June 13, 2024
The MMA has signed on to support federal bipartisan legislation that would tackle the overuse and abuse of prior authorization (PA) by Medicare Advantage (MA) plans.
Introduced June 12, the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care (Seniors’) Act, is co-sponsored by Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Betty McCollum and has the support of more than 380 organizations and 42 senators and 130 house members.
The bill would codify and enhance elements of the Advancing Interoperability and Improving Prior Authorization Processes (e-PA) rule that was finalized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on January 17, 2024.
In efforts to promote swift passage in Congress, the bill sponsors made modest adjustments to the legislation to align with CMS’ final e-PA rule and to reduce the Congressional Budget Office score. Changes include a requirement for CMS to issue a report on implementing real-time decisions, an analysis on enrollee impact, and clarifying CMS’s authority to modify the timeframes for making PA determinations.
July 16, 2025
On July 8, the MMA submitted a formal comment in opposition to a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rule that would dramatically restrict states’ ability to impose Medicaid provider taxes on insurance companies.
July 16, 2025
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison met with the MMA Board of Trustees at its July 14 meeting and offered to regularly engage with the group to discuss the state’s healthcare issues.
July 16, 2025
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is warning its registrants of new fraud schemes in which scammers impersonate DEA personnel and notify them that they are under investigation, presumably to obtain personal information.