Open Season is Here! Your Guide to TRICARE Open Season and Federal Benefits Open Season (register to receive the recording of the 11/15/18 webinar) All Your Open Season Questions Answered (TRICARE Benefits Update, 11/8/18) Make 2019 Enrollment Choices Today: Open...

Trump Administration Issues Final Rules Protecting Conscience Rights in Health Insurance (HHS press release, 11/7/18) “Today, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury, and Labor released two final rules to provide conscience protections for Americans who...

Your Input Sought Nominations Sought for Federal Family Caregiving Advisory Council – due Dec. 3 The Secretary of Health & Human Services (HHS) has posted a Notice requesting nominations for individuals to serve on the Family Caregiving Advisory Council, which was...

CMS Acts to Help with Typhoon Yutu Emergency Response From the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Agency waivers to take effect in the Northern Mariana Islands The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced that the agency has...

2019 Open Enrollment Runs from November 1 through December 15, 2018 Plans sold during Open Enrollment start January 1, 2019. After December 15, consumers can enroll in 2019 health insurance only if they qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. Federal Health Insurance...

It Takes a Village (about addressing Utah's Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders’ high rates of infant mortality) Thursday, November 8, 11:00 am ET Utah Office of Health Disparities Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) Model - Overview Thursday, November 8, 12:00-1:00 pm ET...

U.S. House of Representatives: The House “flipped” from a Republican to a Democratic majority. The Democrats needed to gain 23 seats; they gained 27. The total count is not yet in, but the Democrats will have at least 220 seats and the Republicans 195. (218 is a...

Recess Congress is in recess until November 13. You can find town halls and other public events at which your Members of Congress will appear at https://townhallproject.com/. This is a good time to educate Members of Congress about children with special health care...

Wisconsin Work-Requirement Waiver Approved On October 31, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved Wisconsin's waiver request to establish a community-engagement requirement (to work, volunteer, or pursue education) for individuals ages 19 through...

REMEMBER: 2019 Open Enrollment runs from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15, 2018. New Guidance Reinterprets Section 1332 Waivers (Say Ahhh! blog of the Georgetown Center on Children and Families, 11/1/18) – This article explains the recent changes to the criteria that CMS will...