Health Policy News March
We start this month’s edition looking forward to Black Maternal Health Week – April 11th-17th. Our first article features this important health topic. We hope you will join us for PCG’s joint webinar with the Perinatal Quality Improvement Institute featuring information about a maternal learning collaborative program we support.
We also bring you updates on the recent expansion of behavioral health providers eligible for reimbursement under Medicare. We share an overview of this expansion and the benefits for enrollees as well as implications and considerations for state Medicaid programs. Finally, we wrap up our Focus on Caregiving Series with an overview of the series that includes links to each of our articles for those who would like to take another look.
Breaking Health Federal Health Policy News
Before moving to our articles, we share breaking health policy updates state regulators will want to explore. Just yesterday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced two policy changes. CMS announced an extension of the temporary “unwinding” special enrollment period (SEP) for those transitioning from Medicaid or CHIP to the Marketplace due to the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. The SEP will now end November 30, 2024 instead of July 31st. CMS also related new unwind guidance and tools for states and Medicaid Managed Care Plans. Additionally, in follow-up to a proposed rule released in last July, CMS finalized changes aimed at limiting short-term, limited duration insurance (STLDI) and independent, noncoordinated excepted benefits coverage, both of which are exempted from Affordable Care Act standards. Among these changes are limiting the duration of STLDI and amending notice requirements for both types of plans.
Webinar Marks Upcoming Black Maternal Health Week
Black Maternal Health Week aims to raise awareness about racial inequities in maternal health outcomes in the United States. Hundreds of people die each year during pregnancy or in the year after, and thousands have adverse health outcomes from labor and delivery. Black birthing people are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause. PCG Health’s team of subject matter experts in improving maternal health outcomes and reducing the stark and persistent disparities experienced by Black birthing people is pleased to be participating in an upcoming presentation marking Black Maternal Health Week with the Perinatal Quality Institute. For more information about this important issue, state efforts to promote Black maternal health, and webinar registration, click here.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Expands Medicare Behavioral Health Providers; Implications for State Medicaid Agencies
At the end of last year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced three new behavioral health provider types – Marriage and Family Therapists, Mental Health Counselors, and Intensive Outpatient Programs – to the Medicare program. A long-awaited addition, these new providers will open new avenues for obtaining and supporting behavioral health services for Medicare beneficiaries. These additions also benefit state Medicaid programs as payors of last resort, including for dual-eligible Medicare/Medicaid members. To read about the rule introducing these new providers and a CMS informational bulletin on Coordination of Benefits and Third Party Liability considerations for Medicaid programs, click here.
Fall Article Series: Focus on Caregiving Wrap Up
Throughout the last six months, we have covered a range of topics related to the issues facing those who act as caregivers – both family members and professional care providers. These critical care providers help those in need participate fully in the community. As the federal government and states increasingly understand the important role caregivers play, they have sought to provide additional support to them, as outlined in our series. For more information on these topics and to access all posts included in this series, click here.
