Melanie MacEachern

Freelance writer with skills and knowledge in healthcare policy, reproductive justice and art history. Skilled administrative assistant. Graduated from University of Michigan.

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CMS Ends Four Advanced Payment Models Early

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...
National News

MACPAC Recommends Improvements to HCBS

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...
National News

MedPAC Recommends Tying Physician Pay to Inflation Again

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...
National News

Senate Poised to Confirm Dr. Oz as CMS Administrator

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...
National News

Trump's CMS to Shorten ACA OEP, Bar Dreamers, Cut Outreach and More!

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...
National News

Dr. Oz Up For CMS Confirmation Hearing on Friday

The Senate Finance Committee will hold the hearing for Dr. Mehmet Oz's nomination for the position of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator on Friday, March 14. The highly-anticipated hearing comes a month after the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services, who...
Measles Outbreak Spreads to Third State, Kennedy Downplays Severity National News

Measles Outbreak Spreads to Third State, Kennedy Downplays Severity

The measles outbreak in West Texas has now spread to a third state and experts believe the scope of the outbreak is much greater than reported. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., continues to downplay the role of vaccinations in stemming measles outbreaks. As of Tuesday, the Texas Department of Health...
Arizona News

Impact of Potential Medicaid Changes Keeps Health Sector on Edge

Last Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget blueprint that includes $880 billion in spending cuts for programs overseen by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. While the expectation is that cuts will impact Medicaid, there is little specificity on what they would mean for the program and the shape of the...
National News

HHS Shakeup Continues

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is undergoing a continued shakeup since Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was confirmed as Secretary and the influence of Elon Musk's advisory "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) task force and unclear guidance from the Trump administration creates conflicts between lifetime agency...
Arizona News

Expiration of Marketplace Subsidies Impact on Jobs and State Economies

Subsidies for health insurance plans through enhanced premium tax credits are set to expire by the end of the year, and new studies show the change will have major economic ramifications across the country, including Arizona. Since they were authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the enhanced subsidies lowered monthly...
National News

Trump Administration Rescinds LGBTQ Health Grants

Last Friday, scientists studying LGBTQ health received notice from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that their ongoing federal grants were terminated. Researchers have had to deal with freezes and delays in funding for their biomedical research since President Donald Trump took office, but the termination of existing grants is...
Arizona News

Kennedy Speaks on Measles Outbreak, Muddles Vaccine Messaging

The West Texas measles outbreak has risen to 159 cases with 22 hospitalizations. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. published a public statement on the agency's efforts to assist controlling the outbreak, including support for vaccination programs. The outbreak that began in January has spread from Gaines...
CMS Rules

Kennedy Files Rule Ending Notice-and-Comment for Contracts, Grants

A new rule published in the Federal Register ends public comment on the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) policies for benefits, contracts and grants within the agency. The rule could severely impair public transparency into policymaking at the agency. HHS will instead comply with the Administrative Procedures Act of 1946...
National News

UnitedHealth Group Under Investigation by DOJ

Last Friday, UnitedHealth Group stock took a major hit after reports that the Department of Justice is investigating its business practices. The company weathered a difficult year after facing a massive cyberattack a year ago at its subsidiary Change Healthcare and the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson late last...
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