Week in Washington is brought to you by Michael Cohen, PhD. Tune in each week to read the latest on healthcare policy and get a glimpse of what’s on the horizon.
Week in Washington
9/29/2022
Part B Premiums and Deductibles Go Down
CMS announced this week that 2023 Medicare Part B premiums and deductibles will be down in 2023. In 2022, Medicare Part B premiums and deductibles had a large increase as a result of the expected costs of Aduhelm, the Alzheimer’s drug. However, once CMS ruled it would not take on the expected costs of the drugs, it became apparent that the Medicare costs were over-estimated. Consequently, CMS announced that:
“The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B enrollees will be $164.90 for 2023, a decrease of $5.20 from $170.10 in 2022. The annual deductible for all Medicare Part B beneficiaries is $226 in 2023, a decrease of $7 from the annual deductible of $233 in 2022”
Congress
As part of a continuing resolution to fund the government this September, Congress is expected to include a temporary resolution that would extend the Medicare-Dependent and Low-Volume Hospital programs until December 16, as reported by Axios. The change would help stave off a $600 million funding cut to rural hospitals. Congress will deal with a final solution for these programs as well as address sequestration after the midterm elections (i.e., sometime before the December 16th deadline).
New Medicaid Program
Oregon was approved for a Medicaid waiver that would allow the state to keep children continuously enrolled until they turn 6 years old. Given concern that ending the public health emergency may adversely affect this population, other states are expected to follow Oregon’s path
Happy National Coffee Day!
Previous editions:
09/22/2022: Week in Washington
09/15/2022: Week in Washington
09/08/2022: Week in Washington
09/01/2022: Week in Washington
08/25/2022: Week in Washington
08/18/2022: Week in Washington
08/04/2022: Week in Washington
07/28/2022: Week in Washington