The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is announcing the availability of $150 million in grant funding to community-based health care providers to support approximately 100 Health Center Program look-alikes (LALs) to respond to and mitigate the spread of COVID-19; strengthen vaccination efforts; and enhance health care services and infrastructure. LALs are community health providers that furnish essential... Read More
HHS: For Continued COVID Response, Department Announces Latinx-Focused Exchange Enrollment Efforts
The U.S. Department of Health and Human (HHS) announced a series of commitments from national organizations to support outreach and support for Latinx communities to encourage greater enrollment during the COVID-19 special enrollment period (SEP). Specifically, HHS says these organizations will share information with Latinx consumers and use social media to encourage greater enrollment in HealthCare.gov insurance plans. In addition,... Read More
WH: Biden Extends Moratorium on Medicare Sequester; House Passes Senate-Approved Bills to Increase Prescription Drug Competition; Bills on Workplace Violence Prevention, Transplant Programs, Controlled Substances, Food Allergies, and Disparity Research
President Biden recently signed H.R. 1868, which extends the moratorium on the two percent Medicare sequester from March 31, 2021 to December 31, 2021. To pay for the change, sequestration will expire at the end of FY 2031 instead of FY 2030. The bill also makes several technical corrections to rural health clinic payments and disproportionate share hospital payment policies... Read More
House Appropriations: Members Express Support for HHS FY 2022 Budget Priorities at Subcommittee Hearing, Disagree on Hyde
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies convened a hearing to examine the Biden Administration’s fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget request (WHG client summary) for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Recently confirmed HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra testified. Members of the Subcommittee warmly welcomed Secretary Becerra and generally voiced bipartisan support for... Read More
House: Biden Administration Officials Testify on Ending the Pandemic; Vaccine Hesitancy, Equity, and Boosters Discussed
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis convened a hearing to examine ways to safely end the COVID-19 pandemic. Witnesses from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) testified about efforts to increase vaccinations, while maintaining public health measures such as masks, social... Read More
E&C: At Subcommittee on Health, Members Discuss Strategies for Addressing Rise in Substance Use
The House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Subcommittee on Health convened a hearing (memorandum) to examine ways to address the rise in substance use disorder (SUD) in the U.S. The Subcommittee heard first from Regina LaBelle, the Acting Director of the White House Office of National Drug Policy (ONDCP), who overviewed the Administration’s overarching strategy to address substance use (the Administration’s... Read More
HHS: To Mark Black Maternal Health Week, Department Announces Full-Year Medicaid Coverage for Postpartum Women in Illinois; $12M Health Equity-focused NOFO for Maternal Health Projects
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a new set of initiatives it is taking to improve maternal health outcomes. HHS is doing so in concert with its declaration of this week as Black Maternal Health Week. These actions are aimed specifically at expanding access to coverage and preventive care, including in rural areas. Details on the... Read More
OMB: Administration Releases FY 2022 Budget Toplines Totaling $1.52T with Increases for CDC, NIH, Mental Health, Equity Programs
The Office of Management and Budget released toplines of President Biden’s fiscal year (FY) 2022 discretionary budget request (press release) outlining proposed spending levels across federal agencies. The budget requests approximately $1.52 trillion in discretionary spending for FY 2022. That includes $769 billion in non-defense discretionary funding, a 16 percent increase from the FY 2021 enacted level, and $753 billion... Read More
CMS: 1.3 Percent Net Increase Proposed under SNF PPS in FY 2022; Outlines Potential Recalibration of PDPM Parity Adjustment to Maintain Budget Neutrality
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its proposed rule for the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) (fact sheet) on which comments are due by June 7. Highlights follow: SNFs would receive am estimated 1.3 percent net rate update in FY 2022 under the proposed rule, a $444 million increase compared... Read More
CMS: Hospices to See 2.3% Payment Increase in FY 2022 Proposed Rule
CMS released its FY 2022 Hospice Wage Index proposed rule (fact sheet). The proposed rule delineates the hospice wage index, payment rates and aggregate cap amount for FY 2022, among other key Medicare hospice policies. Key proposals include: A net Medicare payment increase to hospices of 2.3 percent or $530 million in FY 2022; An update to the FY 2022... Read More
CMS: Agency Releases Proposed Rule for FY 2022 IPF PPS, Includes Health Equity RFI; Comments Due June 7
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its proposed rule for the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Inpatient Psychiatric Facility (IPF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) (fact sheet). In addition to its proposed rate update for FY22, CMS proposed minor policy changes to the IPF PPS as well as a request for information (RFI). Briefly, these include: An RFI on... Read More
WHG - Summary of Recent Federal Actions on Maternal Health & Gender Equity
This memorandum collates and summarizes key federal activity on maternal health and gender equity thus far in 2021. Section II first examines prominent legislative activity on these fronts, including important statutory changes that authorize state Medicaid programs to extend postpartum coverage to a full year. The section also includes other prominent legislative proposals to improve maternal health, as well as... Read More
WH: Biden-Harris Administration Outlines Its Plan for Addressing Rise in Substance Use Disorder Rates
