Medicare & Medicaid
Final rule expands Medicare telehealth services and increases pay for office visits, but cuts emergency physician payment.
Some 30 insurers are entering the individual market, and an additional 61 are expanding their service area within states, a KFF report says.
That brings the total number of enrollees to 2.4 million, a 41% jump over last year but also with more days to sign up over 2019.
States, as Georgia has done, could waive certain ACA requirements to develop their own state healthcare programs.
Medicare beneficiaries can receive telehealth services from any location, including their homes.
Risk adjustment data validation ensures payment integrity and accuracy - and it affects what plans are paid.
Barring an appeals court decision overturning the rule, the mandate goes into effect on January 1, 2021.
PhRMA questions the cost savings and says the rule leaves safety considerations to state governments, rather than the required federal oversight.
The treatment will be available at no cost to patients, although healthcare facilities may charge for the administration.
The interim rule would cut drug reimbursements to hospitals by an average of 65% when fully phased in, the AHA says.