The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule to improve the electronic exchange of health care data and streamline prior authorization (press release; fact sheet).  The regulations apply to Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations, Medicaid and CHIP fee-for-service (FFS) programs, Medicaid managed care plans, CHIP managed care entities, and Qualified Health Plan (QHP) issuers on the Federally… (McClurg, December 6, 2022) #Health Information Technology

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released the Semiannual Report to Congress providing an overview of the Agency’s activities from March 2022 through September 2022. The report includes data on OIG’s reports, audits, investigations, and other statistics. The report describes OIG’s work on identifying significant problems, abuses, deficiencies, remedies, and investigative outcomes… (Colocho, December 6, 2022) #Costs, #COVID-19, #Drug Pricing, #Hospitals, #Opioids, #Public Health

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new virtual Agricultural Science Center of Excellence for Nutrition and Diet for Better Health (ASCEND for Better Health) that will accelerate research on diet-related chronic diseases. The new center will connect existing resources, people, and programs to increase coordination and cooperation in research. USDA will also focus on better understanding the needs of… (McClurg, December 5, 2022) #Chronic Diseases, #Health Equity, #Nutrition

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) extended enforcement discretion, pending future rulemaking, for the requirement that convening providers and facilities provide good faith estimates (GFEs) for uninsured (or self-pay) individuals of expected charges from co-providers and co-facilities. The enforcement discretion was set to expire on December 31, 2022. We anticipate that a forthcoming proposed rule, scheduled for January… (Llamas, December 5, 2022) #Insurance Reform, #Transparency

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a Quality, Safety & Oversight memo on workplace violence in hospitals. The memo reiterated the regulatory obligation Medicare certified hospitals have under the Medicare Hospital Conditions of Participation (CoP) (§482.13(c)(2)), including the Medicare Hospital Emergency Preparedness CoP (§482.15(a)). Briefly, the agency highlights the following expectations:   Adhere to current standards of… (Testa, November 28, 2022) #Hospitals, #Program Integrity

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued clinical practice guideline for prescribing opioid for pain. The 2022 edition updates and expands the 2016 version and provides evidence-based recommendation for clinicians who provide pain care, including those prescribing opioids, for acute pain, subacute pain, and chronic pain. The guideline provides recommendations in the following areas: Determining whether or not… (Slifer, November 18, 2022) #Opioids

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) released a proposed rule with changes to the food packages in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) (proposed rule; press release). The updates reflect science-based revisions and incorporate recommendations from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans,… (McClurg, November 18, 2022) #Nutrition, #Pediatrics

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released its annual Report to Congress on high-priority evidence gaps for clinical preventive services. USPSTF is an independent, volunteer panel of experts that makes recommendations about preventive services. This report focuses on research gaps related to promoting healthy behaviors across the lifespan, especially for individuals in Black, Hispanic and Latino, American Indian and… (McClurg, November 17, 2022) #Chronic Diseases, #Primary Care

In a crucial advancement for human rights and equality, the Senate voted 72 to 37 to advance the Respect for Marriage Act (HR 8404).  The legislation would codify protections for same-sex and interracial marriage.  A final vote is expected after Thanksgiving.(Joyce, November 16, 2022) #Public Health

The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) recently released an issue brief on racial and ethnic disparities across selected measures of maternal and infant health, the factors that drive these disparities, and recent efforts to address them. This summary provides the key takeaways from the analysis. Status of Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Health. KFF looked at the status of racial… (Asres, November 16, 2022) #Health Equity, #Public Health, #Quality, #Women’s Health