Health and Human Services Research

Medicare Quality Reporting InitiativeCMS announced on July 11 that the recovery audit contractor (RAC) pilot program obtained net Medicare recoveries of $693.6 million through March 2008.

Recovery Audit ContractorsCMS announced on July 11 that the recovery audit contractor (RAC) pilot program obtained net Medicare recoveries of $693.6 million through March 2008.

Legislative UpdateThe U.S. House voted 383-41 and the Senate voted 70-26 on July 15 to override a veto of H.R. 6331.

Moratorium on CMS RegulationsThe moratorium bill (H.R. 2642) was signed into law on June 30 after winning bipartisan approval in the House (416-12) and Senate (92-6).

Bush Administration Delays Medicare Physician CutbackOn June 28, DHHS froze the current Medicare pricing system for doctors for 10 days to avoid the scheduled 10 percent cutback, since Congress adjourned for a midsummer break before taking further legislative action.

Senators Urge DHHS Secretary to Increase Transparency in Waiver ProcessModern Healthcare reported on June 20, "More transparency is needed in the waiver process for Medicaid and SCHIP", according to a letter from Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), and Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va), Jack Reed (D-Ri.), and Shelden Whitehouse (D-Ri.) to DHHS Secretary Mike Leavitt.

Moratorium on CMS RegulationsThe U.S. House voted 416-12 on June 19 to pass a supplemental appropriations bill with an amendment containing moratoria until April 2009 on six CMS Medicaid regulations. The Senate is considering the legislation this week.

New York Medicaid Payment ReformsThe New York State Medicaid program announced on June 5 that it will stop reimbursing hospitals as of October 1, 2008 for the costs of treating certain preventable conditions that patients did not have upon admission.

U.S District Court Finds DHHS Violated Congressional Medicaid MoratoriumOn May 23 the U.S. Disrict Court for the District of Columbia held that US DHHS violated a congressional moratorium when it issued a final Medicaid cost-limit rule.

Urban Institute Study of Massachusetts Health ReformThe Urban Institute concluded in a study published on June 3 that Massachusetts reduced the percentage of working age adults without health coverage from 13 percent to 7 per cent in the first year of implementing its combination of Medicaid expansions, subsidized private coverage, and market reforms under the Chapter 58 provisions enacted in April 2006.