Policy and Legislation
Physician fee schedule final rule also updates payments for biosimilars, pays for more telehealth services and provides detail on participation in APMs under MACRA.
The new program, and the expected final MACRA rule, are proof that the new administration is serious about scaling back requirements for providers.
The final rule will also allow for higher outpatient payment when Medicare beneficiaries receive certain procedures in a lower cost outpatient department.
The agency is also announcing the immediate approval of both New Jersey and Utah's demonstration waivers under the new policy.
Accounting for lost subsidies, premium increases for 2018 silver-tiered plans range from 7.1 to 38 percent, Kaiser Family Foundation finds.
State markets are in charge of their own marketing and enrollment assistance programs, so are somewhat immune from Trump administration actions to undermine enrollment.
After failed merger with Humana, Aetna would need to convince feds that the merger is more than two industry behemoths coming together.
Devin McGraw had also been working as ONC's chief privacy officer, a position that ONC head Donald Rucker has said will not be filled.
In 2016, the total national spending on pay-for-quality hit $354.5 billion.
Insurer did not address rumors of CVS takeover, but said decision on its pharmacy benefits manager would be announced by mid-2018.