New Postings on the Reed Smith Health Industry Washington Watch Blog
The Reed Smith Health Industry Washington Watch blog has been updated to discuss a variety of regulatory and legislative developments, including the following:
- Regulatory Developments: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the HHS Office for Civil Rights have announced the availability of an interim guidance document entitled “Implementing the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005, Including How to Become a Patient Safety Organization.'' The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published a notice soliciting comments on the Medicare Part D/Medicare Advantage Calendar Year (CY) 2010 Bid Pricing Tool and the CY 2010 Plan Benefit Package software and formulary submission.
- Other CMS Developments: CMS has released details on the scoring methodology it uses to identify those nursing homes that become candidates for the “Special Focus Facility” (SFF) initiative by virtue of their more serious history of severe and persistent quality of care problems. CMS also is soliciting comments regarding an interim study of options for revising geographic location adjustments under the Medicare physician fee schedule. In addition, CMS has posted Medicare Part D prescription drug plan and Medicare Advantage health plan information for 2009 online.
- Legislative Developments: President Bush recently signed into law a number of health bills, including legislation to restrict internet pharmacy sales, increase funding for health centers, and expand disease research, among others.
- Odds & Ends: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a draft guidance document on “Potency Tests for Cellular and Gene Therapy Products.” The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued reports examining the FDA’s advisory committee processes and how nonprofit hospitals meet community benefit requirements. The AHRQ's Technology Assessment Program will be posting draft report on its website, including an upcoming report on "Potential Conflict of Interest in the Production of Drug Compendia." CMS is encouraging hospitals and other health care providers to review a new publication, “Community Pan-Flu Preparedness: A Checklist of Key Legal Issues for Healthcare Providers."
- Upcoming Events: CMS is hosting a Special Open Door Forum for physicians on the Medicare Medical Home Demonstration project. The agency also is hosting a Prescription Drug Event Symposium at CMS headquarters in Baltimore for researchers and other interested parties. In addition, CMS will host a series of national provider calls regarding issues associated with the adoption of the ICD-10 coding system.
