Bookmark and Share

October 20, 2011

Breaking News Update on ACOs

by Jeff Porter

The Obama Administration released final rules today for the Medicare Shared Savings Program and Accountable Care Organizations (“ACO”). Previous draft rules were widely criticized for their overall complexity. ACOs are a major component of the Affordable Care Act aimed at reducing overall costs for Medicare patients by coordinating care across a spectrum of healthcare providers. View the press release and a copy of the final rule.

Obama Administration Nixes CLASS Act

The Obama Administration has nixed the long-term care insurance option created in the Affordable Care Act. Dubbed the CLASS Act, the Community Living Assistance Services and Support program was a reform priority of the late Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA). The program was to provide workers who paid a monthly premium modest benefits (about $50.00 a day) if they became disabled. The benefits could have gone to nursing home expenses or to provide in-home services.

According to Secretary of Health and Human Services Sebelius there was not a viable way for the program to move forward as a voluntary, affordable program. Nixing the program is widely viewed as a loss for healthcare reform, as it was used as a basis for reducing the overall costs of the Affordable Care Act. The program was expected to reduce the budget deficit by up to $80 billion dollars over 10 years.

 

Credits

Kegler, Brown, Hill & Ritter's The Pulse is prepared by the Health Care Regulation & Health Information Technology practice group.

To subscribe to any Kegler Brown publication, please use our Subscribe Form. This publication, as well as an archive of previous publications, is also available from our Publications Archive.

The Pulse is designed to provide general information about the subjects discussed. It is not meant to be all-inclusive or comprehensive. Kegler Brown is not rendering any legal or professional advice by way of this publication.

© 2010-2011, Kegler, Brown, Hill & Ritter Co., L.P.A.