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) released its plan on addressing drug policy priorities under the current Administration. The document speaks to the rise in overdose-related deaths since 2015 and adds that new data suggest COVID-19 has exacerbated the ongoing opioid epidemic. In addition, the Administration recognizes several cross-cutting issues that also impact the opioid epidemic,... Read More
HHS: Department Announces New Set of Vaccine Confidence Initiatives; Availability of Increased Tax Credits on HealthCare.Gov
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a series of new measures to further its COVID-19 response activities, focusing today on improving vaccine uptake and increasing affordable options for insurance coverage in the individual market. These latest actions mark another component of the growing constellation for the Department’s COVID-19 response plan, following a series of other related... Read More
WH: New Actions to Increase COVID-19 Vaccinations: Federal Retail Pharmacy Program; $100 Million in ACL Grants; More Mass Vaccination Centers
The White House announced new actions to increase COVID-19 vaccinations. The Administration anticipates that by April 19, 90 percent of adults in the U.S. will be eligible for vaccination and 90 percent will be within five miles of a vaccination site. The Administration notes that 31 states have announced that they will expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all adults by... Read More
HHS: ASPE Discusses Equity, Geographic and Demographic Considerations for COVID-19 Risk and Health Coverage in Recent Issue Briefs
The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released several issue briefs that discuss health disparities, including: Health Disparities by Race and Ethnicity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Current Evidence and Policy Approaches This issue brief presents data by race/ethnic group and describes equity considerations related to COVID-19 vaccination, testing, and... Read More
WH: Administration Investing $10 Billion To Expand Access to COVID-19 Vaccines Focused on Vulnerable Populations
The White House announced it is distributing $10 billion to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines, with a focus on improving vaccine confidence in high-risk communities. In addition, the Administration announced it is making essential workers eligible for vaccinations at Community Health Centers (CHCs) in the Federal CHC Program. It also announced a new program to vaccinate dialysis patients. Details follow... Read More
CMS: Monthly Update to COVID-19 Medicare Snapshot Includes New Data on Race/Ethnicity and Age
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an updated data snapshot detailing the impact of COVID-19 on Medicare beneficiaries. The report draws from COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations of Medicare beneficiaries from Jan. 1 through Dec. 26, 2020, and is based on Medicare claims and encounter data reported to CMS. Notably, the data includes a new breakdown of COVID-19... Read More
CMS: Funding Applications Open for MSI-Based Health Equity Researchers under Minority Research Grant Program
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) issued a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for its Minority Research Grant Program (details), which will distribute funding to support health equity researchers at minority-serving institutions (MSIs). Specifically, the grant funding will support MSI researchers conducting studies related to the health care needs of racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, sexual and gender... Read More
E&C: Biden Administration Officials Testify on COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts; Vaccine Equity, Vaccine Hesitancy, Reopening Schools, and Public Health Infrastructure Addressed
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations convened a hearing to examine the Biden Administration’s efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates. Representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) spoke about Administration efforts to increase vaccination rates through improved vaccine confidence and... Read More
HHS: Applications Due April 20 for Funding Opportunity to Advance Health Literacy in COVID-19 Response Efforts
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health (HHS OMH) announced $250 million to fund the Advancing Health Literacy to Enhance Equitable Community Responses to COVID-19 initiative, which would encourage COVID-19 safety and vaccination among underserved populations. OMH will offer funding as health literacy grants to localities, who will partner with community-based organizations, to reach racial and... Read More
WHG - Weekly, March 8-12
Wrapping up the first major legislative initiative of the Biden-Harris Administration and Democrat-controlled Congress, the House is expected to pass the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, amended and approved by the Senate along party lines over the weekend, tomorrow (March 9) ahead of the March 14 expiration of federal unemployment benefits. With respect to the health-related provisions,... Read More
NIH: Request for Information Issued to Advance Health Disparities Research and Strengthen Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Biomedical Workforce
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a request for information (RFI) on how the agency can advance research to eliminate or lessen health disparities and inequities, as well as advance racial equity, diversity, and inclusion (DEI) within the biomedical research workforce. This is part of the NIH’s UNITE Initiative to end structural racism and to promote and advance DEI... Read More
MACPAC: Commissioners Recommend Additional Action to Support COVID-19 Vaccine Data Collection and Payment Adequacy
The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) convened a session to examine the Administration’s COVID-19 response efforts with regard to vaccine coverage and administration fees. MACPAC staff briefly outlined recent federal actions to increase the supply and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as flexibilities to allow pharmacists to order and administer vaccines. Through interviews, the staff detailed... Read More
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