8 Recent Medicare, Medicaid Issues — Presidential Budget, Payment Reform & More

Here are eight issues dealing with Medicare or Medicaid that occurred in the past week, starting with the most recent.

1. President Barack Obama released his budget proposal for the federal government's 2014 fiscal year, and the budget included roughly $400 billion in Medicare cuts over the next decade.

2. Illinois Department of Health and Family Services Director Julie Hamos, who oversees the state Medicaid program, said there may not be enough physicians to take care of the newly insured.

3. CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner went before the Senate Finance Committee, and senators who conducted the hearing said they expect to vote on her appointment as early next week.

4. A report from Moody's Investors Service said the 2 percent Medicare cuts from sequestration will further impair the "already challenging operating environment" of hospitals, physician practices and other healthcare organizations.

5. Indiana and Ohio lawmakers have blocked bills to expand Medicaid in both states.

6. Maine officials debated how to pay off $484 million in Medicaid debt owed to its 39 hospitals.

7. In an effort to reduce administrative burdens on hospitals and other providers, CMS reduced the minimum medical record requests from Medicare Recovery Auditors — formerly known as Recovery Audit Contractors, or RACs.

8. A report from the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida found if the state Senate goes through with its plan to change how hospitals are reimbursed for providing Medicaid care, non-profit safety-net hospitals could lose tens of millions of dollars to for-profit hospitals.

More Articles on Medicare and Medicaid:

What Does the Future Hold for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers? 6 Observations & Concerns
3 Resources for CMS' New Pre-Payment Audits
17 Recent Medicare, Medicaid Issues — RACs, Fraud & More

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