Parties to the health care reform case filed opening briefs with the Supreme Court, CMS announced the final list of health plan waiver recipients, and a bipartisan House-Senate committee was appointed to reconcile the differences dividing Congress on the doc fix legislation.
IN THE COURTS
On Wednesday (1/4), the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), a small business group fighting the health care law, asked the Supreme Court for permission to add two plaintiffs to its lawsuit due to possible problems with its initial plaintiff. Since filing, the initial plaintiff closed her shop and filed for personal bankruptcy. Because the named plaintiff no longer owns a business, the NFIB is concerned that it will be harder for the plaintiff to argue the law harms her.
Friday (1/6) was the deadline for opening briefs on three of the four issues the Supreme Court will review regarding health care reform. The Justice Department submitted to the Supreme Court its first brief on the merits of whether the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate is constitutional. The law's challengers also sent the Court new briefs arguing that the entire law should be invalidated.
AT THE AGENCIES
On Tuesday (12/20), CMS asked Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans for comments about possible changes to its star rating methodology, under which CMS grades plans on a scale of one to five and posts ratings on the Medicare website.
On Tuesday (1/3), HHS named 73 "innovation advisors" to work with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, created by the Affordable Care Act, to help with efforts to improve health care quality and lower costs.
CMS sent a letter to JudyAnn Bigby, Secretary of Massachusetts Health and Human Services, indicating that it would extend the state's Medicaid funding for the state's health insurance law through June 2014.
On Friday (1/6), CMS announced on its website the final round of health plan waivers, bringing the total number granted to 1,231.
According to data released Friday (1/6), the health care industry added 23,000 job in December 2011 and 315,000 over the last year.
ON THE HILL
A bipartisan House-Senate committee was appointed to reconcile the differences dividing Congress on the doc fix and payroll tax break legislation.
IN THE STATES
On Thursday (12/29), Idaho Gov. Butch Otter sent out an opinion press releasearguing in favor of a state health care exchange.
On Thursday (12/23), Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe announced that he is supportive of a partnership with the federal government to implement the insurance exchange.
CMS approved Texas' request to expand its existing risk-based Medicaid managed care program to 174 counties in the rural parts of the state.
On Wednesday (1/4), HHS denied Kansas and Oklahoma's requests for waivers from the medical loss ratio provisions of the Affordable Care Act, which require insurance companies to spend at least 80 percent of premium revenue on care. The government has now rejected requests by eight states for waivers.
South Carolina Insurance Director David Black announced his resignation effective December 28, 2011.
THIS WEEK
On Monday (1/9) at 9 a.m. at the National Press Club, Health Affairs held a briefing titled, "National Health Spending in 2010: Slow Growth Continues."
To view our compilation of recent health care reform implementation news, click here.