Veronica Graff

Business journalist and recent graduate from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication with minors in business and philosophy. Emphasis in financial, economic and market reporting. Regular contributor to The Hertel Report.

Author's Posts

CMS Rules

CMS Proposes Changes in Risk Adjustment Methodology

Proposing a rule to amend risk adjustment methodology for exchange plans, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) aims to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)-era program. The agency seeks to refine...
CMS Rules

ACOs Press CMS to Extend Dropout Deadline for MSSP Amid Virus Chaos

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are asking for more support from the Trump administration amid the pandemic. ACOs want more time to decide on whether to voluntarily exit the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) as coronavirus-related financial losses and balance sheet deficits pile up. With payments tied to spending and...
National News

Billions in Bailouts: Healthcare Giants Secure Pandemic Dollars

A myriad of fiscal and monetary stimulus has come out of Washington in recent months with the government and the Federal Reserve working jointly to provide financial aid and inject liquidity into industries struck by an unprecedented supply and demand shock. The government has provided $175 billion in relief funds to hospitals and other...
CMS Rules

CMS Finalizes MA Rule Incentivizing Provider Investments in Telehealth

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized requirements seeking to increase access to telehealth for seniors in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. The changes made to MA and Medicare Part D also expand supplemental benefit options for beneficiaries with chronic diseases. CMS will grant MA plans more flexibility to...

CDC Plans Nationwide Study to Track How COVID-19 is Spreading

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expecting to launch a nationwide study in June or July to track how coronavirus is spreading across the U.S. The initiative will test samples from blood donors for antibodies in 25 metropolitan areas. The agency plans to test samples from 1,000 donors in each metropolitan area...
Arizona News

Navajo Nation Claims Highest U.S. Infection Rates as Cases Surge

On Monday, the Navajo Nation surpassed the country's coronavirus epicenter with the highest per capita infection rate in the U.S. With more than 2,304 cases per 100,000 people, the nation surged past New York's rate of 1,806 per capita. The Navajo Nation spans parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah with a population of 173,667 and...
Arizona News

Coronavirus In Arizona Prisons - Risk of Infection Runs High

Coronavirus cases are beginning to infiltrate Arizona prisons and the odds are stacked against the facilities where inmates live in close quarters, bathe communally and have little opportunity for isolation, all while being under the same roof as another few hundred people for 24 hours, seven days a week. The conditions are even...
CMS Rules

CMS Issues Final ACA Payment Notice for 2021 Qualified Health Plans

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final payment notice for 2021 last week as the Trump administration finalized a string of regulatory changes to Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace. The agency's rule outlines ACA plan regulations that impact qualified health plans (QHP) for the 2021 coverage...
CMS Rules

CMS IPPS Proposal Draws Scrutiny on Price Transparency Requirements

Along with an increase to Medicare inpatient payment rates, a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rule released on Monday is suggesting price transparency requirements that include hospitals disclosing median payer-specific rates negotiated with Medicare Advantage organizations and third-party payers. CMS is...
Arizona News

CMS Addresses Safety and Quality Concerns in Nursing Homes

President Trump announced the formation of an independent commission last week to address the troubling number of coronavirus cases in nursing homes across the country. The Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the nursing home response to the pandemic. The...
Government

Supreme Court Rules HHS Must Pay Insurer Risk-Corridor Payments Under ACA

Health insurers bagged a win from the Supreme Court after a Monday ruling obligating the federal government to pay billions in Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandated risk corridor payments designed to buffer insurers from losses in individual and small-group markets. The 8-to-1 decision undermines an effort by  Republican Senator...
Arizona News

Coronavirus Wreaks Havoc on Navajo Nation

The coronavirus continues to hit the Navajo Nation, contributing to a death toll that totals more than that of 13 U.S. states combined. Only 12 healthcare facilities dot the 27,000 square mile territory stretching across parts of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico, with a large portion of the population suffering from chronic health issues...
Arizona News

CMS Proposes Inpatient Rehab Facility Payment Boost

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed an increase in 2021 Medicare payments to inpatient rehab facilities (IFRs) by $270 million. The proposal also included a suggested 5% cap on wage index decreases. Medicare spent approximately $8 billion on IRF care for beneficiaries -...
Arizona News

Last Dem Standing: Biden Releases Medicare Expansion Plans

Lowering the Medicare eligibility age to 60 and forgiving student debt for low-income and middle-class individuals are two steps the now presumptive Democratic nominee for president Joe Biden has in mind to help ease the economic burden on working people. The former Vice President took to Medium last week to unveil his plans in...
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