Thursday, March 26, 2026

5 stories · 2-minute read

National Medical Biller's Day — TODAY, March 26 (20th Anniversary)

AMBA(https://www.americanmedicalbillingassociation.com/events/medical-billers-day-2026/) / Michigan Governor's Office(https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/news/proclamations/2026/03/26/march-26-2026-medical-billers-day)

20th Annual National Medical Biller's Day. Michigan Governor Whitmer issued the 2026 proclamation. Content should be live at 8 AM ET. This is a community engagement moment — Register 2, not a product pitch. Verify posts went out on X, LinkedIn, and any other scheduled platforms.

CMS PA Transparency Deadline — 5 Days (March 31)

CMS(https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/cms-interoperability-prior-authorization-final-rule-cms-0057-f) / KFF(https://www.kff.org/medicare/nearly-50-million-prior-authorization-requests-were-sent-to-medicare-advantage-insurers-in-2023/)

CMS

MA plans must publish aggregate PA approval/denial metrics by March 31. First reporting cycle. CMS killed service-level reporting — plans disclose contract-level aggregates only. 53 million PA determinations processed by MA insurers in 2024. The pre-written X thread should be finalized and ready to deploy the moment data drops. Beginning March 31, plans must also publish average turnaround times for PA alongside denial, appeal, and overturn rates.

ACA Subsidy Expiration Hitting Billing Teams — Premiums Doubled Overnight for 22M People (March 25)

CNBC (March 25)(https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/25/how-much-aca-premiums-spiked-after-enhanced-subsidies-ended.html) / CNBC (March 19)(https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/19/aca-enrollees-uninsured.html) / KFF(https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/a-follow-up-survey-of-aca-marketplace-enrollees/)

CNBC published fresh data yesterday. The enhanced premium tax credits expired December 31, 2025. Average premium payments for subsidy recipients jumped from $888/year to $1,904/year — a 114% increase. 9% of ACA marketplace enrollees dropped coverage entirely and are now uninsured. 55% of remaining enrollees are cutting food and basic household spending to afford premiums. KFF projects 7.3 million will leave the marketplace in 2026; 5 million will go uninsured.

Hospital Layoffs Spreading Nationwide — Specific Facilities Now Named

East Bay Times (March 23)(https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2026/03/23/california-hospitals-laying-off-thousands-as-funding-cuts-trickle-down/) / Xtalks(https://xtalks.com/healthcare-layoffs-2026-a-running-roundup-4622/) / CNN(https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/02/politics/hospital-cuts-big-beautiful-bill-midterms)

Medicaid

California's 3,400+ layoffs now have company. Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center: 265 workers, $40M budget shortfall. Alameda Health System: 247 positions across five public hospitals, projecting $100M+ annual losses by 2030. MercyOne Des Moines: layoffs this month plus clinic closure. Hennepin Healthcare (Minneapolis): 100 employees. Georgia hospital shuttered its maternity ward. These are safety-net hospitals — the ones that serve Medicaid and uninsured patients.

Related references

Medicaid billing guide →

Hospital Price Transparency Enforcement Begins April 1 — 6 Days

CMS(https://www.cms.gov/priorities/key-initiatives/hospital-price-transparency) / CMS Fact Sheet(https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/cy-2026-opps-ambulatory-surgical-center-final-rule-hospital-price-transparency-policy-changes)

CMS

New requirements take effect April 1. CEO attestation now required. Hospitals must report median allowed amounts plus 10th and 90th percentile ranges. Machine-readable files now mandatory — no penalty reductions for missing them. Three years of toothless enforcement end next week. CMS audits plus complaint-based investigations.

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