The Obama administration announced that it met the November 30 deadline for fixing HealthCare.gov’s problems; however, there are some concerns that information submitted by consumers is not properly transmitting to insurers,...more
Criticism of the Affordable Care Act’s exchange rollout continued this past week. The main line of attack has moved from the malfunctioning website to canceled plans despite President Obama’s repeated promise that those who...more
After 16 days of government shutdown, Congress voted to reopen the government and avert default without defundingthe Affordable Care Act, delaying the individual mandate, stripping the medical device tax from the law or...more
Open enrollment began this week, making it possible for the first time to enroll in Affordable Care Act (ACA) online marketplaces. Technical glitches were widespread, but the problems were overshadowed by the shutdown of the...more
Congress has been back for a week, and already the president and Democrats are engaged in a contest with Republicans to see who will blink first. Additional spending legislation needs to be passed to keep the government...more
There is only one week left of Congress’ summer recess. While the members have been in their home districts, the agencies in Washington have been finalizing Affordable Care Act (ACA) regulations on everything from the...more
In response to security concerns about personal information in the health insurance exchanges, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a new security agreement for the data hubs where this information...more
With less than 50 days until open enrollment begins, tensions in Washington and around the country are high among health care stakeholders. ...more
8/20/2013
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Deadlines ,
Delays ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Open Enrollment ,
Pay or Play ,
Shared Responsibility Rule
The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted unanimously on legislation that would repeal the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula that has historically led to annual decreases in physician payments that are fixed at the...more
8/14/2013
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fraud ,
Healthcare Reform ,
IRS ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Proposed Legislation
With only two weeks before Congress’ August recess and just a little more than two months before October open enrollment begins, Washington is busy sorting through, implementing and, in some cases, fighting the Affordable...more
Capitol Hill and the agencies went back and forth last week on the impact and consideration involved in delaying the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) employer mandate; votes in the House are expected this week on it, as well as a...more
7/17/2013
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Delays ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare
Last week the House Committee on Ways & Means Health Subcommittee held a hearing on Medicare overhaul proposals affecting post-acute care; the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) wrote to House Budget Committee Chairman Paul...more