CMS Settles Physician Fee Schedule, FDA Urged to Recall Dry Shampoos
An independent lab is urging the FDA to recall dry shampoos after finding high levels of benzene in multiple products, and CMS has decided on a measured cut to the Physician Fee Schedule.
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By - The FDA is being pressured to force a recall of popular dry shampoos from the market after it was found that many contain benzene, a carcinogenic chemical. Meanwhile, CMS released its physician fee schedule final rule, solidifying a cut to reimbursement and promising changes to the utilization of behavioral health services.
Senator Seeks to Advance Healthcare Cybersecurity
Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA) advanced the healthcare cybersecurity conversation last week, releasing a policy options paper that addresses cybersecurity challenges and policy solutions. The paper identified significant issues, such as the need to modernize HIPAA, enhance cybersecurity, and address bureaucratic leadership gaps, and suggested steps to expand and centralize the healthcare cybersecurity security apparatus. Senator Warner is seeking feedback on the proposal by December 1. READ MORE.
FDA Petitioned to Recall Dry Shampoos
The Independent lab, Valisure LLC, is petitioning the FDA to recall dry shampoos after finding high benzene concentrations in a large group of tested samples. Valisure investigated 34 different dry shampoo brands and found that 70% exceeded the FDA restrictions for the chemical. Unilever North America, which owns Dove, TRESemmé, Suave, and other brands, has already voluntarily recalled several of its dry shampoo products. READ MORE.
USPTSF Updates Skin Cancer Screening
The United States Preventive Task Force (USPTSF) is updating its guidelines for skin cancer screenings, finding that there is insufficient evidence to balance the benefits and harms of visual skin examinations in adults. The announcement highlights gaps in research that fail to account for social determinants of health and the association between screening and morbidity and mortality. READ MORE.
CMS Settles Physician Fee Schedule Cut
CMS announced its final Physician Fee Schedule conversion factor, cutting the conversion factor by $1.55. The decision to reduce the conversion factor is bound to anger medical associations that claim the decrease will lead to financial instability throughout the industry. CMS is also expanding access to behavioral healthcare in the final rule.
“Accessing services promoting behavioral health, wellness, and whole-person care is key to helping people achieve the best health possible. The Physician Fee Schedule final rule ensures that the people we serve will experience coordinated care and access prevention and treatment services for substance use, mental health services, crisis intervention, and pain care,” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in a press release. READ MORE.
Supreme Court Hears SNF Case
The United States Supreme Court is set to hear a case that will decide if citizens can sue federal assistance programs, including nursing homes. The case stems from a 2019 lawsuit brought against a Health and Hospital Corp. nursing facility by a patient’s daughter, who alleged mistreatment. The public health agency tried to have the case dismissed but failed to do so, choosing then to elevate it to the Supreme Court. READ MORE.
