Latest News On CMS

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Medicaid, Privacy And Tom Price’s Return

KFF Health News Original

Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo discuss the latest on states’ efforts to reshape their Medicaid programs, the kerfuffle over President Donald Trump’s medical records and comments by former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price about Congress’ repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s “individual mandate” penalty. Rovner also interviews Harvard professor Robert Blendon about the complex politics of health in the coming midterm elections.

Medicare Advantage Plans Cleared To Go Beyond Medical Coverage — Even Groceries

KFF Health News Original

Under new federal rules unveiled this week, these privately run alternatives to traditional Medicare might provide air conditioners, rides to medical appointments and home-delivered meals.

Planes de Medicare Advantage pronto servirán hasta para hacer las compras

KFF Health News Original

Los Centros para Servicios de Medicare y Medicaid ampliaron la forma en que definen los beneficios “relacionados directamente con la salud”, que las aseguradoras pueden incluir en sus pólizas.

Lifting Therapy Caps Is A Load Off Medicare Patients’ Shoulders

KFF Health News Original

Last month’s budget deal means Medicare beneficiaries are eligible for physical and occupational therapy indefinitely. Plus, prescription drug costs will fall for more seniors.

CMS Issues Split Decision On Arkansas Medicaid Waiver

KFF Health News Original

A top Senate Democrat calls the move “a mockery of the HHS ethics process” after Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma did not recuse herself in the decision to approve the Medicaid work requirement in Arkansas — the third state to get such a waiver.

Trump’s Work-For-Medicaid Rule Puts Work On States’ Shoulders

KFF Health News Original

States that opt to change their Medicaid program must figure out how to delineate who is covered by the new mandate, how to enforce the rules and how to handle the people seeking exemptions.

Trump Administration Clears Way To Force Some Medicaid Enrollees To Work

KFF Health News Original

Allowing states to mandate that non-disabled Medicaid enrollees work as a condition for coverage would mark one of the biggest changes to the program since it began more than 50 years ago. A decision on the first of the state requests could come within days.

Trump Administration Relaxes Financial Penalties Against Nursing Homes

KFF Health News Original

Medicare is discouraging regional offices from levying fines for “one-time mistakes” or from using daily fines that seek to put pressure on nursing homes to make changes.

Infection Lapses Rampant In Nursing Homes But Punishment Is Rare

KFF Health News Original

A Kaiser Health News analysis of federal inspection records shows that nursing home inspectors labeled mistakes in infection control as serious for only 161 of the 12,056 homes they have cited since 2014.

Experts Tell Congress How To Cut Drug Prices. We Give You Some Odds.

KFF Health News Original

Some of the nation’s most influential scientists recommend eight steps to lower drug prices. KHN takes the political temperature and tells you the chances of Congress acting on them.