RISE summarizes recent regulatory-related headlines and reports.
CMS to recall furloughed workers for Medicare, ACA open enrollment
Despite the government shutdown, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will temporarily recall furloughed employees to help with open enrollment for Medicare and signs up for health plans under the Affordable Care Act, the New York Times reports. The workers, who have been asked to return to work on Monday, will be paid with user fees collected by researchers, according to the publication. It is unclear how many employees will be recalled but the New York Times noted that 3,000 employees or half the agency’s workforce were impacted by the shutdown.
Centene makes major changes to MA marketing
Centene will not pay commissions to agents and brokers for new enrollments into Medicare Advantage plans offered in seven states, according to Modern Healthcare. The insurer notified agents and brokers in a notice this week that it is removing 36 plans from the portals they use to sign up beneficiaries and will also cut commissions for new enrollments in Arizona, Connecticut, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, and Washington, the company informed agents and brokers in a notice Wednesday.
The announcement is part of a broader movement among insurers. The publication previously reported that United Healthcare will not pay for new enrollments into one-fifth of its Medicare Advantage plans for 2026 and Health Care Service Corp. also has pulled back commissions for new enrollees in its Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Illinois and Texas. In many cases, insurers will instead focus their marketing dollars on member retention, according to Modern Healthcare.
Publication in the works to fill gap left by CDC’s MMWR
The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota, and NEJM Evidence have announced plans to publish an alternative to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), which has limited publication in recent months. MedPage Today reports the new open access publication will be called Public Health Alerts and will fill in the gap to publish research not currently included in MMWR.
Dozens of states to cut off SNAP benefits in November
Millions of low-income Americans in 25 states will lose their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as of November 1, according to Politico. The federal program, the country’s largest food assistance program, has been kept afloat during the government shutdown from a transfer of $300 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The SNAP program serves more than 42 million people. Democratic lawmakers have called on USDA to release additional funds so states can continue to provide benefits through November.