Newswire Archives
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement has published the second edition of its white paper, "Conversation Ready: A Framework for Improving End-of-Life Care." The paper presents a framework relevant to any health care professional and organization to provide respectful end-of-life care that is concordant with patients’ stated goals, values, and preferences.
The white paper can be obtained at http://www.ihi.org/resources/Pages/IHIWhitePapers/ConversationReadyEndofLifeCare.aspx.
A new report from the Congressional Research Service provides a snapshot of health insurance and spending that involves private coverage, Medicare, Medicaid, military, and other health services, such as work site health care programs and the Maternal and Child Health program.
The report can be obtained at https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/IF10830.pdf.
The House Committee on Education and Labor issued a report entitled Don’t Stop Believin’: The Value of a College Degree. It states that a college degree is still well worth the cost, noting that bachelor’s degree holders earn up to $1 million more and associate’s degree holders up to $400,000 more than high school graduates during their work lives. Expanded access and increased affordability are goals highlighted in the report that may be addressed in the next reauthorization of the Higher Education Act
The report can be obtained at https://edlabor.house.gov/imo/media/doc/FINAL%20VALUE%20OF%20COLLEGE%20REPORT.pdf.
As the population ages, one of the greatest challenges facing state officials is how to organize and pay for long-term services and supports (LTSS) for low-income elderly and disabled adults—the most complex, expensive, and fastest-growing group covered by Medicaid. To help address this challenge, a toolkit for state leaders published in December 2017 has been updated by Manatt Health Strategies and the Center for Health Care Strategies.
The toolkit can be obtained at https://www.milbank.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Strengthening-LTSS-Toolkit_032019.pdf.
Women have long been left out of biomedical research, even though some of the most common diseases, like cancer and heart disease, present differently in men and women. As a result, much less is known about how to prevent, diagnose, or treat these diseases in women. An article from the Commonwealth Fund examines how attitudes toward the health of women are changing and describes efforts to close the gender gap in medical research.
The article can be obtained at http://features.commonwealthfund.org/closing-the-medical-research-gap.
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission released its March report to Congress. It details the fee-for-service payment recommendations for 2020 approved by the commission in January, including recommendations for hospital services and post-acute care. The report also includes MedPAC’s recommendation to replace the four existing inpatient quality programs with one single program, the Hospital Value Incentive Program.
The report can be obtained at http://medpac.gov/docs/default-source/reports/mar19_medpac_entirereport_sec.pdf?sfvrsn=0.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is accepting applications for the 2019 Opioid Workforce Expansion Program (OWEP). OWEP works to enhance community-based experiential training for student behavioral health professionals focusing on Opioid Use Disorder and other Substance Abuse Disorders. Application deadline is May 7, 2019.
Click here for more info.
A new health care analysis tool from the Health Care Cost Institute shows that medical spending across the U.S. has increased even though individuals used fewer health care services. An examination of data between 2012 and 2016 across 112 metro areas found that spending increased nearly 13 percent, while the use of services was down by 17 percent.
The tool can be obtained at https://www.healthcostinstitute.org/research/hmi/hmi-interactive?utm_source=STAT+Newsletters&utm_campaign=103c773fcd-MR_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8cab1d7961-103c773fcd-149940042.
The House Committee on Education and Labor held a hearing on “The Cost of College: Student Centered Reforms to Bring Higher Education Within Reach”. Discussions centered around barriers to postsecondary education for all students, but particularly low-income and students of color. There was bipartisan agreement that students need to learn financial literacy, so they can understand that taking out the maximum loan amount is not always necessary and also understand the process for repayment. There was also bipartisan support to expand awareness and increase resources for technical education and community colleges along with expanding Pell to short-term programs. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness faced disagreement with Republicans questioning the negative incentives to borrow more while Democrats believe eliminating PSLF will reduce the diversity of the industries eligible for PSLF.
Read ASAHP’s full memo here.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, after several years of rising ACA plan premiums, their prices are falling in many parts of the U.S. for 2019. Despite this trend, premiums for even the cheapest exchange plans remain out of reach for many middle class individuals who are not eligible for ACA subsidies, particularly those who are older or live in high-premium areas.
