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.
May 29, 2025
As the Legislature works to complete its work on the state’s two-year budget, another deadline is looming. Legislators are required to pass a balanced budget before the end of the fiscal year—June 30, 2025. If they don’t meet that deadline, the state will begin a partial shutdown.
May 29, 2025
Registration has opened for the Empowering Physicians: A Night of Reflection and Engagement event, featuring best-selling author Elisabeth Rosenthal, MD.
May 29, 2025
The AMA is encouraging physicians to contact their U.S. senators and urge them to revise the reconciliation bill passed recently by the U.S. House of Representatives. While the bill includes language that would stabilize Medicare physician payments, it also threatens to cripple Medicaid and CHIP.