Newswire Archives
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and leaders from several other federal agencies held a listening session on November 14, 2022 to discuss the department’s plan to launch next year a National Healthcare System Action Alliance to Advance Patient Safety.
More information about the listening session can be obtained at HHS Announces Listening Session on Protecting the Safety of Patients and Healthcare Workers | Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (ahrq.gov).
On Thursday a federal judge struck down the Biden Administration’s student loan relief program. The Justice Department has filed an appeal of the court’s decision. Meanwhile, the Biden Administration has stopped accepting new applications to the program.
A statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona may be accessed here.
In midterm elections, the President’s party in its first term typically loses more than 30 seats in the House (Democrats lost 63 House seats under Obama in 2010 and Republicans lost 40 seats under Trump in 2018) and incurs Senate loses as well. With President Biden’s approval ratings in the low 40s, inflation at a 40-year high, and a momentum shift in favor of the Republicans over the last several weeks in major polls, a “red wave” was expected. However, Democrats beat expectations, defying historical trends. As votes are still being counted, control of the House and Senate still remains uncertain.
Today the Senate Finance Committee released its fourth component, focusing on mental health integration, of a bipartisan mental health package. Prior components focused on telehealth, youth mental health, and the mental health care network.
The press release may be accessed here. The discussion draft text is available here and a summary is available here.
According to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, total health care jobs grew by over 52,000 in October 2022 to a seasonally adjusted 16.6 million. Overall, jobs increased by 261,000. The data also show that hospitals and health systems continue to experience unprecedented workforce pressures and historic inflationary cost pressures that have outpaced any growth in both volume and revenue.
More information can be obtained at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t17.htm.
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard five hours of oral arguments on race-conscious admissions in Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admission v. University of North Carolina. Earlier this year, ASAHP joined the Association of American Medical Colleges and 45 health professional and educational organizations in an amicus curiae brief submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the limited consideration of an applicant’s racial or ethnic background or experiences in higher education admissions. A ruling is expected in June.
A recap by the Chronicle of Higher Education may be accessed here. More details may be accessed at https://www.supremecourt.gov/. The ASAHP supported amicus brief may be accessed here.
Last week the Department of Education released a series of regulations on issues including borrower defense to repayment, Pell Grants for prisoner education, and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. The regulations go into effect on July 1, 2023.
The regulations may be accessed here. A Department of Education press release may be accessed here. A fact sheet on improvements to targeted debt relief programs may be accessed here.
The Affordable Care Act allows states the option of expanding Medicaid eligibility to individuals with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level, or just under $19,000 a year for a single person. After more than a decade, however, 12 states have yet to take this step. Commonwealth Fund policy experts provide an update on state efforts to expand Medicaid.
The update can be obtained at Where Do the States Stand on Medicaid Expansion? | Commonwealth Fund.
As part of the Biden Administration’s continued commitment to improve the safety and quality of care for nursing home residents, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is increasing scrutiny and oversight over the country’s poorest-performing nursing facilities in an effort to improve the care they deliver immediately.
More information can be obtained at FACT SHEET: Protecting Seniors by Improving Safety and Quality of Care in the Nation’s Nursing Homes - The White House.
ASAHP recently recognized numerous higher education health professionals from across the country for their leadership, contributions and excellence in the fields of health sciences and health professions. The awards were presented at ASAHP’s annual conference. “Leading the Charge - Advancing Innovation in Higher Education and the Health Professions” which took place October 19-21, 2022 at the Westin Long Beach hotel in Southern California.
Today, the student loan debt relief application officially launched. The program provides eligible borrowers with full or partial discharge of loans up to $20,000 to Federal Pell Grant recipients and up to $10,000 to non-Pell Grant recipients.
The application is available here.
As a result of the continued consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services, renewed for another 90 days, effective October 13, 2022, the January 31, 2020 determination by former Secretary Alex M. Azar II that a public health emergency exists and has existed since January 27, 2020, nationwide.
For generations, racism and mistreatment at the hands of medical professionals have left many people of color distrustful of the health care system. How do clinicians rebuild trust with their patients? The Commonwealth Fund has a new interview a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation regarding this matter.
The interview can be obtained at Understanding & Addressing Medical Mistrust Interview Laura Bogart | Commonwealth Fund.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2023 Star Ratings for Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans to help beneficiaries compare plans ahead of Medicare Open Enrollment, which begins on October 15.
Medicare enrollees can use the Plan Finder tool that is available on Welcome to Medicare | Medicare to compare plan quality through the Star Ratings, along with other information, such as cost and coverage.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was not lawful, but preserved the district court’s stay, which permits current enrollees to continue renewing their status. The ruling refers the case back to the lower court for reconsideration in light of the Biden administration’s release on August 30, 2022 of the final version of regulations designed to strengthen the DACA program.
The regulations can be viewed at https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2022-18401.pdf.
A data brief presents findings from the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey to describe the state of Americans’ health insurance coverage in 2022.
The data brief can be obtained at State of U.S. Health Insurance in 2022: Biennial Survey | Commonwealth Fund.
On Thursday, Members of the Senate Finance Committee released a discussion draft of legislation aimed at expanding the mental health workforce. This discussion draft is the third legislative draft the Finance Committee has released since kicking off its bipartisan mental health initiative.
The press release, with links to the discussion draft text and a two-page summary, may be accessed here.
A report from the Urban Institute provides a national picture of the extent to which adults with full-year private coverage, full-year public coverage, and who were uninsured all year perceive they are being treated unfairly because of their type of health insurance coverage and other reasons when seeking care.
The report can be obtained at https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/2022-09/Publicly%20Insured%20and%20Uninsured%20Patients%20Are%20More%20Likely%20to%20Be%20Treated%20Unfairly%20in%20Health%20Care%20Settings%20Because%20of%20Their%20Coverage%20Type.pdf.
According to a new research brief from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, despite the historic lure to community colleges during previous recessions, Black student enrollment steadily has declined over time and has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the role of community colleges during economic downturns and the disproportionate enrollment of Black students, it is essential to understand how community colleges can be tools for economic recovery in the context of COVID-19 when Black adults continue to face high unemployment rates.
The brief can be obtained at https://jointcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/The-State-of-Black-Students-at-Community-Colleges.pdf.
On Thursday, House Education & Labor Chair Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee Chair Frederica Wilson introduced the Lowering Obstacles to Achievement Now (LOAN) Act. The LOAN Act would double the federal Pell Grant, improve the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, make loans less expensive, and lower interest rates.
The bill text is available here, a one-page fact sheet is available here, and a section-by-section is available here.
