The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued draft part two guidance on select topics of the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (press release, fact sheet). What is it. Pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act, the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan provides Medicare beneficiaries the option to pay their out-of-pocket (OOP) Part D drug costs through monthly payments over the course… (Slifer, February 15, 2024) #Drug Pricing, #Medicare Part D

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released a draft research plan on screening and behavioral counseling interventions for unhealthy alcohol use in adolescents and adults. The USPSTF’s research approach for screening and interventions for unhealthy alcohol use entails targeting relevant studies based on specific criteria. This includes focusing on screening for and interventions to address unhealthy alcohol use across… (Colocho, February 15, 2024) #Coverage Decisions, #Pediatrics, #Prevention, #Public Health

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) jointly issued a request for information (RFI) regarding market concentration among large health care group purchasing organizations (GPOs) and drug wholesalers, as well as information regarding their contracting practices. The aim of this RFI is to gain an understanding of how the activities of these… (Eisen, 1/1/70) #Costs, #Drug Pricing, #Generic Drugs, #Rural Health, #Wholesalers

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announced two updates to federal nutrition programs. Farm to Food Bank: FNS has awarded nearly $3.8 million in grants to 27 state agencies for Farm to Food Bank programs in The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Farm to Food Banks helps prevent food waste and deliver donated foods from local producers to… (McClurg, February 13, 2024) #Nutrition

The Senate Finance Committee convened a hearing to examine the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into patient care and the necessary regulations. The hearing highlighted the potential of AI in health care while addressing the need for regulations and adequate guardrails, consistent reimbursement policies, standards, and accountability measures to ensure its effective and equitable integration into patient care. The hearing… (Colocho, February 9, 2024) #Health Equity, #Health Information Technology, #Hospitals, #Physicians, #Privacy, #Transparency

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released the budget and economic outlook for 2024 to 2034 – a regularly updated report that presents projections of federal deficit, debt, revenues, and spending over the next 10 years. Overall, the CBO projects a federal budget deficit of $1.6 trillion for fiscal year (FY) 2024, $0.1 trillion less than the May 2023 projection, and a… (Colocho, February 9, 2024) #Budget, #Costs, #Hospitals, #Insurance Coverage

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule to strengthen oversight of accrediting organizations (AOs) by addressing conflicts of interest, establishing consistent standards, and updating the validation and performance systems (fact sheet). What it is. This rule increases oversight of AOs which survey accredited health care providers and suppliers that participate in federal health care programs for compliance with… (McClurg, February 9, 2024) #Hospitals, #Program Integrity

Today, the Ways and Means Committee convened a hearing to examine drug shortages, supply chain resiliency, and the impact of shortages on providers. The hearing echoed previous Congressional discourse on the topic by focusing on generic sterile injectables, especially cancer drugs cisplatin and carboplatin. Members and witnesses explored policies to prevent shortages such as increasing transparency, incentivizing quality in manufacturing,… (Marceno, February 6, 2024) #Food and Drug Administration, #Generic Drugs, #Public Health

For the first time since the creation of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) issued multiple requests for proposals (RFPs) to support the OPTN. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) has had the sole contract to run the nation’s organ allocation system for the last 40 years, but with today’s announcement,… (McClurg, February 6, 2024) #Program Integrity

The House Committee on Oversight Accountability convened a markup of H.R. 6283, the Delinking Revenue form Unfair Gouging (DRUG) Act, which would delink pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reimbursement from drug cost and utilization and limit reimbursement to a bona fide service fees. The amendment in the nature of a substitute (AINS) was advanced by a roll call vote of 29-11…. (Slifer, February 6, 2024) #Pharmacy Benefit Managers