All Articles In 'Health Care Policy'
Medicare and Medicaid Spending: Enrollment Growth a Driver for Spending Increases
Much attention has been paid to the federal deficit, and a great deal of this discussion has centered on Medicare and Medicaid spending. As a means for controlling what has been considered “out of control” health [...]
Health Reform Implementation: Milestones for State Implementation of Health Insurance Exchanges, Medicaid Expansion, and Health Insurance Market Reforms
Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), states are responsible for implementing a complex array of health reforms, most notably Health Insurance Exchanges, Medicaid expansion, and health insurance market regulations. ACA presents states, particularly state Medicaid agencies [...]
Health IT and Care Coordination: Role of Health Information Technology in Care Coordination
Care coordination is a process that ensures a patient’s health services and information sharing preferences and needs are met. Care coordination, a critical component during the nation’s current shift from a fragmented system toward one that [...]
Medical Devices and the FDA: FDA Taking Longer to Approve New Medical Devices for U.S. Market
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews the safety and effectiveness of new medical devices sold in the United States, and The Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act of 2002 (MDUFMA) authorizes FDA to collect [...]
Comparative Effectiveness Research: How Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Spent $474 Million in ARRA Funds
As part of the $1.1 billion provided to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) earmarked for comparative effectiveness research (CER) under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA or Recovery Act) of 2009, $474 [...]
Health Insurance Administrative Expenses: Details on Administrative Expenses of Health Plans in Large Group, Small Group, and Individual Markets
Health insurance plans are required to report their administrative expenses. For health plans in the for the large group, small group, and individual insured markets, an new report from Milliman details insurers’ administrative expenses in five [...]
Medicaid Program Integrity: Federal Investigations, Audits, and Evaluations to Combat Medicaid Waste, Fraud, and Abuse
In its latest Medicaid Integrity Program Report, the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) outlines Medicaid program integrity activities for FY 2011, including Medicaid-related audits and evaluations and Medicaid-related legal and investigative outcomes. Funding was employed [...]
Health Plans and Quality Improvement Reporting Under the Affordable Care Act: Recommendations for Implementing Reporting of Quality Improvement Strategies
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issue employer group health plan quality improvement reporting requirements. Reports shall cover specified quality improvement activities regarding plan or coverage benefit and [...]
Health Insurer Fee Impact on Medicaid: Financial Impact of ACA Health Insurer Fee on State Medicaid Programs and Medicaid Health Plans
A new federally mandated tax on health insurers will increase costs for state Medicaid programs and Medicaid health plans. In an excellent new report, PPACA Health Insurer Fee Estimated Impact on State Medicaid Programs and Medicaid Health [...]
Essential Health Benefits: Preliminary Analysis of Essential Health Benefits and Potential Benchmark Health Benefit Plans for Virginia
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires benefit plans offer a minimum set of essential health benefits. Those include ambulatory patient services, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance use [...]
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