Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New Federal Rule Would Force Hospitals To Curb Overuse Of Antibiotics
The Wall Street Journal: CMS Proposes Requiring Medicare Hospitals To Adopt New Antibiotic Controls
Concerned about the growing threat of bacteria immune to antibiotics, U.S. federal health officials proposed rules that would require hospitals to closely manage the use of antibiotics or be ejected from Medicare. The proposal, released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services late Monday, would require U.S. hospitals to adopt strategies to curb overuse of antibiotics, a problem widely cited by public health officials as a factor in the emergence of drug-resistant superbugs. The rule would be the first to make so-called antibiotic stewardship programs mandatory for hospitals to get paid by Medicare, which spent $250.3 billion on hospital care in 2014. (Evans, 6/13)
Modern Healthcare: CMS Doubles Down On Preventing Discrimination, Antibiotic Overuse In Hospitals
The CMS is aiming to reduce discrimination and overuse of antibiotics via a proposed rule. The proposal states that all hospitals participating in Medicare and Medicaid must abide by antidiscrimination policies. ... The rule goes further than the mega anti-discrimination rule finalized by the HHS a few weeks ago. That rule didn't provide specific protections for people being discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation. ... The proposed rule also mandates hospitals to develop infection prevention and control and antibiotic stewardship programs for the surveillance, prevention, and control of healthcare-associated infections and other infectious diseases, and for the appropriate use of antibiotics. (Dickson, 6/13)
