HHS Seeks Advice On Improving HIPAA Rules

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Request for Information (RFI) to assist OCR in identifying provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy and security regulations that may impede the transformation to value-based health care or that limit or discourage coordinated care among individuals and covered entities (including hospitals, physicians, and other providers, payors, and insurers), without meaningfully contributing to the protection of the privacy or security of individuals’ protected health information. Comments must be submitted on or before February 12, 2019. 

The RFI can be obtained at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-12-14/pdf/2018-27162.pdf.

Democratization Of Health Care

The Stanford Medicine 2018 Health Trends Report drills down into operation and implementation of the data explosion in medicine, exploring how this wealth of information is changing traditional health care roles, the experience of patient care, and access to services in the digital age. 

The report can be obtained at https://med.stanford.edu/content/dam/sm/school/documents/Health-Trends-Report/HTR-Designed-Version-12.12.18-930am-PT.pdf.

Healthcare.gov Enrollment Update

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported today that more than 4.1 million individuals selected a 2019 health plan through HealthCare.gov between November 1 and December 8, including more than 934,000 last week. Almost three-quarters of those selecting plans were renewing coverage and the rest were new consumers. The report shows total plan selections for the period in the 39 states using HealthCare.gov for 2019 open enrollment, which runs through Dec. 15.

 More information can be obtained at https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/weekly-enrollment-snapshot-week-6.

Trends In Postacute Care Spending Growth During Medicare Spending Slowdown

A new issue brief from the Commonwealth Fund shows how the modest increase in postacute care spending per beneficiary between 2007 and 2015 reflected dramatic changes in annual spending and care utilization growth rates. Postacute care spending growth slowed less among Medicare beneficiaries who had been hospitalized, suggesting these beneficiaries may continue to use costly postacute care at elevated rates.

The issue brief can be obtained at https://www.commonwealthfund.org/sites/default/files/2018-12/Keohane_trends_postacute_care_spending_ib.pdf.

Income Differences Across U.S. Counties

Many residents of rural counties are affected negatively by shortages of health personnel and long travel distances to health care facilities. Just as importantly, their ability to access services can depend on having enough income to meet out-of-pocket health expenses. The U.S. Census Bureau released 2013-2017 five-year estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS) for every county in the nation, which show that in general, median household income is higher in urban counties than in rural areas. Likewise, poverty rates tend to be lower in urban areas than in rural areas.  

Data can be obtained at https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2018/12/differences-in-income-growth-across-united-states-counties.html?eml=gd&utm_campaign=20181210msacos1ccstors&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.

2017 National Health Expenditures

Overall national health spending grew at a rate of 3.9 percent in 2017, almost 1.0 percentage point slower than growth in 2016, according to a study conducted by the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS. Medicare spending grew at about the same rate in 2017 as in 2016, while Medicaid spending grew at a slower rate in 2017 than in 2016. 

The report can be obtained at https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/NationalHealthAccountsHistorical.html.

National Healthcare Quality And Disparities Report

The 2017 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report assesses the performance of the U.S. healthcare system and identifies areas of strengths and weaknesses, as well as disparities, for access to healthcare and quality of healthcare. Quality is described according to six priorities: patient safety, person-centered care, care coordination, effective treatment, healthy living, and care affordability. The document is based on more than 250 measures of quality and disparities covering a broad array of healthcare services and settings. 

The report can be obtained at https://www.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/research/findings/nhqrdr/2017nhqdr.pdf.

ASAHP Participates in NASEM Global Forum for Innovation in Health Professions Education

As a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), ASAHP participated in this year’s NASEM Global Forum for Innovation in Health Professions Education, held November 12-14, 2018, in Washington, D.C. Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC, FASAHP, represented ASAHP. Topics covered included professionalism, social contexts of mental health, the impact of traumatic stress on health, the needs of future educators, and the role of health professions education in the opioid crisis.

A report on the NASEM Global Forum may be accessed here.

Addressing The Primary Care Shortage

A new report from the Brookings Institution examines investigate whether and to what extent the ways Medicare pays for physician and hospital services and subsidizes graduate medical education (GME) in teaching hospitals either fosters or acts as an impediment to achieving a mix of specialists and primary care physicians consistent with more effective and efficient delivery of health care 

The report can be obtained at https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Steinwald_Ginsburg_Brandt_Lee_Patel_GME-Funding_12.3.181.pdf.

Promotion Of Health Care Competition

A new report by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in collaboration with the Departments of the Treasury and Labor, the Federal Trade Commission, and several offices within the White House describes the influence of state and federal laws, regulations, guidance, and polices on choice and competition in health care markets and identifies actions that states or the Federal Government could take to develop a better functioning health care market. 

