The Health Law Ticker

California’s Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is in the final stages of establishing new Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) requirements in Medi-Cal Managed Care. Most significantly, the guidelines specify that the MLR program, which previously applied to Medi-Cal managed care plans, will now also apply to certain of their subcontractors, including risk-bearing providers. … 

In a shift from prior policy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) proposed on February 22, 2022, new guidelines for prescribing opioid painkillers. The new guidance largely avoids figures on dosage strength and length of prescription and warns against abruptly or rapidly discontinuing pain pills for chronic pain patients. It directs physicians to individualize the process and use their best judgement in determining whether to prescribe opioids, and when they do, to start with the lowest effective dosage. The proposed guidelines encourage physicians to weigh ...

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for the 2023 Proposed Rule on January 5, 2022. Generally, the proposed rule aims to bolster the regulatory framework supporting the marketplace and expand access to health insurance coverage options.