DCMedical News: Monday, May 14, 2018
DCMedical News
Washington, D.C.
Monday, May 14, 2018
DCMedical News is published every day either the House or the Senate is in session. Want to subscribe? See below. Add our new domain (dcmedicalnews.org) to your white list. Welcome to our new “courtesy trial” recipients.
THE BIG STORY TODAY IN HEALTH CARE
President’s drug proposals: unveiled Friday, plan (“American Patients First”) here, HHS Secretary on the plan here, HHS library of statements on drug pricing since July 2017 here. Pharma stock prices rose, CVS Health statement here. Secretary Azar, Administrator Verma, Commissioner Gottlieb present joint briefing today (see Events, below).
Private alternative for pharmaceutical cost-effectiveness pricing: see Frakt on ICER in Bloomberg (here). If you don’t know ICER, check https://icer-review.org, home page here. Novel to ICER, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, their suggestions for drug prices which would yield cost-effective decisions for insurers.
DOCTORS, NURSE AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
Home nurse and ED visits: study in the Canadian Medical Journal (here) says the former produce more of the latter.
Graduate medical education: Have an interest? Know somebody who does? HRSA (the Health Resources and Services Administration) is seeking nominations for membership on COGME, the Council on Graduate Medical Education. “COGME provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary of HHS; the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; and the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce on matters concerning the supply and distribution of physicians in the United States, physician workforce trends, training issues, financing policies, and other matters of significance related to physician workforce and graduate medical education.” Notice in today’s Federal Register, here.
HOSPITALS AND HEALTH CARE FACILITIES
DCMN feature on 2019 Medicare institutional pricing and rules, beginning with tomorrow’s edition, through Friday.
Hospice Tuesday, Inpatient Psychiatry Wednesday, Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities Thursday, Skilled Nursing Facilities Friday. Next week: Inpatient Acute and Long Term Acute care hospitals.
Health care institutional savings to be had: A report by the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, May report here.
VA Health: (another) RAND report, favorably comparing VA to non-VA health services for Veterans, precis and bibliography here, press release here.
MEDICARE, MEDICAID, COMMERCIAL HEALTH INSURANCE
HHS Regulatory Agenda: the Office of Management and Budget published the spring 2018 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, including one for HHS, found here. Highlights, by month: in May, a proposed rule that would aim to reform “unnecessary, obsolete, or excessively burdensome” Medicare regulations. Also in May, changes to Medicare Shared Savings Program regulations for ACOs, "including facilitating transition to performance-based risk and other program flexibilities, additional waivers for patients and doctors, and policies for ensuring program integrity and sustainability.” In June, final action on the short-term, limited-duration insurance, allowing coverage for up to twelve months. In September, a proposal to establish requirements for third-party premium assistance for individuals who enroll in qualified health plans. In November, a proposal which would allow more flexibility in the availability of grandfathered health plans in the individual and small group exchange markets. In December, a proposal to allow states to charge Medicaid beneficiaries for premiums and cost sharing.
PHARMA
Transform this: at the Las Vegas HLTH (“The Future of Healthcare,” May 6-9) forum Marcus Osborne, VP of health transformation at Walmart, told the audience. "As angry as Americans are, if they really knew what was going on, they'd be angrier," he said, citing wasteful spending as one touchpoint. "I bet many of you have come here expecting some announcement," he said. "So let me announce this as clearly and loudly as I can. I won't stand for this. ... Walmart isn't going to stand for this." Another report from Walmart, sophisticated network or accelerated worker’s comp: half of the spine surgery recommended by local surgeons is turned down by the “Center of Excellence” Mayo surgeons; Walmart Associates’ return to work is three weeks quicker.
EVENTS & MEETING
May 14
10:00 a.m. ff: HHS Secretary Azar and, at 11:00 a.m., CMS Administrator Verma and FDA Commissioner Gottlieb hold briefing on President’s drug plan (see the “Big Story,” above, 200 Independence Ave, SW, DC.
12:30 – 2:45 p.m., “Reimagining Health Care in America,” National Institute for Health Care Management, Room G50, Dirksen Senate Office Building.
CMS HCPCS Public Meetings for Drugs, Biologicals, Imaging Agents, continuing May 15 and 16.
Agendas and meeting materials here and here.
3:00: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, State Coverage Initiatives Affecting Rural Communities, through May 17th, at 3:00 p.m. each day. Detailed agenda here.
May 15
9:00 a.m., Alliance for Health Policy (AHP) holds a media briefing on "Perspectives on the 2018 HHS Drug Pricing Guidance," at 1299 Pennsylvania Avenue, register with anguyen@allhealthpolicy.org
10:00 a.m., Senate HELP Committee, Oversight of 340B Drug Pricing Program, 430 Dirksen Building.
May 16
11:00 a.m., National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice (Federal Register here).
Through May 18, “2018 Medicare Advantage Summit,” Better Medicare Alliance, Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, three days’ agendas here.
May 17
Through May 18, American Bar Association Antitrust in Healthcare, Arlington, VA, 202-662-1090, $995.
May 22
9:30 a.m., Washington Post, “America’s Health Future,” Verma, Murthy, Eyles (AHIP), contact molly.gannon@washpost.com.
May 24
8:30 – Noon, Health Care Costs in America, Alliance for Health Policy, Kaiser/Jordan Conference Center, 1330 G Street NW, Washington, DC.
May 30
9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., HHS Pain Management Task Force (open to the public), inaugural meeting, Federal Register meeting notice and task force membership here.
June 19
AHIP (America’s Health Insurance Plans) Institute & Expo, San Diego, through June 22.
June 24
HFMA (Healthcare Financial Management Association) Annual Conference, Las Vegas, through June 28.
AcademyHealth, through June 26, Convention Center, Seattle, Washington.
July 25
7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC), volume requirements for aortic valve replacements and percutaneous coronary interventions. Maria Ellis, MEDCAC, (410) 786-0309, maria.ellis@cms.hhs.gov. Federal Register notice here.
Aug. 20
Meeting of Medicare Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient Program (through August 21), APCs, OPPS, the works. Evaluation of Advanced Primary Care (APC) groups; packaging of Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) services and costs; group weights, structure, appropriate level of supervision.
Further information here (Federal Register 5-3-2018), 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD.
FOR REFERENCE
Members of the Senate (here) and Members of Senate Committees (here), Senate Calendar (here).
Members of the House with their House Committees (here), House Calendar (here).
PUBLICATION SCHEDULE FOR DCMEDICAL NEWS
DCMedical News is published every day that either the House of Representatives or the Senate is in session.
Past issues can be accessed by clicking on “View this email in your browser.” Subscription information is found at the bottom of these pages. Trial subscriptions may end without notice.
May publication dates: 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25.
June publication dates: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29.
July publication dates: 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31.
Notes to: Fred Hyde, MD, JD, MBA; fredhyde@aol.com