The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a comprehensive white paper aimed at addressing the persistent issue of drug shortages within the nation’s health care system (press release). The paper not only outlines the steps already taken by HHS to mitigate shortages but also proposes additional policy solutions for consideration by policymakers. The white paper underscores the critical importance of ensuring… (Colocho, April 2, 2024) #Costs, #Drug Pricing, #Generic Drugs, #Hospitals, #Medical Devices, #Pharmacy Benefit Managers, #Prevention, #Public Health, #Transparency

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Medicare Advantage (MA) Capitation Rates and Part C and Part D Payment Policies (press release, fact sheet) What it is. The Rate Notice addresses a wide array of MA and Part D-related policies and includes the net rate update for MA plans. Overall, CMS finalizes a… (Slifer, April 1, 2024) #Medicare Advantage, #Medicare Part D, #Quality, #Reinsurance, #Risk Adjustment, #Risk Corridors

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced new actions to make it easier for people to keep their health coverage as states conduct Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility renewals, which restarted after pausing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Administration believes these actions will allow… (Marceno, March 29, 2024) #Health Equity, #Public Health

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced revisions to Statistical Policy Directive No. 15 (Directive No. 15), which outlines standards for maintaining, collecting, and presenting federal data on race and ethnicity. These revisions, the first since 1997, aim to improve the quality, accuracy, and relevance of federal data on race and ethnicity, ensuring it reflects the diversity of the country. The revisions follow… (Colocho, March 29, 2024) #Health Equity, #Public Health

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the fiscal year (FY) 2025 inpatient psychiatric facility (IPF) prospective payment system (PPS) proposed rule (fact sheet).   What it is. The wide-ranging proposed rule would update the prospective payment rates, the outlier threshold, and the wage index for Medicare inpatient hospital services provided by Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities (IPFs) for discharges… (Llamas, Eisen, March 28, 2024) #Hospitals, #Mental and Behavioral Health

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued the first government-wide policy aimed at mitigating risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI) and maximizing its benefits (fact sheet). The finalized policy document for the use of AI within federal agencies is a response to President Biden’s executive order on AI, which directed various actions to bolster AI safety, security, privacy protection, equity,… (Colocho, March 28, 2024) #Health Equity, #Health Information Technology, #Privacy, #Transparency, #Workforce

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) published the draft 2024-2030 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan. ONC describes health IT as an array of tools that enable the processing, storage, access exchange, and use of electronic health information (EHI) to promote health and wellness, enhance the experience of care, accelerate research and… (McClurg, March 28, 2024) #Health Information Technology

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), as mandated by the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022 (CIRCIA), outlining regulations concerning cyber incident reporting and ransom payment reporting, aiming to bolster the nation’s cybersecurity posture (press release). CIRCIA, passed in 2022, requires certain critical infrastructure organizations to report cyber incidents within 72… (Colocho, March 27, 2024) #Health Information Technology, #Hospitals, #Privacy, #Transparency

The House Oversight and Accountability Coronavirus Pandemic Subcommittee convened its second session of a two-part hearing series to evaluate the effectiveness of vaccine safety reporting and injury compensation systems post-COVID-19 vaccine rollout. While the initial hearing featured government witnesses, this session hosted experts directly engaged with these systems. The two-part hearing series highlighted bipartisan interest in addressing vaccine safety and… (Eisen, 1/1/70) #COVID-19, #Physicians, #Prevention, #Public Health

The House Appropriations Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Subcommittee held a hearing with the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to discuss the Administration’s fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget request for USDA. Representatives spent most of the hearing discussing farm and other agriculture programs and priorities, but several also commented on the proposals for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and… (McClurg, March 22, 2024) #Nutrition