CMS proposes physician fee cuts for 2023 and six more federal healthcare updates Becker's has covered since July 5:
1. HHS issued guidance to hospitals to clarify that abortion is covered under the federal law requiring Medicare hospitals to provide all patients appropriate emergency care — including abortion care — regardless of state law.
2. The U.S. bought 3.2 million doses of Novavax's two-shot COVID-19 vaccine despite the vaccine maker still waiting FDA authorization.
3. HHS is set to extend the COVID-19 public health emergency by its standing deadline of July 15.
4. President Joe Biden said he is weighing whether to consider declaring abortion access a public health emergency.
5. CMS has released its Medicare physician fee schedule proposed rule for 2023, which suggests further cuts to physician pay while inflation and the cost of running an independent practice continue to rise.
6. President Biden signed an executive order to protect access to reproductive healthcare services after the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion.
7. CMS issued proposed conditions of participation for hospitals looking to receive the rural emergency hospital designation.