GOP Lawmakers Zero In On Work Reqs, Cutting Back Provider Taxes, Eligibility Checks

A key swing state Republican tells Inside Health Policy leadership has identified four areas of Medicaid cuts that most of the caucus can get behind, coming as GOP senators wary of significant Medicaid changes indicate that applying work requirements and limiting, not ending, states’ ability to charge provider taxes would be acceptable.

Site Name: 
InsideHealthPolicy.com
CMS Issue: 
Inside CMS - 05/15/2025
CMS Volume: 
Vol. 28, No. 20
Secondary Author(s): 

Cassidy Links Measles Outbreak To Immigration, Suggests Vaccine Mandate Needed

Senate health committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) is offering a new line on the measles outbreak impacting numerous U.S. states, saying at a Thursday (May 8) hearing he’s concerned the outbreak is linked to immigration and hinting he’s worried the Trump administration may roll back rules requiring people who enter the United States to be vaccinated.

Site Name: 
InsideHealthPolicy.com
Author: 

CMS Revokes Biden-Era Medicaid Guidance, Giving States Leeway To Recoup Funds From Beneficiaries Accused But Not Convicted Of Fraud

CMS has quietly rescinded a Biden-era guidance letter that had prohibited states from clawing back benefits or imposing lockouts on Medicaid beneficiaries accused of fraud or abuse, signaling a sharp shift away from the prior administration’s focus on protecting due process and coverage continuity toward a more aggressive enforcement stance aimed at preserving federal Medicaid dollars under the Trump administration.

Site Name: 
InsideHealthPolicy.com
Email Subject Line: 
Medicaid Policy Shift
CMS Issue: 
Inside CMS - 05/15/2025
CMS Volume: 
Vol. 28, No. 20
Author: 

Trump: RFK Jr. Steered Casey Means Pick For Surgeon General

President Donald Trump said Thursday (May 8) he deferred to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in selecting Casey Means as the new nominee for surgeon general, signaling the reach of RFK Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda beyond HHS.

Site Name: 
InsideHealthPolicy.com
Author: 

ATA Pushes Medicaid Telehealth And DTx, Sidesteps Heated Debate Over Program Cuts

NEW ORLEANS -- The American Telemedicine Association has decided not to engage in the politically charged lobbying over House Republicans’ efforts to glean potentially hundreds of billions in Medicaid savings as the national telehealth lobby separately advocates for states to continue Medicaid telehealth flexibilities and federal and state programs to cover digital therapeutics.

Site Name: 
InsideHealthPolicy.com
Author: 

Info Blocking Regs To Be Fought In Courts Amid Lagging HHS Enforcement

A pair of court cases suggests that courts will likely see more litigation citing federal information blocking regulations designed to discourage electronic health record companies, telehealth and other providers from interfering in the sharing of electronic health data, three lawyers with different firms told Inside Health Policy.

Site Name: 
InsideHealthPolicy.com
Author: 

Makary Tells Reviewers To Use AI By June 30, Says Data-Driven Endpoints Speed Approvals

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary on Thursday (May 8) gave all product reviewers until June 30 to start using artificial intelligence, and days earlier touted the ability of data-driven endpoints to dramatically speed drug approvals.

Site Name: 
InsideHealthPolicy.com
FDA Issue: 
FDA Week - 05/16/2025
FDA Volume: 
Vol. 31, No. 20
Author: 

Former HUD Secretary Carson Floats AI-Enhanced Medicaid Audits, Doesn’t Weigh In On FMAP, Provider Tax Proposals

Using artificial intelligence (AI) to audit Medicaid more effectively could help root out waste, fraud and abuse in the program, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson told Inside Health Policy Wednesday (May 7).

Site Name: 
InsideHealthPolicy.com
Author: 

Radiologists Push AUC Program Fix To Offset Medicare Overhaul They Want In Reconciliation

Congress could save up to $700 million annually in Medicare if it fixes the appropriate use criteria program for providers requesting radiology services, according to CMS data the American College of Radiology cited Wednesday (May 7) as they urged lawmakers to reform the physician fee schedule as part of the reconciliation bill, and said legislation set to be introduced by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) could be an offset.

Site Name: 
InsideHealthPolicy.com
CMS Issue: 
Inside CMS - 05/15/2025
CMS Volume: 
Vol. 28, No. 20

House E&C Eyes May 13 Reconciliation Markup, Hospitals Ramp Up Lobbying On Provider Taxes

The House Energy & Commerce Committee is eying a Tuesday (May 13) markup of its still-evolving plan to tap into Medicaid to pay for a GOP reconciliation package, with lawmakers telling Inside Health Policy Thursday morning while major structural reforms remain off the table, it’s still an open question whether provider taxes long-used by states to defray expenses will be ratcheted back.

Site Name: 
InsideHealthPolicy.com
Secondary Author(s): 

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