The following LPG Weekly Health Care Watch provides a summary of legislative and regulatory health care activities from June 20 – 28. Where available, hyperlinks are included to the relevant documents. Please let us know if you have any questions or would like additional information on the items below.
NON-CORONAVIRUS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Senate
On June 25, Senate Democrats blocked a floor vote on Sen. Tim Scott’s (R-SC) policing reform legislation.
House
On June 22, House Democrats released legislative text of their $1.5 trillion infrastructure packaged that is intended to help the nation recover from the coronavirus pandemic. Notably, H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act includes $100 billion to expand broadband in underserved communities and $30 billion to modernize the health care infrastructure. The House is aiming to vote on the deal the week of June 29. A section-by-section is available here; a fact sheet is available here.
On June 23, House introduced H.R. 1425, legislation to expand upon the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Specifically, the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Enhancement Act seeks to: expand eligibility for premium subsidies; increase the Medicaid federal match from 90% to 100% for states that haven’t yet expanded eligiblity; incentivize states to launch their own marketplaces; eliminate the Trump administration’s expansion of non-ACA compliant plans; restore funding for enrollment outreach and navigators; and require states to cover postpartum Medicaid coverage for a full year. These provisions would be offset by the direct negotiation mechanism included in the House-passed drug pricing reform legislation (H.R. 3). The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and Joint Committee on Taxation estimate the legislation would reduce the number of people who are uninsured by an average of four million between 2022 to 2030. This legislation will be voted on by the House on June 29. The measure is highly unlikely to be taken up by the Senate. A fact sheet is available here.
On June 25, Democrats on the Energy & Commerce Committee released the findings of a year-long investigation into Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance (STLDI) health plans, which were expanded by the Trump administration in 2018. According to the report, three million consumers purchased STLDI plans in 2019 – a 600,000 increase from 2018. The report concludes that all eight plans the Committee investigated deny claims for preexisting conditions and that the average broker commission was 21% higher than ACA-compliant plans. According to Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Health Subcommittee Chair Anna Eshoo (D-CA), and Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO), the report “shows how dangerous a post-ACA world would be,” if the ACA is overturned by the Supreme Court.
Subcommittee and full committee markups for FY2021 appropriations bills are scheduled to begin on July 6 and July 9, respectively. Floor votes are expected to be held during the last two weeks of July. Appropriations Committee Chair Nita Lowey (D-NY) indicated that Democrats will use the appropriation bills to move pandemic-related legislation.
NON-CORONAVIRUS REGULATORY UPDATE
On June 22, the White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB) received a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) notice entitled Request for Information; Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances.
On June 23, CMS announced the creation of the Office of Burden Reduction & Health Informatics. The new office is an outgrowth of CMS’ Patients over Paperwork initiative and will lead the Agency’s efforts for reducing administrative burden. According to Administrator Seema Verma, “the work of this new office will be targeted to help reduce unnecessary burden, increase efficiencies, continue administrative simplification, increase the use of health informatics, and improve the beneficiary experience.”
On June 24, former Director of the Biomedical Advanced Research & Development Authority (BARDA) filed an amended whistleblower complaint arguing that U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar has intentionally retaliated against him and interfered with his current work at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
On June 25, CMS issued a proposed rule entitled Medicare and Medicaid Programs: CY2021 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update; Home Health Quality Reporting Requirements; and Home Infusion Therapy Services Requirements. CMS proposes to increase Medicare’s base rate for home health agencies by 2.6%, ($540 million) next year. In addition, the Agency proposes to make the telehealth expansion flexibilities issued during the COVID-19 pandemic a permanent part of home health benefit, as long as the service is outlined on a plan of care and linked to a specific goal. A fact sheet is available here.
On June 25, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a legal brief under Texas v. California (formally known as Texas v. Azar) maintaining its stance that the ACA should be deemed unconstitutional. DOJ asserts that “no further analysis is necessary; once the individual mandate and the guaranteed-issue and community-rating provisions are invalidated, the remainder of the ACA cannot survive.” The Supreme Court will consider the case during its fall term.
On June 25, CMS extended its Medicare Care Choices Model (MCCM) by one year, or through the end of 2021. The demonstration tests a new option for beneficiaries to receive supportive services from certain hospice providers and examines whether such services improve the quality of life and care of beneficiaries. Under the extension, participating hospices will be able to enroll beneficiaries through June 30, 2021. Additional information is available here.
