Category: CMS

But the Tea Party does have something to show for its five years of annoyance: Ted Cruz, senator from Texas. Cruz is probably best known for reading “Green Eggs and Ham” on the floor of the Senate during a 21-hour talkathon designed to ensure his place as the most hated man in that august chamber.…

Safety-net hospitals rely on disproportionate-share hospital (DSH) payments to help cover uncompensated care costs and underpayments by Medicaid …read more    

The total, which includes 1.1 million people who signed up in April alone, does not indicate how many people gained coverage through the law’s expansion of Medicaid, a program pursued by 26 states. That’s because individuals who were eligible for Medicaid before the law’s passage, but not enrolled, also signed up. …read more    

Today’s headlines include the latest developments regarding congressional action on the veterans’ health care scandal as well as reports about the latest Medicaid enrollment figures in the context of the health law. …read more    

Incumbent Democrat Dave Jones held a strong lead in Tuesday’s primary election voting for state insurance commissioner, but he still faces a rematch in November against Republican challenger Ted Gaines (Lifsher, 6/3). …read more    

The congressional budget analysts announce that they will continue to track the financial impact of the marketplaces and the Medicaid expansion program, but not some of the other smaller changes made under the law. Meanwhile, a new strategy for employers who provide health care is coming under scrutiny. …read more    

But House Republicans are divided over their promise to vote on a health law alternative this year as millions of Americans are now enrolled in expanded Medicaid and subsidized private coverage. …read more    

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has issued a new Model Policy for proton beam therapy (PBT) that details which cancer diagnoses meet ASTRO’s evidence-based standards and should be covered by private insurers and Medicare. …read more    

Technological snags and bureaucratic tangles have slowed the health law’s promise of coverage to many low-income Americans, CQ Healthbeat reports. In other news on the law’s Medicaid provisions, the Chicago Tribune examines the demographics of new local beneficiaries. …read more    

Today’s headlines include coverage of Medicare data released Monday indicating that 2012 charges for some common inpatient hospital procedures dramatically increased over the previous year. …read more