New data from 20 state-based marketplaces (SBM) shows more than 7 million enrollees nationally for the 2025 Enrollment Period. Pennie, Pennsylvania’s Health Insurance Exchange, is included in those record-breaking enrollment numbers with nearly 500,000 enrollees. This increase is attributed to additional flexibilities in eligibility and lower costs from federal Enhanced Premium Tax Credits offered in 2021. SBMs consistently report affordability as the top concern prohibiting access to coverage going forward.

To maintain the gains in enrollment and coverage and keep premiums low, Congress must extend these Enhanced Premium Tax Credits before they expire at the end of 2025. If not, the amount Pennsylvanians pay would increase by 82% on average, with many paying double, triple, or quadruple as much per month.

The Pennsylvania House passed House Bill 79 to prevent medical debt with a bipartisan margin (187-16). More than 1 million adults reported having debt associated with medical bills in collections, using a credit card to pay their medical bills or having made arrangements to pay using a payment plan.

HB 79’s co-prime sponsor Rep Arvind Venkat (D- Allegheny) introduced legislation with state Reps. Nate Davidson, Bridget M. Kosierowski, Andrew Kuzma, Jim Rigby Tim Twardzik, and State Representative Tarik Khan who is also a Nurse Practitioner practicing one day a week at Family Practice and Counseling Network in Philadelphia. “As a nurse practitioner, I’ve seen how crushing medical debt is for patients,” said Khan, D-Phila. “Our bill would help ensure people are aware of the financial assistance they’re eligible for while hospitalized, to help save them from going into medical debt in the first place.”

The bill would mandate the development of standardized, plain-language hospital financial aid forms, which would be shared with patients on intake and discharge, displayed on billing paperwork and posted publicly on hospital and state health websites.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published an updated MLN Booklet on Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring. Changes include CMS extending some telehealth flexibilities through September 30, 2025, for non-behavioral and non-mental telehealth services.

Click here to access the booklet.

The GOP-led House committee in charge of cutting healthcare spending to finance a sweeping tax cuts bill advanced its portion of the measure Wednesday, overcoming Democratic objections during a daylong session. The Energy and Commerce Committee provisions, which are estimated to reduce Medicaid spending by $625 billion over 10 years, cleared on a party-line vote. They will be combined with policies working through other committees into final legislation House Republican leaders hope to pass by the end of the month. The greatest savings come from implementing work requirements and stricter eligibility checks in Medicaid, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates would save about $350 billion. The measure saves another $167 billion by delaying a 2024 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regulation that made it easier for people to enroll in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, according to the nonpartisan budget agency. This is the first step in a long process to achieve a final budget bill. Click here to learn more.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released updates to the Medicare Claims Processing Manual Chapter 9 for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). The updates reflect changes to billing and claims processing, including updates from the CY 2025 Physician Fee Schedule.