FEDERAL UPDATES
MARCH 2017
FEDERAL UPDATES FOR THE WEEK ENDING MARCH 31, 2017
Chairman Alexander and Senator Corker Introduce “Health Care Options Act.” On March 29,
Senate HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Senator Bob Corker (R-TN)
announced new legislation, the “Health Care Options Act” (S. 761), aimed at helping individuals
who potentially may live in counties where no Exchange plans are available in 2018 and 2019.
Specifically, this bill would allow individuals living in such counties to use the ACA premium tax
credits to purchase off-Exchange health plans that have been approved by the state for sale in
the individual market. These individuals also would be exempt from the penalty associated with
the ACA’s individual mandate. This legislation would sunset at the end of 2019. A summary of
the Alexander-Corker bill can be found by clicking here.
Senate Republicans Outline MA Recommendations in Letter to CMS Administrator. On March
29, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman
Orrin Hatch (R-UT), joined by 12 other Republican members of the Senate Finance Committee,
addressed a letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma, outlining their policy recommendations
for the MA program.
Their letter discusses policy recommendations in three areas: (1) the fee-for-service
normalization factor; (2) data integrity issues affecting the Star Ratings methodology; and (3)
employer group waiver plans. These are included among the issues CMS will address in the 2018
Final Notice it is scheduled to release on April 3. The senators also express interest in working
with CMS on other issues to more broadly strengthen the MA program after the 2018 Final Notice
is released.
CMS/Final Rule: Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) Payments: Treatment of
Third Party Payers in Calculating Uncompensated. CMS issued a final rule clarifying federal
requirements regarding the treatment of third party payers in determining the hospital-specific
Medicaid DSH payment limit, which is set by statute as a hospital’s “uncompensated costs”
incurred in providing hospital services to Medicaid and uninsured patients. The final rule is
currently on display at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/04/03/201706538/medicaid-program-disproportionate-share-hospital-payments-treatment-of-third-partypayers-in
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Governor Chris Christie Appointed to Lead President’s Opioid Commission. President Trump
has signed an executive order establishing a new Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and
the Opioid Crisis. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been appointed to chair the
Commission, according to a statement issued by the White House.
The Commission’s mission is “to study the scope and effectiveness of the Federal response to
drug addiction and the opioid crisis… and to make recommendations to the President for
improving that response.” To carry out this mission, the Commission is directed to:
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Identify and describe existing federal funding used to combat drug addiction and the
opioid crisis;
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Assess the availability and accessibility of drug addiction treatment services and overdose
reversal throughout the country and identify areas that are underserved;
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Identify and report on best practices for addiction prevention, and the use and
effectiveness of state prescription drug monitoring programs; and
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Review literature on the effectiveness of educational messages for youth and adults with
respect to prescription and illicit opioids.
The Commission is charged with submitting interim recommendations to the President within 90
days and submitting a final report by October 1, 2017.
CBO Report Examines Long-Term Budget Outlook. On March 30, the CBO released a report
entitled, “The 2017 Long-Term Budget Outlook.”
This report projects that net federal spending for major health care programs (i.e., Medicare,
Medicaid, CHIP, and ACA Exchange subsidies) will increase – under current law – from 5.5 percent
of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017 to 9.2 percent of GDP in 2047. CBO estimates that the
aging of the population, which has a particularly strong impact on Medicare spending, will
account for 40 percent of this spending increase over the next 30 years. The other 60 percent is
attributed to “excess cost growth,” which is defined as the extent to which health care costs per
capita, as adjusted for demographic changes, grow faster than potential GDP per capita.
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FEDERAL UPDATES FOR THE WEEK ENDING MARCH 24, 2017
House Leaders Withdraw “American Health Care Act” From House Floor. On Friday, House
leaders called off plans to vote today on an amended version of H.R. 1628, the “American Health
Care Act” (AHCA). This decision was made following a day-long House floor debate on the bill
and a meeting early Friday in which the House Rules Committee accepted a new amendment
addressing EHBs and other issues.
