Health Care Checkup: September 24, 2021

Health Care Checkup

September 24, 2021

THE BIG PICTURE

This week, the House passed legislation that would fund the government through December 3, 2021 and temporarily increase the debt limit through the end of next year. Additionally, the bill would provide emergency funding for Afghan refugees resettling in America, and funding for natural disaster recovery. There is much GOP opposition to the bill due to the inclusion of the debt limit increase, so it is likely that the legislation will not garner the 60 votes it needs to pass the Senate. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said that raising the debt limit would not receive any Republican support. The government funding deadline is September 30 of this year, while the effective deadline to act on the debt ceiling is expected to be in October, according to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

Also this week, negotiations on the bipartisan infrastructure bill (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) and budget reconciliation (Build Back Better Act) continued. On Thursday, Democratic House and Senate leaders announced that they had reached an agreement on a "framework" that will pay for the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better Act. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters, “The White House, the House and the Senate have reached agreement on a framework that will pay for any final negotiated agreement. So, the revenue side of this, we have an agreement on.” Additionally, the House Budget Committee announced that it will mark up the budget reconciliation package on Saturday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has indicated that the bipartisan infrastructure bill will come to the floor on Monday.

Late Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized booster doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 65 years of age and older and for high-risk individuals ages 18 to 64 who either have serious health conditions or who are at high risk due to “frequent institutional or occupational exposure” to the virus. The third dose must be given at least six months after the second dose is given. The FDA’s announcement can be found here.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met this week to discuss recommendations for COVID-19 booster shots. ACIP recommended that boosters be given to people 65 and older and those who live in long-term care homes and to individuals ages 18 to 64 who have underlying medical conditions that place them at higher risk of severe COVID-19. The Committee did not recommend boosters for individuals who work in high-risk settings. However, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky overrode the Committee’s recommendation on Friday and recommended that boosters be given to individuals in high-risk occupational and institutional settings. She did, however, adhere to ACIP’s other recommendations. The CDC’s official booster recommendations can be found here.

What to Expect Next Week: Next week, both chambers of Congress will hold health-related hearings. On Tuesday, the House Committee on Education and Labor will hold a hearing titled, “How to Save a Life: Successful Models for Protecting Communities from COVID-19.” On Thursday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing titled, "School Reopening During COVID-19: Supporting Students, Educators, and Families."

DEEP DIVE

House Passes Legislation to Avert Government Shutdown

This week, the House passed legislation that would fund the government through December 3, 2021 and temporarily increase the debt limit through the end of next year. Additionally, the bill would provide emergency funding for Afghan refugees resettling in America, and funding for natural disaster recovery. There is much GOP opposition to the bill and the Senate has signaled that it will block the legislation. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said that raising the debt limit would not receive Republican support. The government funding deadline is September 30 of this year, while the effective deadline to act on the debt ceiling is expected to be in October, according to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

FDA Authorizes Booster Dose of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for Certain Vulnerable Populations; CDC’s Advisory Committee Issues Alternative Booster Recommendation

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met this week to discuss recommendations for COVID-19 booster shots. ACIP recommended that boosters be given to people 65 and older and those who live in long-term care homes. Additionally, ACIP recommended that boosters be given to individuals ages 18 to 64 who have underlying medical conditions that place them at higher risk of severe COVID-19. The Committee did not recommend boosters for individuals who work in high-risk settings. However, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky overrode the Committee’s recommendation on Friday and recommended that boosters be given to individuals in high-risk occupational and institutional settings. She did, however, adhere to ACIP’s other recommendations. The CDC’s official booster recommendations can be found here.

Senate Finance Committee Leaders Solicit Policy Proposals to Address Unmet Mental Health Needs

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Finance Ranking Member Mike Crapo, (R-ID) sent a letter to behavioral health care stakeholders, requesting input on ways to improve mental health in America. Specifically, the Senators are looking for ways to address the behavioral health workforce shortage, support care integration, ensure parity between behavioral and physical health care, expand access to behavioral health care for young people, and further the use of telehealth. Last month, Wyden and Crapo launched the Finance Committee’s legislative effort to address barriers to mental health care amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Senators wrote that it is their goal to develop a bipartisan legislative package before the end of the year to address the nation’s behavioral health care challenges. Additional information on the initiative can be found here.

HHS OIG Report Finds that 20 Private Insurers Collected Disproportionate Shares of Medicare Payments

A report released by the HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that 20 private insurers received a disproportionate share of $9.2 billion in Medicare payments. OIG conducted a study using previously collected Medicare Advantage (MA) encounter data from 2016 to determine “whether any MA companies' use of chart reviews and health risk assessments (HRAs) increased their risk adjusted payments disproportionately relative to their size and their peers.” OIG found that 20 of the 162 MA companies “may have inappropriately leveraged both chart reviews and HRAs to maximize risk adjusted payments.” OIG wrote that the findings “raise concerns” and recommends that CMS provide oversight of the 20 MA companies. Additional details of the report can be found here.

HHS Announces Funding for Public Health IT Workforce Program

On Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $73 million to 10 colleges and universities as part of its Public Health Informatics & Technology Workforce Development Program (PHIT Workforce Program). The program was announced earlier this year and will be funded through the American Rescue Plan. The funding will be used to train more than 4,000 individuals over a four-year period through an “interdisciplinary approach in public health informatics and technology.” The list of program awardees can be found here.

CMS to Extend Open Enrollment Period for ACA Marketplace Health Plans by 30 Days

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will extend the 2022 Affordable Care Act marketplace enrollment period from 45 to 75 days. The open enrollment period will run from November 1, 2021, through January 15, 2022, on HealthCare.gov. This change is part of a final rule that the agency is implementing to enhance health coverage and reduce health disparities. The rule also permits states to establish a monthly special enrollment period for people who are eligible for advance payments of the premium tax credit (APTC) and whose household incomes do not exceed 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL). Additionally, the rule will expand services provided by navigators (who assist consumers with enrolling) in the post-enrollment period. More information can be found here.

CMS Launches New Online Tool to Help Consumers Compare Nursing Home Vaccination Rates

A new feature on Medicare.gov will make it easier to check COVID-19 vaccination rates for nursing home staff and residents. The new tool makes nursing home vaccination data easier for consumers to access and navigate. In reference to the new online tool, CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said, “As we continue to work with our partners to monitor the spread of COVID-19 and keep nursing home residents safe, we want to give people a new tool to visualize this data to help them make informed decisions.” More information can be found here.

House Committee Holds Hearing on Pandemic Relief Programs

On Wednesday, the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis held a hearing to “explore the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of pandemic relief programs, assess the current economic situation, and recommend further steps for Congress to take to ensure no one is left behind as America works to emerge from the pandemic and build a post-pandemic economy that is better for all.” MCRT’s summary of the hearing can be found here.

SENATE HEARINGS AND EXECUTIVE SESSIONS

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee - Hearing

Full Committee Hearing: "School Reopening During COVID-19: Supporting Students, Educators, and Families."

Thursday, September 30 at 10:00 AM ET

HOUSE HEARINGS AND EXECUTIVE SESSIONS

House Committee on Education and Labor - Hearing

Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services (Committee on Education and Labor) and Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (Committee on Education and Labor) Joint Hearing: “How to Save a Life: Successful Models for Protecting Communities from COVID-19.”

Tuesday, September 28 at 10:15 AM ET