Latest news with #Medicaid
Fox News
7 hours ago
- Health
- Fox News
Blue state GOP lawmakers urge major healthcare change for illegal immigrants
EXCLUSIVE: Colorado congressional Republicans are asking the state to stop allowing illegal immigrants to enroll in the state's Medicaid program, Health First Colorado. The program's availability to those in the country illegally who meet other requirements for coverage started this year, and the Republicans pitched changes in a letter to Democratic Gov. Jared Polis Wednesday. On Health First Colorado's website, it says, "Don't let immigration status stop you from applying for health coverage," citing state law. "Other Democrat-run states like California and Minnesota are beginning to walk back their policies that offer free and subsidized health care to illegal immigrants even without the One Big Beautiful Bill Act being law because they know that these policies are expensive, bad deals for their Medicaid beneficiaries," the letter from representatives Gabe Evans, Jeff Crank and Lauren Boebert states. "It is disheartening to see Colorado continue to double down and prioritize individuals who are unlawfully present even in the face of adverse impacts on Americans who need Medicaid the most, and we urge you to reverse course," the Republicans added. As the letter notes, Colorado is one of seven states that offer public healthcare coverage that does not factor in one's immigration status. California, Minnesota and Illinois are making reforms to their Medicaid offerings, according to The Wall Street Journal. Minnesota and Illinois are ending the availability as part of budget deals, and California is navigating different options, like a possible enrollment freeze, as its legislature hashes out a budget. In California, a recent poll revealed nearly 60% oppose Medicaid for illegal immigrants despite the law going into effect last year. The lawmakers added that the reconciliation bill includes a provision that will significantly penalize states that provide coverage to illegal immigrants because the Medicaid programs receive both federal and state taxpayer dollars. "There is a renewed urgency to revise this policy in light of the likely enactment of federal legislation to reduce the Medicaid [Federal Medical Assistance Percentage] for the expansion population from 90% to 80% for sanctuary states who use taxpayer dollars to cover illegal immigrants. As you know, this change would pose significant budgetary challenges to Colorado – but only if the state continues to pursue this policy," the letter states. A spokesperson for Polis' office told Fox News Digital in a statement that the reconciliation bill in the U.S. Senate should be completely redone from the House version. "Governor Polis is disappointed these three lawmakers are trying to gut Medicaid and kick people off private insurance, which would raise insurance costs for everyone who buys commercial insurance because of cost-shifting. Thanks to their votes — which they're trying to distract from — nearly 400,000 Coloradans would lose health care, which would also raise costs for everyone else," the statement said. "Governor Polis continues calling on the Senate to start from scratch with this terrible bill, including truly protecting Medicaid and extending critical subsidies for those who purchase plans off the health exchange so Coloradans can afford health care."
Time Business News
9 hours ago
- Health
- Time Business News
Building a Center of Excellence: Your IOP Startup Roadmap
The foundation of a successful Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) lies in a clear and compelling clinical identity. Decide what populations your program will serve—adolescents, adults, or individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Choose your therapeutic modalities with intention, whether grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, trauma-informed care, or integrative holistic practices. Your program philosophy should distinguish your services while remaining evidence-based and outcomes-focused. This clarity guides your operational decisions and builds trust with clients and referral partners. Launching a structured outpatient program begins with a clear vision and a commitment to meeting community needs. It requires careful planning, including licensing, staffing, facility setup, and curriculum design tailored to mental health or substance use recovery. Understanding how to start an IOP program involves navigating regulatory requirements, insurance credentialing, and clinical protocols that ensure quality care. In the middle of this process, building partnerships with local providers and aligning with evidence-based practices is essential. With the right team and infrastructure, an IOP can provide flexible, impactful care that supports long-term recovery while allowing clients to maintain daily responsibilities. Launching an IOP requires navigating a web of licensing and regulatory requirements. Begin by consulting your state's behavioral health agency to determine licensure categories and service definitions. Your program will need written policies on clinical procedures, admissions criteria, discharge planning, and safety protocols. HIPAA compliance must be embedded into your documentation systems, communication tools, and facility design. Consider pursuing national accreditation through CARF or The Joint Commission to demonstrate clinical quality, bolster payer confidence, and attract higher-level referral partnerships. A financially sound IOP begins with a realistic budget and revenue model. Estimate startup costs including facility renovation, staffing, software systems, licensing fees, marketing, and insurance. Construct a detailed financial projection covering fixed and variable costs, census targets, and payer reimbursement rates. Establish your billing infrastructure early, with processes for verifying benefits, authorizations, claims submission, and appeals. Decide on your payer mix—commercial insurance, Medicaid, private pay—and ensure contracts are in place. Financial viability depends