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.
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) into law – a sixth round of long-awaited support and relief from Congress to help Americans deal with the grappling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, the latest COVID-19 relief measure put forth by the Biden administration, was signed into law in March 2021. It includes a variety of changes affecting the health insurance industry, business owners and managers, and health care providers.
The American Recovery Plan (ARP) Act was signed into law in March 2021, establishing some of the most significant changes to the employee benefits industry since the inception of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – particularly in the COBRA space.
While President Joe Biden tries to steer his mammoth new infrastructure plan through Congress, his administration is planning the next phase of its economic recovery efforts. As the White House prepares to unveil a second proposal focused on education, paid leave and health care, it has given few hints about whether it will include a core Biden ...
The Biden administration is calling on Congress to expand access to home and community-based care services covered by Medicaid as part of a multi-billion dollar investment in the “care economy.” The proposal, part of a larger jobs and infrastructure plan unveiled by the White House Wednesday, asks Congress to put $400 billion toward expanding access ...
The Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation Thursday to extend a pause on Medicare payment cuts through 2021, a major demand from providers still struggling financially during the pandemic. The legislation passed the Senate by a 90-2 margin and now heads to the House for final passage. The House passed a similar bill earlier this month that ...
Bernie Sanders wants to make sweeping changes to Medicare and prescription drug policy — and evade the filibuster to do it. The Vermont Independent is urging Democrats to force Medicare to enter into negotiations with drug companies and use that revenue to pay for a huge expansion of the entitlement program. Sanders, who chairs the ...
As questions swirl about the covid vaccine made by AstraZeneca, public health experts are worried the confusion could create more doubts among people already hesitant to get a vaccine. Meanwhile, the first Senate-confirmed officials are settling into their offices at the Department of Health and Human Services, starting with new Secretary Xavier Becerra, who was ...
A cost-saving change in Medicare launched in the final days of the Trump administration will cut payments to hospitals for some surgical procedures while potentially raising costs and confusion for patients. For years, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services classified 1,740 surgeries and other services so risky for older adults that Medicare would pay ...
The House voted on Friday to avert an estimated $36 billion in cuts to Medicare next year and tens of billions more from farm subsidies and other social safety net programs, moving to stave off deep spending reductions that would otherwise be made to pay for the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill enacted last week. The ...