Policy & Regulation News

HHS Unveils Updated Language Access Plan for Health Equity

November 16, 2023 - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is cracking down on language access and patient rights to medical interpreters as a part of agency efforts to improve health equity. The HHS Language Access Plan aims to bust language barriers and support patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) by going beyond protections afforded in Title...


Articles

Did HHS Pandemic Relief Funds Promote Health Equity?

by

The Department of Health and Human Services was mostly successful in its pursuit of health equity during the pandemic, at least in terms of pandemic relief fund spending, according to a new assessment...

CMS Preserves Patient Safety Data Reporting in IPPS Final Rule

by

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has codified patient safety reporting as part of its Inpatient Prospective Payment System final rule for 2023, a move that’s being lauded by...

HHS Proposal Fortifies LGBTQ, Sex Antidiscrimination Rule in Healthcare

by

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed a rule that would reinstate parts of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), codifying LGBTQ+ and sex antidiscrimination...

Ending Eviction Bans May Exacerbate COVID-19 Health Disparities

by

People living in states lifting eviction moratoria face an increased risk for COVID0-19 12 weeks after the ban’s end, a trend researchers said could worsen COVID-19 health disparities. The data,...

RI, MA Skilled Nursing Facilities Resolve Discrimination Allegations

by

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR), along with the US attorney’s offices in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, reached an agreement with 12 of Genesis HealthCare’s skilled nursing facilities...

Community Health Centers Urge Congress to Invest in Health Equity

by

A new coalition of community health centers known as Advocates for Community Health (ACH) recently announced its commitment to impacting federal policy by urging Congress to invest in health...

What CMS’s 2022 OPPS Proposed Rule Means for Health Equity Efforts

by

CMS aims to strengthen health equity efforts, improve patient safety, and expand access to care with its calendar year (CY) 2022 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and...

What the 2022 Physician Fee Schedule Pitch Means for Health Equity

by

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has unveiled its 2022 Physician Fee Schedule proposal, and among the changes it is making to certain reimbursement programs, the agency is bringing...

HHS Boosts Access to COVID-19 Vaccines for Vulnerable Populations

by

HHS recently announced that it will help to expand critical access to COVID-19 vaccines among older adults and people with disabilities. HHS, along with the CDC and the Administration for Community...

Black Maternal Health Disparities Bill Gets Renewed Push in 2021

by

Senators Michael Bennet and Cory Booker have introduced the Black Maternal Momnibus Act of 2021 into the Senate. The bicameral legislation would address black maternal health disparities by driving...

Bill Zeros in on Health Equity, Racism as Public Health Crisis

by

New legislation introduced by Elizabeth Warren, Ayanna Pressley, and Barbara Lee, sets out to assert racism a public health crisis and establish an anti-racism center within the Centers for Disease...

Gag Clause Bills Signed into Law, Improves Healthcare Transparency

by

President Trump has signed into law two bills that prohibit pharmacy gag clauses, or the practice of prohibiting pharmacy and healthcare transparency. The laws – one targeted at Medicare plans...

How Healthcare Pros Measure Patient Engagement, Satisfaction

by

As a part of the industry push for value-based healthcare, healthcare professionals are facing calls to improve patient engagement. However, patient engagement as a practice is difficult to define and...