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The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) both underwent a leadership change in 2021. Xavier Becerra was confirmed as HHS’ Secretary in March and Chiquita Brooks-LaSure as CMS’ Administrator in May.   CMS, an Operating Division of HHS, has oversight for what Brooks-LaSure calls “the…

News Flash! January through June 2021 was the eighth warmest such period on record according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The other day my Amazon Show informed me about the melting ice in Greenland. The red tide algae bloom in Florida was hard to miss as the news reported disturbing images of…

Remember when there wasn’t a pandemic? COVID-19 has rocked our world and has left its mark on a new generation. It has also shape-shifted the Medicaid program. States will need to figure out how to return Medicaid to the pre-COVID-19 program it was. What does that mean for payors, providers, and beneficiaries? This article takes…

A few state Governors are ending the public health emergency (PHE) declaration for their state, with more to follow. This is causing concern and confusion in the Medicaid provider and health plan communities. Providers are concerned about a sudden increase in the uninsured while Medicaid managed care plans are concerned about a sudden drop in…

What year was it? The number of non-elderly uninsured Americans was 48.2 million (18.2%) Uninsured children under the age of 18 was 9.8% Employer-sponsored insurance covered 55.3% of the population 5% of the population was covered by Medicare 9% of the population was covered by Medicaid with some individuals covered by Medicare and Medicaid Medicaid…

“Every sunset is an opportunity to reset.” – Richie Norton “Sunsets are proof that no matter what happens, every day can end beautifully.” – Kristen Butler “Beautiful sunsets need cloudy skies.” – Paulo Coelho Most of us can appreciate the beauty and splendor of a beautiful sunset and all that it represents, such as the…

Medicare and Medicaid are two separate and commonly misunderstood programs, even among healthcare professionals. Centauri Health Solutions wants to help clarify the differences. Medicare vs. Medicaid: An Overview Medicare was designed to protect people in retirement. Originally, it included Part A, which is hospital insurance, and Part B, which covers medical care outside of a…

The 2021 Poverty Guidelines were posted today at https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines and in effect as of January 13, 2021. The Federal Register notice for the 2021 Poverty Guidelines will be published the week of January 18 through January 22, 2021. Payers and Providers wait for the release of the poverty guidelines each year to update patient financial…

Effective January 1, 2021, hospitals are required to post standard charges in a machine-readable file and post their negotiated rates online for 300 “shoppable” services, 70 of which are pre-selected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). “Standard charges” include the gross charges, payer-specific negotiated charges, the amount the hospital is willing to…

Perhaps you have more questions than answers about the Social Determinants of Health, such as: Why are social determinants important? Should I look at the community at large or individuals? Where do I start? How do I know if my patient or member population has unmet needs? What is a Z Code? How much money…