Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Medicaid Programs Look Ahead To End Of Public Health Emergency
An end to the COVID-19 public health emergency would seem like good news for states. But state officials are dreading the end of that official designation because it will mean more work and less money for their Medicaid health coverage programs. (Raman, 12/3)
In news about Medicare —
The coronavirus pandemic may be an extra stressful time for Medicare beneficiaries. Not only are they generally in a high-risk group for Covid, most of them — about 83% — are worried about the cost of treating the virus if they contract it, according to a survey from MedicarePlans.com. Whether they need to be concerned is a separate consideration. (O'Brien, 12/3)
Over a recent seven-year period, Medicare Part D spending on inhalers used to control respiratory problems increased $2 billion, or a whopping 44%, as more people used the devices, according to a new study. However, a lack of lower-cost generic options has also allowed prices to remain high. (Silverman, 12/3)
CMS' Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation on Thursday unveiled its highly anticipated Geographic Direct Contracting Model. The model—dubbed "Geo"—aims to improve health outcomes and lower healthcare costs for Medicare's fee-for-service beneficiaries across entire geographic regions by encouraging participants to work together to improve care coordination and care management. So-called direct-contracting entities, the Innovation Center's new name for accountable care organizations, "will implement regionwide care delivery and value-based payment," CMS said in a fact sheet. (Brady, 12/3)
