The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a report (fact sheet) which reviews the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) initiative. AHCAH was launched during the COVID-19 public health emergency and allows certain Medicare-certified hospitals to treat patients with inpatient-level care at home. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (CAA, 2023) required a study of the initiative and extended… (Testa, October 1, 2024) #Delivery Reform, #Hospitals, #Quality, #Readmissions, #Waivers

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an interim final action with comment period (IFC) in response to an appellate court decision in Bridgeport Hosp. v. Becerra.  What it is. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit backed a district court’s decision that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) acted unlawfully in 2019 when… (Testa, October 1, 2024) #Hospitals, #Long-Term Care Hospitals

In an era of political division, the upcoming November elections have high stakes, and the outcome is impossible to predict. The polls have consistently shown Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump to be running dead even with expectations that a handful of states, or even one congressional district in Nebraska, will determine the winner. Beyond the presidential… (Lewis, September 30, 2024) <span style="font-size:90%;

The Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP/ONC) released its final 2024-2030 Federal Health Information Technology (IT) Strategic Plan. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH Act) required the development of the Strategic Plan in collaboration with various federal agencies to help government organizations prioritize resources, align and coordinate efforts, benchmark and assess progress,… (McClurg, September 30, 2024) #Health Information Technology

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the average premiums and plans choices for Medicare Advantage (MA) and the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. This follows CMS’s previous announcement of the 2025 Part D base beneficiary premiums, as well as information on a voluntary Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration. Additional details follow for each program follow. Medicare… (Slifer, September 27, 2024) #Medicare Advantage, #Medicare Part D

Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced the Health Infrastructure Security and Accountability Act (S.5218) in response to a surge in cyberattacks on health care organizations (one-page summary, section-by-section, bill text). These attacks, such as the one against Change Healthcare earlier this year, have compromised patient privacy and disrupted essential medical services. Sen. Wyden has criticized the lax… (Colocho, September 26, 2024) #Health Information Technology, #Hospitals, #Prevention, #Privacy, #Transparency

Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) introduced the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Civil Rights Act (S.5152) to address the growing concerns around AI bias and its impact on civil rights. The bill aims to implement strict safeguards on the use of algorithms in critical decision-making processes, including employment, banking, healthcare, and the criminal justice system. It mandates that companies conduct independent evaluations of… (Colocho, September 25, 2024) #Health Equity, #Health Information Technology, #Prevention

The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) released its first-ever federal homelessness prevention framework, Ending Homelessness Before It Starts, developed in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other federal agencies (press release, one-page summary). The guide, adopted during a USICH meeting with White House Cabinet members, offers a comprehensive approach to preventing homelessness by engaging… (Colocho, September 25, 2024) #Health Equity, #Housing, #Prevention, #Public Health

The Senate Finance Committee convened a hearing titled “Chaos and Control: How Trump Criminalized Women’s Health Care.” During the session, Democrats highlighted the escalating threats to women’s reproductive health, emphasizing how recent state-level abortion bans and the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade have created dangerous situations for patients. They raised alarms about the chilling effects of these… (Eisen, September 24, 2024) #Health Equity, #Public Health, #Women’s Health

The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee convened a hearing with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Novo Nordisk, Lars Jorgensen, to discuss the high prices for its diabetes and obesity medications, Ozempic and Wegovy. The Senators acknowledged the transformative nature of GLP-1 agonists, like Ozempic and Wegovy, in addressing the diabetes and obesity epidemic, but asserted that… (Slifer, September 24, 2024) #Drug Pricing, #Prescription Drugs