Healthcare Dive explains the features of the Lowers Costs, More Transparency bill (H.R. 5378) passed Monday night by the House of Representatives. The wide bi-partisan margin supporting the bill gives it more likelihood of success in the Senate.
American Hospital Association News tells us,
- “The House Dec. 12 voted 386-37 to pass AHA-supported legislation (H.R. 4531) that would reauthorize key SUPPORT Act programs for patients with substance use disorder and permanently extend required Medicaid coverage for medication-assisted treatments. The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee also on Dec. 12 advanced its SUPPORT Act reauthorization bill (S. 3393).”
Healthcare Dive informs us,
- “Nationwide health data exchange under TEFCA, the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, is now operational, the HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology announced Tuesday [December 12].
- “Five Qualified Health Information Networks, or QHINs, completed the onboarding process and are ready for data exchange: eHealth Exchange, Epic Nexus, Health Gorilla, KONZA and MedAllies.
- “The go-live marks a significant milestone that’s been years in the making, HHS leaders said at a signing event. “I feel like we’re watching the Big Bang occur in 2023,” said Secretary Xavier Becerra.
On December 12, 2023, the GAO issued a report on the rocky implementation of the No Surprises Act’s independent dispute resolution process.
On December 11, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court granted the federal government’s request to direct three U.S. Courts of Appeals to vacate decisions they made in cases involving the federal government employee Covid vaccine mandate on the ground that the President had withdrawn the mandate. In short, the Court held that the cases are moot.