In The News
Special Needs Alliance:
August 13, 2024
- Congress Considers Future of Autism Act as Deadline Approaches
Federal lawmakers are working to renew the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support (CARES) Act, which allocates nearly $2 billion for autism-related programs, before its expiration on September 30. The Act, first established in 2006 and last renewed in 2019, funds research, screening, professional training, and other government activities related to autism. The 2024 renewal has bipartisan support and has passed committees in both the Senate and the House. During a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) markup on July 31, Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Susan Collins (R-ME) spearheaded the committee passage of bipartisan legislation to advance the reauthorization of the Act. While there are differences between the House and Senate bills, both aim to increase funding to renew many existing autism-related programs for five years and broaden the focus to include issues related to aging in those on the spectrum and support for individuals with limited speech or language.
- Harvard Medical Students with Disabilities Advocate for Enhanced Care and Support in Medical Education
Harvard Medical School students Lilly Montesano Scheibe and Kelsey Biddle, who both have narcolepsy, are leading efforts to improve disability care and support within medical education. After experiencing challenges in managing their condition and finding support, Montesano Scheibe and Biddle have become advocates for better training and resources for students with disabilities. These efforts have led to a comprehensive disability-focused curriculum and expanded support services at Harvard, addressing significant gaps in medical training. With only about half of medical schools offering limited disability education, these initiatives aim to reduce healthcare disparities and better prepare future doctors to care for patients with disabilities. Advocates are also promoting universal design to ensure accessibility for all students, with the goal of increasing the number of clinicians with disabilities and improving health outcomes for marginalized communities.
- Bipartisan Group in Congress Pushes for Approval of MDMA to Treat PTSD
A bipartisan group in Congress, led by Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI), is advocating for the FDA to reconsider its expert advisors’ opposition to Lykos Therapeutics’ combination regimen of talk therapy and MDMA for treating PTSD. Win a letter to President Biden and administration officials, Rep. Bergman and 60 other congressional members highlighted the need for new PTSD treatments and the potential of MDMA-Assisted Therapy (MDMA-AT) to prevent suicide among veterans. The FDA advisors had concluded that the combination of talk therapy and MDMA is not an effective PTSD treatment and that the therapy’s risks outweigh its benefits. The agency is expected to make a decision on Lykos Therapeutics’ MDMA and talk therapy application this week. Additionally, Lykos Therapeutics recently announced the formation of an independent advisory board comprising experts in corporate and medical ethics, innovation, psychiatry, and military and veteran health to oversee the potential commercial launch.
- CMS Announces Final Procedural Notice of Transitional Coverage for Emerging Technologies
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced the final procedural notice for the Transitional Coverage for Emerging Technologies (TCET) Pathway, a new initiative aimed at enhancing Medicare beneficiaries’ access to medical advancements. This pathway facilitates the integration of FDA-designated Breakthrough Devices into Medicare by expediting the national coverage determination (NCD) process, with a goal of reaching a final decision within six months post-FDA authorization. TCET promotes early access, evidence development, and patient-centered care while ensuring robust safeguards. Manufacturers can nominate devices for TCET, which supports the integration of breakthrough technologies by providing a clear and efficient coverage review process. Extensive feedback from stakeholders has refined the pathway, which now includes an Evidence Preview and Development Plan to address evidence gaps and ensure comprehensive evaluations. TCET anticipates supporting up to five devices annually, with transitional coverage linked to ongoing evidence generation.
- Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker Analyzes Increase of ACA Marketplace Premiums in 2025
The Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker recently released an analysis examining the factors contributing to the projected increase in premiums for Affordable Care Act (ACA)-regulated health plans. The study reports a median proposed premium increase of 7% for 2025 across 324 insurers participating in all 50 states and D.C. A deeper analysis of insurers in ten states and D.C. identified key drivers of premium growth, including inflation, hospital market consolidation, workforce shortages, and increased utilization of weight loss and other specialty drugs. Researchers found minimal impact on 2025 premiums from pandemic-related costs and the unwinding of Medicaid continuous coverage.
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Publish Report Recommending Increased Participation of Care Providers for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders in Health Insurance Plans
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a new report urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take action to increase the participation of care providers for mental health and substance use disorders in Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace health insurance plans. The report provides recommendations for expanding the behavioral health workforce’s involvement in Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace insurance through reforms that are designed to make provider participation more attractive, promote and simplify entry into public insurance, and optimize performance and accountability.
- HHS Issues Department-Wide, Division Specific Language Access Plans
Ahead of the 24th anniversary of Executive Order 13166, “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency,” the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued department-wide division-specific Language Access Plans for people with limited English proficiency (LEP). Secretary Becerra and various Assistant Secretaries expressed their support for Language Access Plans to expand access to HHS services and the Administration’s commitment to equity, This initiative follows HHS’s department-wide Language Access Plan from November 2023.
