Announcement/Press release

On March 6, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a statement on the cyberattack on UnitedHealth Group’s subsidiary, Change Healthcare. Change Healthcare is a claims processing network within UnitedHealth Group’s Optum subsidiary. The February 21st cyberattack disrupted the company’s ability to process health care claims transactions, prior authorization requests, and reimbursements. CMS stated that it is actively examining its authority to help support health care providers affected by the disruption and is working with states to do the same. The agency said that it will continue to urge health plans to use their abilities to support providers and work with states.

Every March, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) joins the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) and its partners to observe Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month (DDAM). This year’s theme, “A World of Opportunities,” focuses on ACL and NACDD’s shared goal of removing obstacles to community living faced by people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD). ACL is committed to creating inclusive communities where everyone is valued and can do well and succeed. ACL is working alongside its partners in the disability networks to tackle these issues, with a focus on initiatives that they believe will have the biggest impact on the most pressing issues that affect people with I/DD...

During March, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health ( OMH) recognizes National Kidney Month. Chronic kidney disease affects an estimated 14% of adults in the United States—about 35.5 million people—and is most common in people aged 65 years or older. Left untreated, CKD can cause toxic waste and extra fluid to build up, which can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and early death. Since people with early-stage kidney disease usually do not experience symptoms, 9 in 10 adults living with CKD are unaware they have the disease. This month, CMS OMH is highlighting the importance of early screening for CKD to prevent kidney failure and other health problems...

On February 28, Senators Gillibrand and Casey introduced the Strategic Plan for Aging Act, which would create a new, nationwide grant program to support states in the development and implementation of multisector plans on aging. The act would award grants to states, territories, and tribes to create or continue development of their multisector plans. Awardees would be provided with resources to coordinate, implement, and evaluate cross-agency and private sector plans to improve the lives of older adults. ADvancing States and several other organizations have endorsed the Strategic Plan for Aging Act.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a final rule revising previous guidance on how to determine whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The rule will take effect March 11. Determinations about who is an employee or independent contractor can have a big impact on direct care workers, and this revision will help to protect employees’ rights and ensure they benefit from protections under federal labor laws. The new final rule rescinds the 2021 Independent Contractor Rule and returns to longstanding DOL interpretation that is consistent with caselaw of how to determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor...

On February 9, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that eight states and the District of Columbia (DC) have been selected to participate in a new federal initiative, known as the “Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator” (Accelerator), to help strengthen partnerships across housing, disability, aging, and health sectors; access available federal programs and resources, and maximize federal flexibilities to help keep people healthy. The Accelerator will help these states and DC unlock critical resources to reduce homelessness by addressing health-related social needs, such as housing-related services...

On February 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sent initial offers to the participating drug companies of the first ten prescription drugs selected for negotiation in the first cycle of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. CMS announced the ten initial drugs selected for the first cycle of Medicare drug price negotiation on August 29, 2023, and on October 3, HHS announced that the drug companies of all 10 selected drugs agreed to participate in negotiations with Medicare. Negotiations will continue over the next several months, with negotiations ending by August 1, 2024...

On January 31, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Advance Notice for the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Programs that would update payment policies for these programs. The Advance Notice proposes annual updates to MA payment growth rates and changes to the MA and Part D payment methodologies to improve payment accuracy. For calendar year 2025, CMS proposes an MA payment increase of 3.7 percent, or over $16 billion; however, the agency also proposes a 3.9% risk coding adjustment. The CY 2025 Advance Notice also includes the continued phase-in of the updated MA risk adjustment model and updates to the calculation of growth rates related to medical education...

On January 29, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced increased participation in CMS’ accountable care organization (ACO) initiatives in 2024. ACOs are groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care professionals that work together to provide high-quality, coordinated service and health care, improve health outcomes, and manage costs. CMS announced that 19 newly formed ACOs in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (Shared Savings Program) are participating in a new, permanent payment option beginning in 2024 that is enabling these ACOs to receive more than $20 million in advance investment payments (AIPs) to care for people who are medically underserved. An additional 50 ACOs are new to the program in 2024...

On January 22, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that, together with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), it will launch a series of actions to educate the public about their rights to emergency medical care and to help support efforts of hospitals to meet their obligations under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). This comprehensive plan was developed in response to a growing number of inquiries from patients and providers to CMS about how they can ensure that federal obligations were being met...