The Medicare ambulance fee schedule will be increased by a 1.0% inflation adjustment for 2014, CMS announced in a recent transmittal.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is increasing the amount in controversy (AIC) threshold amounts for Administrative Law Judge ...

The policy is discussed in an educational article entitled "Recovering Overpayments from Providers Who Share Tax Identification Numbers" issued on June 22, 2016.

CMS has suspended Part I of its National Average Retail Price survey, through which the agency collected prices paid for drugs to retail community pharmacies for individuals with Medicaid, cash paying customers, and those with certain third party insurance.

On October 21, 2015, CMS is hosting a provider call to discuss the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT) Act of 2014.

On January 24, 2017, CMS is hosting a call to discuss how to complete the final reporting period for the "legacy" Medicare physician quality reporting programs

CMS is hosting Special Open Door Forum calls to solicit feedback on data elements for a new "Suggested Electronic Clinical Template for Home Health."

CMS is inviting stakeholders to provide feedback on its Innovation Center Oncology Care Model at a May 3, 2018 public meeting.

CMS is hosting an educational call on November 2, 2016 to discuss reporting obligations under the June 23, 2016 Clinical Diagnostic Test Payment System final rule. As previously reported, under the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA),

On February 24, 2014, CMS is hosting a town hall meeting to discuss the future of the Physician Compare website and how to improve the information presented to consumers.

CMS plans to apply "Phase 2" ordering and referring denial edits to "certifying" physicians of Part A home health agency services effective July 1, 2014.

CMS has announced that while it still has no fixed date for releasing finalized Affordable Care Act (ACA) federal upper limits (FUL) for multiple source prescription drugs.

On December 16, 2014, Congress gave final approval to H.R. 5771, a tax extender bill that includes the "Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2014."

The House of Representatives and Senate have both approved S 920, the National Clinical Care Commission Act, clearing the measure for the President.

Congressional Health Policy Hearings

The House Energy & Commerce Committee has scheduled two hearings this week on Medicaid policy: a January 31 hearing on "Medicaid Oversight: Existing Problems and Ways to Strengthen the Program," and a February 1 hearing on "Strengthening Medicaid and Prioritizing the Most Vulnerable."

In preparation for legislative activity early next year, various lawmakers have issued open requests for feedback on several health policy initiatives

On January 27, 2015, the House Energy and Commerce Committee released its "21st Century Cures Act" discussion draft, the product of a year-long, bipartisan effort by the Committee to accelerate the pace of medical cures in the United States.

The Senate recently approved an amended version of S. 483, the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2015.

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved two bipartisan bills on February 11, 2016 that are intended to address abuse of opioid and other controlled substances and clarify the regulation of controlled substances.