The report can be obtained at https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/Reforming_Americas_Healthcare_System_Through_Choice_and_Competition.pdf.

Ways That States Can Seek Affordable Care Act Waivers

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced  announced four concepts that states can use to promote health coverage options under Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act: account-based subsidies, state-specific premium assistance, adjusted plan options, and risk stabilization strategies.  

The announcement can be obtained at https://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Programs-and-Initiatives/State-Innovation-Waivers/Downloads/Waiver-Concepts-Guidance.PDF.

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Call for Comments on Title IX

The U.S. Department of Education has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on Title IX. The proposed rulemaking would clarify and modify Title IX regulatory requirements and specify how recipient schools and institutions covered by Title IX must respond to incidents of sexual harassment. Public comments are due on or before January 28, 2019.

More information may be accessed here.

Dept of HHS "Geriatrics Academic Career Award Program" Grant Opportunity

The purpose of the GACA program is to support the career development of individual junior faculty in geriatrics at accredited schools of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, nursing, social work, psychology, dentistry, pharmacy, or allied health as academic geriatrics specialists and to provide clinical training in geriatrics, including the training of interprofessional teams of health care professionals. Application deadline is January 15, 2019.

Click here for more info.

State Support Needed For Family Caregivers

Approximately 18 million family members in the United States provide care to older individuals who need assistance. Many states are not fully prepared to meet the needs of older adults, despite being the primary funders of long-term services and supports. While there’s no common system for sharing best practices in caregiving policy, five states have come together to learn from each other through an initiative by the John A. Hartford Foundation. 

Information about the initiative can be obtained at https://www.johnahartford.org/blog/view/states-need-pragmatic-policy-solutions-to-better-support-family-caregivers.

Modernizing Part D And Medicare Advantage To Lower Drug Prices And Reduce Out-Of-Pocket Expenses

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued a proposed rule to make revisions to the Medicare Advantage (MA) program (Part C) and Prescription Drug Benefit Program (Part D) regulations to support health and drug plans’ negotiation for lower drug prices; and reduce out-of-pocket costs for enrollees. Comments will be accepted from the public until no later than 5 p.m. on January 25, 2019. 

The proposed rule can be obtained at https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2018-25945.pdf.

Register Now for the Last IPEC Webinar Event of the Year!

Join us on Thursday, December 13 at 2:00 p.m. ET for a webinar featuring a presentation by the East Tennessee State University (ETSU) team on their project East Tennessee State University Responds to the Opioid Epidemic Through Interprofessional Education, Community Engagement, Research, and Clinical Care. As recipients of the 2018 U.S. Public Health Service IPEC Award, Drs. Robert Pack and Angela Hagaman will provide key insights on the goals, public health significance, rationale, and results of their award-winning program.

Click here for more information and to register for this webinar.

Incarcerated Father Reentry And Child Health Outcomes

According to the Urban Institute, more than 2.7 million children have an incarcerated parent and many more have experienced a parent’s incarceration at some point. Research finds that parental incarceration negatively affects children’s physical, mental, and emotional health. A brief explores children’s behaviors when a father is incarcerated and when he has been released. Outcomes are compared with those of children whose fathers never have been incarcerated. 

The brief can be obtained at https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/99370/father_reentry_and_children_outcomes_1.pdf.

Are Marketplace Premiums Higher In Rural Than In Urban Areas?

The Urban Institute is undertaking a comprehensive monitoring and tracking project to examine the implementation and effects of health reform. A way of doing so is to examine silver benchmark premiums for every rating region for 2016 and 2017, differentiating between predominantly urban and rural premium rating areas.  

A report can be obtained at https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/99341/moni-ruralurban_-_final_0.pdf.

Department Of Education Proposed Rule On Title IX Sexual Assault

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) released a proposed rule on Title IX sexual assault. A 60-day comment period will be announced. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos in September 2017 rescinded the 2011 and 2014 guidelines issued by the Obama administration on campus sexual assault. Since then, she has been gathering information from a wide array of groups.

 The proposed rule can be obtained at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/title-ix-nprm.pdf.

Post-Millennials On Track To Be Most Diverse, Best-Educated Generation

A new Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data finds that the “post-Millennial” generation is already the most racially and ethnically diverse generation, as a bare majority of 6- to 21-year-olds (52%) are non-Hispanic whites. While most are still pursuing their K-12 education, the oldest post-Millennials are enrolling in college at a significantly higher rate than Millennials were at a comparable age. 

The report can be obtained at file:///C:/Users/Owner/AppData/Local/Packages/Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe/TempState/Downloads/Post-Millennials-Report_final-11.13pm.pdf.