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Millions Saying Good-Bye to Medicaid

On February 22, 2024
That millions of Americans have been losing Medicaid coverage over the past year may be unsurprising, but it doesn’t make it any less heartbreaking.

The First Ten: The Initial Round of Drugs Subject to Medicare Price Negotiations

On August 30, 2023
On August 29, President Biden unveiled the first ten prescription drugs that will be subject to price negotiation with Medicare (Jardiance, Xarelto, Januvia, Farxiga, Entresto, Enbrel, Imbruvica, Stelara, Fiasp and NovoLog), representing a watershed moment for Democrats who have spent years clamoring for lower prescription costs.

Second Circuit Affirms Private Right of Action for MAO's in Aetna Life Insurance Company v. Big Y Foods Inc.

On December 22, 2022
The Medicare Advantage program, created in 1997, allowed private health insurance companies (“Medicare Advantage Organizations” or “MAO’s”) to contract with CMS to deliver Medicare benefits for a fixed fee per month per enrollee (“capitated payment’). Medicare Advantage Organizations have become increasingly popular and in 2022 close to half of all Medicare eligible beneficiaries are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan. While the Medicare Secondary Payor Act and Federal Codes state that MAOs have the same recovery rights as traditional Medicare, the primary cause of action for MAOs to enforce their rights is through a freestanding provision in the MSP Act, which is separate from the provisions granting the United States the right to seek reimbursement that “there is established a private right of action for damages (which shall be in an amount double the otherwise provided) in the case of a primary plan which fails to provide for primary payment…” 4s U.S.C. 1395y(b)(3)(A). This section does not identify which individuals or entities may take advantage of this private right of action nor against whom these actions may be taken.