Washington DC Update News
Below are recent articles from the Washington DC Update newsletter, a weekly Family Voices newsletter that provides the latest on national policy affecting children/youth with special health care needs and their families, and also shares relevant resources and happenings in the field.
Webinars from the Field (Washington Update, January 9, 2019)
NEW SERIES: Genetic Counselors in the Genomic Era –Public Health Genetics and Precision Medicine Roles Sponsored by the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) An Overview of Regional Genetics Networks: Wednesday, January 9, 12:00-1:30 pm ET Save the Dates:...
The “Shut-Down” (Washington Update, January 9, 2019)
Health Programs No doubt you have heard about the partial government “shut-down” caused by a stand-off between congressional Democrats and President Trump over whether to fund a “wall” that the president wants to erect on the nation’s southwest border to prevent...
Additional Special Enrollment Period Available for Victims of 2018 Hurricane Michael (from CMS) (Washington Update, January 9, 2019)
Note: This message is intended for Georgia and Florida assisters only The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is providing additional opportunities to enroll in Federally-facilitated Exchange (FFE) coverage for certain individuals affected by Hurricane...
Congress (Washington Update, January 9, 2019)
The New Congress The 116th Congress of the United States convened on January 3, 2019, and will exist for two years–divided into the first and second “sessions.” It is the most racially and ethnically diverse Congress in history, and the most female. Among the new...
The Courts (Washington Update, January 9, 2019)
Update on Texas v. Azar -- Challenge to the ACA As reported in the last Update, in December a federal district court held that the entire ACA is unconstitutional in Texas v. Azar (also known as Texas v. United States), a case brought by the attorneys-general in 20...
Medicaid, CHIP, and ACA News, Information, and Resources (Washington Update, January 9, 2019)
Managed Care Comments Due on January 14 As reported earlier, and explained in the “Your Input Sought” section below, the administration issued a proposed rule on Medicaid/CHIP managed care on November 14. Comments are due on January 14. See Proposed Changes to...
TRICARE (Washington Update, January 9, 2019)
New to TRICARE? The Basics You Need to Know Jan. 3, 2019 Calendar Year Costs for TRICARE Resets Jan. 1 Dec. 18, 2018 TRICARE implemented in 2018 include changing cost limits from a fiscal-year cycle to a calendar-year cycle. Therefore, annual catastrophic caps and...
Other News, Information, and Resources (Washington Update, January 9, 2019)
New National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems The Administration for Community Living and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently announced the launch of the National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems...
Your Input Sought (Washington Update, January 9, 2019)
Comments to CMS about Proposed Rule on Medicaid/CHIP Managed Care – due Jan. 14, 2019 On November 8, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) (proposed rule) to amend the 2016 managed care final rule issued...
Resources for Open Enrollment (Washington Update, December 19, 2018)
Health insurance marketplaces are still open for enrollment in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington, DC. The following resources might be helpful to consumers. Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator This tool from the...
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