The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) on the impact of telehealth initiation of controlled substances. As part of the Administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) waived the requirement that a healthcare provider must see a patient in-person at least once to prescribe controlled substances via telehealth. The… (Marceno, July 14, 2023) #Mental and Behavioral Health, #National Institutes of Health, #Opioids

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a request for information (RFI) to inform the development of an episode-based payment model focused on improving beneficiary care and lowering Medicare expenditures by reducing fragmentation and increasing care coordination across health care settings. Comments are due by August 17, 2023. Our full summary of the RFI is attached.(Testa, July 14, 2023) #Accountable Care Organizations, #Care Coordination, #Costs, #Delivery Reform, #Demonstration Programs, #Health Equity, #Quality, #Risk Adjustment, #Social Determinants of Health, #Value-Based Purchasing

The House Energy & Commerce (E&C) Committee Health Subcommittee convened a markup of 17 bills related to a wide array of issues. While most of the bills experienced bipartisan support, the notable exceptions were separate legislative efforts to reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA), and draft legislation to reauthorize the Substance Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery… (McClurg, July 14, 2023) #Graduate Medical Education (GME), #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Program Integrity, #Public Health, #Telehealth

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2024 Medicare Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rule (press release; fact sheet; MSSP fact sheet; QPP fact sheet), which addresses an array of policies under Medicare Part B and the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) Quality Payment Program (QPP). What it is. CMS’ major proposed rule… (Testa, July 13, 2023) #Accountable Care Organizations, #Clinical Labs, #Coverage Decisions, #Health Equity, #Medicare Access and Chip Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Mid-Level Practitioners, #Opioids, #Physicians, #Quality, #Social Determinants of Health, #Telehealth

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year (CY) 2024 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System proposed rule (press release, fact sheet). What it is. CMS’ wide-ranging proposed rule affects payments to approximately 3,500 hospitals paid under the OPPS, including hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) and 6,000 ASCs, beginning on Jan. 1, 2024. CMS proposes… (Slifer, July 13, 2023) #Hospitals, #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Prescription Drugs, #Quality, #Transparency

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security convened a hearing to assess the challenges posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and ensure the development, availability, and responsible use of effective antimicrobials. The hearing featured an antibiotic stewardship expert from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University, representatives of the Infectious Diseases… (Colocho, July 12, 2023) #Prevention, #Public Health

Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), along with Senate Finance Committee (SFC) Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID) released a discussion draft that would establish pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reporting requirements with respect to prescription drugs plans (PDPs) and Medicare Advantages PDPs (MA-PDs) (press release). Overall, the bill would increase transparency of prescription drug… (Slifer, July 12, 2023) #Pharmacy Benefit Managers, #Transparency

The House Committee on Education and Workforce (E&W) leadership Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) introduced the following package of bills aimed in increasing transparency in health care: The Transparency in Billing Act (H.R. 4509) – The bill, authored by Chairwoman Foxx and Ranking Member Scott, would require that insurers to only pay claims for items and services submitted by… (Slifer, July 11, 2023) #Insurance Reform, #Pharmacy Benefit Managers, #Transparency

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) released a white paper that retroactively analyzed previous model evaluations to determine the models’ impacts on health equity. CMMI notes that models tested prior to 2021 were not explicitly designed to serve underserved populations and therefore the evaluations of such models did not focus on health equity-related outcomes. The white paper examined 17 models:… (Slifer, July 10, 2023) #Demonstration Programs, #Health Equity

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC) Program issued a request for supplemental evidence and data submissions (SEADs) to inform its review on Breastfeeding and Health Outcomes for Infants and Children. AHRQ commissioned the EPC Program to conduct a systematic review on the association between breastfeeding/human milk consumption and health outcomes for infants and children…. (Colocho, July 3, 2023) #Pediatrics, #Prevention, #Public Health, #Women’s Health