The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for August 31 – September 5. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- CMS has posted a bulletin outlining changes coming in the FY 2025 inpatient and long-term-care hospital prospective payment system. Find that bulletin here. The changes it presents take effect on October 1.
- CMS has posted a bulletin about new waived laboratory tests that outlines Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) requirements, new CLIA-waived tests approved by the FDA, and use of the modifier QW for CLIA-waived tests. Find that bulletin here. The changes it presents take effect on October 1.
Department of Health and Human Services
- The Provider Relief Fund reporting portal is now open for reporting period 7. Providers that received Provider Relief Fund (general or targeted) and/or American Rescue Plan Rural payments exceeding $10,000 in the aggregate between January 1 and June 30, 2023 are required to report on their use of those funds during reporting period 7. The deadline to submit a report is September 30. Learn more on the Provider Relief Fund’s reporting and auditing web page.
- HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) conducted a study examining whether there were racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic differences in COVID-19 infection and mortality rates at the nursing home resident and nursing home facility levels. Learn what it found in this report.
- Another ASPE study explored the financial impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes amid concern that the pandemic resulted in lower occupancy rates and revenue and increased operating costs with new expenditures on personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies, COVID-19 tests, and staffing shortages and expenses. The analysis found, however, that despite these challenges, nursing home closures did not increase in 2020 and 2021. Learn more from the ASPE study.
HHS Newsletters
- CMS – MLN Connects – September 5
- AHRQ News Now – August 27
- HRSA eNews – August 15 (includes funding opportunities)
HHS Videos
- CMS – CCSQ Data and Analytics Town Hall – CMS has posted a video of its monthly Center for Clinical Standards and Quality call designed to provide users with system updates, general announcements, and training demonstrations,
- CMS – 2025 Self-Nomination, Data Validation, and QCDR Measure Submission Q&A Session – video of a webinar that presented information on the Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) and Qualified Registry self-nomination processes for the 2025 MIPS performance period.
Stakeholder Events
CMS – Hospital Open Door Forum – September 10
CMS will hold an open-door forum for hospital officials on Tuesday, September 10 at 2:00 (eastern). Go here to register to participate.
CMS – 2024 ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee Meeting Update – September 10-11
CMS’s ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee Meeting will meet virtually on Tuesday, September 10 and Wednesday, September 11. The final agenda and meeting materials for the procedure code topics to be discussed on September 10 are posted here on the CMS website and the final agenda and meeting materials for the diagnosis code topics to be discussed during both meetings will be posted here. Registration is required to attend; go here to register.
HRSA – Council on Graduate Medical Education Meeting – September 12
HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration will convene a virtual meeting of its Council on Graduate Medical Education on Thursday, September 12 at 10:00 (eastern). Go here for information on the meeting agenda and materials and how to participate.
CMS – Maternal Health Webinar – September 17
CMS will hold a maternal health informational webinar offering an overview of maternal health affinity groups and the expression-of-interest process on Tuesday, September 17 at 2:00 (eastern). Go here to register to participate.
CMS – Home Health, Hospice, and DME Open Door Forum – September 17
CMS will hold an open-door forum for home health, hospice, and DME providers on Wednesday, September 17 at 2:00 (eastern). Go here to register to participate.
CDC – Outreach Webinar on Lyme Disease – September 19
As part of its clinician outreach and communication efforts, the CDC will hold a webinar on new clinical tools and resources to support patients with prolonged symptoms and concerns about Lyme disease. Presenters will offer a brief overview of Lyme disease, provide a diagnostic and management framework for patients with prolonged symptoms and concerns about Lyme disease, and review new clinical tools and resources to help support these patients. Continuing education credits are available. Learn more about the webinar and how to participate from this CDC notice.
MACPAC – Commissioners Meeting – September 19-20
MACPAC commissioners will hold their next public meeting on Thursday, September 19 and Friday, September 20. The meeting agenda and information about participating in the meetings in person or remotely are not yet available but when they are they will be posted here.
CMS – Hospital Price Transparency Webinar – October 21
CMS will hold a webinar on hospital price transparency during which it will address encoding new January 2025 price transparency requirements data in machine-readable files on Monday, October 21 at 1:00 (eastern). Go here to register to participate.