Today, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a letter to states announcing that CMS will no longer accept state proposals to finance Medicaid 1115 Demonstrations by drawing down federal funds for programs that have historically been paid for by states outside of Medicaid. These time-limited arrangements, known as Designated State Health…
Read More »On Thursday—one day before the deadline to avoid a government shutdown—the House and Senate passed a two-week stopgap funding measure. President Donald Trump signed the measure today, extending current federal government funding levels through December 22. Extensive negotiations are expected to occur between now and the December 22 deadline, particularly as the short-term spending measure…
Read More »This week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its annual Homeless Assessment Report, indicating slight increase in homelessness for the first time since 2010. The overall homelessness rate increased 0.7 percent since last year, and veteran homelessness increased 1.5 percent since last year. Most individuals experiencing homelessness were located in emergency…
Read More »The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published a report titled The Best Practices Guide for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Programs. The report summarizes scientific evidence behind eight effective strategies for lowering high blood pressure and cholesterol levels that can be implemented into communities and health care systems. The guide is intended for…
Read More »After a series of fast-paced negotiations this week, U.S. Senate Republicans are poised to pass their sprawling $1.4 trillion tax reform measure with a vote expected yet this evening. On Tuesday, the Senate Budget Committee advanced the tax measure on a 12-11 partisan vote, clearing the way for a full Senate vote on the floor….
Read More »This week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a special issue of the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice titled “Catalyzing State Public Health Agency Actions to Prevent Injuries and Violence.” The special issue features eight articles that highlight programs within CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. The…
Read More »The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced this week the formation of a new Nicotine Steering Committee that will be tasked with reevaluating and modernizing FDA’s policy and regulatory approach to nicotine and nicotine products to address tobacco addiction. This new committee formation follows the announcement from the FDA this summer for a new…
Read More »This month’s U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vital Signs features HIV infection, testing, and diagnosis. The report indicates improvement in the overall frequency of HIV testing, and that about 85 percent of people with HIV in the country know they have the virus. 15 percent of people with HIV, however, do not…
Read More »The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) this week released a 20-part series of short videos titled Prevention Conversations. The videos highlight current issues related to the ongoing opioid epidemic and prevention of opioid misuse and overdose. The videos are available here.
Read More »This week, Congressional Republicans pushed forward with tax reform measures that could end up having a significant impact on public health. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a sprawling tax bill, while the Senate continues work on their own proposal. This week’s actions are detailed below: House Passes Measure, Could Result in Impacts to Public…
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