MGMA SUBMITS COMMENTS TO SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR HEARING ON DENIALS AND DELAYS IN MA
On May 17, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations held a hearing titled, “Examining Health Care Denials and Delays in Medicare Advantage." The hearing’s witnesses included Medicare policy experts, a benefits specialist, and leadership from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG). In April 2022, OIG published a report that found some Medicare Advantage (MA) organization denials of prior authorization (PA) limited beneficiaries’ access to medically necessary care.
As part of the MGMA’s efforts to highlight the burden of PA on medical group practices and its negative impacts on patient care, MGMA Government Affairs shared our recent report on the escalating utilization of PA within the MA program and additional written comments outlining our mounting concerns with Subcommittee staff.
"HEALTHCARE ON THE HILL" SESSION AT MGMA SUMMIT
Attending MGMA Summit next month? You won’t want to miss our “Current Landscape of Healthcare on the Hill” virtual session on Thursday, June 8 at 11 a.m. ET. Director of Government Affairs Claire Ernst will be joined by Taya Gordon and Kem Tolliver for an interactive discussion on the latest developments in Washington, D.C. impacting medical group practices. Attendees will get an inside look at Congress’ priorities pertaining to physician practices, as well as the steps the Administration is taking to address key issues. This session will provide updates on Medicare reimbursement, prior authorization reform, surprise billing, and more!
Additional information on MGMA Summit, including registration details and a full schedule of events, may be found here.
MGMA RESOURCES OUTLINGING STATUS OF VARIOUS FLEXIBILITIES AND WAIVERS FOLLOWING PHE
The Biden administration ended the COVID-19 PHE on May 11, 2023. This decision came after multiple renewals over the previous three years. MGMA appreciates that the Administration heeded our call to provide at least 90-days’ notice prior to concluding the PHE. The end of the PHE has ramifications for a variety of flexibilities afforded by the pandemic over the last several years.
MGMA Government Affairs will continue to monitor all federal policy updates as they develop to ensure that our members are aware of all changes as we continue to navigate through this transition. For additional information concerning the end of the PHE, please review some of our member resources below:
