Bill Seeks to Extend Telehealth Coverage, President Biden Nominates VA CIO
A new bipartisan bill seeks to extend telehealth coverage, President Biden nominates Kurt DelBene for Department of Veterans Affairs CIO, and a survey finds a third of doctors disagree with the vaccine mandate.
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By - This week, a bipartisan group of senators has introduced a bill that seeks to extend telehealth coverages that were introduced during the pandemic. The FDA has also recently approved a new treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia and the Indian Health Service just announced $46.4 million in funding for suicide prevention and behavioral health programs.
Meanwhile, during a period of tumult at the Department of Veterans Affairs, President Biden has nominated former Microsoft senior executive, Kurt DelBene, to serve as CIO. And finally, in a recent poll from Adaptive Medical Partners, one third of surveyed physicians and clinicians said that they are opposed to the recent vaccine mandates.
Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Rollover COVID-19 Telehealth Coverage
A bipartisan group of senators have introduced a bill that would maintain telehealth provisions that were introduced by CMS during the coronavirus pandemic. The bill titled ‘Expanded Telehealth Access Act’ plans to sustain CMS funding for physical therapists, speech pathologists, and several other providers that offer services via telehealth. Senators sponsoring the bill explained that telehealth is now an essential service for those living in rural communities and underserved areas without easy access to healthcare providers. READ MORE.
President Biden Nominates VA CIO
Kurt DelBene, a former senior executive of Microsoft, was nominated by President Biden to take the reins as CIO at the VA. DelBene has experience in government roles from when he served as an advisor to the HHS secretary in 2013 and 2014. At the moment, few are coveting the CIO position at the VA as the department works to implement a new Cerner EHR system. Survey results from an early rollout of the system demonstrated that few employees were confident in their ability to use the technology. READ MORE.
FDA Approves Leukemia Treatment
The FDA has approved Novartis’ Scemblix for patients who suffer from chronic myeloid leukemia. The treatment had impressive clinical results and did not elicit resistance at the same rate as other treatments making it an important development for patients who have not yet found successful therapies.
“The approval of Scemblix may offer hope to patients by addressing gaps in CML care,” Said Lee Greenberger, of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. READ MORE.
IHS Announces $46.4 Million for Behavioral Health
The Indian Health Service is addressing suicide, domestic violence, and substance abuse by dedicating $46.4 million of funding to support an integrative approach to behavioral health.
“The funding we are announcing today addresses some of the most important issues affecting Native people across Indian Country, especially as the pandemic has had such an impact on behavioral health.” said IHS Acting Director Elizabeth Fowler. The bulk of the nearly $50 million will go on to support suicide prevention and substance abuse. Applications for funding are due by February 2, 2022. READ MORE.
Survey Finds a Third of Doctors Disagree with Vaccine Mandate
The recent rule announced by the federal government that requires vaccines or COVID-19 tests for private employees is receiving pushback from medical professionals. A poll out of Adaptive Medical Partners (AMP) surveyed 1000 physicians with a third of them saying that they disagreed with the mandates that will be enforced January 4, 2022. READ MORE.
