Proposed rules for Medicare’s Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Physician Fee Schedule would continue Medicare Part B cuts, continue site-neutral policies, and halt the phase-out of the inpatient-only list. Both rules also contain an information request on closing the health equity gap.

In a letter to the HHS Office of Civil Rights (OCR), America's Essential Hospitals responds to proposed changes to privacy rules under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. OCR outlined the changes in a Jan. 21 proposed rule aiming to improve the transition to value-based care.

Effective April 28, HHS expanded the group of providers eligible to prescribe buprenorphine, a drug used to treat opioid use disorder, and removed some barriers to its use.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights proposed modifications to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act privacy rule as part of the agency's regulatory sprint to coordinated care.

The proposed rule, issued by CMS, aims to advance Medicaid prescription drug value-based purchasing arrangements between states and manufacturers, set standards to promote safe opioid prescribing, and amend regulations related to the Medicaid drug rebate program.

In a two-part bulletin, the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services details leveraging telehealth for rural health care and fulfills federal requirements to provide guidance on using telehealth for substance use disorder treatment.

The statutorily required report reviews rules and oversight for institutions for mental disease in seven states. Meanwhile, CMS announced it will integrate the psychiatric hospital program survey into its larger survey to determine compliance with Medicare conditions of participation.

America's Essential Hospitals this week is closely following congressional health care committee efforts to develop a robust legislative package to stop impending cuts to Medicaid disproportionate share hospital funding and extend funding for several expiring health care programs.

The agency announced awardees for two new models that seek to improve care coordination for children and for mothers with opioid use disorder.

The final rules for Medicare’s Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Physician Fee Schedule for calendar year 2020 also expand access to opioid use disorder treatment and establish a prior authorization process for certain services.

CMS also approved a unique behavioral health transformation waiver for the District of Columbia that targets beneficiaries with serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance.

The association expressed support for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's proposed revisions to confidentiality of records for patients with substance use disorders, while outlining remaining barriers to care coordination.

One report focuses on available treatment services for pregnant women and children, while the other analyzes states' medication-assisted treatment policies. The reports were mandated by the SUPPORT Act.

The guidance seeks to reduce the risk of substance use disorder while providing effective pain management for chronic pain patients.

The proposed rules would revise Part 2 provisions to facilitate better care coordination and make technical corrections regarding court-authorized disclosures.

Funding will support the State Opioid Response Grant Program and a cooperative agreement to help state and local governments track overdose data.

Two proposed rules aim to remove barriers to care coordination and facilitate information sharing for providers treating patients with substance use disorders.

Two informational bulletins outline information on services for infants via residential pediatric recovery centers and a limited exception to the institutions for mental disease exclusion for pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorder.

Three essential hospitals will join the National Institutes of Health's Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network to research quality addiction treatment for opioid use disorder in jails, drug courts, and other criminal justice settings.

A Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services report to Congress details an action plan to assist states in providing housing-related support for Medicaid beneficiaries with substance use disorders.

Under five-year demonstration projects, these states are approved to receive Medicaid matching funds for treatment in facilities that qualify as institutions for mental diseases.

Also last week, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions advanced the bipartisan Lower Health Care Costs Act and the House Committee on Ways and Means marked up five Medicare-focused bills.

In June 3 letters, America's Essential Hospitals encouraged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to consider the regulatory burden that new interoperability requirements would place on essential hospitals.

The report includes recommendations on several issues of importance to essential hospitals, including hospital inpatient and outpatient services, hospital quality incentive programs, and alternatives to opioids.

Lawmakers have introduced bipartisan legislation to give states additional support for combating the opioid crisis by extending Medicaid's certified community behavioral health clinic demonstration program. Committees remain focused on prescription drug prices.

The tools and guidance aim to help states monitor and evaluate the effects of Section 1115 waiver demonstrations, including those with work and community engagement requirements and those that combat substance use disorder.

The budget plan proposes to overhaul the Medicaid program, as well as significantly change the 340B Drug Pricing Program and expand site-neutral payment policies in hospital outpatient departments.

Seven pharmaceutical company executives will testify in a Senate Committee on Finance hearing about prescription drug pricing practices.

A Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services bulletin notes that states can cover non-opioid pain management therapies using several Medicaid authorities, including Section 1945 health home benefits, 1915(i) state plan amendments, Section 1115 demonstrations, and managed care strategies.

The waiver permits federal reimbursement for short-term stays in institutions for mental disease for individuals with substance use disorders.

The new guidance recommends that clinicians consider prescribing or coprescribing naloxone to individuals with a high risk of opioid overdose.

