How radical are the changes to Medicare under the Trump administration?
This post is coauthored by Lawrence J. Wedekind. The Trump administration is making fundamental changes to the Medicare program. These reforms are every bit as radical as the changes we have seen in federal policy governing employer-provided coverage and the market for individual insurance.
What has President Trump done for health care reform?
He supported many efforts in Congress to repeal the law and replace it with an alternative that would have weakened protections for people with pre-existing conditions, eliminated the Medicaid expansion, and reduced premium assistance for people seeking marketplace coverage.
What are the harmful changes to Medicaid under the Trump administration?
Trump Administration’s Harmful Changes t... President Trump has made clear that his goal remains to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including its expansion of Medicaid to low-income adults, and to impose rigid caps on the federal government’s Medicaid spending.
Will Medicare-Eligible seniors be affected by the Trump administration’s proposed budget plan?
While Medicare-eligible seniors would be excluded, early retirees receiving Social Security but not yet eligible for Medicare could be affected. The Trump Administration proposed a rule in November 2019 that would make it harder for states to pay for their share of Medicaid costs.
When will CMS change the star rating?
Additionally, CMS adopted a series of changes in the March 31, 2020, Interim Final Rule with Comment Period (CMS-1744-IFC) for the 2021 and 2022 Star Ratings to accommodate challenges arising from the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Does Medicare have telehealth?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today finalized requirements that will increase access to telehealth for seniors in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans , expand the types of supplemental benefits available for beneficiaries with an MA plan who have chronic diseases, provide support for more MA options for beneficiaries in rural communities, and expand access to MA for patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Together, the changes advance President Trump’s Executive Orders on Protecting and Improving Medicare for Our Nation’s Seniors and Advancing American Kidney Health as well as several of the CMS strategic initiatives.
Can ESRD be covered by Medicare?
Today’s rule gives beneficiaries with ESRD more coverage choices in the Medicare program. Previously, beneficiaries with ESRD were only allowed to enroll in MA plans in limited circumstances.
When will Medicare start telemedicine?
Beginning in 2020 , Medicare Advantage plans and Next Generation ACOs (see below) may seek and obtain waivers to use telemedicine for the monitoring and treatment of diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions. If things go well, expect more liberalization in the future. Liberating ACOs.
What does Medicare mean by "liberating telemedicine"?
In Medicare, so far, that means liberating telemedicine, liberating Accountable Care Organizations, ending payment incentives that are driving doctors to become hospital employees, promoting hospital price transparency, deregulating paperwork and creating more transparency in the market for prescription drugs.
Is the Trump administration changing Medicare?
The Trump administration is making fundamental changes to the Medicare program. These reforms are every bit as radical as the changes we have seen in federal policy governing employer-provided coverage and the market for individual insurance. Further, it seems likely that the changes initiated so far are only the beginning ...
Can MA plans pay for telehealth?
But MA plans cannot pay their own doctors to conduct remote consultations with their patients.
Who is suing to block the rule change?
The American Hospital Association is suing to block the rule change. But this illustrates something important about the powers of the executive branch. Many of the reforms described here would have been done by Congress – but for the influence of powerful special interests.
Can doctors bill Medicare for Skype?
The CMS is acting aggressively to change that. As of January 1 of this year, doctors in MA plans and Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) can now bill Medicare if they use the phone, email, Skype and other technologies to consult with patients remotely to determine if they need an in-office visit.
Why did Trump increase telehealth?
The Trump Administration originally enhanced telehealth mainly to access telehealth so beneficiaries can get care at home instead of traveling to a healthcare facility. The new ruling encourages MA plans to increase their telehealth benefits and increase plan options for beneficiaries living in rural areas.
What is CMS's plan for Medicare Advantage?
CMS is also finalizing proposals to enhance the Medicare Advantage and Part D star ratings system to further increase the impact that patient experience and access measures have on a plan’s overall Star Rating.
How did Obamacare change the Medicaid program?
Obamacare fundamentally changed the Medicaid program by allowing states to add non-disabled, non-aged adults to their Medicaid rolls. The law also favored these “expansion adults” over such traditional populations as the elderly, people with disabilities, children, and pregnant women.
What is the Trump administration's final rule on health insurance?
The rule allows employers to establish accounts that their workers can use to purchase individual health insurance policies.
Why is Obamacare portable?
Because workers will own their insurance policies, their coverage will be portable, moving with them from job to job. The Trump administration moved to allow states to make innovative reforms as well. Section 1332 of the Obamacare statute permits states to obtain waivers from some of the law’s restrictions.
How much will the premiums fall in 2020?
Premiums are estimated to fall by 5.9% to 19.8% in these states.
How did conservatives block the expansion of the federal role in health care?
Conservatives blocked this expansion of the federal role in health care by demonstrating that through regulatory relief, states could lower health care premiums, protect the poor and sick, and stabilize private markets—all without spending a single new federal taxpayer dime.