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) discussed the decision to withdraw the bill at a press conference
late this afternoon. He said that AHCA supporters came close to having enough votes to pass the
bill, but ultimately fell short. The Speaker described this as a “setback” and said that “we will be
living with ObamaCare for the foreseeable future.” In response to questions from the press, he
said there are steps the Secretary of Health and Human Services can take to help stabilize the
markets, but cautioned that the ACA is “fundamentally flawed.”
The version of H.R. 1628 that was debated on Friday on the House floor included manager’s
amendments filed earlier this week by Chairman Walden and Chairman Brady and one additional
Walden-Brady amendment (language / summary) that was filed Thursday night.
House Approves Bills Addressing McCarran-Ferguson Act and Association Health Plans. On
March 22, the House approved two separate bills addressing the antitrust exemption under the
McCarran-Ferguson Act and the regulatory framework for association health plans (AHPs).
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By a vote of 416 to 7, the House approved legislation (H.R. 372) that would amend the
McCarran-Ferguson Act to provide that nothing in that Act shall modify, impair, or
supersede the operation of any of the antitrust laws with respect to the business of health
insurance. The bill would provide safe harbors to allow agreements involving certain
activities, including collecting or disseminating historical loss data and developing or
disseminating a standard insurance policy form provided that such an agreement does
not require adherence to the standard form.
During consideration of the McCarran-Ferguson Act, the House considered a Democratic
motion that would have recommitted the bill back to the House Judiciary Committee with
instructions to amend the bill to stipulate that the proposed safe harbors would not apply
to health insurers that vary premiums by a ratio of more than 3:1 for individuals age 55
and older, relative to the premiums paid by individuals who are age 21 or younger. This
motion was defeated by a vote of 233 to 189.
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By a vote of 236 to 175, the House approved legislation (H.R. 1101) that would establish
a new regulatory framework and certification process for AHPs, including the preemption
of state laws that preclude health insurance coverage from being offered in connection
with a certified AHP. The bill addresses rules for the sponsorship of AHPs, participation
and coverage requirements, the types and levels of reserve funds that must be
maintained, rules for termination of plans, and guidelines for cooperation between
federal and state authorities.
During consideration of the AHP bill, the House approved by voice vote an amendment
by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) to clarify that existing AHPs may continue to
operate under existing state and federal law. The House defeated, by a vote of 233 to
179, a Democratic motion calling for a requirement for AHPs to provide coverage for
substance use disorder treatments.
New HHS Webpage Highlights Administrative Actions. HHS recently announced that it is
launching a new webpage to highlight “regulatory and administrative actions the Department is
taking to relieve the burden of the current healthcare law and support a patient-centered
healthcare system.”
This webpage includes links and brief descriptions for:
(1) the HHS proposed rule aimed at stabilizing the individual and small group health insurance
markets;
(2) a CMS bulletin announcing a one-year extension of the policy to allow the renewal of
transitional plans; and (3) CMS guidance addressing the 2018 plan year filing timeline for
Exchange plans and rate review process.
HHS notes that future administrative and regulatory actions will focus on:
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•
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Lowering costs and increasing choices by providing relief from burdensome regulations
and fostering competition in insurance markets;
Working to ensure a stable transition period;
Offering states greater flexibility in administering their Medicaid programs to meet the
needs of their most vulnerable populations; and
Increasing opportunities for patients to get the care they need when they need it.
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CMS Delays Medicare Bundled Payment Initiatives. CMS has published an interim final rule (IFR)
that delays – from July 1 to October 1, 2017 – the expansion of Medicare bundled payments
under the Advancing Care Coordination Through Episode Payment Models (EPMs), conforming
changes to the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) initiative, and the
implementation of a new Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) Incentive Payment Model.
The IFR explains that this delay “is necessary to allow time for additional review, to ensure that
the agency has adequate time to undertake notice and comment rulemaking to modify the policy
if modifications are warranted, and to ensure that in such a case participants have a clear
understanding of the governing rules and are not required to take needless compliance steps due
to the rule taking effect for a short duration before any potential modifications are effectuated.”
A final rule addressing implementation of these initiatives previously was delayed by CMS in
response to a January 20 presidential memorandum that encouraged federal agencies to
consider delaying the effective date of any regulations that had been published but had not yet
taken effect at that time. CMS is now considering whether to further delay the bundled payment
expansions, CJR revisions, and CR bundled payment initiatives until January 1, 2018.
FEDERAL UPDATES FOR THE WEEK ENDING MARCH 17, 2017
House Budget Committee Approves “American Health Care Act”. On March 16, by a vote of 19
to 17, the House Budget Committee approved the “American Health Care Act” (AHCA), clearing
the way for this ACA repeal and replace legislation to be considered next week in the House Rules
Committee and on the House floor.
The Budget Committee did not consider any amendments to the AHCA, but committee members
offered a series of non-binding motions expressing support for policies that could be addressed
by the House Rules Committee when it meets next week. All of the Democratic motions were
defeated, while four Republican motions were approved:
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By a vote of 21 to 12, the committee approved a motion offered by Rep. Todd Rokita (RIN) expressing support for giving states the option of receiving federal Medicaid funding
through either a per capita cap system or a block grant.
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By a vote of 22 to 13, the committee approved a motion offered by Rep. Matt Gaetz (RFL) expressing support for policies that do not incentivize new Medicaid enrollment.
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By a vote of 21 to 13, the committee approved a motion offered by Rep. Gary Palmer (RAL) expressing support for requiring able-bodied, working age adults without dependents
to meet a work requirement while enrolled in Medicaid.
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By a vote of 27 to 8, the committee approved a motion offered by Rep. Tom McClintock
(R-CA) expressing support for policies that ensure that the AHCA’s proposed premium tax
credits are provided only to the populations they are intended to serve.
CBO Releases Cost Estimate for “American Health Care Act”. On March 13, the CBO released a
cost estimate for legislation, the “American Health Care Act” (AHCA), which would repeal and
replace key components of the ACA. The Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) assisted CBO in
preparing this analysis.
CBO/JCT estimate that, under this legislation, 14 million more people would be uninsured in
2018, relative to the number that would be uninsured under current law. Most of this increase
is attributed to the proposed repeal of penalties associated with the individual mandate.
CBO/JCT further estimate that, as proposed Medicaid changes take effect, the number of
additional uninsured people (compared to current law) would increase to 21 million in 2020 and
to 24 million in 2026.
From a budgetary standpoint, this legislation is projected to reduce the federal budget deficit by
$337 billion over ten years (2017-2026), with an estimated $1.2 trillion reduction in outlays and
a $900 billion reduction in revenues.
Leader McCarthy Announces Four Health Bills to be Considered by House. House Majority
Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announced yesterday that, beginning next week, the House will
consider four separate health-related bills outside of the ACA repeal and replace debates.
The four bills focus on association health plans, the McCarran-Ferguson Act, medical liability
reform, and medical stop-loss insurance. The House Rules Committee is planning to meet on
Monday to consider resolutions that would guide the House floor debate on the two bills
addressing association health plans (H.R. 1101) and the McCarran-Ferguson Act (H.R. 372).
Because these bills are being considered under “regular order” – and not under budget
reconciliation rules – they will need 60 votes (out of 100) to be approved in the Senate, if the
House is successful in passing them.
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H.R. 1101, the “Small Business Health Fairness Act,” would establish a new regulatory
framework and certification process for association health plans (AHPs), including the
preemption of state laws that preclude health insurance coverage from being offered in
connection with a certified AHP. The bill addresses rules for the sponsorship of AHPs,
participation and coverage requirements, the types and levels of reserve funds that must
be maintained, rules for termination of plans, and guidelines for cooperation between
federal and state authorities.
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H.R. 372, the “Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act,” would amend the McCarranFerguson Act to provide that nothing in that Act shall modify, impair, or supersede the
operation of any of the antitrust laws with respect to the business of health insurance.
The bill would provide safe harbors to allow agreements involving the following activities:
(1) collecting, compiling, or disseminating historical loss data; (2) determining a loss
development factor applicable to historical loss data; (3) performing actuarial services if
such an agreement does not involve a restraint of trade; and (4) developing or
disseminating a standard insurance policy form provided that such an agreement does
not require adherence to the standard form. The House Judiciary Committee approved
this bill by voice vote on February 28.
