The Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP) Committee convened a markup to discuss a package of legislation related to maternal and infant health, pediatric research, and the health workforce (Impact summary). The legislation would reauthorize a set of health care workforce programs, including Community Health Centers (CHCs), Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME), and the National Health Service… (McClurg, September 22, 2023) #Budget, #Pediatrics, #Primary Care, #Women’s Health, #Workforce

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that nearly 500,000 children and other individuals who were improperly disenrolled from Medicaid or CHIP will regain their coverage, as a result of HHS’s call to action on August 30 to states to address issues affecting auto-renewals (also known as “ex parte” renewals).   As a result of the August 30… (Llamas, September 21, 2023) #Coverage Decisions, #COVID-19

The Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (HHS) (the Departments) released a proposed rule to establish the independent dispute resolution (IDR) administrative fee amount and methodology, and the certified IDR entity fee ranges for single and batched determinations. The proposed fees would apply to disputes initiated on or after the later of the effective date of this… (Llamas, September 20, 2023) #Coverage Decisions, #Hospitals, #Insurance Reform, #Physicians

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), announced it is investing $600 million in 12 U.S. COVID-19 test manufacturers and reopening COVIDTests.gov to provide free COVID-19 tests to households nationwide. This initiative aims to strengthen the domestic supply chain for COVID-19 tests, enhance preparedness for future pandemics, and secure 200… (Colocho, September 20, 2023) #Costs, #COVID-19, #Prevention, #Public Health

The Senate Finance Committee Subcommittee on Health Care held a hearing titled, “Aging in Place: The Vital Role of Home Health in Access to Care.” Senators and witnesses were very concerned that people are not able to begin home health treatment, even if they receive a referral, and that home health is not being utilized to its full potential or… (McClurg, September 20, 2023) #Home Health

The Food and Drug Administration issued a request for information (RFI) on the critical scientific challenges and opportunities to advance the development of individualized cellular and gene therapies (CGTs). The agency notes that an improved understanding of the molecular basis of disease along with the availability of sensitive diagnostic tools has led to the increasing opportunity to create individualized products… (Slifer, September 20, 2023) #Food and Drug Administration

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) policies and procedures for awarding Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Expansions (CCHBC-E) grants. In fiscal year (FY) 2020, SAMHSA awarded $447 million in expansion grants to 166 CCBHCs in 32 states. OIG was… (McClurg, September 19, 2023) #Program Integrity

Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule to streamline enrollment and retention in Medicare Savings Program (MSP) coverage (press release; fact sheet). This final rule is intended to leverage data from other programs and eliminate duplication of paperwork, reduce out-of-pocket and premium costs for eligible individuals, and streamline the application process and enrollment for… (Marceno, September 18, 2023) #Dual Eligibles, #Health Equity

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced the action plan for the Organ Transplant Affinity Group (OTAG).OTAG is a collaboration between CMS and HRSA that seeks to drive improvements in donations, clinical outcomes, system improvement, quality measurement, and regulatory oversight of organ donation. Work to date: HRSA oversees the Organ… (McClurg, September 15, 2023) <span style="font-size:90%;

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report detailing safeguards that Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies could take to protect against political interference. GAO has previously made recommendations to HHS and its agencies about preventing political interference, and uses this report to examine further actions that could be taken by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention… (McClurg, September 15, 2023) #Program Integrity, #Public Health