In a school of 300 students 2,500 miles from Public Consulting Group's headquarters in Boston, Juan Pablo Romero Fuentes demonstrates every day the power of an idea that is core to PCG's mission: Education, health care, and human services such as providing adequate shelter, food, clothing, and family resources are all critical services in the lives of young people. 

In December 2017, the federal administration’s tax bill – the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, phased out the individual mandate requirements, with the penalty for failing to have qualified insurance eliminated starting in 2019. For 2018, the mandate remains, with the penalty set at $695 per adult or 2.5% of household income, whichever is higher.  The individual mandate is cited as one of the tenants of the success of the Affordable Care Act. In order to ensure a healthy risk pool, participation of as many individuals as possible was key.

On April 9, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the long-awaited final Exchange guidance for the 2019 plan year – the final Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2019 (NBPP) and the final Letter to Issuers in the Federally-facilitated Exchanges (Letter). Together, the NBPP and Letter set forth changes to rules and operational and technical guidance for health plan regulation, Exchange operations (including plan certification and financial parameters), and premium stabilization programs. Most–but not all–of the changes take effect for the 2019 plan year.

On March 23rd, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that would exempt states from requirements to analyze and monitor access to care in the Medicaid program under certain circumstances. The proposal seeks to amend 42 CFR 447.203(b), which sets forth the process for states to document whether Medicaid payments in fee-for-service (FFS) delivery systems are sufficient to ensure appropriate access to services.