On June 26, it was reported that the White House is considering tapping Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation Director Brad Smith to replace Maria Bonner as a domestic policy aide on health care.
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
White House Update
On June 20, at a campaign event in Tulsa, President Donald Trump claimed he told officials in his Administration to "slow down" testing because "when you do testing to that extent, you're going to find more people, you're going to find more cases." The following day, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro clarified that his comments about testing were “tongue-in-cheek” and meant to be “light moment” during the event. However, on June 23, President Trump reaffirmed his original statement: “We have got the greatest testing program anywhere in the world. We test better than anybody in the world. Our tests are the best in the world, and we have the most of them. By having more tests, we find more cases.”
On June 26, the White House coronavirus task force held is first full public briefing since April 27. Vice President Mike Pence reported that “thirty-four states across the country are experiencing a measure of stability,” while National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Antony Fauci warned of a “serious problem in certain areas,” such as Texas and Florida.
Legislative Update
On June 22, Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Francis Rooney (D-FL), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), and Peter DeFazio (D-OR) introduced two bills promote transparency and to deter price-gouging and monopolies of COVID-19 drugs. First, theMake Medications Affordable by Preventing Pandemic Pricegouging Act (MMAPPP) Act of 2020 seeks to: ban monopolies on new, taxpayer-funded COVID-19 drugs; require the federal government to mandate affordable pricing of any new drugs used to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or treat COVID-19; direct manufacturers of COVID-19 drugs to publicly report a specific breakdown of its research & development (R&D) expenditures; and prevent excessive pricing of a drug used to treat any disease that triggers a public health emergency. Second, the Taxpayer Research and Coronavirus Knowledge (TRACK) Act would require COVID-19 biomedical R&D to be logged in a single database that includes: all financial and non-financial federal support granted to drug companies; associated clinical trial data and patient information; and full terms of the contracts made between the federal government and manufacturers.
On June 22, the Education & Labor Committee held a hearing entitled Inequities Exposed: How COVID-19 Widened Racial Inequalities in Education, Health, and the Workforce. Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) noted that, compared to their white counterparts, communities of color have significantly higher COVID-19 infection and mortality rates. He claimed the Health & Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HEROES) Act has helped address the underlying racial inequities that the pandemic has brought to light. Witnesses included: Camara Jones, MD, Adjunct Associate Professor, Morehouse School of Medicine; Valerie Rawlston Wilson, Director, Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy, Economic Policy Institute; Avik Roy, MD, Co-Founder and President, the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity; and John King, Jr, President and CEO, the Education Trust.
On June 22, the House filed an amicus brief in support of Chicago’s lawsuit against Secretary Azar and Administrator Verma for not issuing a broad special enrollment period (SEP) on HealthCare.gov. Chicago argues HHS was compelled to open the federal marketplace in response the “exceptional circumstances” consumers faced during the pandemic.
On June 23, the House Energy & Commerce Committee held a hearing entitled Oversight of the Trump Administration's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. NIAID Director Fauci, Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen Hahn, Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir, and Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield testified that the Administration continues to work on increasing testing capacity and that the President has not directed them to slow down testing. Director Fauci maintained that vaccine safety is not being jeopardized by the expedited process included in Operation Warp Speed; he claimed the risks associated with the initiative are entirely financial and are “not compromising the safety at all.” All four witnesses encouraged Congress to develop a sustainable funding mechanism for public health initiatives; otherwise, they warned the “lessons learned” from this pandemic may not be applied to the next. Witnesses included: Anthony Fauci, MD, Director, NIAID; Admiral Brett Giroir, MD, Assistant Secretary for Health, HHS; Stephen Hahn, MD, Commissioner, FDA; and Robert Redfield, MD, Director, CDC.
On June 23, Senate HELP Committee held a hearing entitled COVID-19: Lessons Learned to Prepare for the Next Pandemic. Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) testified that “health is a national security” issue and, as such, Congress should provide “predictable, consistent funding for [the nation’s] public health security programs. Other witnesses, including Merck Vice President Julie Gerberding, agreed with Sen. Frist’s assessment. Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) suggested the Committee should capitalize on the moment by passing legislation to prepare for the next pandemic this year. However, Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) and other Democrats argued the Committee should focus its attention on addressing the current pandemic instead. Witnesses included: Bill Frist, MD, Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader; Joneigh Khaldun, MD, Chief Medical Executive and Chief Deputy Director for Health, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services; Julie Gerberding, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Patient Officer, Merck & Co., Inc., Co-Chair, CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security; and Michael Leavitt, former HHS Secretary.
