Administration Updates
- On Tuesday, June 4, an FDA advisory committee overwhelmingly voted that there is not enough evidence to suggest MDMA-assisted therapy is effective for treating post-traumatic stress disorder, and that the benefits don’t outweigh the risks to patients.
- CMS' Office of Minority Health (OMH) released a CMS Diabetes Strategy — Impact Report providing an update on current diabetes work happening at CMS and what steps they have taken since announcing the CMS Diabetes Strategy in 2023.
- CMS released an updated Health Equity Fact Sheet as part of the Biden administration's ongoing efforts at CMS to build on advancing racial equity and supporting underserved communities through the federal government. More information can be found on the agency's Health Equity page and the Strategic Plan page/strategic pillars page.
Check out the Health Equity Fact Sheet-- ARN signed a letter to get the electric wheelchair seat cushion approved and it happened! Rehabilitation Impact: Seat elevation on power wheelchairs can offer health benefits to people with mobility limitations. For example, seat elevation can help someone in a wheelchair more easily move to a bed or bathroom facility, while avoiding injury and reducing the risk of falls. Hill Updates
- House Energy & Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) announced on Thursday, June 6, that the subcommittee would hold a hearing titled Checking-In on CMMI: Assessing the Transition to Value-Based Care next Thursday, June 13 at 10:00 a.m. The hearing will feature Deputy Administrator and Director, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Elizabeth Fowler.
Health Policy Updates
- On May 28, the Office of Inspector General released a report that found that plans and enrollment often fell short for underrepresented groups in NIH-funded clinical trials. The report and its finding can be found here.
- HHS announced a new $15 million investment through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (Rural MOMS) Program on Monday, June 3. Over the next four years, the program will seek to improve maternal health in rural communities and a new program focused on strengthening maternal care and reducing disparities.
- On Tuesday June 4, HHS through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced ten new states into the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Medicaid Demonstration Program, after they successfully developed the necessary state-level infrastructure and worked with providers in their states to develop programs that meet CCBHC standards. The CCBHC Medicaid Demonstration Program provides states with sustainable funding that helps them expand access to mental health and substance use services.
Yvette M. Salas MSN, CRRN