Literature Review
All posts tagged with “Public Policy News.”
NC Senate approves bill legalizing medical marijuana 36-10; measure goes to House next
06/26/24 at 03:20 AMNC Senate approves bill legalizing medical marijuana 36-10; measure goes to House next CBS17.com, Raleigh, NC; by Harrison Grubb; 2/24/24, updated 2/25/24 North Carolina is one step closer to legalizing medical marijuana after the Senate passed a bill 36-10 Monday night. “Anytime cannabis comes up in the conversation in North Carolina, especially when that conversation is able to be moved forward in the right direction, I always like to be here to make sure the voice of the people is the loudest in the room,” said Chris Suttle, an advocate for legalization. Suttle says he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor several years ago when he began microdosing cannabis. ... Several amendments are now part of the legislation, including stricter ID requirements and restrictions on packaging to ensure they’re less likely to be advertised toward children. Several Republicans again voiced concern about cannabis ahead of Monday’s vote.
Medical aid-in-dying bill stalls in Delaware Senate
06/26/24 at 03:10 AMMedical aid-in-dying bill stalls in Delaware Senate Bay to Bay News, Dover, Delaware; by Joseph Edelen; 6/24/24 An act that would allow physician-assisted suicide stalled in the state Senate on Thursday. House Bill 140, if enacted as written, permits a terminally ill individual who is an adult resident of Delaware to request and self-administer medication to end their life in a humane and dignified way. ... The bill, brought by Rep. Paul S. Baumbach, D-Newark, narrowly passed the House of Representatives in April, with a vote of 21-16. On Thursday in the Senate, the measure logged 10 yes votes and nine no votes, with Sen. Kyra Hoffner, D-Dover, not voting. But Senate sponsor Bryan Townsend, D-Newark, then changed his yes vote to no. The alteration meant that the initiative stalled in the Senate but could be brought back to its floor for another vote by Sunday, the last day of this year’s legislative session. Many senators seemed emotional while speaking about the measure Thursday. ...
Lawmakers remain committed to passing hospice workforce bill
06/26/24 at 02:00 AMLawmakers remain committed to passing hospice workforce bill Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/24/24 Federal legislators plan to continue to work on passing a bill designed to bolster the hospice and palliative care workforce. The Palliative Care and Hospice Education Training Act (PCHETA) has come before Congress several times but has not yet been passed. The bill’s most recent development occurred in July 2023, when it was reintroduced by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.). Capito has indicated that the senators are not giving up on the legislation as they seek to ensure that hospice and palliative care providers are able to meet growing demand. ... The legislation would establish fellowships through new palliative care and hospice education centers to provide short-term, intensive training, as well as incentivized award programs across all the relevant disciplines. It also would support programs to develop career paths within the field.
ASTHO and NAMD call on Congress to fully fund Medicaid and CHIP in U.S. territories
06/24/24 at 03:00 AMASTHO and NAMD call on Congress to fully fund Medicaid and CHIP in U.S. territories ASTHO - Association of State and Territorial Health Officials; by Jane Esworthy and Stephanie Rhodes; 6/20/24 In a joint letter to Congress, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) urged Congress to fully fund Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) in the U.S. territories. ASTHO and NAMD request that Congress lift the annual Section 1108(g) allotment cap for all territories and authorize a permanent 83% Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for Puerto Rico. ... “ASTHO recognizes the importance of permanent, sustainable, and equitable Medicaid financing for all U.S. territories,” says Joseph Kanter, MD, MPH, ASTHO CEO. ... “Unlike the states, the U.S. territories face an annual cap on their Medicaid funding,” says Kate McEvoy, Executive Director of NAMD. “This has impaired the territories’ capacity to provide needed health care to Medicaid-eligible U.S. citizens and nationals. It has also held the territories back from making the structural investments in care delivery and value-based payment reform, workforce, IT systems, and program integrity that are crucial to high performing and innovative Medicaid programs.”
HPNA Position Statement: Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD)
06/18/24 at 03:00 AMHPNA Position Statement: Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD)HPNA's position, policy, and value statements are reviewed every five years. Prior to approval from the Board of Directors, all new, revised, and updated position or value statements are posted for public comment to allow for opinions relevant to the position or value statement for a 30-day period. Statement open for comments through July 7, 2024.Position statement; feedback form
H.R.8278 - Hospice Recertification Flexibility Act: Introduced to Congress
06/13/24 at 03:00 AMH.R.8278 - Hospice Recertification Flexibility Act: Introduced to Congress Congress.gov; introduced by Rep. Carol Miller [R-WV-1] on 5/7/24; text released 6/10/24To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend certain telehealth flexibilities with respect to hospice care under the Medicare program, and to establish a modifier for recertifications of hospice care eligibility conducted through telehealth.