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H.R. 1215, the “Protecting Access to Care Act,” proposes medical liability reforms that
would apply to lawsuits against health care providers. Specific provisions of the bill would
place a $250,000 cap on non-economic damages, limit attorneys’ contingency fees, limit
the number of years a plaintiff can wait before filing a health care liability action, and limit
a party’s liability to its degree of fault. The House Judiciary Committee approved this bill
by a vote of 18 to 17 on February 28.
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H.R. 1304, the “Self-Insurance Protection Act,” would exclude from the definition of
health insurance coverage medical stop-loss insurance obtained by plan sponsors of
group health plans, as defined in the bill.
Secretary Price Highlights State Innovation Waivers. On March 13, Secretary of HHS Tom Price,
M.D. addressed a letter to the nation’s governors, emphasizing that HHS is willing to work with
the states on Section 1332 State Innovation Waivers that take steps to make coverage more
affordable, increase consumer choice, and stabilize the health insurance markets.
HHS Letter to Governors Discusses State Flexibility in Medicaid. On March 14, HHS Secretary
Tom Price, M.D. and CMS Administrator Seema Verma addressed a letter to the nation’s
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governors, stating that they are committed “to ushering in a new era for the federal and state
Medicaid partnership where states have more freedom to design programs that meet the
spectrum of diverse needs of their Medicaid population.”
While emphasizing that they want to empower states to advance innovative Medicaid solutions,
Price and Verma discuss the importance of ensuring “state accountability for the outcomes
produced by the Medicaid program.” They also note that budget neutrality will be important for
waivers and demonstration projects, and that “reasonable public input processes and
transparency guidelines” will provide an opportunity for states to consider the views of Medicaid
enrollees and stakeholders.
HHS Report Examines Enrollment Activity in 2017 Open Enrollment Period. On March 15, the
Department of HHS released a report that outlines data on enrollment activity in the ACA
Exchanges during the 2017 Open Enrollment Period (OEP) for all 50 states and the District of
Columbia.
MedPAC Submits Report to Congress on Medicare Payment Issues. On March 15, MedPAC
submitted its annual Report to Congress on “Medicare Payment Policy.” The report includes 12
chapters focusing on Medicare FFS issues, and two additional chapters discussing the status of
the MA program (chapter 13) and the Medicare Part D prescription drug program (chapter 14).
Additional information can be found in this MedPAC press release and fact sheet.
MACPAC Submits Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP Issues. On March 15, the Medicaid
and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) released its March 2017 Report to
Congress on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Senate Confirms Seema Verma as CMS Administrator. On March 13, by a vote of 55 to 43, the
Senate confirmed Seema Verma to serve as administrator of CMS. She was sworn into office the
next day.
FEDERAL UPDATES FOR THE WEEK ENDING MARCH 10, 2017
House Committees Approve Reconciliation Provisions for Repealing and Replacing Affordable
Care Act. Early Thursday morning, at the conclusion of an 18-hour markup, the House Ways and
Means Committee approved its portion of a budget reconciliation bill that would repeal and
replace key components of the ACA. The committee approved the bill by a party-line vote of 23
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to 16. Following a 27-hour markup, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved its
portion of the bill by a party-line vote of 31 to 23.
The combined bill can be found by clicking here. Committee staff have provided this section-bysection summary for the Energy and Commerce provisions and this section-by-section summary
for the Ways and Means provisions.
The two committees considered a combined total of approximately 50 amendments in their
markups. The vast majority of amendments were offered by Democrats – all of which were either
defeated or withdrawn.
In the Ways and Means Committee, members approved an amendment by Chairman Kevin Brady
(R-TX) that would prevent the bill’s new premium tax credits from applying to short-term, limited
duration insurance.
In the Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) offered – and later withdrew –
two Medicaid amendments that were endorsed by the Republican Study Committee and the
House Freedom Caucus. One amendment would have ended the ACA Medicaid eligibility
expansion at the end of 2017, and another would have accelerated the termination of the federal
government’s enhanced matching rate for Medicaid expansion enrollees.
