Summary of Medicare Provisions in the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2015 March 11, 2014 Issue Brief On March 4, 2014, the Office of Management and Budget released President Obama’s budget for fiscal year (FY) 2015, which includes provisions related to federal spending and revenues, including Medicare savings. The President’s budget would use federal savings and revenues to reduce the federal debt and replace sequestration of Medicare and other federal programs for 2015 through 2024. This brief summarizes the Medicare provisions included in the President’s budget proposal for FY 2015.
The Benefit of a Uniform Response to Ebola in the U.S. October 29, 2014 Perspective In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman discusses the Christie, Cuomo rift with the federal government over Ebola public health measures and the need for uniform national policies to ease the public’s fears.
Nursing Home Staff Vaccination Rates Vary Widely by State as Vaccination Mandates Take Effect February 17, 2022 Issue Brief Due to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on nursing home residents and staff, this population was prioritized to receive the vaccine when the vaccine rollout began in Winter 2020-2021. Since then, CMS has implemented a health care worker vaccination mandate for providers that participate in Medicare and/or Medicaid. Although some states have sued to challenge this rule, it was recently allowed to take effect by the Supreme Court. This data note presents completed vaccination and booster rates among nursing home staff, by state.
What to Watch in Medicaid Section 1115 Waivers One Year into the Biden Administration January 27, 2022 Issue Brief Section 1115 demonstration waivers provide states an avenue to test new approaches in Medicaid and generally reflect changing priorities from one presidential administration to another. This issue brief summarizes waiver priorities and actions under the Biden Administration as well as pending waiver themes and other issues to watch. If the Build Back Better Act (BBBA) fails to pass or is narrowed significantly, Medicaid waivers and other administrative actions may be a key tool for the Biden Administration to advance policy priorities absent legislation.
Funding for Health Care Providers During the Pandemic: An Update January 27, 2022 Issue Brief This brief describes the main sources of federal funding for hospitals and other health care providers during the pandemic, including how those funds have been allocated.
Key Questions About Nursing Home Cases, Deaths, and Vaccinations as Omicron Spreads in the United States January 20, 2022 Issue Brief This data note analyzes federal nursing home data as of January 2nd, 2022 to determine the impact of the pandemic on COVID-19 cases and deaths among staff and residents, amid the recent surge of national cases due to the Omicron variant.
Explaining the Prescription Drug Provisions in the Build Back Better Act November 23, 2021 Issue Brief The Build Back Better Act includes several provisions that would lower prescription drug costs for people with Medicare and private insurance and reduce drug spending by the federal government and private payers. This brief summarizes these provisions and discusses the expected effects on people, program spending, and drug prices and innovation.
COVID-19 Models: Can They Tell Us What We Want to Know? April 16, 2020 Blog This blog gives a primer on epidemiological models for Covid-19 (coronavirus). It describes the uses and the types of models used, then lists a number of examples of different types of models and some key findings. The post also describes the limitations and assumptions related to these models, and how to use the information they provide more effectively.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act: Summary of Key Health Provisions April 9, 2020 Issue Brief This summary of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act highlights and summarizes health-related provisions focused on the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States and support for the global response.
Options to Support Medicaid Providers in Response to COVID-19 June 17, 2020 Issue Brief This brief provides an overview of how states currently reimburse providers and the challenges for Medicaid providers that have emerged from the pandemic and state budget issues. It presents new data on state actions to date to help bolster Medicaid providers dealing with the effects of COVID-19 and discusses support available for Medicaid providers from the federal provider relief fund.