This week, we explore the Biden Administration’s achievements in ACA enrollment, the proposed updates to HIPAA security rules from HHS, and the expansion of Medicare telehealth services.
Here’s what you need to know:
The Biden-Harris Administration reported a record-breaking 2025 ACA Marketplace enrollment, with nearly 24 million Americans signed up and 45 million covered through the ACA, including Medicaid expansion.
The Administration warned “But all of these efforts to lower health care costs and expand coverage are now in danger. If Republicans in Congress take away the enhanced premium tax credits that make ACA coverage more affordable, premiums will skyrocket and people will lose coverage. For many families, the results will be catastrophic:
- A single parent earning $50,000 per year could see their premiums increase by $1,600 per year.
- A retired couple with an income of $85,000 per year could face a premium hike of $18,000 annually.
- Experts estimate that 3 to 5 million people could lose their health insurance altogether.
The Affordable Care Act Marketplaces are just one part of this Administration’s commitment to health care coverage.”
As Biden’s presidency comes to a close, the team also released a report titled Historic Improvements To Health Care In America: January 2025, covering:
- Lowering the Cost of Prescription Drugs
- Making Record Gains in Health Insurance Coverage
- Addressing Mental Health and Substance Use Crisis
- Tackling the Maternal Health Crisis, Improving Public Health, and Preventing Disease
Proposed New HIPAA Security Rules
- Regulatory Update: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed new regulations to strengthen cybersecurity for electronic protected health information (ePHI), marking the first update since 2013.
- Motivations: Updates address the rise in cyberattacks, evolving healthcare technologies (AI, virtual/augmented reality), and misunderstandings or failures in current HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) Security Rule compliance.
- Publication: The proposed rule will be published for public comment on January 6, 2025, with a draft available now (390 pages).
- Focus Areas: Changes target better security measures, clearer compliance guidelines, and alignment with modern healthcare practices and data use.
Read more, here.
Expanded Medicare Telehealth
- Extension of Waivers: The “American Relief Act, 2025” extends certain Medicare telehealth flexibilities through March 31, 2025, including:
- Removal of geographic restrictions and expanded originating sites.
- Broader eligible practitioner list (e.g., therapists, audiologists, mental health counselors).
- Federally qualified health centers and rural clinics serving as distant-site providers.
- Payment for audio-only telehealth services.
- Behavioral health telehealth waivers, delaying in-person visit requirements.
- Expired Waivers: Certain telehealth benefits ended on December 31, 2024, such as Medicare coverage for cardiac/pulmonary rehab via telehealth and HDHP pre-deductible coverage for telehealth.
- Legislative Context: Extensions tie to the Continuing Resolution, highlighting temporary funding and program provisions through early 2025.
Read more, here.
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