Relief might be fleeting for the healthcare industry after Supreme Court strikes down most tariffs
April 3 update The Trump administration announced a 100% tariff on pharmaceuticals, albeit with various exemptions. Unlike the tariffs overturned by the Supreme Court (see the original story below), the pharmaceutical tariffs appear to be on solid legal ground because they resulted from a formal investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Not subject…
Rising healthcare costs strain health system margins
Systemic challenges are showing few signs of easing in healthcare financial operations. As identified by federal actuaries, increases in the use and intensity of hospital services drove a big recent jump in national healthcare spending. Those volume-based metrics represent a boost for hospital revenues but a roadblock to cost reduction. That dichotomy had a net…
Hospitals mount response as site-neutral payment policy progresses
Hospitals and their advocates think the concept of site-neutral payment is gaining enough traction in policy circles that a strategic response is warranted. One step in attempting to stanch the apparent momentum of site-neutral policies is the release of a new report that finds recommended approaches would cut hospital payments by $182 billion over 10…
CMS provides more leeway to Medicaid state-directed payments before new limits kick in
March 23 update The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), which advocates for deficit reduction, issued an analysis criticizing the extent to which states are capitalizing on the grandfathering clause to maintain higher rates for state-directed payments (SDPs) through 2027. CRFP reported that Illinois and Texas have increased their SDP rates by 50% since…
Transparency in Coverage proposed rule aims to make price files more usable
HHS’s proposed updates to health plan price transparency files mark a notable step in ensuring the information is useful for providers and other healthcare stakeholders, experts say. The Transparency in Coverage (TiC) proposed rule issued in December would modify requirements for health plans with an eye toward making the massive machine-readable files (MRFs) more navigable…
CMS proposes 2027 ACA marketplace changes to address rising premiums
With few signs of pending relief for increased premiums in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance marketplaces, CMS issued proposals designed to solidify the affordability and availability of coverage next year. In recent weeks, the Senate has made little or no announced progress on agreeing to an extension of the enhanced subsidies for buying ACA…
Updated documentation requirements in Medicare could add burden on healthcare providers
Citing concerns about improper payments, CMS issued a regulatory update that expands Medicare prior authorization and other documentation requirements starting April 13. The regulations are most meaningful for vendors of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS), but the operations of hospitals and other front-line providers stand to be affected as well. Increased documentation…
340B watch: HHS cancels immediate plans for a rebate model (updated)
March 9 update Hospitals prevailed in litigation over a 340B mandate that has imposed additional administrative requirements in the program. A federal court ruled that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) lacked statutory authority to establish that off-campus hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) are eligible for 340B prices only if they first appear on their…
Value-based payment gains policy consensus after 15 years of CMMI models
Saying it’s time to phase out the fee-for-service payment model would have been controversial a decade ago, but today such sentiment is accepted in policy circles, according to insights from a recent webinar. In a discussion among past directors of the 15-year-old Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), a key takeaway was the degree…
CMS establishes tighter limits on the structure of Medicaid tax arrangements
Nearly seven months after passage of the legislation known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), finalized regulations from CMS apply additional constraints to the use of healthcare taxes as a Medicaid funding source. A rule set for formal publication Feb. 2 is intended to create Medicaid savings in part by reducing the matching…