We are at a major crossroads in U.S. health policy. The direction for American health care in 2021 and beyond will depend in large part on events that are unfolding now, and that will come to fruition in the first half of...more
On August 31, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a rule to align Medicare coverage decisions with breakthrough technologies approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), thereby speeding...more
With the COVID-19 pandemic response and civil discourse on race and health disparities raising new questions about the future of U.S. health care policy, the winners of the 2020 federal elections will face a multitude of...more
Like virtually every other sector of the economy, COVID-19 has presented novel challenges to health care providers. As the pandemic has forced physicians to adapt to changing patient care demands and a drop in...more
On March 13, 2020, President Donald Trump issued emergency declarations for all states, tribes, territories and the District of Columbia under the Stafford Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This unprecedented...more
On June 3, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Innovation Center) announced long-awaited policies to address the impact of COVID-19 on its ongoing models, as well...more
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, health care providers have been faced with numerous questions about how to effectively treat patients during the pandemic while still complying will all applicable laws. ...more
Over the last five years, clinicians, health plans and policymakers have ramped up their focus on the social determinants of health (SDOH). SDOH are non-medical factors (food security, housing security, reliable access to...more
On October 3, President Donald Trump signed an executive order (EO) focused on the Medicare program, titled, “Executive Order on Protecting and Improving Medicare for Our Nation’s Seniors.” The EO offers expected political...more
New payment models – both voluntary and mandatory – are on the way for Medicare-participating providers treating kidney disease and offering radiation oncology services.
On July 10, the White House, in conjunction with the...more
President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) aimed at improving health care price and quality transparency. While it requires few immediate changes, it foreshadows future requirements for health care providers and health...more
On April 24, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a memo to Medicare Advantage (MA) plan sponsors detailing the scope of Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI). Established by the...more
On April 22, The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (the Innovation Center) at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new Primary Cares Initiative, with two new payment models aimed at...more