not just on census volume but on efficient billing and collection systems. Your physical environment should support both therapeutic effectiveness and operational efficiency. Select a location with high visibility, public transit access, and appropriate healthcare zoning. Design the space to include private therapy offices, group rooms, intake areas, administrative workstations, and restrooms that meet ADA standards. Incorporate calming, professional aesthetics that promote a sense of safety and dignity. Ensure privacy with soundproofing and layout strategies that avoid congestion or patient overlap. The right space reinforces your program's credibility and contributes directly to patient retention. The clinical and operational staff you hire will define your center's culture and effectiveness. Recruit licensed therapists, case managers, group facilitators, peer support specialists, and an experienced clinical director to oversee programming. Include administrative staff trained in behavioral health billing, scheduling, and compliance. Prioritize emotional intelligence, cultural competence, and alignment with your mission. Provide clear roles, clinical supervision, and continuing education to support growth and accountability. A cohesive team builds continuity of care and client satisfaction. Structure is key in IOP delivery. Develop a weekly treatment schedule that balances individual sessions, psychoeducation, process groups, and family involvement. Set clear participation expectations and define pathways for step-down or referral to higher levels of care. Create protocols for assessments, treatment planning, safety risk management, medication coordination, and progress evaluation. Use an EHR system tailored to behavioral health to streamline documentation, improve billing accuracy, and monitor outcomes. Consistent, replicable programming forms the bedrock of clinical excellence. A thoughtful, compliant marketing strategy ensures a strong launch. Develop branding and messaging that communicate professionalism, compassion, and clarity of services. Create referral partnerships with hospitals, therapists, school systems, and primary care physicians. Launch a website optimized for SEO with online intake forms, service details, and clinician bios. Use educational content and community presentations to establish authority and visibility. Ethical outreach—grounded in trust and transparency—positions your IOP as a preferred provider in the continuum of care. Establishing a behavioral health facility requires more than just clinical expertise—it demands strict adherence to regulatory standards. Organizations must navigate a maze of rules and documentation to ensure their operations meet state-specific requirements. In the middle of this process, DHCS Licensing for behavioral health becomes a pivotal step, determining whether a provider can legally deliver services in California. This licensing ensures that facilities uphold safety, ethical care, and treatment standards. Securing it involves thorough preparation, including policy development, facility inspections, and staff qualifications. Successfully obtaining licensure not only legitimizes the practice but also lays the groundwork for sustainable, high-quality care. Building an Intensive Outpatient Program isn't simply a business venture—it's the architecture of recovery. From licensing and staffing to financial sustainability and therapeutic integrity, every step must be handled with diligence and vision. When constructed with clinical rigor and operational discipline, your IOP becomes more than a treatment center; it becomes a beacon of support, resilience, and transformation for those navigating the road to mental wellness and recovery. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
The Hill
9 hours ago
- Business
- The Hill
Green energy credits phaseout divides Senate Republicans
How to phase out Biden-era green energy tax credits is emerging as a key flashpoint among Senate Republicans as they seek to advance their version of the 'big, beautiful bill.' The Senate is taking an approach to the credits for climate-friendly energy that is less aggressive than the House but still represents a major rollback of these incentives. Members who have opposed a full repeal of the credits have signaled that the upper chamber's approach still goes too far. But Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has emerged as a leading voice calling for the subsidies to be phased out more quickly. Hawley told reporters this week that solar tax credits cost 'a gob of money.' 'Funding the Green New Deal is like the least conservative thing I could think of to do,' he said. The dynamic sets up a difficult task for leadership, as President Trump has said he hopes to sign the legislation by July 4. The discord also comes amid similar policy differences on Medicaid and federal tax deductions in areas with high state and local taxes. While Hawley, who opposes Medicaid cuts pressed by the right, says the green subsidies should be reduced, lawmakers who have called for leniency said they generally approve of the current approach — but they'd like to see further changes. 'I think that Senator [Mike] Crapo did a really good job, but there's more work to be done,' Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) told The Hill, referring to the Idaho Republican chair of the Senate Finance Committee. Curtis declined to elaborate. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who, like Curtis, has called for a 'targeted, pragmatic approach' toward the tax credits and not a 'full repeal,' told reporters he was generally pleased with what Senate leaders came up with. 'They've moved substantially in the right direction,' Tillis, who faces a closely watched reelection race next year, said on Wednesday. He added that he expected to see 'a few more adjustments,' particularly in terms of restrictions on energy projects' reliance on China. Meanwhile, West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R) said she's pushing for more flexibility for tax credits for hydrogen energy. Capito, whose state is home to one of several 'hydrogen hubs' set up under the Biden administration, told The Hill Wednesday that she's wants to 'push the dates back' since the bill would require projects to be under construction by the end of this year to qualify for the credit. 