On June 23, the Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Technology Modernization and Health Subcommittees held a joint hearing entitled VA Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Expansion and Impact. Subcommittee Chairs Susie Lee (D-NV) and Julia Brownley (D-CA) supported expanding telehealth access, particularly for mental health, during the pandemic and beyond. Witnesses included: Jennifer MacDonald, MD, Chief Consultant to the Deputy Undersecretary for Health, Veterans Health Administration (VHA); Jack Galvin, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for IT Development Security Operations, Office of Information Technology; Neil Evans, MD, Chief Officer, Office of Connected Care, VHA; Kevin Galpin, MD, Executive Director, Telehealth Services, Office of Connected Care, VHA; Tammy Barlet, Associate Director, National Legislative Services, Veterans of Foreign Wars; Marquis Barefield, Assistant National Legislative Director, Disabled Veterans of America; Lindsay Church, Co-Founder/Executive Director, Minority Veterans of America; and William Smith, Chief, Vice Chairperson, National Indian Health Board, Valdez Tribe of Alaska.
On June 23, Senate GOP members met with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to discuss COVID-19 legislation. Secretary Mnuchin noted the Administration and the Senate are “going to take [their] time and make sure that [they are] thoughtful.” He claimed whatever legislation is considered will be more targeted and focused on bring back jobs. Furthermore, there is a developing sense among some Senate Republicans that the next package should include health care provisions to address the rising number of cases. For instance, HELP Chairman Alexander claimed Congress needs to “keep focusing on increased testing, speed up treatments, and bring the vaccines as quickly” as possible. Likewise, Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) suggested lawmakers must consider what was “left open on the health care side,” such as more money for testing, vaccines, or therapies.
On June 24, the Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing entitled The Role of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) in Pandemic Response. Chairman Ron Johnson (R-WI) focused the hearing on the SNS and the need to improve its coordination and preparedness for future pandemics. Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-MI) emphasized the need for improved communication between states and the federal government and increased involvement from the federal government regarding distributing supplies in a national emergency. He also warned of the nation’s reliance on foreign producers of medical supplies. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) suggested the Administration should develop a plan to replenish SNS supplies. Witnesses included: Julie Gerberding, MD, Former Director, CDC; Daniel Gerstein, Senior Policy Researcher, RAND Corporation; Gregory Burel, Former Director of the SNS; and Andrew Phelps, Director, Oregon Office of Emergency Management, on behalf of the National Emergency Management Association.
On June 25, the Ways & Means Health Subcommittee held a hearing entitled Examining the COVID-19 Nursing Home Crisis. Subcommittee Chairman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) claimed that nursing home residents, who represent just one percent of the population, have accounted for nearly half of the nation’s COVID-19 deaths. He argued regulatory rollbacks under the Trump administration worsened nursing homes’ ability to manage the pandemic and that CMS’ response to outbreaks in nursing homes has been insufficient. Subcommittee Ranking Member Devin Nunes (R-CA) called for nursing homes to be among the first communities to receive antibody tests and the eventual COVID-19 vaccine. Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA) claimed the pandemic has brought to light the vulnerabilities of the nation’s nursing homes. Witnesses included: Delia Satterwhite, family member of nursing home patient who passed from COVID-19; Melinda Haschak, Licensed Practical Nurse, Regalcare at Southport; Nicole Howell, Executive Director, Ombudsman Services of Contra Costa Inc.; Toby Edelman, Senior Policy Attorney, Center for Medicare Advocacy; David Grabowski, Professor, Harvard Medical School, MedPAC Commissioner; Dana Kennedy, Arizona State Director, AARP; and Rebecca Gould, President/Chief Executive Officer, Schuyler Hospital.
Senate Democrats will attempt to pass additional COVID-19 relief legislation the week of June 29, according to Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). The legislation is expected to include housing and rental assistance, hazard pay for essential workers, small business aid, funding to help schools reopen, state and local assistance, and an extension of federal unemployment benefits.
