Medicare Medicaid Category

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.

US Government Poised for Long-Awaited Powers on Drug Pricing

Pharma rarely loses in Washington. For years, the industry has successfully defeated US government efforts to rein in drug pricing, arguing any such moves would prevent companies from developing newer and better medicines. That argument doesn’t seem to be enough anymore.

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Most Medicare Beneficiaries Worried About Inflation’s Effect On Healthcare Costs

A full 95% of Medicare beneficiaries are worried about the impact of inflation on healthcare costs. And nearly half of the 2,500 beneficiaries recently surveyed by eHealth say their healthcare costs have already increased due to inflation.

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Patient Safety Advocate Cheers CMS’ Reversal On Quality Reporting, But Hospitals Say The Data Are No Good

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has pulled back on plans to pause public reporting on certain hospital safety data in the wake of pushback from patient safety advocates. In Monday’s release of the final Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS), CMS detailed numerous changes from a fiscal year 2023 proposal it had laid out in April. ...

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Senate Dems Reach Draft Deal To Extend ACA Premiums, Lower Drug Costs

The bill, a slimmed-down version of President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better package, also allows Medicare to negotiate select prescription drug prices beginning in 2026 and caps Medicare Part D out-of-pocket costs in 2025.

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CMS Calls For Public Input To Improve Medicare Advantage

The CMS is asking for public feedback on how to make the Medicare Advantage program more affordable, sustainable and equitable for enrollees, while driving better health outcomes.

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Democrats Face Tough Messaging War on Prescription Drug Bill

Democrats want to go into their August recess telling their constituents they’re lowering what they pay for medicines — but many of their promised changes won’t be felt for years, and only by a fraction of the nation. Drug-pricing legislation is expected to get a vote in the Senate as soon as this week as ...

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CMS Finalizes 4.3% Bump For Hospital Inpatient Payments In 2023

The Biden administration finalized a 4.3% bump for inpatient payments for the federal fiscal year 2023, an increase compared to the 3.2% that was originally proposed back in April. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released on Monday the final Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System rule that ...

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Part D Premiums to Decline by 2% in 2023: CMS

The feds expect Medicare Part D premiums to decline by nearly 2% next year. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said Friday that it expects the average premium to decrease to $31.50 in 2023, or about 1.8% from the 2022 rate of $32.08. The projected monthly premiums are based on bids to CMS ...

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Manchin Agrees To 2-Year Extension For ACA Subsidy Boost In Drug Prices Deal: Report

Manchin has told Senate leadership that he will support the extension as part of a narrow spending bill aimed at lowering drug prices, according to a report in Politico. The development comes as the healthcare industry has been imploring Congress to extend the enhanced subsidies that will expire after this year.

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63% of Medicare Beneficiaries Paid Full Generic Drugs Cost in 2020

A new study found that more Medicare Part D beneficiaries paid the entire generic drug cost at least once in 2020 compared to 2017.

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