There is hope for a resolution before the Nov. 3 election.
Watching negotiations for the next federal COVID-19 relief package for the past two weeks has been a bit like watching a tennis match from front-row seats.
President Trump tweeted a week and a half ago that negotiations were over, then, a day or so later, he restarted those negotiations with more tweets. Last Tuesday, the president seemed fully behind coming to an agreement with a tweet that said, quote, “STIMULUS! Go big or go home!”
Discussions between the administration’s representative, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continued over this past weekend. The price tag no longer appears to be the issue; instead, they are arguing about the details of what the money should cover.
Regardless of what happens between Pelosi and Mnuchin, it appears that a bigger obstacle lies with convincing the Republican Senate to play along, as it reportedly does not like the range of costs now being discussed. Last week, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell scoffed at the White House’s current position of a $1.8 trillion package.
And although we’ve been saying this for weeks, we are getting down to the wire. Speaker Pelosi’s office announced this past weekend that the administration has until Tuesday of this week to agree to terms. Otherwise, she says, there is no chance that a relief package will be passed before the election.
In the meantime, the Senate continued its hearings on Judge Amy Coney Barrett for the U.S. Supreme Court. Republicans hope to advance her nomination out of the Judicial Committee this Thursday and have a full vote on the Senate floor soon after. As we’ve written, if Judge Barrett is confirmed before the election, she will likely take part in the Texas v. Azar case, in which a group of states seeks to overturn the entire Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). While Judge Barrett has written against the law in the past, at the hearings last week she rejected suggestions that she has pre-set views on this particular case.
In related news, last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a report on the health insurance exchanges set up by the Affordable Care Act for the individual market. The report analyzed unsubsidized enrollment in the PPACA Marketplace plans – that is, individuals or families that do not get any help from the government to pay premiums. The report found that unsubsidized enrollment plans experienced a nearly 50-percent drop in the past four years. In the meantime, the subsidized portion of the market grew substantially.
Related to this, presidential nominee Joe Biden has proposed increasing the number of individuals that could receive subsidies in the PPACA exchanges by broadening eligibility for those subsidies to over 400 percent of the federal poverty level.
And while the Trump administration continues to support repealing the PPACA through the court case now before the Supreme Court, the president seems to have backed off that position more generally. In his recent executive order at the end of September, Trump said, quote, “Obamacare is no longer Obamacare, as we worked on it and managed it well. What we have now is a much better plan.”
Programming Note: Matthew Albright is a permanent panelist on Monitor Mondays. Listen to his legislative update sponsored by Zelis, Mondays at 10 a.m. EST.
Given the vast quantity of information published by the federal government, Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs), consultants, and others, it can be easy to lose track
In a recent article, I described a documentation environment governed by two distinct and often competing controlling systems. The first is the regulatory framework established
Please log in to your account to comment on this article.
Uncover essential coding insights with nationally recognized coding authority Kay Piper, RHIA, CDIP, CCS. Through ICD10monitor’s interactive, on‑demand webcast series, Kay walks you through the AHA’s 2026 ICD‑10‑CM/PCS Quarterly Coding Clinics, translating each update into practical, easy‑to‑apply guidance designed to sharpen precision, ensure compliance, and strengthen day‑to‑day decision‑making. Available shortly after each official release.
Uncover critical guidance on the ICD-10-CM/PCS code updates. Kay Piper reviews and explains ICD-10-CM/PCS coding guidelines in the AHA’s fourth quarter 2026 ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding Clinic in an easy to access on-demand webcast.
Uncover critical guidance on the ICD-10-CM/PCS code updates. Kay Piper reviews and explains ICD-10-CM/PCS coding guidelines in the AHA’s third quarter 2026 ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding Clinic in an easy to access on-demand webcast.
Uncover critical guidance on the ICD-10-CM/PCS code updates. Kay Piper reviews and explains ICD-10-CM/PCS coding guidelines in the AHA’s second quarter 2026 ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding Clinic in an easy to access on-demand webcast.
Federal auditors are intensifying their focus on inpatient psychiatric facilities, using advanced data analytics to spotlight outliers and pursue high‑dollar repayments. In this high‑impact webcast, Michael Calahan, PA, MBA, Compliance Officer and V.P., Hospital & Physician Compliance, breaks down what regulators are really targeting in IPF-PPS admissions, documentation, treatment and discharge planning. Attendees will learn practical steps to tighten processes, avoid common audit triggers and protect reimbursement and reduce the risk of multimillion-dollar repayment demands.
In this timely session, Stacey Shillito, CDIP, CPMA, CCS, CCS-P, CPEDC, COPC, breaks down the complexities of Medical Decision Making (MDM) documentation so providers can confidently capture the true complexity of their care. Attendees will learn practical, efficient strategies to ensure documentation aligns with current E/M guidelines, supports accurate coding, and reduces audit risk, all without adding to charting time.
Join Ronald Hirsch, MD, FACP, CHCQM for The PEPPER Returns – Risk and Opportunity at Your Fingertips, a practical webcast that demystifies the PEPPER and shows you how to turn complex claims data into actionable insights. Dr. Hirsch will explain how to interpret key measures, identify compliance risks, uncover missed revenue opportunities, and understand new updates in the PEPPER, all to help your organization stay ahead of audits and use this powerful data proactively.
Stay ahead of the 2026-2027 audit surge with “Top 10 Audit Targets for 2026-2027 for Hospitals & Physicians: Protect Your Revenue,” a high-impact webcast led by Michael Calahan, PA, MBA. This concise session gives hospitals and physicians clear insight into the most likely federal audit targets, such as E/M services, split/shared and critical care, observation and admissions, device credits, and Two-Midnight Rule changes, and shows how to tighten documentation, coding, and internal processes to reduce denials, recoupments, and penalties. Attendees walk away with practical best practices to protect revenue, strengthen compliance, and better prepare their teams for inevitable audits.
Happy National Doctor’s Day! Learn how to get a complimentary webcast on ‘Decoding Social Admissions’ as a token of our heartfelt appreciation! Click here to learn more →
BLOOM INTO SAVINGS! Get 25% OFF during our spring sale through March 27. Use code SPRING26 at checkout to claim this offer.
CYBER WEEK IS HERE! Don’t miss your chance to get 20% off now until Dec. 1 with code CYBER25
CYBER WEEK IS HERE! Don’t miss your chance to get 20% off now until Dec. 2 with code CYBER24
