House Community Project Funding (Earmark) Request Opportunity

The House Appropriations Committee has released new guidelines on Community Project Funding (earmarks) for FY 24. Members of the House may request funding for projects within their districts. Each House office may set a different deadline for when the requests must be submitted to their respective offices and some deadlines are approaching soon. Institutions that are considering making a request should check with their respective House office for their deadline. Senate guidelines for FY 24 earmarks have also been released.

More details may be accessed here.

Senate Congressionally Directed Spending (Earmark) Request Opportunity

The Senate Appropriations Committee has released new guidelines on Congressionally Directed Spending (earmarks) for FY 24. Each Member of the Senate may request grants for projects within their states. Each Senate office may set a different deadline for when the requests must be submitted to their respective offices and some deadlines are approaching soon. Institutions that are considering making a request should check with their respective Senator’s office for their deadline. House guidelines for FY 24 earmarks have not yet been released but are expected soon.

More details may be accessed here.

Addressing Rural Health Inequities In Medicare

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted a blog on addressing rural health inequities in Medicare, a cornerstone of CMS’ effort to improve health equity. A three-pronged approach is advanced of supporting rural providers, making rural health care more effective, and transforming the rural health delivery system to improve access to high-quality, coordinated care in rural areas. 

The blog can be obtained at Addressing Rural Health Inequities in Medicare | CMS.

Financing Long-Term Care

In a new report, Commonwealth Fund researchers explore long-term financing systems in the U.S. and 12 other high-income countries, some of which employ more comprehensive approaches, such as social insurance or universal comprehensive coverage. These international models — along with innovative funding mechanisms being tested by a few U.S. states — offer important insights for U.S. stakeholders seeking a more affordable, fair, and equitable way to pay for long-term care. 

The report can be obtained at U.S. and Global Approaches Financing Long-Term Care Patchwork | Commonwealth Fund.

2023 Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Semiannual Membership Meeting Report

The 2023 Semiannual Membership Meeting of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) took place virtually on Tuesday, February 7, 2023. The theme of this year’s meeting was “Driving Progress Toward Interprofessional Collaborative Practice” and the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) was represented at the meeting by ASAHP Partnerships, Alliances and Advocacy Committee and Interprofessional Task Force Chair Dr. Anthony Breitbach.

The full report written by Dr. Anthony Breitbach is available here.

ASAHP February Volunteer of the Month: Jesús García-Martínez, PhD, MD, FASAHP

Today we are recognizing Jesús García-Martínez, MD, PhD, FASAHP, as ASAHP Volunteer of the Month!

Jesús García-Martínez, MD, PhD, FASAHP, is the Dean of the Vera Z. Dwyer College of Health Sciences at Indiana University South Bend (@IUSouthBend). We are extremely grateful to have Jesús working with ASAHP to pursue continued growth for health professions education.

Dr. García-Martínez is currently involved in the following committees and programs with ASAHP:

• Chair, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

• Member, Leadership Development Committee 

• Member, Research, Discovery, and Innovation (RDI) Committee

• Chair, RDI Interprofessional Collaboration Research Grant Subcommittee 

• Participant, 2020 ASAHP Leadership Development Program

Senate Hearing to Examine Health Care Workforce Shortages

On Thursday, February 16, at 10am Eastern, the Senate HELP Committee, Chaired by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), will hold a full Committee hearing entitled, “Examining Health Care Workforce Shortages: Where Do We Go From Here?”. Testimony will be provided by James Herbert PhD, President, University of New England, James E.K. Hildreth Sr., PhD, MD, President and CEO, Meharry Medical College, Sarah Szanton PhD, RN, FAAN, Dean, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Leonardo Seoane MD, FACP, Chief Academic Officer, Ochsner Health, and Douglas Staiger PhD, Professor, Dartmouth College.

The hearing may be viewed here.

Toward A Comprehensive Response To The Opioid Crisis

Legal settlements with opioid manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies accused of fueling the opioid crisis will bring much-needed funding to states and counties that are seeing a record number of overdoses. A report from the Commonwealth Fund explores what a comprehensive approach to addressing opioid use disorder might look like.  

The report can be obtained at Building Comprehensive Responses to the Opioid Crisis | Commonwealth Fund.

Public Health Preparedness

A report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) indicates that in 2012, Health and Human Services (HHS) established a program to ensure the U.S. could rapidly produce medical countermeasures—such as drugs and vaccines—in public health emergencies. The program didn't meet its goals in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, HHS found, and had trouble with large-scale production and quality control. HHS is transitioning to a new program, but needs to take additional steps to ensure that the new program doesn't repeat the previous program's challenges.  

The report can be obtained at https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-105713.pdf.

