When is Congress in session? House 2024 Calendar Senate 2024 Calendar
What’s Ahead: This Week
Hearings and Markups – No notable hearings this week. Congress is not in session.
Notable Policy Events –
- Tuesday, August 27
- Health Affairs, “Journal Club: Coverage of Anti-Obesity Medicines Could Increase Medicare Spending By Billions.” Paid, Virtual. Additional Information
- Wednesday, August 28
- Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP), “CCHP 2024 Webinar Series: Loper Bright/Chevron.” Free, Virtual. Additional Information
- Thursday, August 29
- Duke Margolis Institute for Health Policy, “Addressing Health-Related Social Needs at Scale in Medicaid: The Past, Present, and Future of North Carolina’s Healthy Opportunities Pilots.” Free, Virtual. Additional Information
Weekly Wrap-Up: Notable Health Care Developments from Last Week
Medicare & Medicaid –
- On August 19, the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a report on the Illinois Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) and Eligibility and Enrollment (E&E) system to determine how well the systems protect against cyberattacks. Report Report-in-Brief
- Also on August 19, CMS released an informational bulletin to promote continuity of coverage for individuals receiving Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS). Informational Bulletin
- On August 22, CMS released publications on Medicaid long-term services and supports (LTSS) users and expenditures. Patient Characteristics Expenditures by Service Trends in the Use and Spending
- Also on August 22, CMS issued a notice for information collection on a final rule, which would advance interoperability and patient access to health information through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Comments are due September 23, 2024. Final Rule
- On August 23, CMS released a report, which provides an update on the Money Follows the Person (MFP) grant recipients. Report
Payment & Delivery System Models –
- On August 21, CMS published an article in Health Affairs on the CMS Innovation Center’s data-sharing strategy initiative. Article CMDS Model Participation Data Initiative
- On August 22, CMS released participation data for the Prior Authorization of Repetitive, Scheduled Non-Emergent Ambulance Transport (RSNAT) model as part of the CMS Innovation Center Model Data Sharing (CMDS) Initiative. Participation Data RSNAT
Public Health Prevention, Preparedness, Surveillance – On August 22, FDA approved and authorized updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Press Release
Health IT, Privacy, & Digital Health –
- On August 19, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (ASTP) published a blog, which emphasizes its commitment to create interoperable health IT products. Blog
- On August 22, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) published a blog, which summarizes the work of the Digital Healthcare Research Program and telehealth. Blog Digital Healthcare Research Program
Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Policy –
- On August 21, CMS issued a notice for information collection on medical necessity and claims denial disclosures under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). Comments are due September 20, 2024. Notice
- On August 22, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) OIG issued a report on the Veterans Crisis Line’s implementation of the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. Report Summary
Prescription Drugs & Health Innovation –
- On August 23, FDA published final guidance which facilitates the development of electronic submission templates for medical device De Novo requests. Final Guidance
- Also on August 23, FDA issued Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for certain medical devices related to COVID-19. EUAs Federal Register
Health Systems & Health Care Workforce – On August 21, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report on the Veterans Community Care program, which allows veterans to receive medical care from community providers when they cannot access VA facilities. Report
Legislative Activity –
Introduced Legislation –
- On August 20, Reps. Bean (R-FL) and Salazar (R-FL) introduced the Prompt Reporting and Oversight for Medicare Providing Transparency (PROMPT) Act (H.R. 9384), which would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide an explanation of benefits not later than 30 days after an item or service is furnished under the Medicare program. Bill Text Press Release