- HRSA Publishes Data Showing Highest Number of HRSA-Funded Health Center Patients in History of Program
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released new data showing that HRSA-funded health centers served a total of 31 million patients in 2023, an increase of 2.7 million from 2020. HRSA-funded health centers are required to treat patients regardless of ability to pay. In 2023, over 90% of health center patients had incomes less than double the 2023 Federal Poverty Guidelines. HRSA-funded health centers now serve one in eight children across the country, more than 9.7 million patients in rural areas, and over 1.4 million people experiencing homelessness. Health centers have also expanded their preventive services, screening hundreds of thousands more people for cancer and infectious diseases and caring for patients with substance use disorders. Since 2020, they have administered more than four million HIV tests, treated 585,000 prenatal care patients, and improved clinical quality measures for chronic conditions, including an 8% increase in hypertension control and a 7% increase in depression screening.
- HHS Awards Nearly $9 million to HRSA-funded Health Centers for Cancer Screening Treatment for Underserved Communities
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded nearly $9 million to 18 HRSA-funded health centers to bolster access to life-saving cancer screenings in underserved communities. These health centers will partner with National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Centers to expedite patient access to cancer care and treatment. The 18 awarded Health Centers serving underserved communities span across California, Colorado, Indiana, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. This funding supports the Biden Administrations’ Cancer Moonshot and builds on the 21st Century Cares Act to expand the use of cancer prevention and early detection strategies. HHS previously invested $11 million in 2023 and $5 million in 2022 into HRSA-funded health centers as a part of the Cancer Moonshot.
What’s on Tap
- Both the Senate and House have left for their summer recess and will return September 9th.
- Last week, the Harris campaign announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate for her presidential campaign. The selection of Walz, a former teacher and six-term U.S. representative who served 24 years in the National Guard, seems to have edged the campaign’s health care agenda further to the left. Walz has affirmed that he views health care as a right. With a Democratic state Legislature, he launched a number of progressive campaigns during his Minnesota governorship. He created a prescription drug affordability board that sets limits on what insurers pay, signed a bill to help people afford insulin in emergency situations, and oversaw the state as it reached a settlement with Eli Lilly to cap all insulin prices at $35 for the next five years. Walz also championed the Minnesota Health Care Access Fund, which helps fund health care coverage for low-income state residents, signed a bill making the right to an abortion a state law, signed legislation legalizing adult-use marijuana in his state, and signed an executive order protecting gender affirming healthcare. However, the Harris-Walz campaign has not specifically outlined their health care positions compared to the Biden-Harris administration as of yet.
- On Thursday, August 15th, the White House is expected to describe the outcomes of its first 10 Medicare price negotiations with drugmakers under the Inflation Reduction Act. While it is unclear how specific the announcement will be, the Biden administration is predicted to highlight the savings that patients can expect starting in 2026. The administration faces a September 1st deadline to disclose negotiated rates from discussions between drugmakers and federal health officials that began last October, when selected drug manufacturers agreed to opt into the process. Medicare must then explain how it arrived at the prices by March 1 before they kick in on January 1, 2026. The agency plans to finalize guidance this fall for the next round of negotiations and will publish the new list of up to 15 drugs selected by February 1st.
Best intern ever!! We bid our summer intern, Esha Mittal, farewell, as she returned to college to start a new year. The team at RLG wishes her much success in her academic journey.
Backpacks for Life -Our firm with Angie (our Medicaid specialist) partnered with Artis & Legacy International Foundation for Education to deliver these goodies!
We got our second booster thanks to the generosity and kindness of our favorite client Priya Nandi, a pharmacist by training, who has committed to vaccinating as many individuals as she can (especially the low income and economically disadvantaged). She has also offered to speak at our upcoming “Health and Wellness” event in early June 2022 at our office where she will provide vaccinations and boosters for our in-person attendees. Stay tuned for more details and please spread the word.
Had a really nice tour of Artis this afternoon and came away with some goodies. Thank you Barbara Forshner!
Attorney Spotlight
Fundraisers
“Cupid’s Chase 5K event was held on Saturday 2/10/18. RLG was proud to support this fundraiser hosted by Community Options, Inc., a non-profit organization that assists adults with disabilities!”
Awards & Recognitions
Diverse Attorneys of the Year _ New Jersey Law Journal
Reprinted with permission from the 11/7/2017 issue of the New Jersey Law Journal. © [YEAR] ALM Media Properties, LLC. Further duplication
without permission is prohibited. All rights reserved.
Rising Star Recognition – Global Opportunities Summit
Published Articles
The Impact of Asset Transfers by U.S
Quoted In:
When Guardianship is the Only Alternative, How Does It Work?
Authored by Deb Hallisey and published by Advocate for Mom & Dad.
Cognitive Decline Shouldn’t Derail Retirement Planning. Here Are Some Tips to Prepare Your Finances.
Authored by Cheryl Winokur Munk and published by Barron’s.