Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medicare Inspections Of Nursing Homes Halted By Pandemic To Resume
Modern Healthcare: CMS To Resume Routine Inspections Of Suppliers, Providers
CMS on Monday announced it will resume routine inspections of all Medicare and Medicaid suppliers and providers. Inspections were put on hold March 23 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic so it could focus on infection control and help prevent the spread of the virus. CMS Administrator Seema Verma said the agency has worked closely with states to complete infection control surveys at most of the nursing homes in the country in the past few months. Since March 4, CMS and state inspectors performed 15,158 surveys in nursing homes, a 95% completion rate. (Christ, 8/17)
AP: Report: Nursing Home Cases Up Nearly 80% In COVID-19 Rebound
COVID-19 cases in U.S. nursing homes jumped nearly 80% earlier this summer, driven by rampant spread across the South and much of the West, according to an industry report released Monday. “The case numbers suggest the problem is far from solved,” said Tamara Konetzka, a research professor at the University of Chicago, who specializes in long-term care. She was not involved with the study. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 8/17)
Also —
Stat: Opioid Prescriptions Written For Medicare Part D Beneficiaries Drop
In 2019, about one in four Medicare Part D beneficiaries received at least one prescription opioid. Specifically, 26% of beneficiaries, or 12.6 million of the 48.3 million people enrolled in the program, received opioids. This was a drop from the previous year, when 29% of beneficiaries received the addictive painkillers through Part D and, significantly, the fourth-consecutive year of decline. (Silverman, 8/17)
Stat: Medicaid Beneficiaries Sue Texas Agency Over Access To Hepatitis C Drugs
A group of Medicaid enrollees is accusing a Texas agency of rationing hepatitis C medicines due to cost, the latest such allegation in an ongoing battle between state officials and patients over access to the life-saving treatments.In a lawsuit, the Medicaid beneficiaries allege the Texas Health & Human Services Commission restricts coverage of hepatitis C medicines to only those enrollees with severe liver damage, even though the drugs have cure rates approaching 100% for all infected people. As a result, they must wait until they have advanced liver disease or cirrhosis of the liver before being eligible for coverage. (Silverman, 8/14)
