Idaho lawmakers introduced a bill Feb. 12 that would incentivize some physicians providing preceptorship training to graduate students — mainly in rural and underserved areas — by cutting Medicaid prior authorization requirements. Primary care, psychiatric or OB-GYN doctors completing at…
Policy Updates
The Alabama Senate unanimously passed a bill Feb. 17 that would allow the state’s dominant health insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, to reorganize under a nonprofit holding company, a structure that would let the plan launch new subsidiaries…
In February, Gov. Ned Lamont proposed the “Connecticut Option” — a publicly created, but privately administered, health plan — in his 2027 budget proposal. He called for $1 million to outline the policy and conduct a feasibility assessment. He said…
An Illinois bill proposed Feb. 2 would require commercial health insurers and HMOs to pay a combined $100 million annual assessment to fund behavioral health crisis services, shifting costs that currently fall on Medicaid and local governments. The crisis resources…
Independence Blue Cross (IBX) is rolling out a severity-based payment approach for emergency inpatient admissions under Medicare Advantage, following a similar policy from Aetna that took effect earlier this year. Under the new policy, effective March 5, IBX will use…
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Fourteen health insurers have voluntarily committed to CMS’ “Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions” model, according to a Feb. 12 CMS news release shared with Becker’s. The insurers that are on board will work toward achieving alignment with the…
Vermont Republican state Reps. Patricia McCoy and Francis McFaun introduced a bill in January to shake up how payers operate in the state. The proposed legislation grants the governor a greater say in the makeup of health insurance company boards.…
The Labor Department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration proposed regulation Jan. 29 that would require pharmacy benefit managers to disclose their compensation with self-insured group health plans. Under the rule, PBMs would have to share information on their rebates and other…
A Kentucky bill introduced Jan. 21 would require the state’s insurers to offer prior authorization exemptions in the state. The bill has bipartisan backing and includes two Republican healthcare professionals — state Reps. Kimberly Moser and Robert Duvall — as…
The House of Representatives voted 341 to 88 on Jan. 22 to pass a government funding package that includes several long-sought healthcare provisions backed by hospital and provider groups. The three-bill “minibus” is part of a broader bipartisan legislative package…