April 25, 2019
CMS Demos Announcements:
- Dual-Eligible Care Models: CMS announced that it will be allowing new approaches that states can test to improve integrated care for dual eligible beneficiaries. CMS is allowing more states to participate in the current demonstration testing a capitated model.
- New Models: CMS also announced a voluntary five-year demonstration aimed to improve primary care. The model would provide monthly payments. CMS also announced a Direct Contracting model that replaces the Next-Generation ACO model.
CBO
CBO formally announced the methods and sources for its new health insurance modeling. Within the announcement, CBO provided baseline estimates. CBO estimates that the number of uninsured has increased by more than a million Americans since 2017. CBO also announced it would be providing estimates for some of the Medicare for All next week.
Association Health Plans:
Association Health Plans (AHPs) continue to be legal limbo. Currently the new AHP regulation has an injunction on them. The government has not yet asked for a stay so any new AHPs are technically illegal. That said, as Kaiser Health News reported, efforts to push the new AHPs are still ongoing. You can read more about the limbo here.
Disease Watch:
Unfortunately, this week the CDC announced several unfortunate milestones.
- The CDC announced that this year’s flu season was the longest in a decade.
- The CDC also announced that the largest US measles outbreak since at least 2000 also was ongoing.