Regulatory Update
On June 22, CMS released preliminary Medicare claims and encounter data that breaks down how the virus has impacted different demographics. The data shows that 325,000 Medicare beneficiaries were diagnosed with the virus between January 1 and May 16. A total of 110,000 were hospitalized during this period; Black beneficiaries had the highest rates of hospitalizations (465 per 100,000 beneficiaries), followed by Hispanics (258 per 100,000), Asians (187 per 100,000), and whites (123 per 100,000). Furthermore, beneficiaries with End-Stage Renal Disease had the higher rate of hospitalizations (1,341 per 100,000), followed by dual-eligible beneficiaries (473 per 100,000). Administrator Verma suggested the longstanding disparities in health outcomes that have been exposed by the pandemic reaffirms the need to adopt a value-based reimbursement framework: “Now more than ever, it is clear that our fee-for-service system is insufficient for the most vulnerable Americans because it limits payment to what goes on inside a doctor’s office.”
On June 23, OMB received an interim final rule from the HHS Office of the Secretary entitled COVID-19 Hoarding Prevention Under the Defense Production Act.
On June 23, three federal departments – HHS, the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Department of the Treasury – issued guidance to clarify proper implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief &. Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Notably, the guidance states that insurers are not obligated to cover diagnostics tests to screen employees for “general workplace health and safety.” Insurers do have to cover tests when deemed “medically appropriate” by a clinician.
On June 23, HHS announced a $40 million partnership with Morehouse School of Medicine to address COVID-19 among minorities and vulnerable populations.
On June 24, Assistant Secretary for Health and Testing Czar Brett Giroir said the federal government will transition the control of 13 community-based testing sites to states on June 30. The sites are spread across five states (Texas, Illinois, New Jersey, Colorado, and Pennsylvania), but seven are located in Texas. In response, Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) told HHS Secretary Azar and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Pete Gaynor that due to the recent rise of COVID-19 cases in Texas, “now is not the time to end a program that is working and successfully increasing testing capacity—especially for underserved communities in the state.” On June 26, HHS spokesperson Mia Heck claimed the federal government will maintain control of five testing sites located in Texas, after receiving a formal request from Gov. Greg Abbott (R).
On June 25, CMS issued data on the number of individuals that enrolled in health care coverage on HealthCare.gov through a SEP during the pandemic. According to the report, the number of people who lost employer-sponsored coverage and then signed up for an ACA plan through the federal marketplace grew 46% over the last year, representing an increase of 154,000 consumers. CMS concluded that the “enrollment numbers show that individuals who lost their jobs or experienced other qualifying life events due to the COVID-19 pandemic are using existing SEPs to enroll in coverage through HealthCare.gov.”
On June 25, an NIH panel recommended that COVID-19 patients on oxygen or a ventilator receive the steroid dexamethasone.
On June 25, CMS ended the emergency blanket waiver directing all nursing homes to resume submitting staffing data through the Payroll-Based Journal system by August 14.
On June 25, DOL reported that nearly 1.5 million Americans filed for unemployment for the week ending on June 20 – a decrease of 60,000 from the week prior. Nearly 47.5 million have filed for unemployment since lockdown orders were initiated in mid-March.
On June 25, CDC Director Redfield claimed that, based on antibody testing results, the actual spread of the virus in the U.S. could be ten times higher than the confirmed number of cases.
Other
On June 22, Gilead announced it will begin testing an inhaled version of remdesivir in August, which, according to CEO Daniel O’Day could “potentially allow for easier administration outside the hospital, at early stages of the disease.” Currently, the drug is given as an infusion.
On June 23, the Commonwealth Fund posted a study showing that over half of the Americans furloughed due the pandemic maintained their workplace-sponsored health coverage and roughly one in five became uninsured.
On June 23, Avalere predicted that the total cost of COVID-19 hospitalizations will amount to between $9.6 billion and 16.9 billion by the end of the year.
On June 23, the World Health Organization (WHO) publicly released its proposal to distribute future vaccines and treatments. Under the “Global Allocation Framework,” all countries would receive an initial allocation of products that become available. WHO specifies that priority should be given to health care workers, individuals over age 65, and adults with comorbidities.
On June 24, the American Hospital Association (AHA) requested that Congress “reset” the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT) Act of 2014 in the next COVID-19 relief package to adopt lessons learned from the pandemic and the effect of recent post-acute care payment system reforms.
As of June 26, the U.S. had 2,453,044 confirmed COVID-19 cases resulting in 124,891 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University & Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center.
