August family foundation

Leading the NewsCMS Announces Navigator GrantsOn August 15th, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that $67 million in navigator grants will be split between 105 organizations across the country in states that are part of the federally-facilitated and state partnership exchanges. The navigators will serve as an in-person resource for consumers looking for additional assistance on the ACA marketplace. Prior to the announcement, 13 state attorneys general sent a letter to HHS Secretary Sebelius with concerns about a lack of steps by HHS to protect the privacy of Americans who will shop for insurance on the ACA exchanges, requesting navigators and assisters must be provided with greater training to protect Americans’ privacy.Implementation of the Affordable Care ActOn August 12th, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) sent a letter to CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner calling on the Obama administration to delay the … [Read more...] about Health Care Reform Update – August 19th, 2013

Leading the NewsOffice of Personnel Management Addresses Premiums for Congressional Staffers On August 1st, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced it will release proposed regulations within the next week to allow the federal government to contribute to the health care premiums of members of Congress and their staffs. Earlier in the week, President Obama said he was working with Congress to address the issue, which had prompted concerns about a brain drain from Capitol Hill. Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) said he intended to place a hold on Katherine Archuleta, the nominee to be the chief at OPM, until the issue was resolved.House Energy and Commerce Committee Unanimously Approves SGR Bill On July 31st, by a unanimous 51-0 vote, the House Energy and Commerce passed legislation that would repeal the sustainable growth rate (SGR) Medicare physician payment method and shift payment to quality-based measures.Implementation of the Affordable Care ActOn July 29th, CMS issued a … [Read more...] about Health Care Reform Update – Week of August 5th, 2013

Leading the NewsCMS Announces Matching Agreements for Data HubsOn August 21st, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its most recent agreement with state entities for exchange data hubs. States are now required to report any suspected or confirmed loss of personally identifiable information within an hour of discovery to their designated Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) State Officer, who will then notify the relevant Federal agency. CMS has posted a draft of the reporting form and has asked for public comments to be submitted by September 20th.Lawmakers Defend Critical Access HospitalsOn August 22nd, a bipartisan group of 20 Senators, led by Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), sent a letter to Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-UT) of the Senate Finance Committee defending critical access hospitals and challenging a report released last week by the Department of Health and Human … [Read more...] about Health Care Reform Update – Week of August 26th , 2013

Colby Itkowitz, The Washington Post Published 3:10 pm PDT, Tuesday, August 28, 2018 The Trump administration will pay New York and Minnesota close to half a billion dollars this year after the two states sued over lost federal funding for programs that provide health care to tens of thousands of low-income residents. The two states are the only ones in the country to create "Basic Health Programs," an option for states created by the Affordable Care Act. Under such programs, people earning between 138 percent and 200 percent of the federal poverty level - the population earning slightly too much to be eligible for Medicaid - receive their health coverage from the state. That is about 738,000 people in New York and 84,000 people in Minnesota. The programs have been financed with federal funds since the ACA was passed in 2010. Under the law, the federal government is charged with paying 95 percent of the funds it would have directed toward subsidies for those needing help … [Read more...] about Trump administration to pay New York, Minnesota for lost health-care funds

Felicia Sonmez, The Washington Post Published 2:09 pm PDT, Thursday, October 18, 2018 WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump expressed support Thursday for one of the most popular provisions of an Obama-era law protecting people with preexisting conditions, even as he has repeatedly promised to scrap the law and his administration is waging a legal fight to overturn it. "All Republicans support people with pre-existing conditions, and if they don't, they will after I speak to them," Trump said in a tweet early Thursday evening. "I am in total support. Also, Democrats will destroy your Medicare, and I will keep it healthy and well!" Trump has repeatedly promised to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and frequently bemoans the failure of a Republican-led repeal effort in the Senate last year. The measure's defeat was sealed by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., whose "no" vote Trump has frequently blasted on the campaign trail - even while the senator was … [Read more...] about Trump says ‘all Republicans’ back protections for preexisting conditions