Melanie MacEachern

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

Author's Posts

CMS Rules

CMS Proposes Tougher Enforcement of Medicaid Provider Tax Limits

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) continues its efforts to curb the use of provider taxes as directed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (OBBBA, H.R. 1). In a proposed rule issued last week, CMS announced it would go beyond what the law requires to further restrict the financing mechanism states use to increase...
Arizona News

HHS Appeals Loss in Pima County ACA Case

The Department of Health and Human Services has appealed a federal court ruling that struck down portions of a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rule restricting enrollment in Affordable Care Act plans, siding with Pima County and a coalition of cities and advocacy groups. In addition to the Arizona county, the cities of...
HCA Warns of $1B Marketplace Hit as Tenet Absorbs $65M in ACA Losses National News

HCA Warns of $1B Marketplace Hit as Tenet Absorbs $65M in ACA Losses

HCA Healthcare and Tenet Healthcare, the nation’s two largest hospital operators, are revising their forecasts and assumptions as former Marketplace enrollees become uninsured after the expiration of enhanced premium subsidies. HCA Healthcare said that the rate of people losing ACA Marketplace coverage is much higher than it...
Arizona News

Pima County & Cities Win Injunction Against 2027 ACA Marketplace Rules

Last Thursday, a U.S. District Court sided with a coalition of cities, interest groups and Pima County to issue an injunction against rules finalized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that would disrupt Affordable Care Act (ACA) healthcare marketplaces and lower the quality of available plans. Pima County joined...
Arizona News

Senate Bid to End WISeR Fails, Arizona Medicare Pilot Continues

The Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model will continue operating in six states, including Arizona, after Senate Democrats failed late last week to end the widely criticized pilot, which uses artificial intelligence to support prior authorization decisions for traditional Medicare claims. The program uses AI to...
News

Congress, Drugmakers and Trump Administration Target $100 Billion 340B Program

As sales from the 340B Drug Pricing Program reach $100 billion, the Trump administration, Congress and pharmaceutical companies are moving quickly to modify the program and reduce flexibilities. Total costs of prescription drugs purchased under the 340B discount drug program increased 22.8% year-over-year, according to new data from...
REACH ACOs Delivered $2.5 Billion in Gross Medicare Savings in 2024 National News

REACH ACOs Delivered $2.5 Billion in Gross Medicare Savings in 2024

The ACO Realizing Equity, Access and Community Health (ACO REACH) Model, which is set to sunset at the end of 2026, generated nearly $1 billion in net savings in 2024 according to a new report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Last Friday, the agency released the performance results for the model and touted the year...
National News

CDC Vaccine Study Published in JAMA After Being Blocked by NIH Director

Late last month, JAMA Network Open published a report on the effectiveness of the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine after the paper was rejected for publication by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) by acting CDC Director and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay...
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