States Expand CMS Operations, NIH Director Resigns
CMS uses American Rescue Plan funds to expand state marketplaces, HRSA offers hospitals COVID-19 relief, and Francis Collins, NIH Director resigns.
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By - Funds from the American Rescue Plan were used in several states to initiate healthcare marketplaces. Kentucky, Maine, and New Mexico joined 14 other states that had already established their state-specific health insurance marketplaces. In Missouri, another billion dollars from the American Rescue Plan was leveraged to expand the scope of Medicaid.
Meanwhile, long-running NIH Director, Francis Collins, has resigned planning to relinquish his post by the end of the calendar year. His announcement came with the hope that another scientist would step up to lead the NIH into the future. And, the Biden-Harris administration has released new rules detailing the No Surprises Act and the process for rate negotiations between payers and providers.
Three States Launch Healthcare Marketplaces
Kentucky, Maine, and New Mexico have transferred their health insurance marketplaces from the federally run HealthCare.Gov to state-based programs. The launch of these three systems was aided by $1 million in American Rescue Plan funds issued to each state via CMS. With this announcement, there are now 17 state-specific marketplaces providing locally focused and tailored coverage solutions. READ MORE.
Director of the NIH, Francis Collins Resigns
Francis Collins, MD, PHD, served as the director of the NIH for 12 years under three different presidential administrations. The physician-geneticist will step away from his post by the end of 2021. During his years of service, he championed the study of brain health, cancer treatments, and improvements to research platforms involving multiple initiatives. Collin’s reason for leaving was his belief that no one person should lead the NIH for an extended period, hoping that a new scientist can take the NIH into the future. READ MORE.
HRSA Offers COVID-19 Relief
Healthcare providers can now apply for COVID-19 relief funds from the Health Resources and Service Administration. A total of $25.5 billion from the American Rescue Plan will be up for distribution throughout the month of October at the behest of hospitals and provider organizations that urged the administration for more COVID-19 relief. Payment amounts per organization will be determined by preexisting Medicare data and losses incurred during the pandemic. READ MORE.
Missouri Funds Medicaid Expansion with ARPA
Missouri has expanded its Medicaid coverage to include 275,000 beneficiaries. The expansion, funded with nearly $1 billion from the American Rescue Plan, will allow low-income families and individuals to apply for coverage through Missouri’s state program, MO HealthNet. Medicaid expansions have now been passed in 38 states allowing for 80 million Americans to gain health insurance during the pandemic. READ MORE.
Surprise Billing Latest Regulation Released
The latest portion of the No Surprises Act has been released for comment by the Biden-Harris Administration. New rules introduced in the announcement include the process for negotiating out-of-network rates between payers and providers as well as the proposed fee associated with failed negotiations. Rules go into effect January 1, 2022. READ MORE.
