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On April 26, 2023, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education held an oversight hearing on the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) and health care workforce shortage. Members queried Administrator Carol Johnson of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) around the PRF and how the President’s FY 2024 Budget would impact the health care workforce shortage.
CDC Approves Second Omicron Booster for Seniors & Immunocompromised
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidelines on Wednesday to allow an additional COVID-19 booster dose for adults who are 65 years or older and immunocompromised adults at least four months from their last dose. The move comes two days after a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel voted to authorize an additional booster for high-risk groups. The CDC’s updated guidance also recommends that the original monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines be no longer used in the US. Also, the United Kingdom and Canada already are offering spring booster shots for high-risk populations.
White House to Nominate NCI Director to Lead NIH
Reports indicate that the White House is poised to nominate National Cancer Institute (NCI) Director Monica Bertagnolli to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the coming days. A surgical oncologist by training, Bertagnolli has earned the respect of top Biden administration officials since taking the reins of NCI in October 2022. The NIH has been without a permanent director since longtime chief Francis Collins stepped down in December 2021. Since then, Larry Tabak has been serving as acting director. Bertagnolli would be the second female NIH leader if confirmed by the Senate. The next NIH director will face a slew of challenges, including responding to congressional inquiries into the agency’s role in the COVID-19 pandemic, advancing the pace of innovation, and ensuring that the agency can continue to invest in biomedical research amid a tough budgetary environment.
mRNA Vaccines Show Promise in Treating Skin Cancer
An individually tailored vaccine combined with an immunotherapy drug has been shown to reduce a patient’s risk of reoccurrence or death from a deadly type of skin cancer, according to phase 2 clinical trial results posted by Moderna and Merck. All 107 melanoma patients who participated in the trial had their cancerous tumors removed in surgery but were at a high risk of recurrence. The trial found that the vaccine decreased patients’ risk of recurrence or death by 44% compared to treatment with the immunotherapy alone. mRNA vaccine technology, which was widely used to immunize people against COVID-19, works by sending messenger RNA into cells to instruct them to build proteins that trigger an immune response that fights off future disease. Merck and Moderna expect to begin a phase 3 trial later this year, and if the results show the mRNA technology to be effective, the treatment could be approved for patients within three years.
CMS Finalizes ACA Plan Policies, Health Equity Standards
Released on Monday, the 2024 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (NBPP) finalizes a number of rules pertaining to Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans. Some of the more notable changes included increasing the number of nonstandard plans insurers can offer per region from two to four and adding a new special enrollment period for people who lose Medicaid eligibility. To boost health equity, the NBPP permits navigators and other assisters to conduct door-to-door outreach and enrollment assistance, which the administration hopes will improve access to coverage for underserved populations that face barriers to getting insured.
McCarthy Seeks Support for Debt Limit Plan
A proposal from Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) would increase the current $31.4 trillion statutory borrowing limit by $1.5 trillion or suspending it through March 31, 2024 by capping topline Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 discretionary spending at the FY 2022 level. While the proposal is intended to bring the Biden administration and congressional Democrats to the negotiating table, both have since communicated that the proposal is a non-starter. Although McCarthy’s leadership team is confident that his proposal will win the support of congressional Republicans, it remains uncertain if the proposal can garner 218 votes in the House, especially among moderate GOP members in the Problem Solvers Caucus who are putting forth their own bipartisan debt limit plan.
ICYMI: Rare Gem Goes On Display at the Smithsonian
Yesterday, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History put on public display the “Lion of Merelani,” which is one of the most finely detailed colored gemstones in the world. Known as a tsavorite, the original crystal was found in northern Tanzania in 2017 before being cut into a gem by Victor Tuzlukov in 2018. According to the Smithsonian, the gem is the largest precision-cut tsavorite in the world and the largest tsavorite gem. A private donor gifted the tsavorite to the National Gem Collection, which contains 350,000 mineral specimens and 10,000 gems.
CMS Proposes 2.8% Bump for Hospital Inpatient Reimbursement
Eligible hospitals could see a 2.8% increase in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, according to the recently proposed Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems (IPPS) rule. Other provisions of the rule would allow graduate medical education (GME) payments for training in rural emergency hospitals, boost reimbursements for hospitals treating unhoused patients, and lower payments for hospitals with excess readmissions and hospital-acquired conditions. Provider organizations have so far been critical of the proposed rule. The American Hospital Association (AHA) called the reimbursement increase “inadequate” due to the continued impact of inflation on hospitals, while the Federation of American Hospitals (FAH) said the rule could cause rural hospitals to pull back on some services.
White House Launches Successor to Operation Warp Speed
A new Biden administration initiative called “Project Next Gen” aims to accelerate the development of new COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. The $5 billion program is essentially a continuation of Operation Warp Speed, a Trump administration initiative that resulted in the development of the first successful vaccines and treatments. Among the areas Project Next Gen will focus on include the creation of long-lasting monoclonal antibody treatments, vaccines that deliver mucosal immunity, and a pan-coronavirus vaccine. To fund the new agency, the administration shifted around funding that was initially earmarked for COVID-19 tests and other priorities.
Juul to Pay $462 Million in Settlement over Youth Marketing
Electronic cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs has agreed to pay $462 million to six states to settle claims that the company illegally marketed its products to young people, particularly through social media. Attorneys general in those states argued that Juul executives were aware that their initial marketing persuaded adolescent users into its vaping pens but did little to address the problem as teenage use of e-cigarettes grew considerably. As part of the settlement, Juul will stop using people under the age of 35 in promotional materials, restrict the number of purchases consumers can make, and limit free or discounted promotions.
CDC: STIs Hit Record-High in 2021
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) rose to their highest level in 2021 and show no signs of slowing down, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Over 2.5 million cases of STIs were reported that year, with more than half of all cases attributed to chlamydia. Of note, Syphilis spiked 32% in one year, while Gonorrhea increased by nearly 5%. The data also showed a concerning jump in infections passed from pregnant moms to infants developing in the womb. While the CDC said there are multiple causes behind the surge in STIs, pandemic-related delays in screening are one likely culprit. To address the rise in STIs, the CDC is calling for increased access to public health services and more research into vaccines and post-exposure treatments.
Senators in Key Battleground States Announce Bids for Reelection
This week, Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) separately announced that they will be seeking reelection next year. Their announcements are a positive development for Senate Democrats, who will be relying on incumbents in battleground states to maintain their narrow majority in the Senate in what’s expected to be a difficult election cycle. While no Republicans have announced a bid for Baldwin’s Senate seat, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) left the door open for a possible run in a recent interview. In Pennsylvania, hedge fund CEO Dave McCormick and former Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano are viewed as possible GOP challengers to Casey in 2024.
ICYMI: Irish President’s Dog Ignores Biden in President Visit
President and dog-lover Joe Biden got the cold shoulder from Irish President Michael Higgins’ dog Misneach when the commander in chief tried to beckon him. Instead, the Bernese Mountain dog barked at the president, causing members of the press pool to chuckle. The encounter occurred at the Áras an Uachtaráin, the official residence of the president of Ireland, where Biden inspected a military honor guard, planted an oak tree, and rang the Bell of Peace.
On April 13, 2024, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) met to discuss and vote on recommendations for their June 2023 report. Aligning payments across ambulatory care settings is controversial but has been a focus of the Commission for more than 10 years.
