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CMS RELEASES FY 2012 PROPOSED RULE FOR HOSPITAL PAYMENTS:

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released its annual inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) proposed rule that determines Medicare reimbursements for the upcoming fiscal year. Under the proposed rule, Medicare payments to acute care hospitals for inpatient services in fiscal year (FY) 2012 would decrease by a projected $498 million, or 0.5 percent. …
Read More Healthcare Update: CMS Releases FY 2012 Proposed Rules for Hospitals and Rehab Facilities; Supreme Court Decides Not To Fast-Track Healthcare Lawsuit

FY 2012 BUDGET NEWS:

Once Congress and the White House came to an agreement on current Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 spending and averted a looming government shutdown, attention turned to the FY 2012 budget and the issue of deficit reduction. …
Read More Healthcare Update: FY 2012 Budget Details; New HHS Initiative Launches; President Signs 1099 Repeal; Providers Express Tepid Reactions to ACO Rule

On April 5, 2011, the U.S. Senate approved legislation that would repeal the expanded IRS Form 1099 information-reporting requirements imposed by Section 9006 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA”).  Having also been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 3, 2011, the bill is now expected to be signed into law by President Barack Obama. …
Read More 1099 Repeal Requirement: On Its Way to the White House

Earlier this week, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”) decided that it needed more time to examine the medical loss ratio (MLR) issue before making a decision on whether it would endorse the Access to Professional Health Insurance Advisors Act of 2011 (H.R. 1206) (the “Act”). …
Read More NAIC Postpones Decision To Endorse Bill Advocating the Exclusion of Producer Commissions From the MLR Calculation

Earlier this month, Representatives Charles Boustany (R-La.) and John Larson (D-CT) introduced the Medical FSA Improvement Act of 2011 (the “Act”) in the House of Representatives.  The Act aims at increasing participation in medical flexible spending accounts (“FSAs”). …
Read More House Representatives Aim at Abolishing “Use It or Lose It” Rule for Flexible Spending Accounts

As a bill to reform the nation’s medical liability system advances in the House, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has determined that enacting such legislation would reduce national healthcare spending by an estimated 0.4 percent. …
Read More Healthcare Update: Medical Liability Reform Legislation; Community Health Center Cuts; Hhs Hospice Cap Rulings

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has approved more than 1,000 one-year waivers of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) provision that restricts annual limits for essential benefits.  Through February 28, 1,040 waivers had been approved for plans that cover more than 2.6 million insureds.  Most of the affected plans are limited medical benefit (“mini-med”) plans, which are generally offered to low-wage, part-time or seasonal employees. …
Read More More Than 1,000 Waivers of PPACA Provision Granted