RULES AT THE WHITE HOUSE OMB
Pending Review
HHS-CMS
Conditions for Coverage for End-Stage Renal Disease Facilities—Third Party Payments (CMS-3337-P); Proposed Rule; Received 6/6/2019
International Pricing Index Model for Medicare Part B Drugs (CMS-5528-P); Proposed Rule; Received 6/20/2019
Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technologies (CMS-3372-P); Received 7/30/2019
Medicaid & CHIP Managed Care (CMS-2408-F); Final Rule; Received 9/26/2019
Strengthening Oversight of Accrediting Organizations (AO) and Preventing AO Conflict of Interest, and Related Provisions (CMS-3367); Proposed Rule; Received 2/18/20
Specialty Care Models to Improve Quality of Care and Reduce Expenditures (CMS-5527); Proposed Rule; Received 3/10/20
Treatment of Medicare Part C Days in the Calculation of a Hospital's Medicare
CY2021 Hospital Outpatient PPS Policy Changes and Payment Rates and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Policy Rates (CMS-1736); Proposed Rule; Received 4/21/20
Payment Policies for Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) (CMS-1738); Proposed Rule; Received 4/28/20
CY 2021 Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Medicare Part B (CMS-1734); Proposed Rule; 5/12/20
CY 2021 Changes to the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System and Quality Incentive Program (CMS-1732); Proposed Rule; 5/14/20
Request for Information; Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances (CMS-3394); Notice; Received 6/22/20
HHS-FDA
Annual Summary Reporting Requirements Under the Right to Try Act; Proposed Rule; Received 3/31/20
Opioid Use Disorder: Endpoints for Demonstrating Effectiveness of Drugs for Medication-Assisted Treatment; Guidance for Industry; Notice; Received 5/28/20
HHS-OS
Health & Human Services Grants Regulation; Final Rule; Received 5/26/20
COVID-19 Hoarding Prevention Under the Defense Production Act; Interim Final Rule; 6/23/20
REPORTS
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
On June 25, the GAO published a report entitled COVID-19: Opportunities to Improve Federal Response and Recovery Efforts. This report is part of an ongoing oversight effort required by the CARES Act. GAO identifies six areas for the federal government to improve: 1) viral testing; 2) distribution of supplies; 3) the Paycheck Protection Program; 4) economic impact payments (EIPs); 5) unemployment insurance; and 6) contract obligations. Additionally, the report includes three recommendations for Congress to consider in future legislation: 1) require the Department of Transportation to develop a national aviation-preparedness plan; 2) provide the Treasury with information to minimize improper payments for EIPs; and, most notably, 3) use a GAO-developed formula for adjusting the Federal Medical Assistance Percentages during the current and any future economic downturns.
UPCOMING HEARINGS
Senate
HELP Committee
June 30, 10:00 a.m., G50 Dirksen Senate Office Building
COVID-19: Update on Progress Toward Safely Getting Back to Work and Back to School
Witnesses include: Anthony Fauci, MD, Director, NIAID; Admiral Brett Giroir, MD, Assistant Secretary for Health, HHS; Stephen Hahn, MD, Commissioner, FDA; and Robert Redfield, MD, Director, CDC.
Foreign Relations Committee
June 30, 10:00 a.m., virtual
Witnesses include: Mark Dybul, MD, Co-Director of the Center for Global Health Practice and Impact, Professor, Department of Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center; Ashish K. Jha, MD, Director, Harvard Global Health Institute; Jimmy Kolker, Former Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs, HHS; and Jeremy Konydyk, Senior Policy Fellow, Center for Global Development.
Veterans Affairs Committee
July 1, 3:00 p.m., 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Recruitment, Retention and Building A Resilient Veterans Health Care Workforce
Details will be forthcoming.
Indian Affairs Committee
July 1, 2:30 p.m., 562 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Evaluating the Response and Mitigation to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Native Communities
Details will be forthcoming.
Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee
July 2, 10:00 a.m, 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Witnesses include: Francis Collins, Director, NIH; Robert Redfield, Director, CDC; and Gary Disbrow, Acting Director, BARDA and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness & Response.
House
Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee
June 30, 11:00 a.m., virtual
High Anxiety and Stress: Legislation to Improve Mental Health During Crisis
Witnesses include: Former Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Founder, The Kennedy Forum; Arthur Evans, CEO, American Psychological Association; Jeffrey L. Geller, MD, President, American Psychiatric Association, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School; and Arriana Gross, National Youth Advisory Board Member, Sandy Hook Promise Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) Promise Club.
