Medicare & Medicaid
News articles in this section include actions by federal regulators like the CMS and HHS, as well as information on Medicare and state Medicaid coverage and benefits.
Blue Shield of California is cutting broker commissions for new enrollments into Medicare Advantage PPO plans in Alameda, Orange and San Diego counties, effective July 1. The new policy does not affect commission payments of existing membership, according to a June memo sent to brokers. Several large insurers have cut MA commissions recently, including UnitedHealthcare, Elevance Health ...
Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough has rejected key Medicaid provisions in the Senate GOP megabill, a ruling that appears to strike a major blow to Republicans’ strategy for cutting federal spending. The Senate’s referee rejected a plan to cap states’ use of health care provider taxes to collect more federal Medicaid funding, a proposal that would have generated ...
More than a dozen House Republicans warned they won’t support the Senate’s version of the tax and spending bill because the proposed Medicaid cuts are too steep. Led by Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.), 15 other vulnerable Republicans sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) saying they support the Medicaid reforms in the ...
Republican efforts to restrict taxes on hospitals, health plans, and other providers that states use to help fund their Medicaid programs could strip them of tens of billions of dollars. The move could shrink access to health care for some of the nation’s poorest and most vulnerable people, warn analysts, patient advocates, and Democratic political ...
Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee have unveiled that chamber’s version of the “big, beautiful” reconciliation package, which includes notable changes from the House’s proposal. The bill will be the subject of intense scrutiny in the Senate, where more moderate Republicans have balked at significant cuts to Medicaid while the party’s more conservative wing has ...
Medicare Part E as outlined in the bill would sustain itself through premiums, with enrollees able to sign up through any state or federal insurance marketplace. Any existing subsidies available for Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans would be applicable to Part E coverage.
UnitedHealth Group will cease paying commissions to brokers who enroll new beneficiaries into nearly 200 Medicare Advantage products in 39 markets, the company notified third-party sellers Monday. The UnitedHealthcare parent company has been reeling since it reported major Medicare Advantage headwinds in the first quarter, withdrew its annual earnings guidance and underwent a sudden change in top leadership. Medicare Advantage brokers received ...
For employers, uncertainty about Affordable Care Act public exchange subsidies and rules means uncertainty about cash-for-coverage plans.
Republicans in the Senate are looking at provisions around Medicare as they look to make the bill's math work, and seek to appease the more hawkish wing of the party. Politico reported that some GOP legislators believe that President Donald Trump would be on board with these cuts to Medicare.
In healthcare, Medicaid would be subject to the lion’s share of the cuts and see its federal budget diminish by $864 billion. The work requirement provisions alone would reduce spending by $344 billion.