When did the IRS stop imposing penalties on the uninsured?
In December of that year, Congress did enact a tax reform bill that eliminated the tax penalty on the uninsured. That change, effective January 2019, meant that Americans who were priced out of the individual health insurance market by Obamacare would no longer face IRS penalties.
Did Congress leave Obamacare?
Aside from this measure of relief, however, Congress chose to leave Obamacare largely intact. Some in both political parties favored doubling down on the law, seeking tens of billions in additional federal “bailout” payments to insurers that sell through health care exchanges.
What is Trump's record on Medicare?
Trump is building on a three-year record of success, particularly in stewardship of the Medicare Advantage program. His administration has promoted regulatory flexibility that has unleashed market forces in Medicare Advantage, which will secure better care and savings for seniors, as well as savings for taxpayers.
What is the administration doing to improve Medicare?
The administration is doing all in its power under existing law to improve Medicare for beneficiaries and taxpayers. Congress must build on what the president has begun and make further reforms.
What is the President's executive order on Medicare?
President Donald Trump is making an ambitious move to build on a string of regulatory relief actions that “protect and improve” Medicare, the federal health care program that serves approximately 60 million senior and disabled persons. The president’s executive order, issued Thursday, is yet another step following a roadmap that’s leading ...
When will Medicare be insolvent?
The initial indicator of trouble is the deteriorating state of the traditional Medicare hospitalization program (Part A), which faces insolvency as early as 2026, meaning that the program will not be able to pay for all of its promised hospital benefits.
What is Section 3 of the Medicare Supplemental Benefits Act?
Importantly, Section 3 of the order envisions a rule change in the provision of Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits that would “allow Medicare beneficiaries to share more directly in the savings of the program,” including “cash or monetary rebates” that would encourage seniors to seek and secure “high value” care.
What is Trump's goal with Medicaid?
President Trump has made clear that his goal remains to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including its expansion of Medicaid to low-income adults, and to impose rigid caps on the federal government’s Medicaid spending. While Congress considered and rejected a series ...
When will DHS reject Medicaid?
Beginning February 24, 2020, DHS immigration officials will be able to reject immigration applicants if they have received, or are judged likely to receive in the future, any of an array of benefits, including Medicaid. Timing for the DoS implementation of the policy has not yet been announced.
How does a block grant waiver affect health insurance?
States with block grant waivers could deny coverage for prescription drugs, allow states to impose higher copayments on people in poverty , and waive standards for managed care plans (which many states use to provide Medicaid coverage).
How many people in Arkansas lost medicaid in 2018?
In Arkansas, over 18,000 Medicaid beneficiaries — almost 1 in 4 subject to the new rules — lost coverage in 2018 as a result.
How many children would lose Medicaid in 10 years?
After ten years, more than 300,000 children would lose comprehensive coverage ...
What would happen if the poverty line was lowered?
By lowering the poverty line, that proposal would ultimately cut billions of dollars from federal health programs and cause millions of people to lose their eligibility for, or receive less help from, these programs. Many programs, including Medicaid and CHIP, use the poverty line to determine eligibility and benefits, and the cuts to these programs — and the numbers of people losing assistance altogether or receiving less help — would increase with each passing year. After ten years, more than 300,000 children would lose comprehensive coverage through Medicaid and CHIP, as would more than 250,000 adults covered through the ACA Medicaid expansion. Some pregnant women, low-income parents in non-expansion states, and people receiving family planning services through Medicaid would also lose coverage.
What would happen if the federal government capped funding?
Moreover, capped federal funding would shift financial risk to states, with federal funding cuts most likely to occur when states can least absorb them — such as during recessions, public health emergencies, and other times when states face both high demand for coverage and strain on other parts of their budgets.
What has Trump done to the health care system?
The Trump Administration has moved forward on many other health care fronts. The Administration has proposed spending reductions for both Medicaid and Medicare, along with proposals that would promote flexibility for states but limit eligibility for coverage under Medicaid (e.g., work requirements). The President has made prescription drug prices ...
What is Trump's record on health care?
Since taking office, President Trump has laid down an extensive record on health care, beginning on day one with his clearly-stated intention to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, and continuing through his most recent response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the Trump Administration has made ...
What has Trump done to improve price transparency?
The Trump Administration has also moved forward with an initiative to improve price transparency in an effort to lower costs , though it is held up in the courts. President Trump has made other policy changes that have had a direct impact on reproductive rights, immigration, and on other health care issues that convey his priorities for the future.
Did Trump repeal the Affordable Care Act?
Since taking office, President Trump has laid down an extensive record on health care, beginning on day one with his clearly-stated intention to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, and continuing through his most recent response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the Trump Administration has made or proposed many changes to health policies and programs that could have a significant impact on health coverage and health care.