CU researchers analyze prevalence, impact of ethical or religious barriers to providing Medical Aid in Dying
06/04/24 at 03:00 AMCU researchers analyze prevalence, impact of ethical or religious barriers to providing Medical Aid in DyingUniversity of Colorado Anschutz press release; by Tayler Shaw; 5/31/24The recently published paper finds that 26% of physician respondents reported large ethical or religious barriers to participating in medical aid in dying, but many of these physicians were still willing to engage in discussions with patients and provide referrals for care.
Experts urge Legislature to pass bill preventing for-profit and private equity hospice in New York
05/27/24 at 03:00 AMExperts urge Legislature to pass bill preventing for-profit and private equity hospice in New York Spectrum News 1; by Susan Arbetter; 5/21/24The FBI has issued public warnings about hospice fraud in four states — Texas, Arizona, Nevada and California. The bureau is alerting consumers to a wide-spread scam in which patients are enrolled in hospice without their knowledge by recruiters who “sell” hospice care to people who aren’t actually eligible. ... One reason fraudsters have yet to gain a foothold in New York is that new hospices here go through a “Certificate of Need” process (CON) which reviews applications, provides for public comment and ensures that hospice operators don’t have a history of fraud or abuse. But according to Jeanne Chirico, president and CEO of the Hospice & Palliative Care Association of NYS (HPCANYS), and Kara Travis, president and CEO of Mountain Valley Hospice & Palliative Care, and a trustee of HPCANYS, there’s more that New York can do to protect consumers. They are urging lawmakers to pass a bill carried by state Sen. Liz Krueger and Assemblymember Amy Paulin that would prohibit the establishment of new for-profit hospices in the state (A6032 - Paulin / S6460 – Krueger).
Laws in motion to bring ‘Right to Try’ psychedelics at end-of-life
05/27/24 at 03:00 AMLaws in motion to bring ‘Right to Try’ psychedelics at end-of-life Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 5/21/24Hospice providers are navigating an evolving landscape of laws opening up pathways of access around psychedelic utilization at the end of life. Despite mounting evidence that psychedelics can improve experiences and reduce symptom burden in some terminally ill patients, these drugs remain difficult to access for those wishing to utilize them. Some states and the federal government have considered legislation that would establish a “right to try” psychedelics and other experimental interventions for certain seriously ill patients.
Hospital staffing shortages draws hundreds to California rally
05/27/24 at 03:00 AMHospital staffing shortages draws hundreds to California rally AFSCME, American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees; by UNANC/UHCP and AFSCME International Staff; 5/21/24 SACRAMENTO, Calif. – More than 400 health care union members went to the California state Capitol during National Nurses Week this month to appeal to the state’s elected leaders to fix the nursing education backlog and hospital staffing issues that affect patient care. ... Rally participants pressed lawmakers to make health care education and training programs more accessible so students remain in their California communities for their health care careers. They also appealed to lawmakers to empower health care professionals to enforce safe staffing standards in the state’s hospitals.Editor's Note: Pair this article with others in today's issue, in our "Education" section.
Medical aid in dying bill didn’t cross finish line this MN Legislature session
05/24/24 at 03:00 AMMedical aid in dying bill didn’t cross finish line this MN Legislature session Twin Cities Pioneer Press; by Dene K. Dryden; 5/22/24 Despite advancing through several House committees, Minnesota’s End-of-Life Option Act did not receive a floor vote in the House or Senate during the 2024 legislative session, which ended earlier this week. The legislation, co-authored by Rep. Andy Smith, DFL-Rochester, and Sen. Liz Boldon, DFL-Rochester, would have permitted medical aid in dying, also known as physician-assisted suicide. The measure would have allowed terminally ill adults to request a prescription for life-ending medication, which they would have to self-administer.
