Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
More Transparency On Worker Pay, Wait Lists In CMS Medicaid Proposals
Stat: Biden Officials Propose Slate Of Medicaid Transparency Changes
The Biden administration on Thursday rolled out proposals to set national standards for care in Medicaid and children’s health care plans, amid upheaval for millions of Americans’ coverage in both programs. (Owermohle, 4/27)
Axios: Worker Pay, Wait List Transparency Would Be Revealed Under New Biden Administration Medicaid Proposal
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Thursday proposed new reporting rules for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Programs health plans, that would, among other things, set national standards for appointment wait times and require disclosure of provider payment rates. (Dreher, 4/28)
In related Medicaid news —
Modern Healthcare: 2 CMS Proposals Aim To Set Medicaid Base Payment Standards
CMS issued two notices of proposed rulemaking that it says would boost access to care and promote price transparency. States would provide CMS with provider payment rate analyses every year that compare Medicaid fee-for-service and managed care payments to Medicare rates. State Medicaid agencies also would have to publish the rates on their websites. (Turner, 4/27)
The Texas Tribune: Medicaid’s Lower Payout A Turnoff For Texas Mental Health Providers
At the Clarity Child Guidance Center in San Antonio, some 200 children covered by Medicaid have been waiting as long as three months to see a mental health therapist. That’s because few mental health professionals will accept the federal insurance coverage for low-income individuals. The main reason? In Texas, Medicaid pays between $60 and $122 for a 50-minute session with a therapist who can charge $180 or more for that visit. (Simpson, 4/28)
Columbus Dispatch: Thousands Of Kids On Medicaid Not Covered At Nationwide Children's
With a deadline to change Medicaid plans just days away, Nationwide Children's Hospital remains out of network for thousands of Columbus-area kids covered by Anthem. Anthem has extended another offer to Nationwide Children's, both the hospital and insurer have confirmed. But a deal has yet to be reached to cover care for some 5,600 kids in central and southeast Ohio who are on Anthem's Medicaid plan at Nationwide Children's. (Filby, 4/27)
On the debt-limit bill —
The New York Times: Biden Faces His First Big Choice On Debt Limit
This week’s vote by House Republicans to couple deep spending cuts with an agreement to raise the debt limit for one year has put President Biden on the defensive, forcing him to confront a series of potentially painful choices at a perilous economic moment. Mr. Biden has long maintained that he would not negotiate spending cuts or other efforts to reduce the federal debt as part of discussions over raising the nation’s debt limit, which must be raised in order for the United States to keep borrowing money to pay its bills. (Tankersley, 4/27)
KFF Health News: KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Dancing Under The Debt Ceiling
If Congress fails to raise the nation’s debt ceiling in the next few months, the U.S. could default on its debt for the first time in history. Republicans in Congress, however, say they won’t agree to pay the nation’s bills unless Democrats and President Joe Biden agree to deep cuts to health and other programs. Among the proposals in a bill House Republicans passed April 26 is the imposition of new work requirements for adults who receive Medicaid. (4/27)
