This week, the U.S House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means Health Subcommittee held a hearing on the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. MA allows people with Medicare to choose a private insurance option instead of traditional Medicare. Witnesses included representatives from two MA plans—Andrew Toy of Clover Health and Daphne Klauser of Independence Blue Cross—who spoke to their experience administering MA plans, as well as Dr. Karoline Mortensen, Associate Professor of the Department of Health Sector Management and Policy at the University of Miami Business School, who discussed quality measures in MA plans. Dr. Jack Hoadley, Research Professor Emeritus at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy and former Commissioner on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) also testified, speaking for himself and not on behalf of Georgetown or MedPAC.

This week, several health care programs appeared in legislation that does not normally address health care. Two of the surprise provisions are embedded in draft Farm Bill legislation and in cuts, or rescissions, requested by the White House. While these measures may gain traction in the U.S. House of Representatives, they face a more uncertain future in the Senate.

The Kaiser Family Foundation released a new report looking at the history of the concept of Medicare drug price negotiation, including the dramatically different role that the federal government has in securing good prices for Medicare beneficiaries, compared to its active involvement in establishing drug prices for other government health programs, including Medicaid and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The report outlines various bills that have been introduced in Congress since the enactment of the Part D benefit, and discusses how enthusiasm for making this change tracks closely with the rate of increase in Part D drug costs.

This week, the Commonwealth Fund’s Affordable Care Act Tracking Survey showed recent coverage declines among 19-to-64-year-olds. The survey’s focus is on adults who gained coverage through the ACA’s marketplaces and Medicaid.

The findings show that an estimated four million people have lost coverage since 2016. Significant changes can be seen for lower income households and people aged 35-49, and the losses are even more pronounced in states that have not expanded Medicaid—especially southern states—and among people who self-identify as Republican. For example, among Republicans surveyed, the uninsured rate has risen from 7.9% in 2016 to 13.9% in 2018, with self-identified Democrats seeing no change.

This week, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and the Council for Affordable Health Coverage’s Clear Choices Campaign released a long-anticipated report on the Medicare Plan Finder (MPF) tool. The Modernizing Medicare Plan Finder Report highlights some of the issues Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and their caregivers encounter while using the MPF tool as well as future considerations for the tool’s development and recommendations for improvement.

This week, we submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in response to the agency’s proposed rule to expand the availability of short-term, limited duration insurance (STLDI) plans. This rule would mean millions of people would have bad insurance plans that do not cover their health needs and millions more would be paying much higher prices for quality coverage.

This month, stakeholders and advocates across the country are observing Medicaid Awareness Month. Organized by the Protect Our Care coalition, the month-long campaign is intended to enhance awareness of the many ways the Medicaid program strengthens American communities.

To that end, the coalition is launching outreach and education efforts on a different topic each week. These activities will culminate in a national Medicaid Day of Action on April 30.

On January 11, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance announcing a new policy that, for the first time, will allow states to make participation in a work or “community engagement” program a condition for Medicaid enrollment. The next day, CMS approved a Medicaid waiver in Kentucky that will allow the state to test this new policy.

Over the past few months, the Medicare Rights Center has been actively engaged in considering and commenting on proposals from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that could have significant effects on people who are enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D plans. Last week, CMS released both the Contract Year 2019 Final Rules for Medicare Advantage and Part D (Final Rules) and the 2019 Call Letter. CMS also released fact sheets for the Final Rule and the Call Letter. As we continue to analyze the Final Rules and Call Letter, as well as the impact of the recent two-year budget deal, here is a preview of the issue areas we intend to spotlight, which focus on regulatory trends, anticipated implementations, and practical changes that will impact people with Medicare and those who help them navigate coverage decisions.

The recently-passed Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA of 2018) makes a number of changes to Medicare, including permanently authorizing Dual Special Needs plans (D-SNPs), which are Medicare Advantage (MA) plans for people who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.

To help inform implementation of these changes, earlier this month the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a request for stakeholder input on (1) The design of an integrated Medicare-Medicaid appeals approach for D-SNPs; and (2) The establishment of minimum state contract requirements for D-SNPs.