HHS Announces Medicaid GME Moratorium

Faced with the threat of pending legislation, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Michael Leavitt announced the voluntary delay of 2 controversial Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rules affecting Medicaid support for graduate medical education (GME) and public hospitals including a regulation that would prohibit federal Medicaid funding for the costs of medical interns and residents. The delay extends until August 1 a legislative moratorium on the rules' implementation that expired May 25th.

In related action, on May 21 the Senate voted to block the implementation of these and 5 other Medicaid rules until April 2009 as part of the supplemental spending bill to fund war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The House included similar provisions in stand-alone legislation and in its own version of the war spending bill.
Ray Quintero (rquintero@osteopathic.org)