Senate ramps up push to reform doctors' Medicare pay
05/23/24 at 03:00 AMSenate ramps up push to reform doctors' Medicare pay Modern Healthcare; by Michael Mcauliff; 5/20/24Declining doctors' pay in Medicare is getting its most serious look in nearly a decade in the Senate, with a bipartisan push launched Friday by the Senate Finance Committee. Doctors have grown especially vocal in recent years about falling Medicare reimbursement. Groups including the American Medical Association have estimated doctors were effectively getting paid 26% less in 2023 than in 2001 because the physician fee schedule set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is not adjusted for inflation. Physicians have also called for more flexibility within the pay system.
NAHC hails legislation to extend Hospital at Home Waiver Program
05/22/24 at 03:00 AMNAHC hails legislation to extend Hospital at Home Waiver Program NAHC Newsroom - National Association for Home Care & Hospice; Press Release; 5/20/24 The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) applauds the introduction in the United States Senate of the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act of 2024, bipartisan legislation sponsored by Sen. Thomas Carper (D-De) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) to extend the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver program for five years. The Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver program is due to expire on December 31, 2024, but this legislation would extend it for five additional years.
Senate kills bill allowing medical aid in dying
05/21/24 at 03:00 AMSenate kills bill allowing medical aid in dyingConcord Monitor; by Sruthi Gopalakrishnan; 5/16/24After months of intense public debate, with Granite Staters on both sides of the legislation that would allow medical aid in dying, packing the room at every public hearing, the Senate voted on Thursday to kill the bill.
VA Committee leaders unveil bipartisan veterans package
05/17/24 at 03:00 AMVA Committee leaders unveil bipartisan veterans packageHouse Committee on Veterans' Affairs; by Kathleen McCarthy; 5/14/24 House and Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs leaders Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), introduced H.R. 8371, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. This legislation includes a number of bipartisan and bicameral proposals to reform and improve the delivery of healthcare, benefits, and services at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for veterans, their families, and their survivors. ... The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act is supported by a growing list of the following organizations: The American Legion [TAL] ... Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), ... Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), ... National PACE Association, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), Hospice Action Network (HAN), and [many more].
House Committee vote gives hope to extending telehealth, hospital at home waivers
05/13/24 at 03:00 AMHouse Committee vote gives hope to extending telehealth, hospital at home waivers Health Leaders; by Eric Wicklund; 5/9/24 The House Ways and Means Committee has voted to advance the Preserving Telehealth, Hospital and Ambulance Access Act (HR 8261), which would, among other things, continue pandemic-era Medicare waivers enacted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for telehealth access and coverage through 2026 and extend the CMS Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver for an additional five years, to the end of 2029.
Lawmakers press nursing home chains on corporate spending amid staffing rule fight
05/09/24 at 03:00 AMLawmakers press nursing home chains on corporate spending amid staffing rule fight The Hill; by Nathaniel Weixel; 5/6/24Congressional Democrats demanded information about the corporate spending by the operators of three of the country’s largest public, for-profit nursing homes, after the companies said they can’t afford the Biden administration’s new minimum staffing threshold. In letters sent to the companies Sunday, ... [they] pressed for information about buyouts, dividends, and salaries to executives and shareholders. The lawmakers aim to contrast that with the salaries for nurses and nursing aides, amid widespread industry opposition to the new staffing requirements because they are too costly.
Wide-ranging health care bill gets final approval from CT House
05/08/24 at 03:00 AMWide-ranging health care bill gets final approval from CT House CT Mirror - Connecticut's Nonprofit Journalism; by Jenna Carlesso; 5/6/24The House gave final passage Monday to a wide-ranging health care bill that would add protections for home care workers, boost preparedness for cyberattacks at medical facilities and establish new regulations for the state’s health information exchange, among other reforms. ... The sections on additional protections for home care workers were prompted by the murder of visiting nurse Joyce Grayson, who was killed in October while working at a halfway house in Willimantic. ... The bill requires home health aide agencies to collect certain client information upon intake and make it available to any employee assigned to the client. Information includes a history of violence against health care workers, domestic abuse, substance use, psychiatric history, any listing on a sex offender registry, the crime rate of the municipality the person lives in, and whether there are any weapons or safety hazards in the home. [Click on the title's link for more important information about this bill's safety measures.]
Is pot legal now? Despite big marijuana news, it's still in legal limbo.
