California’s Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is in the final stages of establishing new Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) requirements in Medi-Cal Managed Care. Most significantly, the guidelines specify that the MLR...more
On April 29, 2022, CMS issued its final rule for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D plans with updates including reduced out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs and improved consumer protections. CMS published the final...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the proposed Contract Year 2023 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs (the Proposed Rule) on...more
Continuing our series analyzing the recently proposed Contract Year 2023 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs rules (Proposed Rule), this post focuses on a few...more
n January 6, 2022, CMS published a proposed rule (Proposed Rule) which would revise Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D) regulations. CMS simultaneously released a fact sheet (Fact...more
For those of you who know me, I like to have fun with my Zoom backgrounds – choosing photos of interesting scenery or changing them mid-call to reflect my mood or negotiating strategy. Sitting in front of my computer this...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued guidance on how health insurers must report and rebate recoveries obtained from the federal government under the Supreme Court’s 8-1 decision in Maine Community...more
On May 22, 2020, CMS issued a final rule for CY 2021 implementing a portion of the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D) proposed rule it issued on February 18, 2020 (the Final Rule). The primary...more
The period of reduced economic activity in the United States due to the novel coronavirus pandemic has resulted in fewer in-office health care visits and procedures and, therefore, reduced claims costs for health insurers....more
In an evening email that is sure to ruin the weekend for many, CMS announced on February 5, 2020, that it is proposing changes to the Medicare Advantage and Part D Programs for CY 2021 and 2022. CMS will not issue a Call...more
Federal executive agencies recently published two rules, one final and one proposed, aimed at publicizing the various costs associated with health care. A final rule, promulgated by the Department of Health and Human Services...more
On November 15, 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury (collectively, the Departments), unveiled a proposed rule (scheduled to be published on November...more
On Monday, CMS published a number of policies changing the dynamics of the individual market, including the Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2019 Final Rule, guidance on hardship exemptions, and a bulletin on transitional...more
On Monday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released (1) the Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2019 final rule (“Final Rule”), (2) the Final Annual Issuer Letter and (3) guidance on hardship...more
The chart below compares key provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the American Health Care Act (AHCA) and the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). This chart is current as of July 13, 2017, and as of that date,...more
OIG recently issued a report determining that South Carolina’s Medicaid Managed Care program would not have realized any savings if the state agency implemented a minimum Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) similar to the current...more
On April 25, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), released the Medicaid managed care final rule entitled, “Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Programs; Medicaid Managed Care, CHIP...more
In Depth - The final Medicaid managed care rule issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on April 25, 2016, (the Final Rule) establishes a new federal medical loss ratio (MLR) standard for Medicaid...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued a 1,425-page regulation (Rule) on managed care in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), dubbed the first overhaul of these regulations...more
On April 25, 2016, CMS released a Final Rule that will update regulations governing Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (“CHIP”) managed care plans. This Final Rule is the first major update to the Medicaid and...more
As noted in a post published yesterday, CMS issued the final rule regarding Medicaid managed care earlier this week. With this rule, CMS is taking a much more active role in overseeing states’ Medicaid managed care...more
On September 25, 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule entitled “Medicare Program: Medicare Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Tests Payment System”. This proposed rule would...more
States would have the option to create binding Medicaid MLR requirements modeled after existing commercial market MLR standards. This article is part of a series that takes an in-depth look at several proposals that...more
The proposals strive to balance increased federal government oversight and administration with continued recognition of, and flexibility for, state managed care programs. This is the first article in a series that takes...more
On June 1, 2015, the Department of Health and Human Services Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) published a proposed rule at 80 Fed. Reg. 31097 (Proposed Rule) that will fundamentally change state Medicaid...more