Stop-Gap Resolution To Keep Government Open Agreed To By Leaders
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Shumer, D-NY, announced that a stop gap continuing resolution has been agreed to by leaders. This would extend keeping the government open for several weeks. It likely will include a partial Medicare doc fix and restoration of disproportionate hospital cuts. How the House Freedom caucus will vote is unknown.
Additional article here: https://insidehealthpolicy.com/daily-news/lawmakers-announce-partial-approps-deal-including-fda-new-cr
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#governmentshutdown #crs
Mississippi Could Expand Medicaid
There is some movement in certain deep South states to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Mississippi could be the first. The House Medicaid Committee on Tuesday advanced the bill and include the highest ACA level. The measure could extend benefits to about 250,000 people. However, the bill would require at least 20 hours of work with some exceptions. What would the Biden administration say on this? After all, the administration lost a case on a Georgia waiver with work requirements that the Trump administration approved. That waiver is now active and provided coverage just to 100% of the federal poverty limit (FPL) in return for work requirements. Mississippi would go to a full 133% of FPL. It will be a hard choice for Biden’s health regulators.
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#ms #medicaid #aca #obamacare
CareSource Supports One Of Last Co-ops
Major Medicaid insurer CareSource will acquire one of the last Exchange Co-ops, WI-based Common Ground Healthcare (CGH). It gives CareSource an entry into WI. It will help cover amounts owed by the co-op to the federal government. CGH will technically no longer be a co-op. Co-ops held great promise but were devastated by poor government financial decision-making at the beginning of the Exchanges. It is a great public service by CareSource.
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#caresource #exchanges #obamacare #aca
More Bleeding Of Assets At Walgreens
In an effort to right its financial state, Walgreens will close all VillageMD clinics in its home state of Illinois. The investment in VillageMD clinics has proven to be a huge disappointment for Walgreens, showing primary care investments are not without their risks.
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#walgreens #primarycare
Possible Oversight Of Weight-Loss-Drug Telehealth
Health care researchers are urging oversight of online direct-to-consumer (DTC) platforms that prescribe weight-loss drugs. It is the right move given burgeoning costs and the shadowy influence of private equity in some of these operations.
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#weightlossdrugs #drugpricing
AMA Expresses Concern On AI
The American Medical Association (AMA) says a majority of physicians see advantages in using augmented intelligence, but are even more concerned about possible impacts. It wants to protect physicians from liability on AI use. All very fair concerns. We need some reasonable regulation and ground rules here.
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#ai #healthcare
FTC Says PBMs Stonewalling Info Requests
The Federal Trade Commission says pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) are stonewalling requests for information, in some cases for documents requested as far back as June 2022. This could resurrect PBM reform this year.
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#pbms #drugpricing #ftc #antitrust
— Marc S. Ryan
