Legal & Regulatory Issues

The Arizona Supreme Court has not taken action to stop proposed state Medicaid cuts, expected to take effect this week, or rule on the constitutionality of a proposed enrollment freeze for the program, according to an Arizona Republic news report.

Approximately 270 healthcare groups signed a letter to Congress urging legislators to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board, a panel of experts with the power to set Medicare rates, according to a report by The Hill.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the top Republican leader in deficit-reduction talks led by Vice President Joe Biden, has exited from negotiations after Democrats demanded tax increases as part of the deficit-reduction plan, according to a news report by…

Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto has fined UnitedHealth Group $1 million for antitrust violations in its acquisition of Fiserv, Inc.'s insurance customers in the state, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has issued her second report on healthcare provider price disparities, saying the state should place temporary caps on prices charged to insurers by hospitals and physicians, according to a Boston Business Journal report.

The New York Senate and Assembly passed bills that would increase Medicaid reimbursement for critical access hospitals, according to a Watertown Daily Times report.

In their ongoing fight to overhaul Medicare, Republicans are pointing to a new estimate from the 2011 Medicare Trustee Report suggesting Medicare's 75-year unfunded obligations could add up to $36.8 trillion, according to a news report by The Hill.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has reportedly given Jim Sheehan, Medicaid inspector general, 30 days to resign, according to a WAMC news report.

The Obama administration announced Wednesday plans to scale back rules on health insurance appeals put forth by the 2010 health reform law, according to a Kaiser Health News report.

Florida health officials are asking CMS to grant a 30-day extension to a pilot program that has allowed the state to shift Medicaid in five counties to private, managed care programs, according to a Bloomberg Businessweek report.