At the next stage of the legislative process, the House Budget Committee will meet (most likely
next week) to combine the provisions that were approved into a single budget reconciliation bill.
The Budget Committee will simply assemble the provisions approved by the House Ways and
Means Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee, without making any
substantive changes.
The House Rules Committee will then meet to make decisions about any amendments – both
technical and substantive – that will be added to the bill or considered on the House floor. Action
by the Rules Committee and the House floor debate are expected during the week of March 2024.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has not yet released budget estimates for provisions of
the reconciliation bill that affect federal spending. However, the Joint Committee on Taxation
has issued a series of documents providing estimates on the revenue impact of various taxrelated provisions. One document estimates that the permanent repeal of the health insurance
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year budget window. The year-by-year impact gradually increases from $12.8 billion in 2018 to
$19.7 billion in 2026.
House Education and Workforce Committee Approves Health Bills. On March 8, the House
Education and Workforce Committee approved three separate bills addressing health-related
issues. All three bills were approved by votes of 22 to 17. These bills are moving on a separate
track than the budget reconciliation bill (see item #1 above) that addresses ACA repeal and
replace issues.
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H.R. 1101, the “Small Business Health Fairness Act,” would establish a new regulatory
framework and certification process for association health plans, including the
preemption of state laws that preclude health insurance coverage from being offered in
connection with a certified association health plan.
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H.R. 1304, the “Self-Insurance Protection Act,” would exclude from the definition of
health insurance coverage medical stop-loss insurance obtained by plan sponsors of
group health plans, as defined in the bill.
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H.R. 1313, the “Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act,” would clarify the rules for
nondiscriminatory employee wellness programs. Specifically, this bill provides that if
wellness programs, health promotion programs, and disease prevention programs
offered by employers comply with the relevant HIPAA requirements in the Public Health
Service Act (PHSA), then such programs do not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA).
FEDERAL UPDATES FOR THE WEEK ENDING MARCH 3, 2017
President Trump Outlines Health Reform Principles in Address to Congress. On February 28,
President Trump addressed a joint session of Congress, discussing his Administration’s priorities
on a broad range of issues including legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
The President stated:
“Tonight, I am also calling on this Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare with reforms
that expand choice, increase access, lower costs, and at the same time, provide better
health care.” He outlined five principles to guide Congress in developing legislation:
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“First, we should ensure that Americans with pre-existing conditions have access to
coverage, and that we have a stable transition for Americans currently enrolled in the
health care exchanges.
“Secondly, we should help Americans purchase their own coverage, through the use of
tax credits and expanded Health Savings Accounts – but it must be the plan they want,
not the plan forced on them by the government.
“Thirdly, we should give our great state governors the resources and flexibility they need
with Medicaid to make sure no one is left out.
“Fourthly, we should implement legal reforms that protect patients and doctors from
unnecessary costs that drive up the price of insurance – and work to bring down the
artificially high price of drugs and bring them down immediately.
“Finally, the time has come to give Americans the freedom to purchase health insurance
across state lines – creating a truly competitive national marketplace that will bring cost
way down and provide far better care.”
ACA Debates: Lawmakers Preparing House Bill For Committee Markups. The House Energy and
Commerce Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee are preparing to hold
markups – possibly next week – for budget reconciliation legislation that would repeal and
replace key components of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The committees have been working
for many weeks to develop legislation, and they have intensified their efforts in recent days as
the time for committee action draws closer.
Committee leaders have not yet officially scheduled the markups, nor have they released
legislative language. Although a discussion draft was leaked through the press late last week,
this draft was dated February 10 and has undergone significant revisions since then. As of this
writing, the latest version of the House repeal and replace bill is not available to the public.
However, an announcement of committee markups, and release of legislative language, is
expected within the next few days.
At a press conference yesterday, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) stated: “Working very closely
with the Trump administration, we will soon introduce legislation to have lower costs, increased
choices, and give people more control over their health care. We are united and we are
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determined to rescue people from this collapsing health care law and to keep our promise to the
American people.”
House Committee Approves Bills on McCarran-Ferguson and Medical Liability Reform. On
February 28, the House Judiciary Committee approved two separate bills addressing the
McCarran-Ferguson Act and medical liability reform.
