The Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas is meeting June 22 -24, 2011. The purpose of the Committee is to establish criteria and a comprehensive methodology for designation of medically underserved populations and primary care health professional shortage areas, using a negotiated rulemaking process.
A number of Congressional panels have held hearings recently on health policy issues, including: a Senate Judiciary Crime Subcommittee hearing entitled "Responding to the Prescription Drug Epidemic: Strategies for Reducing Abuse, Misuse, Diversion, and Fraud"; House Energy and Commerce hearings on interstate health insurance purchasing and creation of an interoperable public safety network; and a Joint Economic Committee hearing on innovation and job growth in the life sciences industry. In addition, three hearings are scheduled for June 2: a House Oversight and Government Reform Health Care Subcommittee hearing on "Pathway to FDA Medical Device Approval: Is There a Better Way?"; a House Small Business Healthcare Subcommittee hearing entitled "Not What the Doctor Ordered: Health IT Barriers for Small Medical Practices"; and an Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing on the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s Effects on Maintaining Health Coverage and Jobs: A Review of the Health Care Law's Regulatory Burden."
The Health Resources and Services Administration has scheduled meetings of the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas for January 18-20, 2011 and February 16-18, 2011. The Committee, which was authorized by the ACA, will be focusing on the various components of a possible methodology for identifying areas of shortage and underservice, based on the recommendations of the Committee in the previous meeting.
On November 17 and 18, 2010, the Health Resources and Services Administration is hosting a meeting of the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on Designation of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professional Shortage Areas. The Committee, which was authorized by the ACA, will be focusing on the various components of a possible methodology for identifying areas of shortage and underservice, based on the recommendations of the Committee in the previous meeting.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has announced the appointment of 15 members to the new National Health Care Workforce Commission authorized by the ACA. The Commission is charged with making recommendations on how to: align federal health care workforce resources with current national needs; coordinate activities at the federal, state, and local levels; and encourage innovations that address population needs, changing technology, and other factors.
The House and Senate have approved the following health policy bills, which now await the President’s signature: H.R. 2923, the Combat Methamphetamine Enhancement Act; S. 1674, the Improving Access to Clinical Trials Act (to provide for an exclusion under the Supplemental Security Income program and Medicaid for compensation of individuals who participate in clinical trials for rare diseases or conditions); and S. 3751, the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act. In addition, the House recently approved the following bills, which still await Senate action: H.R. 3470, Nationally Enhancing the Wellbeing of Babies through Outreach and Research Now (NEWBORN) Act (which would authorize funding for infant mortality pilot programs in areas with high rates of infant mortality); H.R. 5809, the Safe Drug Disposal Act (which would provide for takeback disposal of controlled substances in certain instances); H.R. 5756, the Training and Research for Autism Improvements Nationwide Act; H.R. 3199, the Emergency Medic Transition Act (to provide grants to state emergency medical service departments to provide expedited training of veterans with prior medical training); H.R. 1745, the Family Health Care Accessibility Act (to provide liability protections for volunteer practitioners at health centers); H.R. 5710, the National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Reauthorization Act; H.R. 6012, to direct the HHS Secretary to review utilization of diabetes screening benefits and establish a related outreach program; H.R. 1362, the National MS and Parkinson's Disease Registries Act; H.R. 1995, the Diabetes in Minority Populations Evaluation Act; H.R. 5986, the Neglected Infections of Impoverished Americans Act; H.R. 758, the Pediatric Research Consortia Establishment Act; H.R. 5354, the Gestational Diabetes Act; H.R. 1347, the Concussion Treatment and Care Tools Act; H.R. 2408, the Scleroderma Research and Awareness Act; H.R. 2818, the Methamphetamine Education, Treatment, and Hope Act; H.R. 1032, the Heart Disease Education, Analysis Research, and Treatment for Women Act; H.R. 1230, the Acquired Bone Marrow Failure Disease Research and Treatment Act; H.R. 2941, to reauthorize and enhance Johanna’s Law to increase public awareness and knowledge with respect to gynecologic cancers; H.R. 5462, the Birth Defects Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Awareness Act; and H.R. 1210, the Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act. Note that Congress has adjourned until November 15, 2010 (after the mid-term elections).
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is seeking nominations for the ACA’s Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute Governing Board, which is charged with identifying national priorities for comparative effectiveness research. Likewise, the GAO is seeking nominations for the National Health Care Workforce Commission, also established by the ACA. Nominations for both panels are due June 30, 2010.
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