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 Announces 8.5% MA and Part D Rate Increase for 2023 National News

CMS Announces 8.5% MA and Part D Rate Increase for 2023

On Monday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published the final 2023 Medicare Advantage (MA) Part D rate announcement, which includes an 8.5% rate increase for MA and Part D plans. The agency will not adjust the MA star rating system but will be soliciting solutions to the system that incorporates a path to the Biden...
Medicare Advantage: Scrutinizing the Celebrated Program National News

Medicare Advantage: Scrutinizing the Celebrated Program

The success of Medicare Advantage (MA) can't be understated. In the last 11 years, the program has grown to represent nearly 50% of the Medicare-eligible market, a benchmark it will likely pass within the next year. Arizona MA growth reflects the program's national success. At the Hertel Report's 2020 Winter State of the State, Dan...
COVID-19 Update March 24, 2022: Two Years of Pandemic in Arizona Arizona News

COVID-19 Update March 24, 2022: Two Years of Pandemic in Arizona

As Arizona approaches the two-year mark from Governor Doug Ducey's March 30, 2020 executive order mandating the closure of certain businesses and a stay-at-home advisory for all Arizonans, the Arizona Republic reflects on what has happened in those two years of the public health emergency. Following three major surges of COVID-19 in just...
Arizona News

Arizona State Legislature: Arizona Stakeholders' Legislative Priorities

As the Arizona State Legislature proceeds with weighing and passing bills related to healthcare and the medical industry in Arizona, a number of healthcare advocacy and stakeholder groups provide researched assessments of bills as they pertain to their fields. The following organizations publish updates on their legislative agendas, and...
National News

Criticism of ACO REACH Model Rolls In

In late February, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that after a full year of review, it would overhaul the Global Professional Direct Contracting Model and create the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Realizing Equity, Access and Community Health (REACH) model. The redesign was intended to address...
Arizona News

Arizona Legislative Update: Abortion, Transgender Children and AHCCCS

The Arizona State Legislature has moved forward with a number of bills that aim to curb abortion and crack down on transgender children's participation in team sports. Additionally, bills that would enhance the scope of eligibility for enrollment in the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System have also advanced. Senator Nancy...
National News

MedPAC 2022 March Report: We're Running Out of Money, Fast

The Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC) sent its annual March report to Congress on Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) payment systems, Medicare Advantage (MA) and the Medicare prescription drug program (Part D). The report contains analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic's influence on Medicare spending and the subsequent sustainability...
COVID-19 Update March 10, 2022 Arizona News

COVID-19 Update March 10, 2022

The official number of global deaths from COVID-19 surpassed six million on Monday, 4% of which were recorded in the last month. The United States is very close to reaching a million deaths on its own, and Arizona's death count exceeded the 28,000 marker this week. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) COVID-19...
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