Search Results for keywords:"Centers for Medicare

The Office of Inspector General under the Health and Human Services Department announced a delay in the effective date of certain changes to the regulations that protect against kickbacks in the pharmaceutical industry. These changes, initially set to take effect on January 1, 2022, involve the removal of safe harbor protection for certain rebates on prescription drugs, and the creation of new protections for reductions in prices at the point of sale and for fixed fees paid to pharmacy benefit managers. The new effective date for these amendments is now January 1, 2023, following a court order. This action was taken without public comment due to a court-ordered mandate.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a final rule that requires its regulations to be reviewed periodically, with most regulations set to expire automatically every ten years unless reviewed. This is intended to ensure that regulations stay up-to-date and relevant. The final rule also includes processes for public comments and specifies the criteria for reviews, which include assessing whether the regulations significantly impact small entities, and if they are still necessary or need amendments. Certain regulations, such as those mandated by federal law and the annual Medicare payment update rules, are exempt from these reviews.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed new rules to revise health insurance standards under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. These changes focus on improving the integrity of insurance marketplaces, especially concerning eligibility and enrollment systems. Key revisions include stricter policies on past-due premium payments and a proposal to exclude Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients from health coverage through marketplaces. Additionally, the proposal aims to strengthen oversight on agents and brokers to prevent improper enrollments, which are believed to have cost taxpayers billions of dollars in recent years.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a part of the Department of Health and Human Services, has issued a request for information (RFI) to explore the impact of ageism in healthcare. The agency seeks public input on how age-related stereotypes and biases affect health care quality and access. AHRQ is interested in learning about innovative strategies to address these challenges, with responses informing future research and policies to improve healthcare for older adults. The public can submit their comments until March 15, 2025, but the agency will not respond individually to submissions.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has proposed new rules to improve the Small Business Subcontracting Program. These changes aim to ensure small business subcontractors get paid faster and make it easier to report subcontracting activities. Prime contractors would need to inform contracting officers if they fail to pay subcontractors on time and work with them to fix such issues. The new rules also involve simplifying subcontracting reporting, clarifying how to assign size classifications to subcontractors, and expanding the authority of who can sign Subcontracting Summary Reports (SSRs).

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is updating its civil penalties to adjust for inflation, as required by law. These changes increase the maximum fines for violations of various acts, such as the Clayton Act and the FTC Act, and will take effect on January 17, 2025. The adjustments follow a cost-of-living formula and apply to fines assessed after the effective date. These updates fulfill an annual requirement under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 2015.

The final rule from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Treasury Department provides new guidelines for implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). It includes plans for reducing user fees for issuers using federal platforms in 2022 and introduces a new direct enrollment option allowing states more flexibility in how they facilitate health insurance plans through private entities. Additionally, the rule seeks to ensure that State Innovation Waivers can be more predictable by codifying policies into regulations, offering states more room for innovation while ensuring the availability of affordable health coverage. The rule clarifies that plans without provider networks are exempt from network adequacy certification while maintaining their other requirements.

The memorandum, issued by the President, orders a freeze on hiring federal civilian employees across the executive branch, effective January 20, 2025. It exempts positions related to military personnel, immigration enforcement, national security, public safety, and areas like Social Security and Medicare services. The Office of Personnel Management is allowed to grant exceptions when necessary. The order includes plans to develop strategies for workforce reduction and efficiency within 90 days, and prohibits using outside contracts to bypass the hiring freeze.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced new adjustments to civil penalty amounts within its jurisdiction to account for inflation as mandated by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 2015. These changes, effective from January 13, 2021, affect various penalty amounts, including those related to premerger filing notifications, unfair or deceptive acts, and labeling violations. The adjustments are based on a cost-of-living adjustment formula that compares the Consumer Price Index from two preceding Octobers. This ensures penalties are updated annually to maintain their deterrent effect and to reflect economic changes.

The Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) has announced its meeting schedule for 2025, which will include discussions and voting on physician-focused payment model proposals. These meetings are set to take place on March 3-4, June 3-4, September 8-9, and December 9-10 and will be held virtually and/or at the Hubert H. Humphrey Building in Washington, DC. All meetings will be open to the public, and those interested can register online to attend either in person or via a livestream. The agenda and details for virtual attendance will be available on the PTAC website prior to each meeting date.