The COVID-19 public health emergency continues to demonstrate the need for reliable access to health care, especially for older adults and people with disabilities. The pandemic makes it crucial to protect Medicare’s ability to provide guaranteed coverage and meet the changing and urgent needs of the populations it serves. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also must have the bandwidth to shift focus and respond quickly to immediate and emergent issues. Thousands of lives are at stake.
The SUNSET proposed rule would unnecessarily impose retroactive expiration provisions on most Medicare regulations, which would leave beneficiaries, providers, payers, professionals, advocates, and the general public on constantly shifting ground, unable to rely on finalized rules or to predict which regulatory requirements will be extant in any given year. Such a proposal, if put into effect, would undermine stability, increase burdens, and cause chaos. We also expect that it would cause payers and providers to refuse to participate in Medicare, leading to access issues for beneficiaries.
Any changes to the Medicare program must aim for healthier people, better care, and smarter spending—not paying more for less. As policymakers debate the future of health care, we will provide our insights here.
Thinking ahead to Medicare's future, it’s important to modernize benefits and pursue changes that improve how people with Medicare navigate their coverage on a daily basis. Here are our evolving 30 policy goals for Medicare’s future.
You can help protect and strengthen Medicare by taking action on the important issues we are following, subscribe to newsletter alerts, or follow along on social media. Any way you choose to get involved is a contribution that we appreciate greatly.
Comments on SUNSET rule
The COVID-19 public health emergency continues to demonstrate the need for reliable access to health care, especially for older adults and people with disabilities. The pandemic makes it crucial to protect Medicare’s ability to provide guaranteed coverage and meet the changing and urgent needs of the populations it serves. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also must have the bandwidth to shift focus and respond quickly to immediate and emergent issues. Thousands of lives are at stake.
The SUNSET proposed rule would unnecessarily impose retroactive expiration provisions on most Medicare regulations, which would leave beneficiaries, providers, payers, professionals, advocates, and the general public on constantly shifting ground, unable to rely on finalized rules or to predict which regulatory requirements will be extant in any given year. Such a proposal, if put into effect, would undermine stability, increase burdens, and cause chaos. We also expect that it would cause payers and providers to refuse to participate in Medicare, leading to access issues for beneficiaries.
Reference
Recent Documents
Test
Comments on Streamlining Medicaid & MSP Applications Proposed Rule
Letter in Support of House Ways & Means Markup of Mental Health Legislation
Comments on the 2023 Physician Fee Schedule
Medicare Advantage Request for Information
Principles of Medicare Parity
Any changes to the Medicare program must aim for healthier people, better care, and smarter spending—not paying more for less. As policymakers debate the future of health care, we will provide our insights here.
Thinking ahead to Medicare's future, it’s important to modernize benefits and pursue changes that improve how people with Medicare navigate their coverage on a daily basis. Here are our evolving 30 policy goals for Medicare’s future.
You can help protect and strengthen Medicare by taking action on the important issues we are following, subscribe to newsletter alerts, or follow along on social media. Any way you choose to get involved is a contribution that we appreciate greatly.