Bulletin Board
Bulletin Board
MACPAC Meets
The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission met for two days last week in Washington, D.C. The following is MACPAC’s own summary of the sessions. MACPAC kicked off its April meeting with a review of a draft chapter for the June 2021 report to Congress and recommendations on addressing high-cost specialty drugs. Since 2017, the Commission has been working to identify potential models that could help states address the challenges of high prices. The presentation focused on drugs that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration [...]
Health Policy Update for Monday, April 12
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Monday, April 12. The White House COVID-19 The White House has posted a transcript of the April 12 press briefing provided by its COVID-19 response team and public health officials. Health Policy and Budget News The Biden administration has released its proposed FY 2022 discretionary budget, which addresses, among other things, many aspects of health care policy. Find the news release announcing the proposed budget here and the budget document itself here. Centers [...]
Study of Cardiac Telehealth Yields Interesting Results
Increased use of telehealth among cardiac patients as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has produced some interesting results. According to a study published by JAMA Open Network, …[cardiology] patients using COVID-era remote visits were more likely to be Asian, Black, or Hispanic individuals, have private insurance, and have cardiovascular comorbidities. Compared with pre-COVID in-person visits, clinicians during COVID-era video and telephone visits had a significantly lower odds of ordering any medication as well as most tests. The use of telehealth has increased significantly since the start of the COVID-19 [...]
Health Policy Update for Thursday, April 8
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, April 8. Provider Relief Fund The Provider Relief Fund web page has been updated to announce a webinar next Tuesday, April 13 about the HRSA COVID-19 uninsured program under which participating providers are reimbursed at Medicare rates for testing, treating, and administering COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured individuals. Go here for further information (in the shaded box labeled “update”). Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services COVID-19 CMS has added 24 new audiology and [...]
Health Policy Update for Wednesday, April 7
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, April 7. The White House Health Policy News President Biden’s first budget proposal is expected to be released this Friday, April 9. It could have important policy implications for health care providers of all types. COVID-19 The White House has posted a transcript of the April 7 press briefing provided by its COVID-19 response team and public health officials. Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA has published a notice titled “Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: Safe Opening and Operation [...]