Request for Information: Green and Resilient Retrofit Program: Request for Information

This RFI from HUD is seeking feedback on its new Green and Resilient Retrofit grant program for multifamily assisted housing. In response to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, HUD is designing the new $1 billion GRRP program and expects to make multiple rounds of funding available to support energy, and water efficiency retrofits and climate resilience for HUD-assisted multifamily properties. Through this RFI, HUD is seeking input on funding rounds as well as on utility benchmarking. Information provided in response to this RFI will inform prioritization of work, treatment of cost-benefit analyses, and key design elements that will help ensure program goals are met.

Final rule: Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility

This final rule is applicable to noncitizens who receive or wish to apply for benefits provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and States that support low-income families and adults. The rule provides details on how DHS will interpret the “public charge” ground of inadmissibility, help ensure that noncitizens can access health-related benefits and other supplemental government services to which they are entitled by law without triggering harmful immigration consequences. By codifying in regulation the “totality of the circumstances” approach that is authorized by statute and which has long been utilized by DHS, the rule makes it clear that individual factors, such as a person’s disability or use of benefits alone will not lead to a public charge determination.

Proposed rule: Streamlining Eligibility & Enrollment

The proposed rule includes several provisions aimed at simplifying the enrollment process and maintaining coverage for eligible older adults dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid, and that helps more older adults pay their Medicare premiums by making it easier for them to enroll in Medicare Savings Programs. The proposed changes allow individuals to project HCBS costs for medically needy income eligibility.

Proposed rule: Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities

In this proposed rule, the Department seeks largely to restore the 2016 regulation concerning the protection of individuals from discrimination in health care. In our comment letter, LeadingAge notes our support of the broad policy goals of the rule but identifies questions and concerns about certain practical and operational aspects of the proposal.

Final rule: Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Updates to the Quality Reporting Program and Value-Based Purchasing Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2023; Changes to the Requirements for the Director of Food and Nutrition Services and Physical Environment Requirements in Long-Term Care Facilities

This final rule updates payment rates; forecast error adjustments; diagnosis code mappings; the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) parity adjustment; the SNF Quality Reporting Program (QRP); and the SNF Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program. It also establishes a permanent cap policy to smooth the impact of year-to-year changes in SNF payments related to changes in the SNF wage index.

Request for Information: Medicare Advantage program

This request for information seeks input from the public regarding various aspects of the Medicare Advantage program.

Proposed rule:Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY 2023 Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Changes to Part B Payment Policies; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements; Medicare and Medicaid Provider Enrollment Policies, Including for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Conditions of Payment for Suppliers of Durable Medicaid Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS); and Implementing Requirements for Manufacturers of Certain Single-dose Container or Single-use Package Drugs to Provide Refunds with Respect to Discarded Amounts

This major proposed rule addresses: changes to the physician fee schedule (PFS); other changes to Medicare Part B payment policies to ensure that payment systems are updated to reflect changes in medical practice, the relative value of services, and changes in the statute; Medicare Shared Savings Program requirements; updates to the Quality Payment Program; Medicare coverage of opioid use disorder services furnished by opioid treatment programs; updates to certain Medicare and Medicaid provider enrollment policies, including for skilled nursing facilities; updates to conditions of payment for DMEPOS suppliers; HCPCS Level II coding and payment for wound care management products; electronic prescribing for controlled substances for a covered Part D drug under a prescription drug plan or an MA-PD plan under the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) .

Final rule: Medicare Program; FY 2023 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Requirements

This rule finalizes the hospice payment update percentage for FY2023 at 3.8% instead of the originally proposed 2.7%. The rule also finalized the 5% cap on wage index increases. The Final FY2023 Routine Home Care (days 1-60) rate will increase from $203.40 to $211.34. The Final FY2023 Routine Home Care (day 61+) rate will increase from $160.74 to $167.00

Proposed rule: CY 2023 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Proposed Rule

The proposed rule would revise the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) and the Medicare ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system for Calendar Year (CY) 2023.

Final rule: Streamlining Management and Occupancy Reviews for Section 8 Housing Assistance Programs

This final rule amends existing project-based Section 8 regulations related to Management and Occupancy Reviews (MORs), including for the Section 202/8 program.