...
Gun deaths have been the leading cause of death for U.S. children ages 1 to 17 since 2020, rising 106% since 2013, according to a September report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, which also put the number of gun deaths in 2022 among 1- to 17-year-olds at 2,526, averaging almost seven deaths per day. The AMA...
The restructuring is part of AHCCCS Director Carmen Heredia’s efforts to combat fraud, waste, and abuse, improve efficiencies, and realign the agency's structure to provide greater flexibility and responsiveness in today's rapidly changing healthcare environment.
The trending ubiquitous phrase, "efficient and effective government"...
Physician informaticist Alan Weiss, MD, MBA, FACP, will lead Arizona's largest non-profit health system's efforts to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of care delivery through technology.
Working with clinical, information technology and innovation partners across Banner’s six-state system: Arizona, California, Colorado,...
This week, the Trump administration continued its efforts to substantially cut funding and employment for federal agencies and programs, including departments that oversee, administer and fund healthcare services.
Early this week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) increased its voluntary buyout offer in order to boost...CMS Rules
The federal government's assault on LGBTQ people and their access to healthcare services continued this week as the Trump administration ignores an injunction, the Supreme Court accepts a case on conversion therapy and researchers sue over the removal of articles from a government website.
Beginning on day one of his second term,...
President Donald Trump's swift effort to eliminate federal employment positions has specifically targeted the Department of Veterans Affairs, with plans to lay off thousands. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes wants answers.
The Trump administration began its federal reduction-in-force (RIF) quickly by firing over 100,000 government...
The Trump administration has proposed a new rule to shorten open enrollment in the Affordable Care Act Marketplace, bar "Dreamers" from marketplace coverage and remove gender-affirming care from the Affordable Care Act's (ACA's) list of essential benefits.
The rule aims to curb the number of "improper enrollments" by shortening the...
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