Gregg's Top Three Health Policy Articles

The Top Three...

With so much going on, it can be hard to know what to read. If you can only read three things about health policy this week, I suggest...

AP: Biden Signs Massive Climate And Health Care Legislation President Joe Biden signed Democrats’ landmark climate change and health care bill into law on Tuesday, delivering what he has called the “final piece” of his pared-down domestic agenda, as he aims to boost his party’s standing with voters less than three months before the midterm elections. The legislation includes the most substantial federal investment in history to fight climate change — some $375 billion over the decade — and would cap prescription drug costs at $2,000 out-of-pocket annually for Medicare recipients. It also would help an estimated 13 million Americans pay for health care insurance by extending subsidies provided during the coronavirus pandemic. (Miller and Min Kim, 8/16)

The Wall Street Journal: CDC Director Outlines Restructuring Plans After Agency’s Covid-19 Response Fell Short The changes will include elevating the laboratory division to report to the CDC’s director and restructuring the communications office, according to a CDC official with knowledge of the plans. Dr. Walensky wants to shift the CDC’s culture from highly academic to focus more on preparedness and response, the official said. Dr. Walensky also wants additional funding and more authority for the CDC on matters including mandating data collection from states, changes that would require action from lawmakers, the official said. (Abbott, 8/17)

AP: Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Workers Go On Strike Over Staffing Nearly 2,000 Kaiser Permanente psychologists, therapists, social workers and other mental health workers in Northern California began an open-ended strike Monday over staffing shortages that their union said have led patients to wait for months to get help. The National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents the workers, is negotiating a new contract with the Oakland-based health giant. It said the strike is to demand Kaiser hire more mental health workers to ease the burden put on the current staff. (Rodriguez, 8/15)

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Los Angeles Times: Democrats Launch Major Effort To Sell Inflation Reduction Act To Voters Democratic lawmakers, members of President Biden’s Cabinet, and allied organizers and activists are kicking off a multipronged public relations campaign aimed at ensuring voters understand — and appreciate the benefits of — the $700-billion climate-change and drug-prices bill that Biden signed Tuesday. (Stokol and Vega, 8/19)

Fierce Healthcare: Here Are 4 Key Health Policy Items In The Inflation Reduction Act The bill expands who can qualify under the Low-Income Subsidy Program that helps meet Part D cost-sharing burdens like deductibles. Currently, a beneficiary qualifies for the program if they earn up to 135% of the federal poverty level and get partial benefits for 135% to 150% of the level. The law would expand full benefits to those who earn between 135% and 150%, according to an analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation. (King, 8/15)

NBC News: Inflation Reduction Act Becomes Law: How It Will Affect Your Health Care The changes are “significant,” especially for anyone in need of high-cost drugs, said Stacie Dusetzina, a health policy professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. People on Medicare are expected to benefit the most from the new law, though health experts say some of the changes could eventually find their way into the commercial insurance market. However, the changes won’t be immediate; many provisions aren’t slated to take effect for a few years. (Lovelace Jr., 8/16)

Modern Healthcare: What The Inflation Reduction Act Means For PBMs Still, Medicare’s authority to now negotiate drug prices is an “indictment” of PBMs, which are supposed to manage costs for Medicare Part D enrollees, said Antonio Ciaccia, president of 3 Axis Advisors. Government officials, "through their actions, are saying, ‘You guys, we’re cutting it, and we can do better.' So from a PBM perspective, I think that this, in some ways, undercuts their value,” he said. (Berryman, 8/18)

San Francisco Chronicle: Kaiser Mental Health Workers Set To Strike Monday In Northern California The union said it was moving ahead with the strike Monday morning because Kaiser officials in negotiations Saturday shot down its members’ proposal to increase staffing and “end dangerously long waits for mental health therapy appointments.” (Flores, 8/14)

Modern Healthcare: The Joint Commission To Add Health Equity Standards To Accreditations The Joint Commission has established new accreditation standards to accelerate equity efforts within healthcare organizations. As of Jan. 1, accreditation programs for primary care clinics, behavioral health centers, critical access facilities and hospitals will include new mandates for their leaders. The updated standards include designating an officer to lead a strategy for reducing health disparities and screening patients for social determinants of health. (Hartnett, 8/12)

For the Visual Among Us...