Last week President Obama said he was confident the Supreme Court would not take the “unprecedented, extraordinary step” of overturning the Affordable Care Act. A conservative judge from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals requested that the Obama administration explain these comments, and Attorney General Holder responded in a memo.
IN THE COURTS
On Monday, President Obama said he was confident the Supreme Court would not take the "unprecedented, extraordinary step" of overturning the Affordable Care Act.
Judge Jerry Smith, a conservative judge in Texas on the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals asked the Obama administration to explain President Obama’s comments about the Supreme Court. In a three-page letter, Attorney General Eric Holder told the appeals court that the power of courts to review laws "is beyond dispute." The Attorney General also said in his letter that acts of Congress are presumed to be constitutional and should rarely be overturned.
AT THE AGENCIES
Contracts for Medicaid recovery audit contractors (RACs) have been awarded to 26 states. The Affordable Care Act requires Medicaid agencies to contract with RACs to identify and recover overpayments and to identify underpayments to providers and suppliers that bill claims for Medicare Part A and Part B reimbursements.
IN THIRD PARTIES
A newly released report from the Commonwealth Fund shows that if the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's medical loss ratio provision had been in place in 2010, consumers across the country would have received an estimated $2 billion in rebates from health insurers.
IN THE STATES
Some California legislators are considering state-run alternatives to the Affordable Care Act in case it is struck down by the Supreme Court. A state individual mandate would require a two-thirds majority vote in both the Assembly and Senate.
THIS WEEK
On Friday (4/13) at 12:15 p.m. in G-50 Dirksen, The Alliance for Health Reform will host a briefing titled "Coping with Fragmented Payment in the Real World."
To view our compilation of recent health care reform implementation news, click here.