The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced $31.5 million in grant awards to support behavioral health in children, youth, and young adults. According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), this initiative aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to addressing the overdose epidemic and mental health crisis. The $31.5 million was awarded across three programs:… (Marceno, June 28, 2023) #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Public Health

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released the results of the Mental and Substance Use Disorders Prevalence Study (MDPS). The study aimed to fill the gaps in understanding mental illness by including populations such as individuals experiencing homelessness and institutionalized and incarcerated populations, all who experience disproportionately high rates of substance use and mental health disorders. Researchers conducted… (Marceno, June 28, 2023) #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Public Health

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a final rule establishing the civil monetary penalties (CMPs) for information blocking that were created by the 21st Century Cures Act. The rule also makes clear OIG’s authority to investigate claims of information blocking.  Information blocking policies, including regulated actors and exceptions, are developed by the HHS Office of… (McClurg, June 28, 2023) #Health Information Technology

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) hosted a Pride Summit to celebrate Pride month and discuss support for the LGBTQI+ community. The HHS Pride Summit aimed to highlight the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris Administration in improving access to health care services, promoting health equity, supporting identity affirmation, and advocating for civil rights for the LGBTQI+ community. Both Administration… (Colocho, June 27, 2023) #Health Equity, #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Prevention, #Public Health

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its calendar year (CY) 2024 end-stage renal disease (ESRD) prospective payment system (PPS) proposed rule (fact sheet). Details follow. What it is. This proposed rule outlines ESRD PPS payment policies applying to dialysis facilities beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2024. The rule also includes an update to acute kidney injury… (Marceno, Testa, McClurg, June 26, 2023) #End-Stage Renal Disease, #Hospitals

The House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (O&I) convened a hearing to assess the implementation and effectiveness of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) – specifically, the two tracks in the Quality Payment Program (QPP): (1) Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs). As noted in the hearing… (Llamas, June 23, 2023) #Delivery Reform, #Physicians

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in collaboration with the Department of Education (ED) launched the School-Based Services (SBS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center. CMS states that this TA center will enhance the provision of Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) services in schools. Background: Last month, CMS released a comprehensive guide for Medicaid school-based services (Impact Summary)… (Marceno, Llamas, June 23, 2023) #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Pediatrics, #Prevention

President Biden issued an Executive Order (EO) focused on improving access to affordable and high-quality contraception and family planning services (fact sheet). This order aims to address the crisis in women’s access to health care and is the third Executive Order signed by the President since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (Impact Health Summary… (Colocho, June 23, 2023) #Costs, #Public Health, #Wellness, #Women’s Health

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a notice with comment to establish the Transitional Coverage for Emerging Technologies (TCET) pathway for Breakthrough Devices to accelerate access to new medical technologies for Medicare beneficiaries (press release). What it is. In January 2021, the Trump Administration had finalized a policy for Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technologies (MCIT), but the Biden Administration repealed the rule, citing that… (Slifer, June 22, 2023) #Coverage Decisions, #Medical Devices

The House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions held a hearing to gather input from stakeholders to inform legislative solutions to address consolidation and lack of transparency in the health care market. The bipartisan hearing aimed to address the industry blame-game and identified consolidation and lack of transparency as the main drivers of rising health care… (Colocho, June 22, 2023) #Drug Pricing, #Hospitals, #Pharmacy Benefit Managers, #Physicians, #Public Health, #Quality, #Transparency