Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Physicians Prep Massive Lobby To Again Fend Off Medicare Payment Cut
Stat: Physicians Rally To Avert Medicare Payment Cuts
The federal government is officially reducing Medicare payments to physicians next year by 4.5%, but doctors and their lobbyists are ready to blitz Congress over the next two months to convince lawmakers that those cuts should be averted — again. (Herman, 11/2)
Axios: Biden Administration Approves Increase To Safety-Net Drug Payments
Medicare will increase payments for discounted drugs provided to safety-net hospitals next year under a policy the Biden administration finalized Tuesday that will affect how the program reimburses other facilities. (Goldman, 11/2)
Axios: GOP Floats Medicare Changes While Ducking Details
Some House Republicans aren't waiting for the election to think about overhauling Medicare. But it's hard to tell if there are specifics behind the talking point. (Sullivan and Knight, 11/3)
Stat: Medicare Punts On Quality Rules For New Type Of Rural Hospital
Hospitals that decide to convert to a new type of rural provider won’t have to report quality metrics next year, but they also won’t qualify for a popular drug discount program — a likely dealbreaker for some. (Bannow, 11/2)
Axios: Senate Dems Urge Action On False Medicare Marketing
The Biden administration needs to crack down on deceptive Medicare Advantage marketing, Democratic staff for the Senate Finance Committee wrote in a report released Thursday. (Goldman, 11/3)
The New York Times: Private Medicare Plans Misled Customers Into Signing Up, Senate Report Says
Companies selling private Medicare plans to older adults have posed as the Internal Revenue Service and other government agencies, misled customers about the size of their networks and preyed on vulnerable people with dementia and cognitive impairment, according to a new investigation of deceptive marketing practices in the industry released Thursday by the Senate Finance Committee. Many individuals say they were enrolled in plans without realizing it. (Abelson and Sanger-Katz, 11/3)
