Effective April 28, HHS expanded the group of providers eligible to prescribe buprenorphine, a drug used to treat opioid use disorder, and removed some barriers to its use.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced $80 million in grants to increase access to marketplace enrollment assistance for consumers. The agency's 2021 open enrollment report shows more than 12 million consumers selected a marketplace plan during the 2021 open enrollment period.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy outlines the Biden administration's drug policy priorities for 2021, including expanding access to evidence-based treatment and prevention services, advancing racial equity, reducing supply of illicit substances, and advancing recovery-ready workplaces.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is extending until Aug. 15 the special enrollment period for 36 states using the federal health insurance marketplace, giving consumers more time to view new options under the American Rescue Plan, including lower premiums and plan upgrades.

In an annual report to Congress, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission finds an increase from 2018 to 2019 in the number of uninsured and in charity care and bad debt. The report includes state-specific projections of the Medicaid disproportionate share hospital allotment.

In response to an executive order, a new issue brief reviews four policy areas under Section 1115 demonstrations and their impact on Medicaid coverage and access to care. The brief notes all examined areas create barriers to enrollment and reduce coverage, leading to adverse health effects.

A federal court vacated several policies in the Trump Administration’s 2019 health insurance marketplace rule for violating federal law, including provisions related to review of network adequacy, standardized options, income verification requirements, and reducing medical loss ratio rebates.

The guidance clarifies how hospitals receiving Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments can use Provider Relief Fund general and targeted distribution payments.

The special enrollment period, intended to ensure access to health coverage amid the the COVID-19 pandemic, will continue through May 15. The enrollment period applies to consumers in the 36 states that use the federal marketplace platform.

President Biden released an executive order to strengthen Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. The order calls for a special enrollment period on the federally facilitated exchange for uninsured or underinsured individuals — particularly those hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new notice encourages states to improve health outcomes, reduce disparities, and lower costs within Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. It describes how states might address social determinants of health using flexibility available under current law.