'That's a pretty tight timeline,' she said. 'I'm trying to get the date pushed back. I don't know if I'll be successful.' However, she also said that she's not willing to torpedo the entire bill over the issue. 'It's not a hard line for me, but I'm not the only one who has an interest in this,' she said. The disagreements emerging within the Senate GOP come on top of an impending clash with the House, where the conservative Freedom Caucus says it will not accept changes that water down the House-passed cuts to the tax credits. The House version included provisions that were expected to knee-cap access to some credits, particularly for wind and solar, such as language saying projects could only be eligible if they began construction within 60 days of the bill's enactment. The Senate version removed this provision and some others passed by the House, generating pushback among some hardline conservatives. 'They either fix it or they don't have my vote,' Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) told reporters this week. 'The president rightly campaigned on terminating the Green New Scam subsidies. It's destroying our grid. It's subsidizing China.' In the House, a contingent of moderate members were also pushing for leniency on the tax credits, but most of them still lined up to vote for the bill's more dramatic cuts. It's not clear which faction will win out in the Senate. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act passed by Democrats included hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of tax incentives for climate friendly energy sources including wind, solar and nuclear energy, as well as emerging technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture. Republicans have set out the goal to repeal these credits — partly as a pay-for for tax cuts and partly due to ideological opposition to them. Democrats have warned that axing the credits would undermine the fight against climate change, contributing more greenhouse gases to a dangerously warming planet. And they argue that fewer renewables on the grid means higher energy prices.
Forbes
9 hours ago
- Health
- Forbes
What The Senate Budget Bill Would Mean For Older Adults
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 14: Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) is seen before Dr. ... More Mehmet Oz arrives for his confirmation hearing to lead the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). (Photo by Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty Images) The Senate's draft budget bill would cut Medicaid for older adults and people with disabilities even more deeply than the House version. It would scrap a Biden-era minimum staffing rule for nursing homes. And, at the same time, it drops a House proposal to increase tax-free savings that higher-income households could use to buy long-term care insurance or pay caregiving costs. The overall measure, approved by the Senate Finance Committee and likely to reach the Senate floor sometime next week, would cut taxes by trillions of dollars over the next decade and cut spending, though by significantly less. The Congressional Budget Office has not yet calculated the costs of the package. It also is possible Senate GOP leaders will revise the bill before it reaches the Senate floor. However, the current version would make substantial changes to programs affecting older adults, especially those on Medicaid. While Medicaid is widely considered to be a program for poor families, more than half of its benefits go to older adults and younger people with disabilities. About 7.2 million seniors and 4.8 million younger people with disabilities are enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare. The Senate bill mimics the House measure by limiting the ability of states to tax Medicaid providers, such as hospitals and nursing homes, but it is even more aggressive. Those complex provider taxes make it possible for states to pay providers more and effectively bill most of the additional costs to the federal government, which pays for about 70 percent of the program on average. The House bill would cap these taxes at current levels. The Senate plan would require states to lower their taxes for most providers, though they still could tax nursing homes at the higher levels. The provider tax limits would apply only to the 40 states and the District of Columbia that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Critics call provider taxes a financial gimmick that allows states to boost federal payments for the program. However, the real-world impact would be less federal funding for state Medicaid programs. And that would force states to either cut Medicaid benefits, limit program eligibility, or raise taxes to fill the federal hole. It also likely would result in states scaling back their home and community-based benefits, which are optional under the law, and shift more people to nursing home care, which is required. Like the House version, the Senate bill also would require Medicaid recipients to work. It exempts older adults and people with disabilities from having to work. But it could require some family members who are unable to work because of their caregiving responsibilities to choose between assisting a loved one and losing their own Medicaid benefits. The House bill appears to exempt family members caring for children and younger people with disabilities, but it is not clear whether it protects those staying home to assist frail parents or spouses. The Senate bill is ambiguous in a different way. It would exempt people from the Medicaid work requirement if they are a 'parent, guardian, caretaker relative, or family care giver (as defined in section 2 of the RAISE Family Caregivers Act) of a dependent child 14 years of age and under or a disabled individual.' And what does the RAISE Act say? 