Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Progressive-Favorite 'Medicare For All' Takes A Battering From Trump Administration Health Officials
The New York Times: Trump Officials Scoff At ‘Medicare For All’ Drive
The Trump administration is hitting back against advocates of “Medicare for all” even as the proposal gains momentum among left-leaning Democrats in this election year. Alex M. Azar II, the secretary of health and human services, said on Thursday that the administration had a vision for “reforming the American health care system” that would shrink, not expand, the federal role. In a speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation, Mr. Azar said that Medicare could barely afford to keep its current commitments. “Medicare is running out of other people’s money, and those other people happen to be our children,” he said. (Pear, 7/26)
Modern Healthcare: Azar Promises Continued Medicare Billing Overhaul, Regulatory Relief
HHS Secretary Alex Azar on Thursday doubled down on promises to overhaul the Medicare billing structures to drive down government costs and vowed to put out new guidance for providers on the anti-kickback laws and HIPAA. HHS will write new guidance for laws that "stand in the way of healthcare providers" and hold back the healthcare system's transition to value-based care, Azar told a conservative audience at the Heritage Foundation. He also highlighted the CMS' new request for information on the Stark law and noted that additional requests are coming to prepare the administration as it overhauls anti-kickback and HIPAA rules. (Luthi, 7/26)
NPR: Medicare's 'Flat Fee' Payment Proposal Draws Ire Of Some Doctors And Patients
The Trump administration announced a plan Friday that would affect about 40 percent of the payments physicians receive from Medicare. Not everybody's pleased. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services calls its proposed plan a historic effort to reduce paperwork and improve patient care. But some doctors and advocates for patients fear it could be a disaster. (Bebinger, 7/27)
Modern Healthcare: Proposed Site-Neutral Payment Policy Sets The Stage For Battle Royale Between CMS, Hospitals
As the CMS charts a path to level pay for outpatient services, it's also leading toward a head-to-head battle with powerful hospital lobbying groups as some providers win and lose with site-neutral payments. If the agency's 2019 proposal to pay the same rate for services delivered at off-campus hospital outpatient departments and independent doctors' offices is finalized, the CMS said it would save Medicare $610 million and patients about $150 million via lower co-payments. That represents about 1% of the around $75 billion hospitals receive a year from the CMS for outpatient services. (Kacik, 7/26)
