HIPAA Modernization Bill, States Dropping Coronavirus Restrictions
Legislators are introducing bills to expand telehealth and modernize HIPAA, some states are beginning to drop Coronavirus restrictions, and AHA is lobbies congress for more hospital support.
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By - Legislators have been active recently, introducing two new bills to modernize healthcare. One bill seeks to modernize HIPAA and data privacy in the industry, while the other seeks to extend telehealth benefits for Medicare beneficiaries.
In the private sector, hospital associations are urging Congress to provide more financial support, citing rising costs and pandemic staffing issues.
Meanwhile, states are winding down coronavirus restrictions as the Omicron variant slows its spread, and CMS is finding success with a new policy to reduce hospital readmission.
Legislators Introduce HIPAA Modernization Bill
Two senators have introduced a bill to update the HIPAA standards for data sharing. The Health Data Use and Privacy Commission Act would review the existing protections for health data use and recommend steps for data privacy modernization. “HIPAA must be updated for the modern-day. This legislation starts this process on a pathway to make sure it is done right.” the senators said. Healthcare industry leaders such as IBM, Epic Systems, athenahealth, and others showed support for the bill in a letter to the bill’s sponsors. READ MORE.
Bill Would Extend Telehealth Waivers
The Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act introduced by a bipartisan pair of senators seeks to extend access to telehealth for Medicare beneficiaries by two years. The bill would provide a commission to study the benefits of telehealth and provisions that allow for controlled substance prescriptions via telehealth. This bill joins many other telehealth bills like the Telehealth Extension Act that are picking up steam in the legislature. READ MORE.
AHA Urges Congress to Support Hospitals
Seven hospital organizations, including AHA, are urging Congress for more financial support as they endure pandemic struggles. In a letter to Congress, the organizations expressed concern over the ongoing staff shortages, increasing costs, and escalating price gouging that has emerged during the pandemic. The AHA is also urging Congress to extend Medicare payment cuts through 2022. READ MORE.
CMS Home Healthcare Policy Success
The CMS post-acute care transfer policy has successfully reduced hospital readmissions for patients. Results of the policy showed that patients who were discharged to home healthcare had better health outcomes than patients released with no home healthcare. The policy also showed that patients had lower costs if they were released to home healthcare compared to other options. READ MORE.
States Removing Coronavirus Mandates
New York, New Jersey, and Washington D.C. have reduced coronavirus restrictions like mask mandates. In Washington D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that she would end the city’s vaccine requirement and lift its mask mandate starting in March. This mirrors the strategies that other democrats have pursued recently as the Omicron variant is winding down. The Mayor supported her decision at a press conference Monday: "COVID is not as deadly as it was, getting vaccinated and boosted, we can't emphasize enough." READ MORE.
