The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE) held a presentation to discuss the Office’s Catalytic Program on Utilizing the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The catalytic program is intended to support health care providers in taking advantage of the tax credits, grants, and other supports made available by the IRA. OCCHE is hosting a series… (McClurg, April 19, 2024) #Hospitals

Today, CMS announced that Colorado is seeking to amend its Medicaid Section 1115 Colorado Expanding the Substance Use Disorder Continuum of Care demonstration to expand access to mental health services, strengthen access for formerly incarcerated individuals, and adopt continuous coverage for children ages 0-3. Additional details are included below and comments are due by May 18, 2024. Colorado’s proposed amendment would add three new… (Eisen, April 18, 2024) #Mental and Behavioral Health

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a comprehensive report detailing the performance and future directions of Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) have been in operation for over a decade, aiming to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of care provided to Medicare beneficiaries. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has previously assessed the budgetary impacts of these… (Colocho, April 17, 2024) #Accountable Care Organizations, #Costs

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a proposed rule entitled, “Reducing Barriers to HUD-Assisted Housing” on April 10th.  The overarching goal of the proposed rule is to revise existing regulations to remove barriers to HUD-assisted housing for individuals with criminal records.  Comments are due June 10. As described in the proposed rule, everyone needs a safe… (Colocho, April 17, 2024) #Health Equity, #Housing, #Public Health

The House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Health Subcommittee convened a hearing to address health care cybersecurity in the aftermath of the Change Healthcare ransomware attack, which severely disrupted the health care industry. Committee members heard from industry experts on the severity of the attack, and expressed deep concern and frustration regarding the devastating impact on hospitals, physicians, and health care… (Colocho, April 17, 2024) #Health Information Technology, #Hospitals, #Physicians, #Privacy, #Transparency

The Ranking Members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee John Boozman (R-AR) sent a letter to the Biden Administration requesting information on how it is developing federal nutrition guidelines in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025. The Dietary Guidelines are developed and updated every five years, and are then… (McClurg, April 17, 2024) #Nutrition

The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) convened a session on Medicaid Unwinding. Principal Analysis and Research Advisor Martha Heberlein led panelists through a discussion exploring the lessons learned, the information available on policy successes and failures, and beneficiary experiences. Commissioners expressed an interest in continuing to explore topics such as state flexibilities that should continue beyond the… (Marceno, April 13, 2024) <span style="font-size:90%;

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeking nominations for membership on the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). HICPAC consists of 14 experts in fields including, but not limited to, infectious diseases, infection prevention, healthcare epidemiology, nursing, clinical and environmental microbiology, surgery, hospitalist medicine, internal medicine, epidemiology, health policy, health services research, public health, and related… (Eisen, April 15, 2024) #Mid-Level Practitioners, #Physicians, #Primary Care, #Public Health

The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) met to vote on updated recommendations to improve transparency in Medicaid and CHIP financing as well as optimizing state Medicaid agency contracts. All recommendations were approved as drafted. Recommendations for Improving Transparency in Medicaid and CHIP Financing: Recommendation 1.1: In order to improve transparency and enable analyses of net Medicaid payments,… (Marceno, April 13, 2024) #Coverage Decisions, #COVID-19, #Health Equity

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) convened a session to discuss various approaches to updating payments under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). Under current law, starting in 2026, eligible clinicians engaged in advanced alternative payment models (A-APMs) will see their payment rates under the physician fee schedule rise by 0.75 percent annually, while all other clinicians will experience a 0.25 percent increase. However,… (Colocho, April 12, 2024) #Insurance Reform, #Medicare Access and Chip Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), #Physicians, #Primary Care, #Quality