Newswire Archives
ASAHP joined the Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC) in urging Congress to provide at least the House-passed level of $980 million for the HRSA Title VII health professions and Title VIII nursing workforce development programs for FY 2022. The House-passed levels are an essential first step in achieving HPNEC’s recommendation of providing $1.51 billion for the Titles VII and VIII programs.
The letter may be accessed here.
A new report from the Commonwealth Fund finds that health care systems are failing many people of color in every state. The scorecard reveals that, even in high-performing states, racial and ethnic health disparities can be dramatic. In states whose health systems historically have performed poorly for both white and Black individuals, white residents still receive far better care.
The Scorecard can be obtained at https://view.email-commonwealthfund.org/?qs=1692395c31238fe69ecaafec6d4c5bd1b46e23259f0ebd38831e6b2b84e6a220853a3324495f8261c561fa3a4092e5f1315b9c6926dc62c306d2320df19dfd86a3946b400ec0c0e43f69c36503e9f4e5.
Today, two Department of Education officials participated in a hearing held by two subcommittees of the House Committee on Education and Labor. Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten and Under Secretary James Kvaal fielded questions on the amount of relief money that has been disbursed, states’ use of relief funds, and other topics.
The hearing may be accessed here. An article by Inside Higher Ed may be accessed here.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is in the process of preparing a cost estimate for the current version of H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act (Rules Committee Print 117-18 incorporating a manager’s amendment by Congressman Yarmuth). CBO has provided technical assistance to committees as they developed their proposals for various parts of the bill. The analysis of the many provisions is complicated, and CBO will provide a cost estimate for the entire bill as soon as practicable and possibly by November 19. CBO is releasing estimates for individual titles of bills as they are completed.
Update: The cost estimate is available here.
The Rules Committee Print can be obtained at https://rules.house.gov/sites/democrats.rules.house.gov/files/Section_by_Section_BBB_RCP117-18.pdf.
HRSA has released a Notice Of Funding Opportunity announcement for Leadership Education in Adolescent Health grants through the Maternal and Child Health Bureau’s Division of Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development. The purpose of the LEAH Program is to improve the quality of care and equitable access to appropriate health services for adolescents and young adults (AYA) by preparing leaders in AYA health through interdisciplinary training at the graduate and post-graduate levels. One objective is to prepare diverse AYA health professionals, through didactic, experiential, and research-based interdisciplinary education and training in core health disciplines of medicine, nursing, nutrition, psychology, and social work.Eligible applicants include domestic public and nonprofit private institutions of higher learning. Seven awards are expected for $3,245,594 in estimated total program funding. The application deadline is February 1, 2022.
More information may be accessed here.
A new report from AARP, the first in a series, focuses on the general health of rural adults age 40 and older, their access to health care — both in-person and virtual —, and the challenges they face in seeking it. Findings are based on a survey that was conducted from November 20 to December 18, 2021.
The report can be obtained at https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/surveys_statistics/health/2021/health-care-rural-america.doi.10.26419-2Fres.00447.001.pdf.
Under federal and state law, insurers must cover gender-affirming care for transgender individuals, such as medically necessary mental health care, hormone therapy, and surgical treatments. A report from The Commonwealth Fund reviews the state of insurance coverage for gender-affirming care, including improvements made by the Affordable Care Act, as well as action Colorado took to help address barriers to care. That state’s response may prove helpful to other jurisdictions seeking to help ensure nondiscriminatory coverage.
The report can be obtained at Unpacking Colorado’s New Guidance on Transgender Health | Commonwealth Fund.
According to preliminary data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment at hospitals and health systems increased by more than 1,000 jobs in October. U.S. jobs overall increased by 531,000. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals and health systems have added just over 41,000 jobs, but remain below their February 2020 peak.
An economic news release can be obtained at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t17.htm.
The recently released HHS Workforce Strategic Plan provides a forward-looking framework for health workforce improvements focused on four key goals: Expanding supply, Ensuring equitable distribution, Improving quality, and Enhancing the use of data and evidence to improve program outcomes.
The plan can be obtained at Health Workforce Strategic Plan (hrsa.gov).
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule that furthers CMS’ strategic commitment to drive innovation that promotes comprehensive, person-centered care for older adults and individuals with disabilities by accelerating the shift from paying for home health services based on volume, to a system that incentivizes value and quality.
The rule can be obtained at https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2021-23993/medicare-and-medicaid-programs Home Health Services For Older Adults And Individuals With Disabilities -cy-2022-home-health-prospective-payment-system-rate-update-home.
On Thursday, the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a markup of nine bills. The legislation considered includes the Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Act, the Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act, and the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, among others.
More details may be accessed here.
