CMS Alerts117 posts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 12, 2021 Contact: CMS Media Relations CMS Media Inquiries CMS unleashes innovation to ensure our nation’s seniors have access to the latest advancements Final rule will strengthen Medicare by bringing new medical technologies to Medicare beneficiaries faster Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule that propels innovative technology so Medicare beneficiaries have access to the latest, most advanced devices.

December 22, 2020 Contact: CMS Media Relations CMS Media Inquiries New Measures Under Consideration Mark a Milestone for CMS’s Reimagined Quality Strategy to Increase Digital Innovation and Reduce Burden Measures advance better quality care The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today unveiled its 2020 list of quality and efficiency measures under consideration. Quality measures are tools the agency uses to collect data from providers on the effectiveness, safety, efficiency, and timeliness of care beneficiaries receive.

December 21, 2020 Contact: CMS Media RelationsCMS Media Inquiries CMS Issues Final Rule to Empower States, Manufacturers, and Private Payers to Create New Payment Methods for Innovative New Therapies Based on Patient Outcomes The Final Rule updates provisions to promote value-based payment for prescription drugs, while furthering the Trump Administration’s efforts to combat the opioid crisis Today the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized regulatory changes to modernize Medicaid prescription drug purchasing and propel payment innovation by providing states, private payers and manufacturers more flexibility to enter into value-based purchasing (VBP) arrangements for prescription drugs.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 17, 2020 Contact: CMS Media Relations CMS Media Inquiries  CMS Announces New Model Opportunity for Medicaid Managed Care Organizations Serving Beneficiaries Dually Eligible for Medicare and Medicaid New opportunity offers a more holistic approach to care for individuals, while aiming to reduce overall spending across both programs The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation is announcing a new opportunity to enable Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) to better serve enrollees who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 16, 2020 Contact: CMS Media Relations (202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries CMS Office of the Actuary Releases 2019 National Health Expenditures Total national healthcare spending in 2019 grew 4.6%, which was similar to the 4.7% growth in 2018 and the average annual growth since 2016 of 4.5%, according to a study conducted by the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and published today ahead of print by Health Affairs.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 10, 2020 Contact: CMS Media Relations CMS Media Inquiries CMS Proposes New Rules to Address Prior Authorization and Reduce Burden on Patients and Providers Improving patient and provider access to medical records and reforming prior authorization processes critical in a public health emergency Today the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that would improve the electronic exchange of health care data among payers, providers, and patients, and streamline processes related to prior authorization to reduce burden on providers and patients.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 3, 2020 Contact: CMS Media Relations (202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries CMS Announces New Model to Advance Regional Value-Based Care in MedicareGeographic Direct Contracting Model Builds on CMS’ Long-Standing Commitment to Improving Quality and Lowering Costs for Medicare Beneficiaries Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a new and transformative voluntary payment model that builds on CMS’ focus to deliver Medicare beneficiaries value through better care and improved quality.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 1, 2020 Contact: CMS Media Relations CMS Media Inquiries Trump Administration Finalizes Permanent Expansion of Medicare Telehealth Services and Improved Payment for Time Doctors Spend with Patients Today the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the annual Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) final rule, prioritizing CMS’ investment in primary care and chronic disease management by increasing payments to physicians and other practitioners for the additional time they spend with patients, especially those with chronic conditions.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 25, 2020 Contact: CMS Media Relations (202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries CMS Announces Comprehensive Strategy to Enhance Hospital Capacity Amid COVID-19 Surge Agency outlines flexibilities to maximize Acute Hospital Care at Home, Ambulatory Surgical Centers to decompress hospitals treating COVID-19 patients Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlined unprecedented comprehensive steps to increase the capacity of the American health care system to provide care to patients outside a traditional hospital setting amid a rising number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospitalizations across the country.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 20, 2020 Contact: CMS Media Relations (202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries CMS Announces Historic Changes to Physician Self-Referral Regulations Unprecedented additions to regulations that interpret “Stark Law” opens avenues for healthcare providers to ensure patients receive highest quality of care Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized changes to outdated federal regulations that have burdened health care providers with added administrative costs and impeded the health care system’s move toward value-based reimbursement.