IMPAQ Health News
From our experts to your inbox. Every two weeks.
In this edition, learn about new COVID-19 milestones, updates on vaccines and boosters, and the expanded ACA open enrollment period.
People who receive benefits from both Medicare and Medicaid, called “dually eligible individuals,” have some of the highest health care needs among the publicly insured population. While CMS has worked to integrate dually eligible individuals’ care and benefits, not all such beneficiaries have access to integrated care models. At the same time, efforts to improve the integrated care experience often do not consider perspectives from dually eligible individuals themselves. In a new blog post, IMPAQ Health experts discuss how they used principles of human-centered design to gather insights directly from dually eligible individuals and summarize key takeaways from the study. They also offer considerations for policymakers working to improve the integrated care experience.
Through the AIR Equity Initiative, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is committing $100M+ over five years toward behavioral and social science research and technical assistance to address the underlying causes of systemic inequity and to increase opportunities for people and society. On Tuesday, Sept. 28, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET, AIR will host a roundtable discussion—Bridges Toward Equity: Making Workforce Development Work for All—to formally launch the initiative and explore workforce development efforts. (IMPAQ is an affiliate of AIR.)
COVID-19
As students return to school, COVID-19 infections among children are up by about 240 percent since July. This week, the COVID-19 death toll in the United States surpassed that of the 1918 flu pandemic, with more than 1 in 500 Americans having lost their lives to COVID-19. Death rates continue to be disproportionately higher among Black, Latino, and American Indian and Alaskan Native people. At the same time, the summer surge of COVID-19 cases seems to be slowing, with averages of new daily cases and hospitalizations declining.
 
Vaccine and Booster Updates. The FDA granted emergency use authorization to the Pfizer booster shot. Use is limited to adults 65 or older adults, 18 or older at high risk for severe illness, and those at high risk of exposure due to their jobs, such as health care workers. Additionally, recent CDC research concluded that unvaccinated people are 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those who have been vaccinated. In other vaccine news:



  • AcademyHealth recently published a brief exploring how states used disadvantage indices to locate COVID-19 testing sites, conduct community outreach, and combat inequity in their vaccine distribution efforts. These indices weigh the relative advantages and disadvantages of people in an area based on sociodemographic information like race, housing, income, and other factors. The brief is a summary of a June AcademyHealth workshop with public health officials and highlights their experiences, challenges, and lessons learned using the indices.
Medicare, Medicaid, and ACA
As part of the 2022 Final Payment Notice, the Biden administration extended the ACA open enrollment period to Jan. 15, 30 days longer than last year’s open enrollment period. The payment notice also detailed expanded roles and services for health care navigators, and the re-launch of the “Champions for Coverage” program. CMS Newsroom (9/17)

  • According to figures released by the administration, nearly 2.8 million people signed up for health care plans under the ACA during a special six-month extended enrollment period in 2021.
A new report by the Urban Institute estimates that 90% of people who gained Medicaid coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic are in danger of losing their newly acquired coverage at the end of the federally-declared public health emergency. This equates to roughly 15 million people losing Medicaid coverage unless the federal government or state governments take action. The report also discusses potential ways to curtail the loss of coverage, such as making the tax credits provided by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 permanent. Modern Healthcare (9/15)
The $3.5 trillion social safety net bill likely will need to be cut back to gain enough support to pass. As it stands, the social safety net package includes the most widespread reforms to the U.S. health care system since the passage of the ACA. Democrats now need to choose between expanding Medicaid coverage in states that have not done so or providing dental, hearing, and vision benefits to Medicare beneficiaries across all income levels. The choice between prioritizing either Medicaid or Medicare is required by the interconnected nature of the bill’s provisions. New York Times (9/20)
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, federal and state regulators have issued numerous waivers to telehealth access and coverage rules, allowing providers to provide more services remotely and be reimbursed appropriately. However, it remains unclear how many of these waivers will remain in place once the public health emergency is over. While there appears to be a consensus that telehealth will play a larger role in health care delivery going forward, congressional action will be needed to make these changes permanent. Washington Post (9/15)
Graphic of the Week
In observance of National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15), Johns Hopkins Medicine has developed a guide that highlights information on demographics and health disparities within the Hispanic/Latinx communities.
Upcoming Events, Trainings, & Webinars
In this briefing, experts will discuss how the flu and the COVID-19 pandemic have intersected over the past 18 months and why flu preparedness policy should be prioritized. Panelists also will highlight available federal policy levers and discuss policy strategies to improve flu response. Register here.
This briefing will explore how the U.S. has fared during the COVID-19 pandemic to date and highlight key takeaways learned in the U.S. response, as well as important lessons learned from peer countries. Panelists will share insights on topics such as public health strategy, hospital and system capacity building, and how delivery system reform can be built into policymaking to provide more affordable, higher quality care, while preparing the U.S. to respond to national health emergencies. Register here.
This discussion, hosted by the Center for Health Care Strategies and funded by the Commonwealth Fund, will cover how state Medicaid agencies work with health plans and primary care providers to address health-related social needs in their communities through managed care and value-based payment models. Register here.
NOTE: The information, analyses, and opinions expressed in the articles, publications, or comments contained therein are those of the authors and should not be considered verified or endorsed by IMPAQ or any of our partners or clients.
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