More information can be obtained at https://www.kff.org/health-reform/issue-brief/how-affordable-are-2019-aca-premiums-for-middle-income-people/.
The Early-bird registration deadline ends Friday, March 15, for the Spring 2019 Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Institute in Washington, DC. Taking place May 22-24, 2019, the Spring Institute will be a unique gathering of health professions faculty, collaborative partners, expert presenters and staff facilitators. The next IPEC webinar, “Enabling IPE Through Health Communications & Health Technology”, takes place on Thursday, April 18, from 2-3pm ET and will feature the 2017 and 2018 USPHS IPEC honorable mention winners in the category of health communications and technology.
Links below:
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee held a hearing on “Reauthorizing the Higher Education Act: Simplifying the FAFSA and Reducing the Burden of Verification”. There was bipartisan support for reducing the number of FAFSA questions, sharing data between the IRS and FSA, expanding Pell to short-term programs, and introducing CTE and community colleges to middle and high school students. Concern was expressed for first generation students and students of color who get selected for verification and may end up not going to college because they just stop the process, while the questions flagged for verification could be answered with data sharing between the IRS and FSA.
Read ASAHP’s Full Memo here.
Among 18- to 34-year-olds, 59 percent believe four-year schools are worth the cost, according to a new survey from American Public Media’s APM Research Lab and The Hechinger Report.
The report can be obtained at https://www.apmresearchlab.org/stories/2019/03/11/apm-survey-free-college-tuition-higher-education-worth-the-cost.
An analysis from the USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy by Bob Kocher and Zeke Emanuel discusses some implications of entrusting health care to AI systems and “doctor robots.”
The analysis can be obtained at https://www.brookings.edu/blog/usc-brookings-schaeffer-on-health-policy/2019/03/05/will-robots-replace-doctors/.
The Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC) will be holding a briefing titled “HRSA Workforce Development: Shaping the Health Care Workforce for Underserved Communities” on Thursday, March 14, from 9-10am in the Rayburn 2043 House Office Building in Washington, D.C. The briefing is intended to serve as an overview of Title VII and Title VIII programs for new congressional staff. Speakers include:
Dr. Janice Berry Edwards: Associate Professor, Howard University School of Social Work
Dr. Kevin Lohenry: Clinical Professor of Family Medicine (Clinician Educator), Director of USC Primary Care Physician Assistant Program, Vice Chair for Educational Affairs, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine
Dr. Julie Sochalski: Associate Professor of Nursing, Associate Dean for Academic Programs, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Please RSVP to Brett Roude (broude@aamc.org) if you would like to attend. Breakfast quiche will be served.
Yesterday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced updates coming next month to Nursing Home Compare and the Five-Star Quality Rating System to strengthen this tool for consumers to compare quality between nursing homes. The April 2019 updates to Nursing Home Compare are part of a broad range of updates that have been under development for the last several years.
Information about Nursing Home Compare can be obtained at https://www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare/search.html.
ASAHP joined other members of the Federation of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions (FASHP) in a letter to Congress which recommends that reauthorization of the Higher Education Act adhere to several key principles . ASAHP also joined FASHP in a letter urging Congress to preserve Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
The results of a new Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll show that eight in 10 U.S. adults say prescription drug costs are “unreasonable,” one in four respondents say their prescription medicines are difficult to afford, and three in 10 adults reported not taking their medicines as prescribed due to the cost.
Poll results can be obtained at https://www.kff.org/health-reform/poll-finding/kff-health-tracking-poll-february-2019-prescription-drugs/.
Arkansas provides an example of how beneficiaries who fail to submit monthly paperwork to prove they were working can be disenrolled from Medicaid coverage. A commentary from the Commonwealth Fund describes how short gaps in coverage can disrupt health care and cause economic distress.
The report can be obtained at https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2019/medicaid-work-requirements-increase-coverage-gaps.
Senator Patty Murray, the Ranking Member of the HELP Committee, who is charged with rewriting the Higher Education Act in partnership with HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander (R-TN), will be speaking at 2:30 today at the Center for American Progress about her principles for HEA reauthorization. Murray is also a recipient of ASAHP’s Distinguished Service and Achievement Award.
Click here to view ASAHP’s summary of her remarks.
