CMS Reinstates Original IDR Fee, HHS Launches Heat-Related Illness Tracker
After hiking fees and being sued, CMS reinstated its original independent dispute resolution fee amount, and HHS launched a new nationwide heat-related illness tracker.
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By - In healthcare policy news this week, CMS was sued by the Texas Medical Association after hiking independent dispute resolution fees by 600 percent in December. Meanwhile, HHS is launching a heat-related illness tracker measuring rising heat’s effect on Americans’ health.
CISA Releases FY2024-2026 Cybersecurity Strategic Plan
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) dropped its newest strategic plan last week, outlining its rigorous approach to protecting critical infrastructure across the United States. CISA shared three primary goals for the program: developing improved private-public partnerships, spreading positive security practices across organizations of all sizes, and implementing security measures at scale during product development stages. The new plan heavily emphasizes corporations’ responsibility for the future of cybersecurity in the US. READ MORE.
NIH Issues Grant for At-Home Cancer Care
A National Institute of Health grant authorized for the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center late last month will expand the at-home cancer management technology field. The $3.5 million grant is set to primarily support Sylvester’s study on the effect of managing cancer therapy-related toxicities at home using digital interventions.
“This is an exciting time for patient care as it’s quickly moving from the hospital to the home,” said Tracy Crane, PhD, RDN, and Sylvester’s director of Lifestyle Medicine. “With the automated system in our study, we may discover that we can be more responsive to the needs of more patients, especially those in outlying or underserved areas.” READ MORE.
FDA Approves Investigational Drug Application for Parkinson’s
The US FDA approved Aspen Neuroscience’s Investigational New Drug Application last Tuesday for a Parkinson’s Disease gene therapy using pluripotent stem cells. The company plans to begin clinical trials with Parkinson’s patients shortly.
"The IND clearance of ANPD001 sets in motion a path toward a new treatment for the more than one million Americans and 10 million people worldwide with Parkinson's disease," said Damien McDevitt, PhD, Aspen president and CEO, in the press release. "Our visionary team is working to make personalized regenerative medicine a reality, and we look forward to advancing this cell therapy for patients who are waiting." READ MORE.
HHS Launches Heat-Related Illness Dashboard
On August 9, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched the Heat-Related Illness EMS Activation Surveillance Dashboard, which gathers emergency medical data on heat-related illnesses. The site comes online as millions throughout the US face rising temperatures and dangerous summer heat. Government officials will use the tracker to prepare mitigation strategies and extrapolate risk as temperatures increase due to climate change. READ MORE.
CMS Reduces No Surprises Act Fee
CMS was forced to reinstate the $50 No Surprises Act payment dispute fee after the Texas Medical Association (TMA) challenged its 600 percent price hike in court. The US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas vacated the federal fee increase nationwide on August 3, siding with TMA.
“TMA believes this unfair steep jump in fees has dramatically curtailed many physicians’ ability to seek arbitration when a health plan offers insufficient payment for out-of-network care,” Rick W. Snyder II, MD, president of TMA, said in a statement on the court ruling. READ MORE.
