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Insights

°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê Insights: Your source for healthcare news, ideas and analysis.

°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê Insights – including our new podcast – puts the vast depth of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê’s expertise at your fingertips, helping you stay informed about the latest healthcare trends and topics. Below, you can easily search based on your topic of interest to find useful information from our podcast, blogs, webinars, case studies, reports and more.

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558 Results found.

Blog

°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê to lead Integrated Care Technical Assistance Program in the District of Columbia

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The District of Columbia’s Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) has engaged °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê (°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê) to spearhead a multi-year training and coaching effort across the District. The five-year project will support Medicaid providers’ efforts to deliver whole person care by integrating physical and behavioral health in order to better manage the complex needs of Medicaid beneficiaries.

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Blog

CMS Finalizes Policy to Use Hospital Negotiated Charge Data to Set Payment Rates

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This week, our In Focus section reviews the policy changes included in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Acute Care Hospital (LTCH) Final Rule (). This year’s IPPS Final Rule includes several important policy changes that will change hospitals’ administrative procedures and may alter hospitals’ Medicare margins, beginning as soon as October 1, 2020.

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Blog

California Releases Medi-Cal Managed Care RFI

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This week, our In Focus section reviews the California request for information (RFI) regarding the Medi-Cal Managed Care Plan (MCP) contract and the upcoming Medi-Cal MCP procurement. The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is seeking information to update boilerplate contracts and develop the request for proposals (RFP) scheduled for release in 2021.

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Blog

°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê Summary of Democratic Nominee Joe Biden’s Healthcare Plan

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This week, our In Focus section reviews Democratic Nominee Joe Biden’s healthcare plan to protect and build on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). On August 18, 2020, Biden was officially nominated as the presidential candidate. Biden vowed at the 2020 Democratic National Convention (DNC) that if elected, he would strengthen the ACA and provide a Medicare-like public option. °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê summarizes Biden’s official plan below.

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Blog

°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê Summary of Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) Proposed Rules

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This week, our In Focus section reviews two Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) proposed rules recently issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). On August 3, 2020, CMS released a proposed rule that includes updates to services furnished under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). On August 4, CMS released the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System proposed rule. These proposed regulations include payment rate and policy changes for the upcoming calendar year. Key features in this year’s PFS proposed rule include: policies to retain, extend, or end certain telehealth flexibilities implemented in response to the novel COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), changes to enable certain health care professionals to practice at the top of their licenses, modifications to opioid treatment programs (OTPs), and updates to the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). Additional information on the PFS Proposed Rule can be found here. Among the most notable policy changes in the OPPS and ASC proposed rule are: 1) transitioning services to lower cost settings by eliminating the inpatient-only list to enable more services to be provided in the outpatient settings and increasing the scope of procedures that can be provided in ASCs, 2) further reducing payments for the 340B drug program, and 3) modifying the formula for calculating Hospital Star Ratings, and expand the use of prior authorization for outpatient services. Additional information about these proposals can be found here.

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Blog

Regulatory Changes to Medicare in Response to COVID-19

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This week, our In Focus section examines how the federal government implemented changes to the Medicare program in response to COVID-19.  As the COVID-19 pandemic began in the United States, Congress and the Administration responded with a series of legislative, regulatory, and sub-regulatory changes to the Medicare program that were designed to provide relief from certain Medicare rules to assist health care providers, Medicare Advantage organizations, and Part D plans in responding to the pandemic. Some of these changes waived conditions of Medicare participation to enable patients to be treated in alternative care settings. Others permitted physicians and other providers to receive Medicare reimbursements for telemedicine services.

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Hawaii Releases Quest Integration Reprocurement RFI

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This week, our In Focus section reviews the Hawaii request for information (RFI) regarding reprocurement of the state’s QUEST Integration (QI) Medicaid managed care program, released on July 21, 2020. QI covers approximately 360,000 individuals, including pregnant women, children, parents/caretakers, adults, and individuals who are aged, blind, or disabled (ABD). The state had awarded contracts earlier this year, however, the contracts were rescinded as the state focused on their response to COVID-19.

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Oklahoma Releases Medicaid Managed Care Request for Public Feedback

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This week, our In Focus section reviews the Oklahoma request for public feedback in the SoonerCare program design, released on June 18, 2020. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) and Governor Kevin Stitt are seeking stakeholder input for the state’s Medicaid managed care program design before finalizing a request for proposals (RFP). The RFP, which is currently in development, is scheduled to drop in the fall and has an implementation date of October 2021. Individuals, program participants, providers, trade associations, companies, and other organizations are encouraged to submit responses by August 17, 2020.

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Blog

Early Bird Registration Expires July 29 for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê Conference, October 26-27 in Chicago

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Be sure to register soon for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê’s conference on What’s Next for Medicaid, Medicare, and Publicly Sponsored Healthcare: How Payers, Providers, and States Are Navigating a Future of Opportunity and Uncertainty, October 26-27, at the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park. The Early Bird registration rate of $1595 per person expires on July 29.  After that, the rate is $1795.

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