The Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announced an investment of $46 million in projects to support food and nutrition security in underserved communities and provide access to fruits and vegetables. The funding will be delivered mostly through Community Food Projects Competitive Grants (CFPCGP) and the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP). The 20 funded CFPCGP projects aim to bring together… (McClurg, October 21, 2024) #Nutrition

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a report on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation in fiscal year (FY) 2022. USDA says that the data show that SNAP is effectively serving individuals with the greatest need, although participation rates vary across groups. Key findings include: 88 percent of all eligible individuals participated in SNAP in 2022, which was the highest participation rate since… (McClurg, October 18, 2024) #Nutrition

The Federal Communications Council (FCC) voted unanimously to require all wireless carriers to implement georouting for calls to the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. This decision has been welcomed by mental health advocates, who see it as a critical step in connecting individuals in crisis with local support services. The FCC’s new rules mandate that nationwide wireless carriers implement georouting… (Eisen, October 18, 2024) #Mental and Behavioral Health

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a summary of the top unimplemented recommendations, highlighting significant opportunities for savings and operational improvements within HHS programs. The OIG identified 1,328 unimplemented recommendations, which could yield potential savings of $265.9 billion. As of October 2024, 33 key recommendations from November 2012 to March 2024… (Eisen, October 18, 2024) <span style="font-size:90%;

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) released a report entitled “Refusal of Recovery: How Medicare Advantage (MA) Insurers Have Denied Patients Access to Post-Acute Care (PAC).” What is it. In May 2023, the PSI launched an inquiry into the barriers MA enrollees face in accessing care and requested documents from the… (Slifer, October 17, 2024) #Coverage Decisions, #Medicare Advantage

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced $19 million to enhance maternal health across 15 states, addressing the urgent public health challenge of rising maternal mortality rates and significant disparities, particularly among marginalized communities. This funding aims to tackle immediate health concerns while fostering long-term improvements through community engagement and collaboration among healthcare stakeholders. This initiative aligns with the… (Eisen, October 16, 2024) #Health Equity, #Women’s Health

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) convened a session on supplemental benefits in Medicare Advantage (MA). This first session on supplemental benefits focused on financing, and there will be another session in the spring ahead of a chapter in the June 2025 report to Congress. Commissioners agreed that MedPAC and CMS need more transparency around supplemental benefits to better understand their value. Several… (McClurg, October 11, 2024) #Medicare Advantage

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) convened to discuss its workplan for the mandated final report to Congress regarding the impact of recent changes to the home health prospective payment system (PPS). Under the Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2018, the Commission is tasked with assessing how these changes affect agency payments, costs, care delivery, and quality. Significant alterations made… (Eisen, October 11, 2024) #Costs, #Home Health, #Quality

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the 2025 Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D Star Ratings, which measure the quality of health and prescription drug services received by beneficiaries. What is it. The Star Ratings are intended to assist individuals compare the quality of Medicare health and prescription drug plans being offered and empower them to make… (Slifer, October 10, 2024) #Medicare Advantage, #Medicare Part D, #Quality

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a final rule to amend the Premerger Notification Rules under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvement Act (HSR Act) (press release). These changes aim to improve the effectiveness of antitrust reviews by requiring parties involved in mergers and acquisitions to provide more comprehensive information, addressing existing gaps that have hindered the agencies’ ability to assess… (Eisen, October 10, 2024) #Hospitals, #Transparency