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had finalized a policy for Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technologies (MCIT), but the Biden Administration repealed the rule, citing that… (Slifer, June 22, 2023) #Coverage Decisions, #Medical Devices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

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released a set of final recommendation statements on screening for anxiety disorders, depression and suicide risk in adults. Details on both recommendations follow. Final Recommendation Statement: Screening for Anxiety Disorders in Adults The Task Force issued a grade ‘B’ recommendation on screening for anxiety disorders in adults 64 years or younger, including pregnant… (Colocho, June 20, 2023) #Coverage Decisions, #Insurance Coverage, #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Prevention

Pursuant the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), conjunction with the Department of Education (ED) announced actions to address youth mental health and gun violence. To advance the priorities of the BSCA, HHS and the ED highlight the following actions taken to-date: The Secretaries of HHS and ED sent a joint letter to governor highlighting… (Slifer, June 16, 2023) #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Pediatrics

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) released its June 2023 Report to Congress (press release). The report discusses the following topics: High prices of drugs covered under Medicare Part B; Post-sale rebates for prescriptions drugs in Medicare Part D; Standardized benefits in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans; Favorable selection and future directions for MA payment policy; Disparities in outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries with… (Testa, June 15, 2023) #Medicare Advantage, #Medicare Part D, #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Post-Acute Care, #Prescription Drugs, #Telehealth

Today, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) issued requests for supplemental evidence and data submission to inform two Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC) Program reviews: Evaluation of Dietary Protein Intake Requirements and The Effect of Protein Intake on Health. AHRQ commissioned the EPC Program to complete a review of the evidence for the association of protein intake on health and evaluations… (Marceno, June 13, 2023) #Nutrition, #Quality

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of the Actuary released (press release; Health Affairs Article) projections of National Health Expenditures (NHE) and health insurance enrollment for 2022-2031. CMS projects annual NHE to grow an average of 5.4% annually over this timeframe, outpacing 4.6% average annual growth in gross domestic product (GDP). As a result, health spending as… (Testa, June 14, 2023) #Costs, #COVID-19, #Hospitals, #Insurance Coverage, #Physicians

The Senate Finance Committee (SFC) Leadership, including Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID), along with Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced the Patients Before Middlemen (PBM) Act (press release), which would delink pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) compensation from drug price and utilization.    Major Provisions: The bill requires that contracts between… (Slifer, June 14, 2023) #Pharmacy Benefit Managers

The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee convened a hearing to continue the discussion on the reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA). This is the fourth hearing the Subcommittee does on preparedness and response, including a previous bipartisan hearing with agency officials from the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention… (Colocho, June 14, 2023) #Food and Drug Administration, #Prevention