MedPAC Proposes Path for Post-Pandemic Telehealth Pay medscape.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from medscape.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Thursday, March 11, 2021
On March 10, 2021, Congress finalized and passed the American Rescue Plan of 2021 (ARP), the latest COVID-19 relief package that largely tracks President Biden’s initial $1.9 trillion proposal. The ARP extends unemployment insurance benefits and provides direct $1,400 stimulus payments to qualifying Americans, but it also makes several important health-policy-related changes. These include providing funding for vaccine distribution and testing to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, making policy adjustments to the Medicaid program, facilitating health insurance coverage and providing more money for healthcare providers. The final bill also makes two narrowly focused technical Medicare payment changes.
In developing and finalizing the bill, Democrats used the budget reconciliation process to pass the bill with only Democratic support. This process limited what could be included. The version that was signed into law ultimately removed a provision to inc
Matthew Dickerson is the director of the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget at The Heritage Foundation.
Last week, two important reports were released, shining a light on one of the major challenges facing America excessive government spending that is causing the poor and declining fiscal health of the federal government. This reduces economic freedom and threatens prosperity, making it more difficult for families to live the American dream.
In The Heritage Foundation’s 2021 Index of Economic Freedom, which was released March 5, the results weren’t pretty for the United States. The U.S. received its lowest ranking ever, just 20th in the world in overall economic freedom.
Director, Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget The sun rises through a bank of clouds behind the Statue of Liberty in New York City on March 7, 2021 as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey. Gary Hershorn / Getty Images
Key Takeaways
While tax revenues are projected to rise above their historical average as a share of the economy, the growth of spending will outpace that growth in revenue.
Over the long term, government spending simply cannot continue growing faster than the economy.
Some recommendations found in the blueprint include reforming benefit programs, preventing out-of-control spending, and maintaining a pro-growth economic policy.
With insolvency looming for the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, provider payments could be impacted hfma.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from hfma.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.