Medicaid

The most common priorities for state Medicaid directors in 2018 are delivery system and payment reform, improving information technology, and behavioral health reform, according to the latest Medicaid Operations Survey Report published Thursday (Sept. 6) by the National Association of Medicaid Directors.

Two consumer advocates recently urged state insurance regulations to weigh using their administrative power -- including rate review authority -- to control rising drug costs and improve transparency, even if state legislators are unable to push through changes.

CMS is seeking to have a lawsuit challenging Arkansas' planned Medicaid work requirements transferred to a different judge after the case was assigned to Judge James Boasberg, who ruled in June against Medicaid work requirements in Kentucky.

CMS opened a public comment period Monday (Aug. 27) on South Dakota’s request for an 1115 waiver to impose work requirements on some parents and caregivers in the state’s traditional Medicaid program.

The HHS Office of Inspector General is asking for feedback on how to coordinate the anti-kickback and physician self-referral, or Stark, laws as well as how to set up safe harbors to help alternative pay models and the possibility of letting providers waive co-pays or provide other incentives to beneficiaries as a way to promote care engagement.

The White House budget office is reviewing a Medicare and Medicaid drug-price transparency proposed rule that could target brand drug makers, pharmacy benefit managers or both.

In response to the Government Accountability Office's long-standing concerns about the budget neutrality of Medicaid 1115 waivers, CMS on Wednesday (Aug. 22) released its first formal guidance explaining how states must make sure demonstrations won't increase costs to the federal government

Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act has created an incentive for states to game the system in order to access more federal money, CMS Administrator Seema Verma told members of the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee in her first time testifying on Capitol Hill as the agency’s head.

CMS said Thursday (Aug. 16) it is approving Medicaid state plan amendments 23 percent faster than in 2016, and is approving section 1915(c) waivers 7 percent faster than in 2016.