Medicaid

Lawmakers joined providers Wednesday (June 10) in asking HHS to dedicate more COVID-19 relief funding on top of the $25 billion the department announced Tuesday for Medicaid providers and safety net hospitals.

CMS on Tuesday (July 9) unveiled guidance for opening health care facilities in states that have moved into phase 2 of reopening that recommends patients receiving non-COVID-19 care undergo COVID-19 testing 24 hours before their procedure.

The health insurance industry Monday (June 8) released an updated analysis that finds the potential financial impact of COVID-19 to insurers in 2020 and 2021 could range from a $213 billion loss to a $76 billion gain if savings from delayed services continue to outweigh the costs of COVID-19 treatment, depending on infection rates.

Congress' investigative arm found that most states are struggling to carry out federal Medicaid requirements, including those restricting use of Medicaid money for inpatient stays at certain mental health facilities, requiring payments for expensive new FDA-approved drugs for outpatient care, aligning care for dually-eligible beneficiaries, and requiring prospective payments to community health centers and rural clinics.

Congressional leaders from both parties wrote to HHS Secretary Alex Azar on Wednesday (June 3) pressing him to immediately distribute emergency relief money from the CARES Act to Medicaid-dependent providers.

Democrats continued to emphasize a need for the federal government to take the lead on the COVID-19 testing supply at a House Energy & Commerce subcommittee hearing where three governors, including two Democrats and one Republican, testified Tuesday (June 2) on their states’ responses to the pandemic.

HHS signaled additional payments could be coming for some high-impact areas that missed the April 10 application deadline, in updated frequently asked questions that clarifies how CMS is disbursing and overseeing the CARES Act provider relief fund.

Oklahoma’s Republican governor, who earlier this year released a proposal to expand Medicaid and then accept block-grant-style funding for the expansion group, has abandoned the plan to expand eligibility even as the state’s block grant waiver proposal moves forward.

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Thursday (May 29) unveiled a proposal to support people with disabilities throughout the pandemic by enhancing and protecting existing federal programs, and he also called for legislation to eliminate the two-year waiting period for those eligible for federal disability benefits to enroll in Medicare and other reforms to Social Security.