Tagged with ACA Affordable Care Act
Humana to Exit ACA Exchanges by 2018
Humana has announced its plans to cease sales of individual health insurance plans through the ACA’s exchanges by 2018, potentially leaving more than 150,000 customers without a carrier.
Study Finds Misinformation Risk When Seeking Mandated ACA Coverage
New research published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology shows patients face misinformation from insurers when seeking ACA-mandated coverage.
Larger Market Share = Increased Negotiating Power for Insurers
A new study reveals insurers with the largest share of local markets can negotiate lower prices for physician office visits.
Uninsured Rate Hits All-time Low of 8.8% in 2016
According to a new CDC report, the nation’s uninsured rate plunged last year, marking the lowest rate on record to date.
ACA Open Enrollment Rates Drop
For the first time since its induction, enrollment numbers in the ACA have gone down.
CMS Issues Non-ACA Compliant Plans Extension
CMS issued an insurance standards bulletin granting another extension to non-ACA-compliant health plans to allow insurers and consumers to extend for an additional year.
CMS Proposes New Rule to Stabilize Health Insurance Exchanges
CMS recently announced its new proposed rule aimed at stabilizing ACA markets and encourage more insurers to stay on the exchanges through promoting more coverage options, and improving the risk pool for insurers.
CMS Releases Medicaid Spending Report
According to the recently released annual report from CMS, in fiscal year 2016 states and federal government grew 4.3% to $575.9 billion and federal Medicaid spending grew 4.5% to $363.4 billion for the program to cover low income and disabled people. The report states Medicaid spending has increased in recent years and is expected to continue to rise, potentially reaching levels that could “displace spending on other important programs.”
340B Ceiling Prices and Manufacturer Penalties Final Rules Released
Early last month, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) published a final rule(pdf) to implement civil money penalty (CMP) provisions added to section 340B of the Public Health Service Act under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
OIG Final Rule Expands Exclusion Authorities
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has issued a final rule expanding the authority to exclude individuals and entities from federal health care programs.
Budget Resolution Bill Approved by Senate and House
Following a 51 to 48 vote in the Senate, House members on January 13 voted 227 to 198 to advance repeal of the Affordable Care Act in a budget resolution bill.
PA – New Global Capitation Model for Rural Hospitals
CMS has announced a new global capitation model for rural hospitals in Pennsylvania. Under the new model participating critical access hospitals and acute care hospitals will receive all-payer global budgets for a fixed amount of money that is set in advance and funded by all participating insurers, to cover inpatient and outpatient services.
UnitedHealth Group to Buy Outpatient Surgery Chain for $2.3 Billion
UnitedHealth Group has announced plans for its health services unit, Optum, to acquire Surgical Care Affiliates (SCA). Under the acquisition, Optum would add to its footprint SCA 205 surgical facilities, which SCA operates in partnership with thousands of surgeons in 33 states.
ACA Repeal Efforts Begin, while Sign-Ups Continue to Rise
As senate and legislative efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) pick-up, the American Medical Association sent a letter to congressional leaders called on lawmakers to outline plans to replace the ACA before they repeal the law. Despite these efforts, it was recently announced that 8.8 million U.S. residents have signed up for health plans through the federal exchange.