05/03/24 at 03:00 AMIs pot legal now? Despite big marijuana news, it's still in legal limbo. USA Today; by Joel Shannon and Jeanine Santucci; 5/1/24 Tuesday brought big marijuana news: The Biden Administration is expected to soon reclassify marijuana for the first time in decades, putting it in a less restrictive drug category that would allow it to be studied and prescribed more easily. But that news comes in a nation where many states have already crafted their own marijuana policy: Some states allow for it to be prescribed already; others allow people to use it recreationally. Few states ban it outright. ... Here's what to know.
Physician-Assisted Suicide Bill recommended by second committee in Massachusetts legislature
05/03/24 at 03:00 AMPhysician-Assisted Suicide Bill recommended by second committee in Massachusetts legislature New Boston Post; 5/1/24 A bill that would legalize physician-assisted suicide has gotten a favorable vote from a second legislative committee, ... This is the earliest in the state’s two-year legislative session that the bill has been recommended by the Joint Committee on Public Health, and it’s the first time the bill has made it out of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, said Melissa Stacy, Northeast regional advocacy manager for Compassion & Choices, according to MASSterList.
Congresswoman Kat Cammack introduces legislation to block 80-20 Rule
04/30/24 at 03:00 AMCongresswoman Kat Cammack introduces legislation to block 80-20 Rule Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 4/26/24 ... On Thursday, Congresswoman Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) introduced a bill to block the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from finalizing the 80-20 provision. Additionally, the legislation would also block HHS from implementing any similar rules that place a minimum requirement for how much of Medicaid spending on HCBS goes towards direct workers’ wages. Cammack’s reason for introducing this legislation is her belief that the 80-20 provision will severely limit access to care at a time when providers are already struggling to serve patients.
Kansas won't have legal medical pot or expand Medicaid for at least another year
04/30/24 at 03:00 AMKansas won't have legal medical pot or expand Medicaid for at least another year Newsday; by The Associated Press; 4/26/24 Kansas will remain among the handful of states that haven't legalized the medical use of marijuana or expanded their Medicaid programs for at least another year. Republican state senators on Friday blocked efforts to force debates on both issues before the GOP-controlled Legislature's scheduled adjournment for the year Tuesday. Supporters of each measure fell short of the 24 of 40 votes required to pull a bill on each subject out of committee.
Remedy or gateway drug? Doctors, police differ on path forward for medical marijuana
04/29/24 at 03:00 AMRemedy or gateway drug? Doctors, police differ on path forward for medical marijuana The State; by Anna Wilder; 4/25/24 Medical marijuana blurs lines across law enforcement and the medical community, where advocates and opponents don’t agree whether it is a gateway drug or necessary medical device. With days left in the 2024 session, [South Carolina] House members are hearing from doctors, law enforcement, researchers, pharmacists and others on the highly contested issue. Out of 17 speakers at a Ad Hoc committee meeting Tuesday, eight opposed the bill, nine supported it and one was relatively indifferent.
Death with dignity or slippery slope? [NH] Senate committee hears end-of-life bill testimony
04/29/24 at 03:00 AMDeath with dignity or slippery slope? Senate committee hears end-of-life bill testimonySeacoastline, Portsmouth (NH); by Margie Cullen; 4/25/24... The bill has sparked passions as it has made its way through the New Hampshire Legislature. It passed the House in March by just three votes. The hearing Wednesday was its first in the Senate and is likely to be its last public hearing before going to the Senate floor for a vote. The committee did not vote on whether to recommend the bill Wednesday. The bill has transcended typical party lines, with both Democrats and Republicans voting for and against the bill in the House. On Wednesday, Smith was joined by Rep. Bob Lynn, R-Windham, a cosponsor of the bill, in introducing it to the Senate committee.
1st state passes law to decriminalize medical errors
04/29/24 at 02:15 AM1st state passes law to decriminalize medical errors Becker's Hospital Review; by Erica Carbajal; 4/25/24Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear recently signed a bill into law that shields healthcare providers from being criminally charged for medical errors, making it the first state to do so. HB 159 ensures that healthcare providers, including nurses, "shall be immune from criminal liability for any harm or damages alleged to arise from an act or omission relating to the provision of health services." It includes exceptions for negligence and intentional harm. ... In wake of [this article's cited] case, nurses and medical groups nationwide — including the American Nurses Association and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement — have called for systemwide workforce and safety reforms to focus on harm prevention, arguing that the criminalization of errors would discourage workers from reporting mistakes. ... The Kentucky Hospital Association said it supports the new law.