The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently opened a public comment opportunity related to Medicaid home and community based services (HCBS) quality measure development, reliability, and usability. Details about the opportunity follow. Measure: Hospitalization for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions among Home and Community Based Service (HCBS) Participants Overview: CMS requests stakeholders review several documents (Hospitalizations for ACSCs among… (Colocho, September 6, 2023) #Costs, #Physicians, #Program Integrity, #Quality

Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), the ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released a white paper on artificial intelligence (AI) discussing AI’s potential benefits and risks to society. Sen. Cassidy is requesting feedback from stakeholders on the government’s role in regulating the AI industry to help craft potential legislation that ensures responsible AI development that… (Colocho, September 6, 2023) #Food and Drug Administration, #Health Information Technology, #Privacy, #Transparency

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) announced (model website) it is planning to test a new voluntary, state total cost of care (TCOC) model to address unsustainable health care cost growth, poor population health, and disparities in health outcomes. The States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development Model (“States Advancing AHEAD” or “AHEAD Model”) builds off of… (Testa, September 5, 2023) #Delivery Reform, #Demonstration Programs, #Grants, #Health Equity, #Hospitals, #Primary Care, #Quality, #Social Determinants of Health

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, key mental health indicators across the country have been declining, particularly among youth. Policymakers are also concerned with the ability of the healthcare system to meet the demand of increasing substance use and mental health challenges. Addressing the mental health crisis is a rare bipartisan issue in Congress, and a recent Politico update reinforced that expanding… (Marceno, Joyce, August 31, 2023) #Health Equity, #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Public Health

This week the Biden-Harris Administration announced additional funding and resources to help address the opioid overdose epidemic and support substance use disorder recovery. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) states that through the HHS Overdose Prevention Strategy the agency is implementing multiple strategies to address addiction, including long-term recovery supports and harm reduction strategies. Newly Announced Funding Awards:… (Marceno, September 1, 2023) #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Opioids, #Prevention

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an extension of the comment period for the proposed remedy for 340B drug payments for calendar years (CY) 2018 through 2022. The original comment deadline was September 5, but comments are now due September 11. The agency notes that is extension is in response to public confusion over the end date… (Slifer, August 31, 2023) #340B

Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sent a letter to State Medicaid Directors (letter; press release) requiring states to determine if they have an eligibility system that could cause people, particularly  children, to be disenrolled from Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) even if they remain eligible for coverage. If so, CMS requires them to… (Joyce, August 30, 2023) <span style="font-size:90%;

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is requesting comment on a draft recommendation statement and draft evidence review on primary care interventions to prevent child maltreatment. The Task Force determined that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of primary care interventions to prevent child maltreatment for children and adolescents younger than 18… (Colocho, August 29, 2023) #Coverage Decisions, #Pediatrics, #Prevention, #Public Health

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced three upcoming public workshops to encourage discussion on the 2023 Draft Merger Guidelines. Last month, the agencies jointly released a draft update of the Merger Guidelines, which outline the agencies’ approach to reviewing mergers and acquisitions within the context of federal antitrust laws. The agencies are actively seeking input… (Colocho, August 29, 2023) #Hospitals, #Subsidies, #Transparency, #Workforce

  The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the first 10 drugs selected for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program for price applicability year 2026 (press release, CMS press release and fact sheet, ASPE fact sheet). Additional details follow. Drugs Selected: HHS details that the selected drugs accounted for $50.5 billion in total Part D gross covered prescription drug costs, or 20 percent, of… (Slifer, August 29, 2023) #Drug Pricing, #Medicare Part D, #Prescription Drugs