No doubt you have heard that the partial government “shut-down” has been ended until at least February 15 in order to allow time for Congress and President Trump to negotiate over funding for a “wall” on the nation’s southwest border. Fortunately, this means that...

New Federal Policy on Restraint and Seclusion in Schools On January 17, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced a new department initiative to address the problem of restraint and seclusion of school children with disabilities. See U.S. Department of Education...

Money-Follows-The-Person (MFP) Program Extended Temporarily On January 25, the president signed the Medicaid Extenders Act of 2019 (H.R. 259), which was approved in the Senate by unanimous consent on January 17. The Act provides $112 million for Money Follows the...

Kentucky residents have filed a lawsuit challenging the administration’s re-approval of a Medicaid waiver that would establish “community engagement” requirements for certain Medicaid beneficiaries. Eligibility for these individuals would be contingent on their...

MEDICAID WAIVERS CMS Approves Arizona’s Medicaid Community Engagement Demonstration Amendment (CMS press release, 1/18/19). See CMS approves 8th state for Medicaid work requirement (Healthcare Dive, 1/22/19). WORTH REPEATING: Tennessee proposes to amend its...

OPEN ENROLLMENT The only jurisdictions that are still open for insurance-coverage enrollment are New York and the District of Columbia. In both, the enrollment period ends on January 31. NOTICE OF BENEFIT AND PAYMENT PARAMETERS (NBPP) On January 17, the Department of...

Learn More about Your Benefit with 2019 TRICARE Resources Jan. 22, 2019 Save Money at the Pharmacy: Understanding TRICARE Prescription Drug Types Jan. 16, 2019 WORTH REPEATING: Government Shutdown: Some Allotment Payments Affected The partial government shutdown...

From the Administration on Community Living (ACL): Learn more about ACL's Business Acumen Initiative. Medicaid, Medicare, Accountable Care Organizations, private insurers, and other private pay models offer opportunities for community-based organizations to tap into...

YOUR INPUT SOUGHT NEW Pain Management Task Force Draft Report – Due April 1, 2019 The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA), requires that the public be given at least ninety (90) days to submit comments on any proposed updates and recommendations...

Integrating Nurses into Complex Care Teams Thursday, January 17, 1:00 pm ET Better Care Playbook NEW CLC Peer Learning Exchange: Building Health Equity in Systems of Care by Engaging Diverse Families, Youth, and Community Organizations Thursday, January 17, 2:00-3:00...