The Trump administration finalized a new rule last week, further chipping away at the Obama administration’s healthcare legacy by allowing employers to set aside tax-preferred funds and pay money into employee health reimbursement accounts (HRAs).
Employees can later retrieve that money to purchase healthcare coverage on the...Arizona News
The Trump administration took a blow last week in healthcare policy as a federal judge blocked Medicaid work requirements in both Kentucky and Arkansas. Currently, eight states have received approval form the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for waivers to establish work requirements, the most recent being Arizona, which...Arizona News
In a continued fight against soaring drug prices, the Trump administration is moving forward with a proposal introduced in Oct. 2018 that would require drug manufactures to feature the list prices of its products during television commercials.
According to The New York Times, the White House is currently in the process of...Arizona News
Prescription drug spending and pricing data for 2017 was added to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS), updated drug dashboards to indicate spending per dosage of prescription drugs under Medicaid and Medicare Parts B and D. The data is tracked by changes in the average spending per dose.
In its first update since...National News
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has granted the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives' petition to intervene in Texas v. Azar, the lawsuit calling into question the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). But the Lousiana-based federal court of appeals denied a request filed by blue states to expedite...Arizona News
A new report coming from the White House argues that the Trump administration's changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have had a beneficial effect on its marketplace. The Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) report suggests the policy mandate changes actually do not undermine the law. It is an argument against the Democratic claim that...National News
A new study released last month by the Georgetown Center on Health Insurance Reforms dove into states and their experience overseeing short-term insurance, which expanded from three to 12 months under the Trump administration. The study found that state officials are lacking data about which insurers are actively marketing the...Arizona News
A federal judge in Philadelphia conceded to requests from a dozen states to temporarily block the Trump administration's motion that would make it more difficult for women to receive coverage for contraceptives by allowing employers to deny based on moral or religious grounds. On Monday U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone put a...Arizona News
A federal judge in Fort Worth, Texas ruled the Affordable Care Act (ACA) unconstitutional on Friday, leaving those enrolled in the ACA uncertain in terms of the law's future. No changes will be made to the 2010 act that is still law as appeals are being filed, the case does have the possibility of reaching the U.S. Supreme...Arizona News
Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released four State Empowerment and Relief waiver concepts for states to utilize under the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) section 1332. CMS aims to encourage innovation and reduce burdens with the waivers, an action commended by Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary Alex...Arizona News
On Monday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule to lower prescription drug costs for beneficiaries by making changes to Medicare Part D. The proposal could give insurers negotiating powers on drug prices by offering an expectation that plans would implement broader use of prior authorization (PA)...Arizona News
The Department of Homeland Security announced the proposal of a “public charge” in September that if enacted, would authorize the government to issue penalties to immigrants using federal programs such as Medicare or Medicaid funded through taxpayer-dollars.
A “public charge” assesses the likeliness of an immigrant being...Arizona News
Last month, a global stock market sell-off sent the S&P 500 into dangerous waters, having analysts discussing potential bear market climates but stocks rallied this week and healthcare was leading the numbers following the midterm elections.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) released an analysis today regarding the effects midterm...National News
A proposal to lift a prohibition on allowing companies to take advantage of health reimbursement arrangements (HRA) dating back to the Obama administration is slated to reshape employee-based healthcare.
Announced Tuesday, the expansion of HRAs would enable employers to use them to pay for health insurance premiums, allowing...National News
On Monday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) along with the Department of the Treasury released revised guidance giving states more regulatory power with innovation waivers under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
The way CMS evaluates and accepts waivers regarding innovation for each state's individual market is...
On Monday, the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a rule that would require drug companies to list drug costs in their direct-to-consumer advertisements. In an initiative to inform beneficiaries of drug costs, the agency anticipates it will help minimize their out-of-pocket costs along with Medicare and Medicaid...
A case filed in Washington, D.C. last week aims to stop the expansion of the Trump administration’s short-term insurance plans, claiming they will hurt the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Short-term insurance sneaks around ACA requirements and does not have protections like guarantee issue and community rating (ACA mandates); a...National News
Prescription drug rebates are typically negotiated by pharmacy benefits managers (PBM), such as CVS and United (two of the largest PBMs), but Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar says he has the power to eliminate them in the United States.
Pharmaceutical companies on Thursday, Aug. 10 were notified...National News
Four major U.S. cities are suing President Trump and his administration for deliberately attempting to ensure the Affordable Care Act (ACA) fails, thus violating the president's constitutional duty to execute laws faithfully under the Take Care Clause.
Representing 4.5 million Americans, the plaintiffs, Baltimore, Chicago,...Arizona News
Last week, members of the Arizona House and Senate voted on some major issues.
The following round-up of healthcare legislation recently proposed includes votes by Arizona's delegation to the House of Representatives:
Ban on “Junk Insurance” Health Plans or Short-Term Insurance
The House blocked a Democratic bid to...