A new association tracker lists grants and demonstration projects available under H.R. 6, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, that will be available to essential hospitals.

A new demonstration opportunity, which can be carried out through Section 1115 waivers, would allow states to receive reimbursement for services at institutions for mental disease for individuals with serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance.

America’s Essential Hospitals examines the multitude of lawsuits local, state, and federal governments are pursuing against opioid manufacturers and distributors for their role in the opioid crisis.

President Trump signed long-awaited bipartisan legislation to combat the opioid epidemic; the law does not align confidentiality regulations for substance use disorder treatment records with HIPAA privacy standards.

The Maternal Opioid Misuse model will last five years and support the integration of clinical care with other services critical for health, well-being, and recovery for pregnant and postpartum Medicaid beneficiaries.

The new law, which represents the federal government’s first comprehensive policy response to the nation’s opioid crisis, aims to advance treatment and recovery initiatives, improve prevention, protect communities, and bolster efforts to fight deadly illicit synthetic drugs.

As midterm elections loom, Congress sent to the president the federal government's first comprehensive policy response to the nation's opioid crisis; a bipartisan House letter questions outpatient payment cuts; and New Hampshire senators introduced surprise billing legislation.

The discussion draft addresses several patient care scenarios that could lead to surprise billing; Congress is expected to vote this week on reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, government funding for fiscal year 2019, and a bipartisan opioid package.

America’s Essential Hospitals urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to reverse policies that will result in significant funding cuts to essential hospitals and hinder access to care.

This funding supports initiatives under the agency's Five-Point Opioid Strategy and was distributed in conjunction with Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week.

Two senators lead a letter-signing campaign to stop the expansion of hospital outpatient department cuts; in a 99-1 vote, the Senate approves legislation to combat the opioid crisis and is poised to vote on a spending bill for fiscal year 2019.

The Senate is expected to vote this week on a bipartisan legislative package to combat the opioid crisis. The House considers legislation to roll back Affordable Care Act provisions.

Before starting the final campaign stretch, Congress returns to Washington to consider Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination and to fund the federal government for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.

The Senate passed a funding package for the Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education departments and now must reconcile its version with House-passed legislation.

The Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model seeks to target physical and behavioral health needs through prevention, early identification, and treatment.

Congress is expected to consider legislation to combat the opioid epidemic, fund the Department of Health and Human Services, and enable federal response to pandemic threats.

The special open-door forum aims to educate prescribers on federal resources and strategies to combat the opioid epidemic.

Senate action on opioid legislation has been delayed by the debate over the Supreme Court nomination and what to include in the final package; Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said senators likely will consider opioid legislation after the August recess.

Bills to repeal the medical device tax and expand health savings accounts go to a House floor vote; a House committee advanced legislation that would fund the Hospital Preparedness Program at about $265 billion annually.

The legislation, containing more than 50 bills to combat the opioid crisis, now heads to the Senate; it is unclear whether senators will pass the package or consider their own legislation.

This year's Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission report focuses on the high cost of prescription drugs and the opioid epidemic.

Modeled on a program developed at essential hospital St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, in Paterson, N.J., the Alternatives to Opioids bill is one of 25 opioid-related bills the House passed last week.

A blog post and road map highlight the agency's approach to the crisis, including prevention of new opioid use disorder cases and use of data to target prevention and treatment.

An informational bulletin outlines the role of Medicaid in the care of infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, while a letter to state Medicaid directors offers guidance on funding Medicaid technology to combat the opioid crisis.

The House aims to complete voting by the July Fourth recess, but Senate work on opioid legislation likely will continue into August amid a shortened recess.

Lawmakers previously aimed to pass an opioid package by Memorial Day; Committee hearings focus on the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the president's blueprint to lower drug prices.

The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act, which includes $385 million annually for the Hospital Preparedness Program, has been cleared for consideration on the Senate floor; Congress aims to vote on opioid package before the July Fourth recess.

Senate Democrats sharply questioned the repeated delays of a final rule on drug ceiling prices and manufacturer civil monetary penalties; The House continues to focus on passing an opioid package.

House leadership remains focused on passing a bipartisan opioid-related legislative package by Memorial Day, but recently indicated a June vote might be more likely.

Four House hearings this week examine the opioid crisis, as lawmakers work to craft bipartisan legislation; A Senate hearing focuses on oversight reports on the 340B Drug Pricing Program.

Two new fact sheets clarify the application of privacy regulations under 42 CFR Part 2, a longstanding rule dictating how to share patient data related to substance use disorder.

