Any reduction in federal Medicaid spending would leave states with tough choices about how to offset reductions through tax increases or cuts to other programs, like education. If states are not able to offset the loss of federal funds with new taxes or reductions in other state spending, states would have to make cuts to their Medicaid programs.
The Senate Finance committee voted along party lines Tuesday to recommend Oz to the full Senate. That vote is expected soon. Here are five things to know about Oz and the job he's up for.
A Republican lawmaker has gone after UnitedHealthcare over its Medicare plan, calling the insurance company the "worst offender" in the industry. North Carolina Republican Rep. Greg Murphy on Fox Business on Monday discussed Republicans' efforts to reduce Medicare and Medicaid fraud, saying that UnitedHealthcare was "pushing" the boundaries of Medicare fraud. Newsweek spoke with experts about Murphy's comments.
Physical therapy providers are losing a reimbursement battle with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and one of metro Detroit's largest clinic chains says it may close or consolidate more locations if The Blues doesn't let up on the financial squeeze. Blue Cross is starting a new billing policy April 1 for physical therapy providers that, by the health insurer's calculation, would result in an average 17% reimbursement cut for PT clinics.
An inaugural report by the New York City Health Department aimed at cracking down on sky-high prices hospitals charge patients has gaping holes in it because the Big Apple's largest public-employee insurer refuses to turn over records, officials said. The 263-page report quietly released Friday through the agency's new Office of Healthcare Accountability says hospital prices are wildly inconsistent. The study focused on payments made through the city's health care provider, Anthem Blue Cross, and not private-sector insurance plans. The city's GHI-Comprehensive Benefits Plan through Anthem paid on average $45,150 for inpatient services last fiscal year at New York's top 10 hospital systems.
UnitedHealth Group Inc.'s drug-benefits unit is starting to reimburse pharmacies more for dispensing brand-name medicines to address longstanding complaints that expensive prescriptions are losing money for drugstores. PBMs have traditionally compensated pharmacists more for cheaper generic medicines to encourage their use, said Patrick Conway, CEO of UnitedHealth's Optum Rx unit. But generic adoption has plateaued, and Conway said the old system discouraged some pharmacies from stocking newer branded drugs like diabetes and weight-loss shots.