On March 31, the Senate passed the "Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014," which was passed in the House last week, to provide a temporary fix to the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula.
On March 27, the United States Prevention Services Task Force (USPSTF) released for public comment a draft research plan, "Primary Care Screening for Depression in Adults," taking the first step in the process to update its recommendation released in 2009.
On March 26 and 27, FDA's Advisory Panel reviewed two DNA-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening tests, Epigenomics-Epi proColon® Septin 9 test and Exact Sciences-Cologuard®.
On March 25, OIG released an updated report on Medicare payments for End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) drugs.
As 2014 open enrollment comes to a close, core issues (listed below) associated with exchange implementation remain unsettled.
Beginning July 1, retail pharmacies in United Healthcare's (UHC) network will no longer accept manufacturer-provided retail copay coupons.
On March 25, the House released the bill text for the "Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014," which provides a temporary fix to the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR).
On March 18, the HHS OIG released a report providing an overview of specific Medicare Part B drugs where the Average Sales Price (ASP) exceeded the Average Manufacturer Price (AMP) by at least five percent in 2012.
27 states and Washington, D.C. are currently expanding their Medicaid eligibility.
More than 2.7 million retirees receive health insurance coverage from their employer through a Medicare Advantage Employer Group Waiver Plan (MA-EGWP).
The bipartisan, bicameral legislative framework for a repeal of the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and shifts toward quality/value-based payment and adoption of alternative payment models for physicians has been primed since early February.
A new analysis from Avalere Health finds that consumers purchasing insurance through exchanges are twice as likely to face utilization management controls on prescription medications compared to people enrolled in employer-sponsored insurance plans.
With only two weeks left of 2014 exchange open enrollment, issuers and states are deeply engaged in maximizing enrollment before the end of the month.
On March 18, FDA released draft guidance containing recommendations for sponsors and new applicants preparing bioavailability (BA) and bioequivalence (BE) data for products in investigational new drug applications (INDs), new drug applications (NDAs) and NDA supplements.
On March 14, HHS published an interim final rule on third party payments requiring qualified health plans (QHPs) and standalone dental plans (SADPs) to accept third party payments on behalf of enrollees from the Ryan White program, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian organizations, and state and federal government programs.
On March 14, CMS released the Exchange and Insurance Market Standards for 2015 and Beyond proposed rule.
From July 21 to 25, CMS will conduct end-to-end testing on the International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) coding system.
From July 21 to 25, CMS will conduct end-to-end testing on the International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) coding system.
In this week's edition of McKnight's Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living, Avalere's Anne Tumlinson wrote a guest post discussing ways to improve medication management communications at skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).
In the July/August 2013 RPM Report, I co-wrote an article with Avalere's Scott Gottlieb and Lauren Barnes discussing the potential to use the new technology add-on payments (NTAPs), a novel pathway created by Congress in 2001, as a foundation for new policies that support innovation and address public health goals.