HHS Oversight Of Pandemic Research

A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) examines the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) oversight of gain-of-function research. 

The report can be obtained at https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-105455.pdf.

ACA Marketplace Open Enrollment Report

The Biden Administration announced that a record-breaking more than 16.3 million individuals have selected an Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace health plan nationwide during the 2023 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period (OEP) that ran from November 1, 2022-January 15, 2023 for most Marketplaces. 

More information can be obtained at Marketplace 2023 Open Enrollment Period Report: Final National Snapshot | CMS.

Academic And Socioemotional Impacts Of The COVID-19 Pandemic

A report from the Urban Institute projects how the pandemic’s cognitive and emotional impacts on schoolchildren may affect their degree attainment and lifetime earnings. 

The report can be obtained at https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/Academic%20and%20Socioemotional%20Impacts%20of%20the%20COVID-19%20Pandemic%20Will%20Affect%20Adult%20Earnings%20and%20Degree%20Attainment.pdf.

Changes In Health Insurance

The uninsured rate for Americans under age 65 fell from 11.1% in 2019 to 10.5% in 2021, according to new report by the Department of Health and Human Services. The analysis shows that the national uninsured rate declined during this period, with larger coverage gains for younger adults; Latino, American Indian, and Alaska Native individuals; non-English speaking adults; and people living in states that recently expanded Medicaid.  

The report can be obtained at https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/changes-health-insurance-coverage-2019-2021.

Enrollment In Affordable Care Act Marketplaces

The Biden-Harris administration announced that about 15.9 million individuals have selected an Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace health plan nationwide since the start of the 2023 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period (OEP) on November 1. 

The report can be obtained at Marketplace 2023 Open Enrollment Period Report: National Snapshot #3 | CMS.

Education Department Unveils Regulatory Agenda

The U.S. Department of Education this week unveiled its upcoming regulatory agenda. The ambitious rulemaking agenda includes state authorization, distance education, accreditation, and more.

An article from Inside Higher Ed may be accessed here.

Ransomware Attacks On The Health Care Sector

According to an investigation reported in JAMA Health Forum, attacks on health care providers doubled between 2016 and 2021, leaving 42 million patients’ data vulnerable. These attacks exposed larger quantities of personal health information and grew more likely to affect large organizations with multiple facilities. Disruptions to care during attacks may threaten patient safety and outcomes. 

The report can be obtained at JAMA Health Forum – Health Policy, Health Care Reform, Health Affairs | JAMA Health Forum | JAMA Network.

Medicare Private Plan Enrollment

As more Medicare beneficiaries enroll in private plans, it can be confusing to make sense of the array of available options. A new explainer from the Commonwealth Fund details the rules governing how insurers can sell their plans; how marketing and sales tactics can have an impact on beneficiaries; and what efforts are being made to ensure they obtain the information they need to choose the plan that’s right for them. 

The explainer can be obtained at Role of Marketing in Medicare Beneficiaries’ Coverage Choices | Commonwealth Fund.

Congress Releases Text of FY 23 Omnibus Appropriations bill

The $1.7 trillion FY 23 Omnibus Appropriations bill was released this morning. It contains a roughly 10% increase for defense related programming. House Democrats highlight a 9.3% increase for domestic programs, but their Republican colleagues claim the increase is actually only 5.5% when excluding a dramatic rise for Veterans’ health care.

The fiscal year 2023 Labor-H bill includes $209.9 billion in base discretionary funding. Including spending offset by savings in changes in mandatory programs, this represents an increase of $14.8 billion or 7.1 percent over the comparable fiscal year 2022 level.

The bill includes $579.3 million, an increase of 60.6 million for HRSA’s Title VII health professions programs.

The bill increases the maximum Pell Grant award by $500 or 7.2 percent to $7,395 for the 2023-24 school year. This is the largest increase in the maximum Pell grant award since the 2009-10 school year and further builds off the $400 increase provided last year.

The bill includes language from the Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act, amending the Public Health Service Act to allow for “increasing educational opportunities in physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and speech-language pathology professions, which may include offering scholarships or stipends and carrying out other activities to improve retention, for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds or individuals who are underrepresented in such professions.’’

The leadership expects to move the Omnibus through the Senate, followed by the House, before the December 23rd expiration of the current Continuing Resolution.

More details may be accessed here and here.

Integrating Behavioral Health Services Into Primary Care

Demand for behavioral health services, from addiction treatment to mental health care, is at an all-time high, yet many patients struggle to find the help they need. A new case study from the Commonwealth Fund explores how one group of providers has managed to increase its members’ access to these services without increasing overall health spending. 

The study can be obtained at Integrating Behavioral Health Services into Primary Care | Commonwealth Fund.