The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance last night giving Medicare Advantage plans the option of applying step therapy for physician-administered and other Part B drugs, effective January 1, 2019.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Labor and Department of Treasury issued a final rule governing the extension of short-term limited-duration plans. Under the rule, insurers can issue new short-term plans that can be extended for up to 36 months.
Today the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network submitted comments to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding proposals to reduce prescription drug costs outlined in the administration’s Request for Information (RFI) regarding its Blueprint to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs (blueprint).
The House Appropriations Committee approved its FY 2019 spending bill including a $1.25 billion funding increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a $171 million funding boost for the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The bill also preserves funding for the CDC and Office on Smoking and Health (OSH)
Today a federal judge ruled the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) failed to adequately consider how Kentucky’s proposed Medicaid work rules would effect residents’ access to health care as required under federal law.
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its FY 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services spending bill today. The bill includes a $2 billion funding increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a $190 million funding boost for the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that they will not approve Massachusetts’ request to restrict Medicaid prescription drug coverage to as few as one drug per class—a practice commonly called a “closed formulary”—unless a state foregoes all manufacturer rebates.
The Department of Labor issued final rules governing the creation of association health plans. Under the rule, AHPs would be exempt from current benefit and cost-sharing requirements.
Patient groups representing millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions filed an amicus curiae or friend of the court brief in the U.S. District Court case, Texas v. United States, citing the devastating impact patients would face should the court side with plaintiffs and move to invalidate the Affordable Care Act.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced last night it will not defend several critical patient protections in the health law and instead is arguing to end them. If successful, the case could leave millions of Americans with serious illnesses unable to obtain health care coverage.