Insights | Meridian Research Group | Page 13

Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs)

Recent/upcoming developments… Judge Kacsmaryk of the District Court for Northern Texas has struck down the most impactful components of the Biden-era SNF minimum staffing rule (the staffing quotas/minimum hours). * As previously noted, last April CMS finalized its SNF minimum staffing rule, which will require SNFs participating in Medicare and...

GLP-1 Drugs/Obesity

CMS has decided not to finalize a Biden-era proposal to formally recognize obesity as a chronic disease and reinterpret the Medicare statute to allow Part D coverage of anti-obesity medications prescribed solely for treating obesity (i.e., weight-loss).

Medicare Advantage (CY26 Rates)

CMS has released the CY26 Medicare Advantage (MA) Final Rule (also known as the Part II rule, which addresses payment issues). Under the rule, CMS asserts that aggregate plan payments will increase next year by a projected 5.06% or $25b over FY25.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is projecting that the "X date" for the debt limit (i.e., date at which the government runs out of cash) will be reached in August/September, but may be reached as early as May if tax receipts come in lower than anticipated. As you may recall, House Republicans included "instructions" in their budget...

Energy, Financials, Healthcare, Macro, Tech / Media / Telecom

Senate Republicans are this week planning to begin consideration of a joint budget resolution that will eventually get adopted by the House as well. It appears Republicans are preparing to forgo the typical process for agreeing in the context of the budget resolution on the basic parameters of how they’ll achieve spending cuts, and will wait...

Tech / Media / Telecom

Universal Service Fund (USF)

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments as to whether the FCC’s Universal Service Fund (USF) subsidy is unconstitutional.