Today, the White House announced a framework for the Build Back Better Act which includes 1.85 trillion in investments and up to 1.995 trillion in offsets. According to the White House, the framework is “the biggest expansion of affordable health care coverage in a decade. The framework will reduce premiums for more than 9 million Americans by extending the expanded Premium Tax Credit, deliver health care coverage to up to 4 million uninsured people in states that have locked them out of Medicaid, and help older Americans access affordable hearing care by expanding Medicare.” Furthermore, “the framework will increase the maximum Pell Grant by $550 for more the more than 5 million students enrolled in public and private, non-profit colleges and expand access to DREAMers. It will also make historic investments in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and minority-serving institutions (MSIs) to build capacity, modernize research infrastructure, and provide financial aid to low-income students. And, it will invest in practices that help more students complete their degree or credential.”
More details may be accessed here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/10/28/president-biden-announces-the-build-back-better-framework/.
On Tuesday, the Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Energy and Congress held a hearing entitled, "Caring for America: Legislation to Support Patients, Caregivers, and Providers", in which they considered seven pieces of health care legislation:
H.R. 1474, the "Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Act"
H.R. 1667, the "Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act"
H.R. 3297, the "Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Act of 2021"
H.R. 3320, the "Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act of 2021"
H.R. 5583, the "Helping Enable Access to Lifesaving Services Act" or the "HEALS Act"
H.R. 5594, the "Enhancing Community Health Workforce Act"
H.R. 5602, the "Bolstering Infectious Outbreaks Preparedness Workforce Act of 2021" or the "BIO Preparedness Workforce Act of 2021"
Subcommittee Chairwoman Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) said she intends to move the bills through the subcommittee “as swiftly as possible.”
The hearing and related documents may be accessed here.
Emphasis on using evidence in federal policymaking and implementation is increasing, especially since the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 passed. It is important to find, build, share, and appropriately apply evidence. A new brief from the Urban Institute describes different types and sources of evidence, explore the purposes and potential uses of evidence, and discuss what makes good evidence in federal policy and practice.
The brief can be obtained at https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/104968/what-is-evidence-basics-of-evidence-brief-1.pdf.
The Congressional Research Service has a new report on the solvency of the Medicare program.
The report can be obtained at https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/RS20946.pdf.
Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee released their remaining nine Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations bills, including the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill. The bill includes $98.4 billion in base discretionary funding for the Department of Education, an increase of $24.9 billion over the FY 2021 level and $4.4 billion less than the budget request. The bill increases the discretionary portion of the maximum Pell grant award by $400 and includes $1.1 billion for HBCUs and MSIs. The bill includes $117.6 billion in base discretionary funding for the Department of Health and Human Services, an increase of $20.9 billion over the FY 2021 level and $1.8 billion less than the budget request. The bill includes $9.2 billion for HRSA, an increase of $1.7 billion above fiscal year 2021 and $1 billion above the President’s budget request. The bill includes a 53% increase for the Behavioral Health Workforce Education & Training (BHWET) program, a 16% increase for Mental and Behavioral Health, and a 9% increase for geriatric programs compared to the FY 21 enacted levels.
A bill summary may be accessed here, along with the bill text and an explanatory statement. A HRSA Title VII and VIII Health Workforce Programs funding chart may be accessed here.
Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare are serving similar populations, with beneficiaries having comparable health care experiences. According to an issue brief from the Commonwealth Fund, the care management services provided by Medicare Advantage plans appear to neither impede access to care nor reduce concerns about costs. Overall, the analysis highlights substantial barriers to care that all beneficiaries seem to be experiencing.
The issue brief can be obtained at https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2021/oct/medicare-advantage-vs-traditional-medicare-beneficiaries-differ.
Employment at hospitals and health systems fell by more than 8,000 jobs in September 2021. Overall, employment in the United States increased by 194,000, according to preliminary data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Health care jobs overall fell by 17,500 and remain under 16 million, seasonally adjusted. Although outpatient care centers, physicians, and dentists continued to add jobs, nursing and residential care facility employment fell by 37,600. Since the beginning of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, jobs in hospitals and health systems have stayed below their peak in February 2020.
Bureau of Labor Statistics data can be obtained at Table B-1. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry sector and selected industry detail (bls.gov).
The American Hospital Association released the latest edition of the COVID-19 Snapshot, underscoring the persisting challenges facing hospitals and health systems during the ongoing public health emergency. The Snapshot combines important data points with news articles and testimonials from the field to illustrate the importance of providing hospitals and health systems with additional resources and support so that they can continue to deliver care to patients and families.
The Snapshot can be obtained at https://www.aha.org/system/files/media/file/2021/10/snapshot-10-7-21.pdf.
As the delta variant pushes COVID-19 caseloads to all-time highs, hospitals and health systems across the country are paying $24B more per year for qualified clinical labor than they did pre-pandemic, according to a new PINC AI analysis. The analysis found that clinical labor costs are up by an average of 8% per patient day when compared to a pre-pandemic baseline period in 2019. For the average 500 bed facility, it translates to $17M in additional annual labor expenses since the pandemic began.
Additional information can be obtained at PINC AI Data Shows Hospitals Paying $24B More for Labor Amid COVID-19… | Premier (premierinc.com).
