On August 6, a report from from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association showed that Arizona led the nation in COVID-19 infections in children.
Arizona's rate of cases in children and young adults ages 19 and younger is 1,206.4 per 100,000. Most cases of COVID-19 in children are less severe than...Arizona News
Last week, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia overturned a decision that said the Trump administration did not have the authority to reduce subsidies from Medicare for the 340B Drug Pricing Program.
The 340B program allows hospitals to buy medications at large discounts, but many have objected to this...National News
Last week, President Donald Trump shocked pharmaceutical companies by signing three executive orders (EOs) that will influence drug prices in favor of consumers, according to the White House.
One of the EOs, which would revive a 2018 rule that was nixed following negotiations with pharmaceutical companies, included an invitation...CMS Rules
A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services watchdog reported that Seema Verma, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services chief, mishandled millions of dollars in federal contracts that ultimately benefited friends and former Trump officials.
The Office of Inspector General Report concluded Verma violated federal contracting...Arizona News
The volume of telehealth claim lines increased more than 8,335% in April 2020 compared to April 2019 as the pandemic continues to drive utilization.
Mental health diagnoses drove visits, followed by joint and soft tissue conditions and hypertension, suggesting more privately insured patients turned to telehealth to manage chronic...National News
The Bipartisan Policy Center released a report this week which strongly suggested that the Medicaid program should make primary care an immediate priority for patients. The think tank directed the release at Congress, calling on them to support a comprehensive infrastructure to improve primary care and fully fund the Primary Care...Arizona News
On Monday, an HHS spokesman confirmed that the department will extend the national public health emergency for COVID-19 that would otherwise expire on July 25th. The announcement comes as Arizona activates surge plans but resists enacting a full second shutdown of businesses in the state.
Health and Human Services spokesman...Arizona News
Earlier this month, HHS repealed protections for transgender individuals seeking medical care and three days later, the United States Supreme Court delivered a ruling defending LGBT people from discrimination in the workplace under Title VII.
These two major changes in how the law impacts care for sexual and reproductive health...Arizona News
An investigation by Bloomberg Law this week uncovered that over $36 billion in interest-free loans from Medicare have gone to companies that have settled on cases accusing them of Medicare or Medicaid fraud in the past.
Healthcare providers could apply for these loans during the pandemic for expected cash flow shortages having to...Arizona News
On Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services announced funding relief for providers that rely exclusively on Medicaid reimbursements following months of pleading by providers, industry professionals and politicians.
Organizations like the American Hospital Association, America’s Essential Hospitals and the American Health...Arizona News
The Navajo Reservation in northeastern Arizona received a financial boost for assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic just as rates for new cases started to decline. The Department of Health and Human Services announced that it would grant half a billion dollars to the Indian Health Service and teams from two medical organizations were...CMS Rules
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...National News
This week the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the rule designed to overhaul the ways in which patients, insurers and providers interact with and exchange patient data.
The rules were part of the 21st Century Cures Act,...News
Following last year’s controversial price transparency rule mandating that hospitals disclose the rates they negotiate with insurers online for specific services, payers have decided to counter the rule with an initiative of their own.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) revealed the list of 70 mandated...CMS Rules
Following last year’s controversial price transparency rule mandating that hospitals disclose the rates they negotiate with insurers online for specific services, payers have decided to counter the rule with an initiative of their own.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) revealed the list of 70 mandated services...
A report from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) inspector general's office analyzed Medicare Advantage (MA) encounter data from 2016, stemming from concerns that MA organizations use chart reviews to inaccurately inflate risk adjusted payments. The result was billions in additional payments.
The Office of Inspector...
In back-to-back rulings, two federal judges struck down a rule by the Trump administration which allowed healthcare providers to decline patient care based on religious or moral objections to specific procedures, patient gender or patient sexual preference.
On Wednesday, Judge Paul A. Engelmayer of a United States District Court...Arizona News
Work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries have currently been approved in nine states, including Arizona, and an estimated 76,000 to 103,000 Arizonans could lose coverage as a result. Hundreds of thousands of other beneficiaries across eight other states are also at risk of losing their coverage after 12 months of implementation,...Arizona News
Two studies highlight the role of health plans in driving up out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for 2019 individual Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchange enrollees, while insurers continue to file lawsuits against the federal government for unpaid cost-sharing reduction payments (CSRs).
Multiple insurers filed status reports in...National News
HHS released proposed rules for Medicare Advantage and Part D plans in November. On Tuesday February 26th, the Senate took testimony from seven drug company executives.
The pharmaceutical companies placed blame on the Pharmacy Benefit Management companies (PBMs) and warned that if they were to face outrageous solutions to lower...
