Next week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee is scheduled to begin marking up legislation that would permanently repeal and replace the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, which determines Medicare physician reimbursement rates.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently announced $150 million in grant awards to 1,159 community health centers nationwide to help educate uninsured residents about coverage options through state health exchanges.

According to a study released by HealthPocket, a technology company that compares and ranks health plans, just 12% of individuals think the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate should take effect as scheduled in 2014.

In a final rule published July 5, Health and Human Services (HHS) said it will roll back requirements for state and federal health insurance exchanges to verify the income and insurance status of people applying for coverage.

The Obama administration's decision to delay the Affordable Care Act's employer mandate will cost the federal government billions of dollars in employer penalties in 2014, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), USA Today reports.

The Obama administration announced that it will postpone the Affordable Care Act's employer mandate for one year. Under the provision, employers with at least 50 workers beginning in 2014 would have been required to provide affordable health coverage or face a fine of as much as $3,000 per employee, the New York Times reports.

Leaders of the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees released another update to draft legislation that would permanently repeal and replace the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, which determines Medicare physician reimbursement rates.  The revised draft, described as a "legislative framework"  would repeal SGR and replace it with a fee for service system which allows providers to develop quality measures that will lead to better and more efficient care.

According to a viewpoint article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, financial incentives under workplace wellness programs encouraged by the Affordable Care Act might not be enough to motivate workers to adopt healthy lifestyle choices.  Penalties under such programs could leave employees less healthy and financially worse off.

A new Gallup poll shows that the Affordable Care Act is becoming increasingly unpopular only a few months before the law takes full effect. The survey found that 52 percent of respondents disapprove of the law, while 44 percent support it. A similar poll by Gallup last year found that 45% of respondents disapproved of the law and 48 percent approved.

The AASM is committed to educating members on opportunities in telemedicine.  In the next few weeks, The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin accepting grant applications for the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Program.