The House Ways & Means Committee held a hearing on improving access to care at home for rural and underserved communities.The conversation largely focused on telehealth, remote dialysis and infusion, and remote patient monitoring. Representatives from both parties committed to working on possible extensions for the telehealth flexibilities and the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCaH) program that originated during the COVID-19… (McClurg, March 13, 2024) #Health Equity, #Hospitals, #Rural Health, #Telehealth

On March 5th, Representative Pallone (D-NJ) and Senator Wyden (D-OR) sent a letter to CMS Administrator Brooks-LaSure urging the agency to require states to commit to long-term public compliance plans to ensure that they come into full compliance with Medicaid and CHIP eligibility requirements. These plans would address the current mass disenrollments that have occurred during the PHE unwind while… (Joyce, March 12, 2024) #COVID-19, #Transparency

House and Senate committees have made significant strides in addressing the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and safeguarding sensitive data from foreign adversaries. The House Oversight and Accountability Committee approved the Federal AI Governance and Transparency Act, surpassing similar bipartisan measures by requiring government contractors to publicly disclose the development and maintenance of federal AI systems. Concurrently, the House Energy… (Colocho, March 11, 2024) #Health Information Technology, #Privacy, #Transparency

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) expanded the range of health care providers eligible for advance payment under federal programs in response to a cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a major medical payment clearinghouse owned by UnitedHealth Group (UHG). The move follows pressure from lawmakers and health care provider groups to alleviate disruptions caused by the attack. Initially, HHS… (Colocho, March 11, 2024) #Health Information Technology, #Hospitals, #Physicians, #Privacy, #Transparency

Following House passage on Wednesday, today the Senate passed a health care package that would reauthorize and provide funding increases for several key healthcare programs, restore recent cuts to Medicare payments for physicians, eliminate scheduled cuts to disproportionate share hospitals (DSH) through the end of the year, secure permanent Medicaid coverage for medication-assisted treatment for those struggling with substance use… (Lewis, March 8, 2024) #Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH), #Health Equity, #Nutrition, #Physicians, #Women’s Health

The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) convened a session  focused on transitions of coverage and care for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN), particularly as they move from pediatric to adult healthcare systems. The presentation highlighted the importance of Medicaid in covering health care services for CYSHCN and the challenges they face during the… (Colocho, March 8, 2024) #Care Coordination, #Coverage Decisions, #Insurance Coverage, #Pediatrics

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE) held a presentation to discuss the Office’s Catalytic Program on Utilizing the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The catalytic program is intended to support health care providers in taking advantage of the tax credits, grants, and other supports made by available by the IRA. OCCHE is hosting a… (McClurg, March 8, 2024) #Hospitals, #Tax

In his third State of the Union address, President Biden highlighted some of his health policy proposals for the upcoming year. His speech focused on efforts to lower prescription drug costs in Medicare and private health insurance and make permanent expanded premium tax credits for Marketplace coverage. Biden also called on Congress to provide $12 billion for women’s health research,… (Llamas, March 7, 2024) #Insurance Reform, #Prescription Drugs

the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) released a request for applications (RFA) for the Cell and Gene Therapy Access Model. Eligible manufacturers include those that have a gene therapy approved or licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for sickle cell disease and participate in the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program (MDRP). Responses are due by May 1… (Slifer, March 7, 2024) #Demonstration Programs, #Drug Pricing

The Senate Budget Committee convened a hearing to discuss how primary care can make the health care system more efficient. Senators spoke about the importance of individuals having strong relationships with their primary care providers. Senators and witnesses generally agreed that physician payment should be “rebalanced” to support primary care providers and incentivize the use of preventive care. Key Takeaways Policy Outlook. Senators from… (McClurg, March 6, 2024) #Accountable Care Organizations, #Costs, #Medicare Advantage, #Prevention, #Primary Care