The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) convened sessions to discuss the Commission’s work on two areas of youth behavioral health, residential services for youth with behavioral health needs and Medicaid policy around care for justice-involved youth. Details from each session can be found below. Introduction to Work on Residential Services for Youth with Behavioral Health Needs Staff Presentation… (Marceno, September 21, 2024) #Health Equity, #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Prevention, #Public Health

CMS Seeks Comment on Draft Templates for Ensuring Compliance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act Requirements, Comments Due October 29th To support the implementation of parity in Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the agency’s newly developed templates and instructional guides to help state… (Marceno, September 19, 2024) #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Opioids

The House Energy and Commerce Committee convened a full committee markup of 16 bills to address a wide range of issues related to energy, health, and children’s online safety. Key legislation includes efforts to extend telehealth services for seniors, support pediatric rare disease innovation, and provide historic protections for children online through the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the… (Colocho, September 19, 2024) #Home Health, #Hospitals, #Pediatrics, #Pharmacies, #Pharmacy Benefit Managers, #Privacy, #Program Integrity, #Skilled Nursing Facilities, #Telehealth, #Workforce

The Senate Finance Committee convened a hearing entitled “Lower Health Care Costs for Americans: Understanding the Benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).” The Senators and witnesses spoke to the successes and potential draw backs of the programs enacted through the IRA, including the Part D redesign, capping insulin costs, the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, inflation rebates, and the… (Slifer, September 17, 2024) #Cost-Sharing, #Drug Pricing, #Insurance Coverage, #Medicare Part D, #Prescription Drugs

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a request for information (RFI) seeking information on artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that can improve health care outcomes and service delivery, with plans to select organizations to showcase their products during quarterly “CMS AI Demo Days” starting in October. Through this RFI, CMS is inviting health care companies, providers, and others… (Colocho, September 13, 2024) #Health Information Technology

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions Committee convened a hearing to investigate the ramifications of Steward Health Care’s bankruptcy on patients and workers across eight states. This hearing is part of a broader bipartisan investigation authorized on July 25, 2024, following Steward Health Care’s bankruptcy filing on May 6, 2024. The bankruptcy was filed due to financial mismanagement, including… (Eisen, September 13, 2024) #Costs, #Delivery Reform, #Hospitals, #Physicians, #Quality, #Rural Health, #Transparency, #Workforce

Yesterday, the House Committee on Education and Workforce advanced three health care bills, including two bipartisan bills similar to bills advanced by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) (press release). These bills prohibiting anticompetitive terms in contracts and banning facility fees for telehealth could serve as offsets in a potential health package during the lame duck… (Llamas, September 12, 2024) #Insurance Reform, #Telehealth

Today, the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations convened a hearing on implementation of the Securing the U.S. Organ Transplantation Network Act. The act was signed into law last year and gives the Health resources and Services Administration (HRSA) the authority to break up the Organ Transplant System (OPTN) contract, which has historically been held solely by the United Network… (McClurg, September 11, 2024) #Program Integrity

The House Committee on Education & Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) convened a hearing to discuss potential ways to improve upon the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and strengthen employer-sponsored health coverage. The hearing featured policy experts and advocates representing large employers, small business owners, and consumers: Ms. Ilyse Schuman, Senior Vice President, Health and Paid… (Llamas, September 10, 2024) #Insurance Reform

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking nominations for a Technical Expert Panel (TEP) to refine the Quality Measure Index (QMI). The QMI supports the assessment and selection of quality measures by displaying strengths and limitations to facilitate CMS’ selection of the best measures to implement in quality programs.  Details about the TEP follow. Title: Assessment of Quality… (Testa, September 10, 2024) #Health Equity, #Quality