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Over the past week, analysts at the Congressional Budget Office
said they expect that the Supreme Court's decision, which
struck down the requirement that states expand their Medicaid
programs, will result in 3 million more uninsured and reduce costs
by $84 billion; and the House Appropriations Committee released its
fiscal 2013 budget for HHS, allocating $68.3 billion to the
agency and defunding the Affordable Care
Act.
AT THE AGENCIES
On Tuesday (7/17), the House Appropriations Committee released a
draft of its fiscal 2013 budget for HHS. The draft includes $68.3 billion
for HHS, defunds the
Affordable Care Act and ends HHS' Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality as of October 1.
On Thursday (7/26), HHS announced a new plan to crack down
on health care fraud. The Department of Health Human Services and
The Department of Justice will be partnering with over a dozen
health insurers and industry groups to prevent fraudulent health
care schemes.
On Thursday (7/19), HHS Secretary Sebelius announced an opportunity
to help states design and test improvements to their health care
systems. Through the initiative, states will work with a broad
coalition of employers, insurers, community leaders, service
organizations and health care providers to design or test
multi-payer payment and delivery system improvements to health care
systems for Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries.
ON THE HILL
On Tuesday (7/24), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said that 3
million fewer Americans will gain health insurance through the
health reform law because the Supreme Court loosened the law's
requirement that states expand Medicaid coverage, and the CBO's
revised budget reflecting the change includes an $84 billion
reduction from its March 2012 estimate. The CBO also said that the proposed repeal
of the Affordable Care Act would increase the deficit by $109
billion between the years of 2013 and 2022.
IN THE STATES
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is
pointing to language in the Affordable Care Act that suggests if a
state does not set up a state-based insurance exchange, its
citizens will not be able to be fined for not participating. The
fines in the law, Cuccinelli argues, apply only
to failure to participate in a state-based exchange, but not a
federally established one.
Alaska Governor Sean Parnell announced on
Tuesday (7/17) that Alaska will not set up an insurance exchange
program because it is too expensive.
On Wednesday (7/18), Arkansas Governor Mike
Beebe said he is still inclined to move forward with an expansion
of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, but the matter will be
decided by a vote in the Legislature next year.
On Tuesday (7/17), Kentucky Governor Steve
Beshear
signed an executive order to create the Kentucky Health Benefit
Exchange, effective January 1, 2014.
THIS
WEEK
On Thursday (8/2) from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at 1333 H St.
NW, the Center for American Progress will host a discussion titled,
"Cutting Health Care Costs: Leading Experts to Propose Bold
Solutions."
On Friday (8/3) from 12:15 to 2:00 p.m. in the Columbus Club at
Union Station, the Alliance for Health Reform will hold a briefing
titled, "Medicaid Managed Long-Term Services and Supports: Are
More Caution and Oversight Needed?" RSVP by noon on August
2.
To view our compilation of recent health care reform
implementation news, clickhere.
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Whether you are an employer that provides health insurance for your employees, a business in the growing healthcare industry, a hospital, or other medical provider—or you provide services to any of those entities—you need to know about changes to the privacy and security rules under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
Understanding the complexities of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules is often a challenge for health care providers and consumers.
Marilyn Tavenner received bipartisan support from members of the Senate Committee on Finance in her confirmation hearing to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) though a full Senate vote is being held up, the president released his FY 2014 budget proposal with health care reform and specified reimbursement reductions to providers and manufacturers totaling $400 billion over 10 years sprinkled throughout it, and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sebelius
The Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services has recently issued an updated Special Advisory Bulletin on the Effect of Exclusion from Participation in Federal Health Care Programs.
On Tuesday, the North Carolina legislature has enacted into law, pending the governor's signature, a prohibition on the use of most favored nations clauses in contracts between commercial health insurers and providers.
