On Thursday, August 9, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published a Proposed Rule (the “Proposed Rule”)[1] regarding the Medicare Shared Savings Program (“MSSP” ) for Accountable Care Organizations (“ACOs”). The Proposed Rule would require ACOs to accept downside risk or shared losses sooner than under the current MSSP and would promote entities that have shown the greatest cost savings since implementation of the MSSP in 2012. Although not discussed in this article, the Proposed Rule also contains refinements to the methodology concerning ACO benchmarks and a modification to the current approach to risk adjustments, as well as changes to the MSSP’s claims-based assignment methodology and allowing beneficiaries to voluntarily align to ACOs in which their designated primary clinician is an ACO professional. Continue Reading
Reimbursement for and Documentation of Evaluation and Management Services: CMS Proposes Important Modifications
On July 12, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued a proposed rule (“Proposed Rule”) that would, among other changes: (1) reduce the documentation requirements with which physicians and other practitioners must comply in providing and billing for Evaluation and Management (E/M) services under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (“PFS”) on or after January 1, 2019; and (2) revise the current reimbursement methodology for E/M services under the PFS. CMS is seeking comment on the Proposed Rule through September 10, 2018. Continue Reading
CMS Continues to Push for Hospital Price Transparency in Final Rule
As discussed in our previous blog, “CMS Pushes for Hospital Price Transparency in Proposed Rule”, on April 24, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) announced a proposed rule (CMS-1694-P) aimed at empowering patients through better access to hospital charge information. In an effort to fulfill the proposed rule’s objective, CMS suggested an amendment to the requirements previously established by Section 2718(e) of the Affordable Care Act. Continue Reading
The Risk Corridor is Closed: Insurers Seek Recourse in the Federal Circuit
Posted in Affordable Care Act (ACA)On July 30, 2018, two insurers – Moda Health Plan, Inc. (“Moda”) and Land of Lincoln Mutual Health Insurance Company – petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to reconsider the Court’s June 14, 2018 ruling in which the Court held that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) is not responsible for making past-due “risk corridor payments” to insurance companies as required by Section 1342 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) (the “June Ruling”). Continue Reading
The Trump Administration Allows for Longer “Short-Term” Health Insurance Policies, but Coverage Stays the Same
Posted in Affordable Care Act (ACA)On Wednesday, August 1, 2018, the Trump Administration issued the Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance Final Rule (the “Final Rule”), expanding the coverage length of “short-term, limited-duration insurance” policies under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”). Continue Reading
No Longer in Suspense: CMS Issues Final Rule Announcing that Risk Adjustment Program Transfers for 2017 will be Distributed in September
Posted in Affordable Care Act (ACA)The Final Rule. In a Final Rule posted by CMS last Tuesday, July 24, 2018, CMS announced that $10.4 billion in “risk adjustment transfers” (“Risk Transfers”) for benefit year 2017 (as calculated pursuant to the Affordable Care Act’s Risk Adjustment Program (the “Risk Program”)) would be distributed to eligible exchange-participating insurers in September, 2018. The Final Rule adopts the previously published methodology for the 2017 benefit year with additional explanation. CMS says that it intends to issue a new proposed rule on the risk adjustment methodology for the 2018 benefit year. Continue Reading
AmEx Ruling May Have Big Impact on Health Insurance
Posted in AntitrustThe Supreme Court recently established a new rule requiring plaintiffs to analyze both sides of a two-sided credit card market, which may be applicable to health insurance – arguably one of the biggest and most complex two-sided markets in the United States. There are a number of ongoing antitrust cases involving health insurance networks that may be susceptible to the type of two-sided market analysis required by the Supreme Court in Ohio v. American Express. David Garcia and Nadezhda Nikonova discuss the AmEx case, explain the economic rationale behind the rule, and analyze its possible applicability to healthcare antitrust cases. Continue Reading
340B Drug Pricing Program Litigation Update: American Hospital Association, Et Al. v. Azar
Posted in Hospitals, Medicaid, MedicareOn July 17, 2018, the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld the D.C. District Court’s decision to dismiss the lawsuit led by the American Hospital Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and America’s Essential Hospitals challenging $1.6 billion in cuts to the 340B Drug Pricing Program. American Hospital Association, et al., v. Azar. Continue Reading
Federal Regulatory Developments Brewing in Telehealth
Posted in Healthcare, Healthcare Information TechnologyTwo federal agencies – the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) and the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) – announced separate initiatives last week that stand to increase patient access to telehealth services. Continue Reading
Humana, TPG Capital, and Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe Create the Country’s Largest Hospice Provider, “Kindred at Home”
Posted in Healthcare Industry News, HospiceKindred Healthcare. On July 2, 2018, Humana Inc. and private equity firms TPG Capital (TPG), and Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe (Welsh) (collectively referred to as the Consortium) issued a press release announcing the closure of their $4.1 billion joint acquisition of Kindred Healthcare, Inc. Kindred Healthcare, Inc. is a national owner/operator of long-term acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, rehabilitation service providers and, through Kindred at Home (KAH), home health agencies, hospices, telehealth providers, and community care facilities. Continue Reading
