Welcome to Morning CheckUp, ThinkProgress Health’s 7:00 AM round-up of the latest in health policy and politics. Here is what we’re reading, what are you?
CMS administrator Berwick is racing against time: Assuming he leaves at the end of the year — after his recess appointment expires — CMS administrator Don Berwick “will have overseen large portions of the government’s work on crucial scaffolding for the 2010 law overhauling the health-care system — including regulations due out this week for insurance exchanges that states are expected to create by 2014, as well as rules scheduled for later this year year defining the medical services that health plans in exchanges must cover.” [Washington Post]
Kansas abortion licensing regs raise privacy concerns: One regulation says “all records shall be available at the facility for inspection” by the secretary of health and environment or his staff. Abortion-rights advocates said giving such access allows health department officials to review highly personal information. [AP]
‘Death panels’ haunt health care debate: “In January, the Department of Health and Human Services was forced to retreat from a regulation that would reimburse for “advance care” counseling, and Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) tarred the Independent Payment Advisory Board with a related accusation.” [Lester Feder]
California’s rate regulation bill faces senate committee vote: “If approved and signed into law, the legislation would allow the state insurance commissioner or the Department of Managed Health Care to reject rate increases deemed excessive.” The Assembly Health Committee barely approved the measure in April on a mostly party-line vote. The full Assembly signed on in June. [AP]
Ohio to add constitutional amendment challenging health reform: Conservative groups plan to submit petitions with more than 530,000 signatures to add a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution that would stipulate that no law or rule can compel any person, employer or health-care provider to participate in a health-care system. [Dayton Business Journal]
ACA sees another court victory: The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio upheld the healthcare law’s individual mandate. [The Hill]
Managed care in the doctor’s office: “The only way hospitals are going to be able to survive on reduced payments is to become much more efficient in what they do,” says Gerry Meklaus, an adviser to hospitals and physician groups for FTI Consulting. For several years, hospitals have been buying up doctor groups because it helped them demand greater prices from insurers. But now, they’re also trying to make their services cheaper and for that, they also “need physicians,” he said. [WSJ]
Advocates call for broader Medicaid access rule: “Provider and children’s advocacy groups are urging CMS to strengthen its proposed rule on ensuring Medicaid beneficiaries’ access to care, with many saying the proposed regulations should apply to Medicaid managed care as well as fee-for-service… The proposed rule unveiled in April requires states to show that Medicaid beneficiary access would be sufficient if they cut provider payments and also outlines ongoing reviews, but the proposed rule only applies to fee-for-service Medicaid.” [Inside Health Policy]
US drops opposition to genetically modified food labeling: The administration has dropped its opposition to a long-considered GM food labeling consensus guidance document, which means that “countries with policies mandating GM food labeling will not face the possibility of legal challenges from the World Trade Organization.” [Inside Health Policy]
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