Trump Administration Health Transparency Policy Triggering Industry Sparks
Also in the news, The Washington Post reports that the administration initially intended to defend the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, what's up with websites advertising "Trumpcare"? In addition, outlets report on developments from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as well as the Food and Drug Administration.
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump’s Push For Health-Cost Transparency Sparks Furor
A Trump administration plan to make hospitals disclose their negotiated prices is spurring a battle between industry and patient advocates that could determine how far the White House will go with its initiative. Friday marks the end of a public input period that has seen more than 750 comments on a proposed rule that would include upending the secret negotiations that determine how much insurers pay for treatments and care. The administration is expected to release a final rule in November. It would take effect Jan. 1, 2020. (Armour, 9/27)
The Washington Post:
The Health 202: The Trump Administration Considered Defending The ACA In Court
The Trump administration is taking major political heat for opposing Obamacare in a high-stakes legal challenge, which a federal appeals court could rule on any day now. But that wasn’t always the plan. It turns out the administration originally intended to embrace all of the Affordable Care Act — including its protections for patients with preexisting conditions — until an influential trio of conservative advisers convinced President Trump earlier this year to do exactly the opposite. The reversal of course has not previously been reported and sheds new light on how the Trump administration has struggled to uphold and message its health-care plans following Congress's failure to repeal and replace Obamacare in summer 2017. It also suggests at least some Republicans close to Trump are concerned about the potential political backlash and likely chaos if the court rules to strike down the ACA. (Winfield Cunningham, 9/27)
Axios:
Websites Are Advertising "Trumpcare" Plans, But Trumpcare Doesn't Exist
Do a quick search for health insurance, and you'll find plenty of ads for "Trumpcare" plans that cost $59 or less per month. But there's a catch: Trumpcare doesn't exist, and many of these advertised plans offer bare-bones coverage. (Herman, 9/30)
Modern Healthcare:
New CMS Tool Helps Businesses Decide On HRAs
The CMS on Friday released a new tool designed to help employers decide if they should offer their workers individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements. Earlier this year, the CMS finalized a rule that allows employers to give their employees tax-free money to buy health insurance on the individual market through an HRA beginning in January 2020. The tool offers employers access to health insurance premium data based on location. It also provides rate information for the cheapest plan in a category like the lowest-cost silver plan, which depends on a worker's age and location. (Brady, 9/27)
Modern Healthcare:
FDA: Fitness Apps, EHRs Are Outside Regulatory Scope
The Food and Drug Administration released new guidelines clarifying which types of medical software systems do—and do not—fall under the agency's regulatory oversight. Under a set of companion guidelines released Thursday, the FDA outlined a plan to focus its regulatory oversight on clinical-decision support software meant to help providers and patients manage "serious or critical conditions," said Dr. Amy Abernethy, the FDA's principal deputy commissioner. (Cohen, 9/27)
Meanwhile, regarding fallout from another administration policy -
Boston Globe:
Doctors Said The Infant’s Tumor Could Be Fatal. His Parents Traveled 3,000 Miles To Save His Life.
Although Oliver would not need a visa, many families from abroad need special permission to enter the United States for medical care. But a recent policy change by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services threatened to severely limit the stay for many children granted special immigration status to receive longer term, lifesaving medical care at hospitals such as Boston Children’s. In August, the agency said it would no longer renew stays through its “medical deferred action” program, which allows people in dire need to remain in the US for two-year periods. The families of at least a dozen children in Boston received notices from the agency denying their extended stays and warning that they could face deportation, The Boston Globe reported. (Salahi, 9/27)