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By voice vote, the committee approved legislation (H.R. 372) that would amend the
McCarran-Ferguson Act to provide that nothing in that Act shall modify, impair, or
supersede the operation of any of the antitrust laws with respect to the business of health
insurance. Before approving H.R. 372, the committee adopted two amendments:
•
A substitute amendment by Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) provides safe
harbors to allow agreements involving the following activities: (1) collecting,
compiling, or disseminating historical loss data; (2) determining a loss
development factor applicable to historical loss data; (3) performing actuarial
services if such an agreement does not involve a restraint of trade; and (4)
developing or disseminating a standard insurance policy form provided that
such an agreement does not require adherence to the standard form.
•
An amendment by Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA) clarifies that the bill’s definition of
dental insurance includes limited scope dental benefits and makes a technical
adjustment to the safe harbor for the development or dissemination of a
standard insurance policy form.
By a vote of 18 to 17, the committee also approved legislation (H.R. 1215) proposing
medical liability reforms that would apply to lawsuits against health care providers.
Specific provisions of the bill would place a $250,000 cap on non-economic damages, limit
attorneys’ contingency fees, limit the number of years a plaintiff can wait before filing a
health care liability action, and limit a party’s liability to its degree of fault. The committee
approved an amendment by Chairman Goodlatte that removed a provision addressing
collateral source benefits. The committee defeated several Democratic amendments.
Health Bills Examined in House Hearing. On March 1, the House Education and Workforce
Committee held a hearing on “Legislative Proposals to Improve Health Care Coverage and Provide
Lower Costs for Families.” The hearing focused on the following bills:
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H.R. 1101, the “Small Business Health Fairness Act,” would establish a new regulatory
framework and certification process for association health plans, including the
preemption of state laws that preclude health insurance coverage from being offered in
connection with a certified association health plan. Jon Hurst, President of the Retailers
Association of Massachusetts and a member of the National Retail Federation, testified
in support of this legislation while also discussing the health reform debates in his state
under the administration of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
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A discussion draft for the “Self-Insurance Protection Act” would exclude from the
definition of health insurance coverage medical stop-loss insurance obtained by plan
sponsors of group health plans, as defined in the draft. Jay Ritchie, testifying on behalf of
the Self-Insurance Institute of America, expressed support for this legislation. His
testimony stated: “If stop loss is defined as health insurance coverage, it will dramatically
change the nature of stop loss coverage, potentially leading to few or no carriers in the
market, which will drive up the cost and threaten the existence of self-insured plans.”
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A discussion draft for the “Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act” would clarify the
rules for nondiscriminatory employee wellness programs. Specifically, this bill provides
that if wellness programs, health promotion programs, and disease prevention programs
offered by employers comply with the relevant HIPAA requirements in the Public Health
Service Act (PHSA), then such programs do not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). Allison Klausner,
testifying on behalf of the American Benefits Council, expressed support for this
legislation and emphasized the importance of establishing a consistent regulatory
environment for employee wellness programs.
Senate Committee Approves Verma Nomination. On March 2, by a vote of 13 to 12, the Senate
Finance Committee reported to the full Senate the nomination of Seema Verma to serve as
administrator of CMS.
Bipartisan MA Letter Signed by 263 House Members. On February 28, a bipartisan group of 263
House members addressed a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS),
expressing support for the MA program.
This bipartisan letter was initiated by Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Erik
Paulsen (R-MN), and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). It urges the agency to “maintain existing
protections for beneficiaries, provide a stable and predictable level of funding for the program,
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and to the greatest extent possible limit regulatory requirements that may result in increased
administrative burden or reduced access to beneficiaries.”
Like the bipartisan Senate letter that was signed by 65 senators in late January, this House letter
sends a strong message to the Administration about the importance of maintaining stable
funding for the MA program and ensuring that MA payments are not cut in the 2018 rate setting
process.
CMS Releases December 2016 Medicaid and CHIP Enrollment Report. CMS has released its
December 2016 monthly report on state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program
(CHIP) eligibility and enrollment data.
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