{"id":2131,"date":"2022-12-05T20:07:17","date_gmt":"2022-12-05T20:07:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thornrun.com\/health-policy-report-12-5\/"},"modified":"2023-08-08T21:25:47","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T21:25:47","slug":"health-policy-report-12-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thornrun.com\/health-policy-report-12-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Health Policy Report (12\/5)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Capitol Hill Update<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both chambers will return for votes today as negotiations on a year-end omnibus funding package continue. The “four corners” leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees are expected to resume their deliberations over the course of the next few days in the hopes of striking a deal on topline funding figures for fiscal year (FY) 2023 \u2014 an important precursor to the development of a broader year-end spending package. If negotiators do not make significant progress over the course of the next two weeks, another continuing resolution (CR) will be needed to keep the government funded past Friday, December 16. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Lawmakers are also\npoised to move on a final compromise version of the National Defense\nAuthorization Act (NDAA), starting with the House today. As one of the last\nmoving legislative vehicles for the 117th Congress, the annual defense\nauthorization measure could include key bipartisan priorities such as the Water\nResources Development Act (WRDA) or cannabis banking legislation. House lawmakers\nwill also take up final passage of the Respect for Marriage Act \u2014 a vote that\nwould send the bill to the president’s desk for signature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senate Finance\nReleases Discussion Draft of Mental Health, SUD Parity Legislation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Thursday, the\nSenate Committee on Finance released a bipartisan discussion draft<\/a> (TRP analysis<\/a>) of the\nmental health and substance use disorder (SUD) parity provisions to be included\nas part of the Committee\u2019s broader legislative effort to improve mental health\ncare for Medicare, Medicaid, and Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)\nbeneficiaries. Policy proposals within the discussion draft pertain to: (1)\nproviding guidance to health care providers on partial hospitalization services\nfor Medicare beneficiaries with SUD; (2) strengthening the accuracy and\nsearchability of provider directories in Medicaid and Medicare Advantage (MA)\nplans; and (3) directing the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct\na study on coverage parity between behavioral and nonbehavioral health services\nin MA as well as provide a report on Medicaid payment rates for behavioral\nhealth services compared to medical and surgical services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this year, the\nFinance Committee identified<\/a> five areas in\nwhich it intends to focus on with regard to mental health care, including: (1)\nthe health care workforce; (2) integration of care; (3) mental health parity;\n(4) telehealth; and (5) services for youth. Last week\u2019s discussion draft is the\nfifth and final legislative discussion draft released by Committee staff after\nthe Senate Finance Committee announced its mental health care initiative in\nFebruary of 2022. At this time, it is unclear whether the Committee intends to\nhold a markup on these provisions and introduce them as a single package within\nthe next Congressional session. Alternatively, some of these provisions could\nbe included in a potential omnibus spending package for fiscal year (FY) 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

HHS Notices Proposed\nRevisions to the 340B Program Administrative Dispute Resolution Process<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last week, the\nDepartment of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued<\/a> (TRP analysis<\/a>)\na notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on the administrative\ndispute resolution (ADR) process for the 340B Drug Pricing Program. The NPRM\nproposes to modify the December 2020 340B ADR final rule<\/a> (TRP analysis<\/a>) \u2014 in\neffect as of January 2021 \u2014 as a result of policy and operational challenges\nwith the implementation of the final rule encountered by the Health Resources\nand Services Administration (HRSA). The Department is seeking public\ncomment on all components of the NPRM, including whether specific alternatives\nshould be considered.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notably, the NPRM\nproposes to: (1) provide for a \u201cmore accessible\u201d ADR process;\n(2) restructure the 340B ADR Panel to include 340B Program\nsubject-matter experts; (3) require parties to undertake good faith\nefforts prior to initiating the ADR process; (4) better align the ADR\nprocess with the 340B statute; and (5) establish a reconsideration\nprocess for 340B ADR Panel decisions, among other\nitems.  Comments on the NPRM are due within 60 days of publication in\nthe Federal Register<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

HHS Provides Update on\nBehavioral Health Integration <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Friday, the\nDepartment of Health and Human Services (HHS) provided an update<\/a> to its Roadmap for Behavioral Health\nIntegration<\/a>, outlining work that the agency has done to further its\nmission. HHS officials detailed additional aspects of its goals for behavioral\nhealth integration in a Health Affairs <\/em>article<\/a>. HHS officials\ndetailed barriers to accessing integrated services, focusing on the importance\nof improving workforce training for providers and enhancing reimbursement to\ncover non-traditional settings. Additionally, HHS will continue its attention\nto value-based and integrated care models, including the development of\nbehavioral health integration quality measures and models. The agency also\nintends to wrap behavioral health care into primary care, strengthen pay\nparity, and promote early pediatric screenings and treatments. Engaging\nhigh-risk populations is another area of focus for the agency to home in on, as\nwell as investing in research on prevention programs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senate Pandemic\nPreparedness Legislation Faces Steep Road Ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the lame-duck\nsession continues, Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Richard Burr (R-NC) are\nreportedlypushing<\/a> to get the\nPREVENT Pandemics Act (TRP analysis<\/a>) past the\nfinish line. Support for more pandemic-related spending is unlikely in a\ndivided 118th<\/sup> Congress, making this\nbill a \u201cmust-pass\u201d item for proponents of more pandemic avoidance investment.\nSpecifically, many public health stakeholders have raised concerns that the\nU.S.\u2019s public health infrastructure needs to improve its data sharing and workforce\nshortage issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sprawling package\nincludes several provisions that give some. lawmakers pause, however.  The\nbill provides greater oversight of federal public health agencies, addresses\nracial disparities, investigates the origins of COVID-19, and provides funding\nfor Long-COVID, among other controversial policies. On the House side,\nRepublicans are displeased that the bill was only marked up<\/a> in the Senate.\nAdditionally, members of the House would not have a chance to speak on the\nbill, since the legislation would likely be attached to an end-of-year omnibus\npackage. Despite these impasses, the larger issue is considered to be the\nmyriad of competing priorities for the end of the year. With so many policies\nto legislate, limited time, and limited funding to go around, the PREVENT\nPandemics Act could fall victim to competing priorities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lawmakers Continue Advocacy for Mitigated Physician Pay Cuts <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Congress continues to weigh its end-of-year policy priorities, Medicare physician payment cuts are front of mind for the GOP Doctors Caucus. House Republican Committee leaders heard from the caucus last week, as lawmakers are growing increasingly concerned about pay cuts to physicians ranging up to 15 percent, depending on the specialty. Republican House Energy and Commerce Committee leadership \u2014 Reps. McMorris Rogers (R-WA) and Kevin Brady (R-TX) \u2014 sat in on the Doctors Caucus\u2019 weekly meeting, during which some lawmakers expressed their desire to halt the entirety of the pay cuts.\u00a0 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Capitol Hill Update Both chambers will return for votes today as negotiations on a year-end omnibus funding package continue. The “four corners” leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees are expected to resume their deliberations over the course of the next few days in the hopes of striking a deal on topline funding figures […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,7],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHealth Policy Report (12\/5) - thornrun<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thornrun.com\/health-policy-report-12-5\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Health Policy Report (12\/5) - thornrun\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Capitol Hill Update Both chambers will return for votes today as negotiations on a year-end omnibus funding package continue. 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