House and Senate lawmakers last week reviewed more than 60 opioid-related bills before heading into a week-long recess.

The plan is required by the 21st Century Cures Act and is meant to improve federal and state coordination around the enforcement of parity laws.

House and Senate committees this week will mark up legislation to combat the opioid epidemic with the hope of passing a bipartisan bill by Memorial Day.

Senate and House panels hold hearings on opioid and substance use disorder treatment among Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and how distributors might contribute to the crisis.

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold hearings this week on measures to combat the opioid epidemic.

When Congress returns next week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce will consider more than a dozen bills during its third and final hearing on the opioid crisis.

The final package, passed last week, included $4 billion for combating the opioid crisis and a $10 billion increase in HHS funding, but left out measures to stabilize the insurance marketplace.

The House of Representatives approved a $1.3 trillion fiscal year 2018 omnibus spending bill that includes nearly $4 billion to combat the opioid crisis and increased funding for the National Institutes of Health.

The three-pronged approach aims to reduce drug demand, cut off the flow of illicit drugs domestically and internationally, and expand opportunities for proven addiction treatments.

Negotiations on the bill have stalled amid disagreements on certain provisions, such as including language barring abortion access as part of a package to stabilize the Affordable Care Act's insurance marketplace.

Congress this week is focused on negotiating legislation to stabilize the Affordable Care Act insurance marketplace and efforts to fight the opioid crisis.

House hearings will review legislation on enforcement measures to combat the opioid crisis; a new Senate bill would provide funding for prevention and treatment programs.

Republicans from both chambers work on a marketplace stabilization package; Senate Finance Committee Republicans plan to review the Internal Revenue Service's process for designating nonprofit hospitals.

The budget plan for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 proposes changes to the distribution of 340B Drug Pricing Program savings and increased funding to fight the opioid crisis.

Senate Finance Committee leadership sent a letter to stakeholders requesting information on Medicare and Medicaid policy options that could be used to combat the opioid epidemic.

The measure, which updates a continuing resolution set to expire on Feb. 8, delays cuts to Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments for fiscal years 2018 and 2019.

The association continues to work with congressional leadership and staff to ensure a delay of Medicaid disproportionate share hospital cuts is included in the next funding measure; Senate confirms new Health and Human Services Secretary.

The designation allows federal health agencies to allocate resources and hire specialists to combat the opioid crisis. The original declaration was set to expire on Jan. 23.

As Congress focuses on Jan. 19 funding deadline, America's Essential Hospitals continues pressure to delay Medicaid disproportionate share hospital cuts. The Trump administration releases guidance on work requirements for Medicaid recipients.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will host an information session and a series of four webinars in the coming weeks to provide information on new opportunities for states.

The association launched an advocacy and media campaign calling on Congress to delay Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payment cuts as part of a long-term government funding measure.

The new rule is intended to improve care coordination and better align current rules with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Congress returns from recess to focus on long-term solutions after passing a short-term bill to fund the government through Jan. 19; lawmakers push for delay of 340B Drug Pricing Program cuts.

The proposed rule increases flexibility for Medicare Advantage plans and implements the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016.

CMS announced a new streamlined process to encourage state innovation through demonstrations and approved new demonstrations for New Jersey and Utah.

The emergency declaration expands telemedicine services to treat addiction and opens up the Public Health Emergency Fund, among other actions to combat the opioid crisis.

The CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act extends Children's Health Insurance Program funding for five years and delays cuts to Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments for two years.

A bipartisan Senate bill would fund cost-sharing reduction payments; Congress has yet to renew funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program.

The five-year demonstration project, beginning Jan. 1, 2018, aims to strengthen substance use disorder care for state Medicaid beneficiaries.

Tuesday's decision effectively ends Congress’ current push to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act; a letter calling for the delay of Medicaid DSH cuts has garnered nearly 200 signatures in the House.

In a report to Congress, the commission details state solutions for improving care delivery, increasing treatment availability, and reducing opioid misuse.

The webinar on June 28 will focus on the Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program's Reducing Substance Use Disorders program area.

The funds aim to increase the use of medication-assisted treatment, train first responders, and increase access to overdose reversal medications.

In awarding the funds, HHS Secretary Tom Price committed to collaborating with states and seeking their “assistance to identify best practices, lessons learned, and key strategies that produce measurable results.”

The agency estimates that MA organization payment rates will increase by 0.45 percent on average in 2018, with an expected average revenue increase of 2.95 percent when accounting for coding changes.

President Trump established the commission and ordered it to make final recommendations by Oct. 1; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will serve as chair.