This week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a series of new actions to protect consumers and lessen the burden of medical debt on American families. According to the Administration, one-in-three adults in the U.S. have medical debt with implications on financial, physical, and mental health. As part of the Administration’s efforts to strengthen access to affordable,…
Read More »The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), this week announced the availability of $226.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to launch the Community Health Worker Training Program. The new program aims to increase the number of community health workers who play a…
Read More »The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) this week, in observance of Black Maternal Health Week, announced a series of actions aimed at reducing maternal morbidity and mortality in the U.S. CMS released additional details about its proposed “Birthing-Friendly” hospital designation intended to drive improvements in maternal health outcomes. According to CMS, the…
Read More »On Monday, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its FY 2023 Skilled Nursing Facilities Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) proposed rule seeking public feedback on how staffing in nursing homes and health equity improvements could lead to better health outcomes. According to CMS, the proposed rule builds upon the Biden-Harris Administration’s…
Read More »This week, the U.S. Senate failed to advance a $10 billion COVID-19 relief measure to provide continued funding for COVID-19 therapeutics, research, development, and response through the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund (PHSSEF). The new funding would be offset by repurposing unspent, previously appropriated COVID-19 relief funds. Late last week, Senate Majority Leader…
Read More »This week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that more than 59 million Americans with Medicare Part B, including those enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, now have access to over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 tests approved or authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at no cost. Persons with Medicare…
Read More »The Commonwealth Fund this week issued a report exploring the impact of U.S. COVID-19 vaccination efforts, including an update on averted deaths, hospitalizations, and health care costs through March 2022. The Commonwealth Fund notes that COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have trended dramatically downward from their peaks earlier this year, but uncertainty still exists as…
Read More »The Biden-Harris Administration this week announced whole-of-government actions in response to millions of Americans’ experiences with prolonged illness from COVID-19, known as “Long COVID.” President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. issued a Presidential Memorandum directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to coordinate a new effort across the federal government to develop and issue…
Read More »The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) late last week announced it is issuing a Public Health Determination and terminating an order issued under Title 42, suspending the right to introduce migrants into the U.S. The termination is set to be implemented on May 23, 2022, enabling the Department of Homeland Security to…
Read More »This week, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. announced a series of actions to strengthen access to affordable, quality health care coverage throughout the U.S. Building upon an executive order issued last year to strengthen Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the President issued an additional order this week directing federal agencies to review agency…
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