House GOP lawmakers should repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board if they truly intend to create a period of stability during which providers develop metrics for measuring their performance, the American Osteopathic Association states in comments to House Ways & Means and Energy & Commerce committees, which are working on legislation to replace the Sustainable Growth Rate formula.

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) tasked HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius with providing cost information on FDA's plan to ramp up oversight of drug compounding, as the Senate Finance Committee analyzed the president's fiscal 2014 budget, which did not specify allowances for compounding.

A bipartisan think tank founded by former Republican and Democratic congressional leaders issued a long-promised health care overhaul framework that offers a new twist on accountable care organizations by proposing Medicare Networks that, unlike ACOs, would discount premiums for seniors who choose the networks.

As CMS considers pay cuts to dialysis centers required by the fiscal cliff deal, dialysis patients are reminding agency officials that they must obey a law requiring that Medicare pay covers the actual cost of providing care.

Lawmakers pushed HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to explain why HHS could take money from the Affordable Care Act's prevention fund for exchange outreach but the agency has not used prevention funds -- or any funding -- to allow the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan to continue accepting new enrollees.

The ranking Republican on the Senate appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over FDA raised the possibility of exempting agency user fees from sequester cuts during a hearing on Thursday (April 18), with FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg also expressing concern that sequestration of user fees could harm future negotiations with industry.

Obesity treatment advocates applauded an amendment to the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy for one of two obesity drugs approved by FDA last year, allowing it to be sold in some retail pharmacies.

CMS' highly publicized decision to bump up 2014 Medicare Advantage rates was touted as a major win for the insurance industry, but insurers are concerned that other policies tucked into the final rate notice are harmful to the industry.

The Republican Governors Association is urging lawmakers to exempt Medicaid managed care plans from the health reform law's controversial health insurance tax set to go into effect in 2014.

Senate Finance Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) told HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Wednesday (April 17) that small businesses in his state have “no idea” what to expect from the health reform law, warning that a “huge train wreck” may be on the way if the administration is unable to better educate consumers about the law's insurance exchanges.

Congressional Medicaid payment advisers worry that the administrative costs and challenges associated with implementing the health reform law's Medicaid primary care payment bump, which brings the rates up to those in Medicare primary care for two years, could overshadow the benefits of the temporary pay hike.

California, one of many states that still intends to implement an option allowing employers to pick a “metal tier” benefit level in the small business (SHOP) exchange from which employees could choose any plan, tells Inside Health Policy that the state is also considering expanding the option to allow employers to choose two adjacent metal tiers, possibly by mid-2014.

The Maryland Health Benefit Exchange board recently approved a plan to defer the start of open enrollment for its small business group (SHOP) exchange from Oct. 1, 2013 to Jan. 1, 2014, in order to focus on setting up its individual exchange.

FDA will not approve generic versions of non abuse deterrent OxyContin, the agency said Tuesday (April 16) in determining that Purdue Pharma removed the older version of the product from the market because it lacked safety and effectiveness.

HHS has decided to take close to $454 million from the Prevention and Public Health Fund to pay for health insurance enrollment support, according to a document describing fiscal year 2013 allocations of the fund, obtained by Inside Health Policy.

House Republicans probing FDA's oversight of drug compounding said they were not convinced that the agency needs legislation following an Energy and Commerce Committee oversight hearing analyzing documents and agency actions preceding a deadly meningitis outbreak.

The health care industry is not on track for a smooth transition to ICD-10 in October 2014, HHS' health information technology advisors concluded after a new survey found little progress has been made since last year, and some health industry experts said providers and vendors have turned their attention to incentive-based electronic health records implementation.

HOUSTON – California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones during a recent meeting of state insurance regulators expressed great concern that ACA 'navigators' and other consumer assistance programs could cause great harm to uninsured individuals and small businesses if robust screening and training requirements are not put in place.

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe's highly watched proposal to expand Medicaid through a private option passed the state House (77-23) Tuesday morning after falling six votes short of the three-fourths majority needed for passage on Monday.

A collaborative of states interested in pursuing the health law's voluntary Basic Health Plan option will be formed in May and four months later CMS intends to release proposed regulations on the provision, according to an HHS timeline provided to Sen. Maria Cantwell's (D-WA) office Friday (April 12).