October 22, 2020 | COVID-19 as pre-existing condition?

INDUSTRY NEWS

OMB might delay some data access, interop rules

Expect a little slack on the new data access and interoperability deadlines. The Office of Management and Budget is reviewing the interim final rule, and some compliance deadlines are likely to be revised, says Deputy National Coordinator for Health IT Steven Posnack. The OMB review is likely “to adjust certain timelines associated with the certification program and information blocking, so please be on the lookout for that." Nevertheless, health care professionals, health IT developers, health information networks and health information exchanges should continue preparing for compliance, he says. (Healthcare IT News)

CMS adding 11 virtual services

CMS is adding 11 new virtual care services, including electronic analysis of an implanted neurostimulator pulse generator; non-invasive physiologic studies and procedures; physician services for outpatient cardiac rehab; intensive cardiac rehab, with or without continuous ECG monitoring; and pulmonary rehab, including exercise. These are the first additions in five months, Healthcare Dive reports. Since the COVID emergency was declared in March, CMS has added more than 135 new virtual care services. (Healthcare Dive; CMS announcement)

INNOVATION & TRANSFORMATION

Pilot demonstrates the power of medication assessments

A recent pilot by Consana and Genacross Lutheran Services, a provider of senior living services, found that comprehensive medication assessments improved resident outcomes and reduced prescription costs. The average age of participants was 75, and each was taking an average of 11 medications when the pilot began. Using a patient-focused care model coupled with a technology platform, Consana cut that by nearly three prescriptions. “These results remind us again of the importance of making sure that patients are on a medication protocol that is safe, effective and therapeutically optimized,” says Karmen Stephens, Consana’s clinical VP. (News Break)

AMA promotes behavioral health integration

The American Medical Association, in collaboration with other physician organizations, has launched the Behavioral Health Integration Collaborative to support physicians working to combine mental and physical health services in their practices. To guide physicians through the barriers to successful behavioral and mental health integration, the BHI Collaborative is building an online compendium that will offer the collective resources of eight national physician organizations. (FierceHealthcare)

CONSUMERS & PROVIDERS

A different approach to policing

In Illinois, Winnebago County sheriff’s deputies and Rockford police officers will pair with mental health experts when responding to emergency psychiatric and suicidal episodes. Officers will partner with Rosecrance Health Network crisis-intervention specialists for a three-month pilot program, beginning in November. The goal: Divert people in psychiatric crises away from the criminal justice system and into treatment instead. This co-responder model is being adopted around the country to give law enforcement an alternative to arresting someone experiencing a psychiatric episode or contemplating suicide, Rockford Police Chief Dan O’Shea tells the Associated Press. (AP)

COVID-19 as pre-existing condition?

Due to COVID-19, each day 20,000 Americans between 20 and 60 years of age could be classified as living with a pre-existing condition, a new Commonwealth Fund report warns. Given its potential long-term effects, insurers could designate COVID-19 as a preexisting condition if the Affordable Care Act is struck down. (Medscape Medical News; Commonwealth Fund)

NEW & NOTED

Pediatric obesity to rise: Pediatricians and public health experts anticipate an increase in childhood obesity this year, thanks to months of pandemic eating, closed schools, stalled sports and public space restrictions. This will mark an end to a slight 10-year decline in the percentage of children considered obese. (USA Today)

Registering voters at the clinic: Without concerts, festivals and other large gatherings, it’s been hard for volunteers to get out and register voters. But doctors' offices stepped up this election season. Nonpartisan initiatives such as VotER and Vote Health 2020 are registering patients in free clinics, community centers and emergency rooms. (NPR)

8x more for insulin: Insulin prices are more than eight times higher in the United States than in 32 high-income comparison nations combined, according to a RAND Corporation study. Even accounting for rebates and discounts, U.S. consumers are still likely to pay four times the average paid in other high-income nations. The study was sponsored by the Health and Human Services Office for Planning and Evaluation. (HealthLeaders Media; RAND)

MULTI-MEDIA

Talking about value-based care

The pandemic has made more urgent the need to adopt new payment and care delivery models. In this episode of “The Check Up” podcast, Dr. Penny Wheeler, president and CEO at Allina Health, and Tom Lindquist, CEO of Allina Health-Aetna, speak with Modern Healthcare Managing Editor Matthew Weinstock about efforts to sustain value-based care and drive more innovation. (Modern Healthcare)

MARKETVOICES...QUOTES WORTH READING

"With people having to move in with family members, people having real issues with their financial security, their food security and all that. So, you can imagine that registering to vote is not high on that list when you have issues of basic shelter, safety and food."—Dr. Madelaine Tully of the Progressive Community Health Centers in Milwaukee, quoted by NPR