'The term 'family caregiver' means an adult family member or other individual who has a significant relationship with, and who provides a broad range of assistance to, an individual with a chronic or other health condition, disability, or functional limitation.' What does that mean? Well, nobody really knows. What does 'significant relationship' mean? What is a 'broad range of assistance?' What happens if two Medicaid recipients are caring for a parent? Which is exempt from the work requirement? Presumably, somebody at the Department of Health and Human Services eventually would have to write regulations to clarify it all. But that could take months, at the very least, especially since the Trump Administration fired so many HHS staffers earlier this year. The Senate bill also adopts many of the House's additional paperwork requirements for those applying for Medicaid or trying to keep benefits. It would block a Biden Administration rule that makes it easier to enroll in Medicare Savings Programs, which allow Medicaid to cover Medicare premiums and cost sharing. Without MSPs, low-income Medicare beneficiaries would have to pick up those costs themselves or buy costly Medicare Supplement (Medigap) insurance. The Senate bill also would effectively scrap Biden rules that would require nursing homes to maintain a minimum level of staff, including aides and Registered Nurses. Nursing homes are fighting those rules in court but a congressional repeal of the regulations would make the legal battle unnecessary. Finally, the Senate bill excludes a change in the House bill that could benefit higher-income people who want to put money away for long-term care. The House version would double the maximum contributions to employer-based Health Savings Accounts, but the Senate measure currently has no provision. The House and Senate are operating on a self-imposed July 4 deadline for passing this huge fiscal bill. It will be important to keep an eye on what happens over the next couple of weeks.
The Hill
10 hours ago
- Health
- The Hill
GOP leaders negotiate with Medicaid holdouts
The Big Story Senate GOP leaders are looking to cut a deal with members of their conference who have balked at the impact of Medicaid cuts on rural hospitals. Greg Nash, The Hill Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) are in talks with Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), among others, to create some kind of direct financial assistance for rural hospitals that would be in danger of closing if the Senate bill passes in its current form. The senators have expressed concerns that scaling back the provider tax would negatively impact rural hospitals. Details are still being worked out on how much money would be put into the fund and how the money would be distributed. But leadership wants to have the bill on President Trump's desk by July 4, so the ambitious timeline means they need to win over the holdouts quickly. States impose taxes on providers to boost their federal Medicaid contributions, which they then direct back to hospitals in the form of higher reimbursements. Critics argue it's a scheme for states to get more federal funding without spending any of their own money. But provider taxes have become ingrained into states' Medicaid financing systems. States and provider groups say the taxes provide a steady source of financing for hospitals that operate on thin margins and would otherwise face closure. The Senate legislation would effectively cap provider taxes at 3.5 percent by 2031, down from the current 6 percent, but only for the states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The cap would be phased in by lowering it 0.5 percent annually, starting in 2027. Read more here. Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel, Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: NIH launching long-term health studies of East Palestine train crash The Trump administration is launching a research initiative into the long-term health outcomes stemming from the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. According to an announcement seeking research applications, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) intends to allocate up to $10 million across five years (fiscal 2025 through 2030) to fund one to three awards. The project aims to evaluate the impacts of … Alcohol linked to increased risk of pancreatic cancer: Study Alcoholic beverages, particularly beer and spirits, may increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, according to a new study led by the UN World Health Organization. The research, which pooled data from nearly 2.5 million people across Asia, Australia, Europe and North America, revealed a 'modest but significant' link between alcohol consumption and pancreatic cancer risk, regardless of sex or smoking status. 'Alcohol … Carville: RFK Jr. 'is going to kill more people than any Cabinet secretary, maybe in history' Longtime Democratic strategist James Carville criticized Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine approach, warning the secretary's policies could have fatal consequences for the country. 'Bobby Kennedy is going to kill more people than any Cabinet secretary, maybe in history, with his idiotic vaccine policy,' Carville said Wednesday in an interview on Fox News Channel's 'The Will Cain … Around the Nation Local and state headlines on health care: What We're Reading Health news we've flagged from other outlets: What Others are Reading Most read stories on The Hill right now: Senate GOP leader faces pushback after members blindsided by Trump bill Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is facing strong pushback from members of the GOP conference over the Finance Committee's piece of … Read more LA Dodgers deny ICE access to stadium grounds The Los Angeles Dodgers said Thursday they denied Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents entry to their stadium grounds. 'This morning, … Read more What People Think Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here
