The congressional scrutiny of Medicare Advantage continues with advocacy organizations voicing support for increased oversight and the introduction of bills that would curb some of the program's most unpopular practices.
In October, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on deceptive marketing tactics by Medicare Advantage plans...National News
Last week, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the topic of "cracking down on deceptive practices" related to the advertisement of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans.
The hearing covered a long list of issues with third-party marketers who represent MA plans, including allegations of false information, harassment, switching...National News
Capitol Hill has turned its eye to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), culminating in a new package of measures introduced by leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee that seeks to bring PBMs under more careful regulatory authority.
In February, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforced the very...
Lawmakers and stakeholders are still very upset with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) plan to cut payments to the Medicare Advantage (MA) program and to enforce regulations against MA plans that have benefitted financially from improper overpayments. This week, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra defended the rule in two...
Last week, Kaiser Health News (KHN) won a lawsuit with the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to compel the agency to release 90 federal audits of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans from the years 2011 through 2013.
The information contained in these audits demonstrates that overpayments have consistently been made to...
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have heard beneficiary complaints about predatory marketing tactics by Medicare Advantage (MA) companies and is taking action.
In August, Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, began an investigation into deceptive marketing practices . Last week, the...
March 23 was the 12th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) . The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a report to highlight the ways in which the ACA is "the strongest it has ever been" due to the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and other efforts by the Biden administration to strengthen Americans' access to...
Following months of tense negotiations between moderate Congressional Democrats and the White House, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) ended any hopes for passing President Joe Biden's Build Back Better Bill on Sunday. This leaves many of the sorely needed healthcare spending and reform initiatives in limbo, although some Democrats hope to pass...National News
The Senate voted Monday to reopen the government, ending a three-day standoff that left federal agencies shuttered and hundreds of thousands of workers furloughed.
The House is expected to approve the bill later and send it to President Trump, allowing the government to completely reopen on Tuesday.
Democrats who supported the...National News
Trump's first choice for HHS Secretary, Tom Price, resigned amid reports of inappropriate travel expenses.
Alex Azar, a former HHS official and pharmaceutical executive, will go before the Senate Finance Committee 10 a.m. Jan. 9.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch said in a statement reported in The Hill:
Mr. Azar has...National News
Nearly 90 percent of children in CHIP are in families with annual incomes below twice the poverty level (about $49,000 for a family of four).
The current appropriation runs out at the end of this month, and many states will exhaust their allotments of federal money later this year or early next year. The agreement that extends...