Thursday, March 3, 2022 | Kaiser Health News

CNBC:
Late-Enrollment Service fees Strike Some Medicare Beneficiaries. A Congressional Invoice Would Warn Men and women Of These Charges Prior to They Transpire

A a short while ago introduced invoice in Congress has its sights set on preventing a price that some new Medicare beneficiaries experience: late-enrollment penalties. The bipartisan measure, released in the Senate, would have to have the federal federal government to supply men and women with data about Medicare enrollment rules prior to they arrive at the Medicare-eligible age of 65. While several beneficiaries are immediately enrolled at that point mainly because they are on Social Stability, which is not the circumstance for every person. (O’Brien, 3/2)

In more Medicare information —

CNBC:
Biden Renews Simply call To Let Medicare Negotiate Drug Rates

President Joe Biden evidently has not supplied up on a proposal aimed at reducing prescription drug price ranges, especially for retirees. In his State of the Union tackle Tuesday night time, Biden called for capping insulin rates at $35 a month for all Us citizens, as effectively as permitting Medicare to negotiate price ranges with drug producers — some thing that at present is not permitted. “I know we have great disagreements on this floor with this — let us let Medicare negotiate the price of prescription medication,” Biden claimed in his speech to congressional lawmakers. (O’Brien, 3/2)

KHN:
Biden Pledges Superior Nursing Property Care, But He Most likely Won’t Rapidly-Monitor It 

President Joe Biden’s best Medicare official prompt Wednesday that forthcoming regulations to bolster nursing dwelling staffing won’t be issued less than a4 mechanism, recognised as interim final regulations, that would make it possible for rules to take influence much more or fewer promptly. “While we want to transfer quickly, we want to get feedback from stakeholders,” Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator of the U.S. Facilities for Medicare & Medicaid Companies, claimed in an interview about the overhaul Biden promised through his State of the Union handle. (Pradhan and Meyer, 3/3)

Present day Healthcare:
CMS To Reweigh MIPS Details For Some Physicians Amid Pandemic

The Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Providers is providing doctor groups participating in its Benefit-primarily based Incentive Payment System much more time to use for an intense and uncontrollable circumstance waiver so that 2021 high quality information has significantly less of a probability of negatively impacting their payments. Health practitioner groups, digital teams and alternate payment design entities can utilize for a waiver right up until March 31, and if granted, will have their data re-weighted to account for COVID-19 impacts. In addition, if medical doctor groups didn’t post information, they will not acquire a penalty. The earlier deadline was on Dec. 31, 2021, but the American Medical Association and other individuals argued that medical professional groups wanted an extension. (Gillespie, 3/1)

Contemporary Health care:
Cigna Amps Up Direct Contracting Participation Soon after Program Revamp

A Cigna subsidiary is the most recent company to lender on the a short while ago rebranded Direct Contracting method, the company declared on Wednesday. The insurer’s benefit-centered treatment consultancy, CareAllies, is taking part in the Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Worldwide and Qualified Direct Contracting design, a payment plan that permits private payers and companies to take on possibility for regular Medicare enrollees. Regulators changed GPDC previous 7 days with a more fairness-concentrated and supplier-led Accountable Care Organization application, immediately after facing solid pushback from service provider groups and progressive Democrats, who argued that the earlier layout favored non-public equity and Medicare Gain businesses. (Tepper, 3/2)

KHN:
Trying to get To Change Costs To Medicare, More Employers Transfer Retirees To Advantage Programs

As a parting gesture to a pandemic-ravaged city, former New York Mayor Invoice de Blasio hoped to provide the city with a reward that would preserve on supplying: new wellness insurance policy for 250,000 town retirees partly funded by the federal govt. Whilst he promised superior rewards and no adjust in wellness care vendors, he reported the city would preserve $600 million a 12 months. In excess of the past 10 years, an expanding number of employers have taken a comparable offer, using the government’s Medicare Advantage software as an alternate to their existing retiree health and fitness program and conventional Medicare protection. Companies and insurers negotiate at the rear of shut doorways to design a private Medicare Gain plan readily available only to retirees from that employer. Then, just as it does for private individuals deciding upon a Medicare Advantage plan, the federal authorities pays the insurance company a established volume for each and every particular person in the system. (Jaffe, 3/3)

In Medicaid information —

St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Prolonged Wait around Occasions For Medicaid Applicants In Missouri Could Simplicity In Coming Weeks 

The head of Missouri’s well being insurance policy plan for lower-money grown ups and families claimed extended waiting instances for candidates could begin to ease in just weeks. Todd Richardson, a former speaker of the Missouri Property who now runs the MO HealthNet plan, stated a mixture of things has led to a backlog of apps taking as quite a few as 70 days to course of action. But, he claimed, “I assume we will see advancement in the coming weeks.” Richardson’s feedback came all through a Senate listening to on the point out price range for the fiscal year commencing July 1. (Erickson, 3/2)

Georgia Health and fitness News:
Programs For People With Disabilities However Await Funding 

Matthew Southern, 35, who has mental and developmental disabilities, is in a position to keep out of an establishment for the reason that overall health aides paid via a Medicaid method guide him and his roommate with common tasks. But amid a employee shortage worsened by the pandemic, Southern’s father, Dan, has experienced to action in to fill in gaps in his son’s treatment by volunteering at their Lilburn residence, 45 minutes away from his very own property in Kennesaw, a northwestern Atlanta suburb. He blames the low spend across the industry. “No one particular would like to work for $12 an hour,” Dan Southern said. “People can operate at Burger King and make additional cash.” (Miller, 3/2)

Miami Herald:
Florida Ending ‘Critical Care’ Fund For Community Hospitals 

Some of the condition hospitals that provide the poorest and sickest sufferers are probable to see millions in cuts, the Florida senator in demand of crafting the state’s wellbeing treatment budget reported Wednesday. Hospitals that just take on the greatest selection of Medicaid patients have for many years received hundreds of thousands and thousands in more taxpayer funding. For occasion, in 2021, the point out dispersed $309 million to aid 28 of those amenities as aspect of what healthcare facility administrators connect with the “critical treatment fund.” Some of the biggest beneficiaries have integrated Jackson Memorial Medical center, two Broward Health and fitness services, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Healthcare facility in St. Petersburg and Tampa General. (Wilson, 3/2)