The following bills will be considered:
H.R. 5201, the Telemental Health Expansion Act of 2019, a bill to provide Medicare coverage of certain mental health telehealth services;
H.R. 2874, the Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act, a bill to strengthen parity mental health and substance use disorder benefits;
H.R.7080, the Stopping the Mental Health Pandemic Act, a bill to direct the HHS Secretary to award grants to address behavioral health needs caused by the public health emergency;
H.R. 7316, a bill to create the “Emergency Mental Health and Substance Use Training and Technical Assistance Center;”
H.R. 4861, the Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act of 2019, a bill to establish a program to improve the identification, assessment, and treatment of patients in the emergency department who are at risk of suicide;
H.R. 7293, a bill to establish and implement a school-based student suicide awareness and prevention training policy;
H.R. 7159, a bill to amend the Community Mental Health Service Block Grant to authorize a “set-aside” for crisis care services;
H.R. 6645, a bill to direct the HHS Secretary to conduct or support research on the mental health consequences of the pandemic;
H.R 5855, the Bipartisan Solution to Cyclical Violence Act of 2020, a bill to establish a grant program supporting trauma center violence intervention and violence prevention programs;
H.R. 5619, the Suicide Prevention Act, a bill to authorize a pilot program to expand and intensify surveillance of self-harm in partnership with state and local public health departments;
H.R. 5469, the Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act of 2019, a bill to address mental health issues for youth, particularly youth of color;
H.R. 4585, the Campaign to Prevent Suicide Act, a bill to require the CDC Director to conduct a national suicide prevention media campaign;
H.R. 4564, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act of 2019, a bill to ensure the provision of high-quality service through the Suicide Prevention Lifeline;
H.R. 4428, the Greater Mental Health Access Act, a bill to ensure the provision of high-quality service through the Suicide Prevention Lifeline;
H.R. 3539, the Behavioral Health Intervention Guidelines Act of 2019, a bill to require SAMHSA to develop best practices for the establishment and use of behavioral intervention teams at schools;
H.R. 2519, the Improving Mental Health Access from the Emergency Department Act of 2019, a bill to award grants to implement innovative approaches to securing prompt access to appropriate follow-on care for individuals who experience an acute mental health episode and present for care in an emergency department;
H.R. 1646, the Helping Emergency Responders Overcome (HERO) Act of 2019, a bill to establish a series of programs relating to the behavioral health of public-safety officers;
H.R. 1109, the Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2019, a bill to revise and extend projects relating to children and to provide access to school-based comprehensive mental health programs;
H.R. 945, the Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2019, a bill to provide for the coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under Medicare Part B; and
H.R. 884, the Medicare Mental Health Access Act, a bill to expand the definition of "physician," for purposes of the Medicare program, to include a clinical psychologist.
Oversight & Reform Select Coronavirus Crisis Subcommittee
July 2; 9:00a a.m., 2154 Rayburn House Office Building
The Administration’s Efforts to Procure, Stockpile, and Distribute Critical Supplies
Details will be forthcoming.
OTHER HEALTH POLICY NEWS
On June 24, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (DC) Judge Carl Nichols upheld Trump administration’s rule requiring hospitals to publicly disclose their negotiated charges with commercial health insurers. The AHA and other provider groups argued the rule exceeded the Administration's legal authority and violates hospitals' First Amendment rights. The rule is on track to take effect on January 1. AHA signaled it will appeal the ruling to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and seek expedited review.
On June 24, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts filed a lawsuit against Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, accusing the company of violating the Anti-Kickback Statute by using a patient assistance foundation (the Chronic Disease Fund) to cover Medicare beneficiaries’ co-pays for its macular degeneration medication Eylea.
On June 25, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) estimated that 4.7 million uninsured adults could become eligible for Medicaid by 2021 if non-expansion states expanded Medicaid. This includes 2.8 million who were uninsured before the pandemic and fall into the “coverage gap” and 1.9 million who are at risk of losing their employer-sponsored coverage because of the pandemic. In addition, KFF predicts 3.3 million adults could become eligible for Medicaid coverage instead of ACA marketplace coverage if the remaining 14 states expanded Medicaid.
On June 30, voters in Oklahoma will consider a Medicaid expansion ballot measure.