Medicare

CMS Administrator Seema Verma said the agency is working to get a final rule updating the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly published as part of CMS’ commitment to improving care for those dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.

CMS Administrator Seema Verma on Wednesday (April 24) invited states that aren’t currently participating in the duals demonstration to talk with the agency about starting their own version, whether through the capitated financial alignment model, the managed fee-for-service model or some other state-specific model worked out with the agency.

The House Energy & Commerce health subcommittee will hold a hearing Tuesday (April 30) on the cost of drugs in Medicare Part B and Part D as members prepare to take up bills to lower drug costs for seniors.

CMS proposes raising the add-on pay for new technology and providing a path for breakthrough devices approved by the FDA to access add-on payments as part of the proposed fiscal 2020 hospital inpatient pay rule released Tuesday (April 23) -- a move the medical device lobby praised for including several of the industry’s suggestions.

The Heritage Foundation advocated for site neutrality as a way to lower Medicare costs at the American Enterprise Institute on Tuesday (April 23), just a day after the Medicare Trust Fund report projected Medicare costs to skyrocket through 2038.

Total Medicare costs are expected to grow from about 3.7% of gross domestic product to 5.9% of GDP between 2018 and 2038, with the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund only expected to pay fully for Medicare Part A until 2026 -- a projection that is unchanged from last year -- according to the Medicare trustee’s report released Monday (April 22).

Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on Monday (April 22) again detailed plans to find “workable solutions” to improve nursing home oversight after Government Accountability Office and HHS Office of Inspector General reports are out this summer.

CMS on Friday (April 19) proposed to increase Medicare payments to hospices by 2.7% in fiscal 2020 as well as to modify the content of hospice election statements to better inform beneficiaries of exactly what services are provided, and which ones aren’t tied to their terminal illnesses.

CMS reversed course and, along with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, will give stakeholders an additional 30 days to comment on proposed interoperability rules the agencies released in February, pushing the comment deadline back to June 3.