Trump Administration Releases Budget Proposal

The Trump Administration recently released its fiscal year (FY) 2019 budget proposal, including extensive health policy provisions. The budget proposal features numerous program integrity provisions. For instance, the budget calls for: a $45 million increase in Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control funding; expanded prior authorization requirements for high utilization practitioners of radiation therapy, therapy services, advanced imaging, and anatomic pathology services; expansion of the items of DME, prosthetics and orthotics that are subject to prior authorization; a demonstration to test the use of a benefits manager for serial/refill DME claims; a requirement that clearinghouses and billing agents enroll in Medicare; and the addition of the National Provider Identifier of covered recipients on the public Open Payments website. The budget also includes proposals to streamline Medicare program rules for providers and suppliers, including: relaxing Medicare meaningful use program requirements for hospitals and physicians, simplifying Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) rules and Advanced Alternative Payment Model (APM) bonus rules for physicians, and various reforms to the Medicare appeals process. The budget also proposes a new exception to the physician self-referral law for arrangements that arise due to participation in Advanced APMs. Furthermore, several provisions are intended to boost accountable care organizations (ACOs), including a proposal to allow ACOs ...
Source: Policy and Medicine - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs