In December 2014, President Obama signed into a law H.R. 5771, a tax extender bill that includes the “Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2014.” As discussed in a previous post, the law, P.L. 113-295, includes three Medicare provisions to finance the ABLE Act: revisions to payment adjustments for Medicare physician
Ebola
President Signs Government Funding Bill with Health Spending/Policy Provisions
By Debra A. McCurdy on
On December 16, 2014, President Obama signed a $1.1 trillion spending bill that funds most government agencies through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2015 (funding for the Department of Homeland Security is funded through February 27, 2015). With regard to HHS funding, the bill, among other things: holds CMS funding at…
Congress Approves Bill to Incentivize Ebola Treatment/Vaccine Developments; Congressional Hearings Address Ebola Response
By Debra A. McCurdy on
In light of the recent Ebola outbreak and concerns over health safety, Congress has approved a bill (S. 2917) that would add Ebola to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) priority review voucher program, which is designed to incentivize the development of treatments and vaccines for neglected tropical diseases. The legislation was approved by…
Presidential Bioethics Commission Seeks Comments on Ethical Implications of Public Health Response to Ebola Outbreak & Other Emergencies
By Debra A. McCurdy on
On December 8, 2014, HHS is publishing a notice announcing that the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues is requesting public comment on ethical considerations related to public health emergency response, focusing on the current Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic. In particular, the Commission is examining:
- U.S. public policies that restrict association
…
OCR Releases Ebola Bulletin
By Debra A. McCurdy on
The recent Ebola outbreak has prompted the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to release a new bulletin for covered entities and business associates regarding their privacy obligations under HIPAA in emergency situations. The bulletin, “HIPAA Privacy In Emergency Situations,” provides an overview of the limited ways in which covered entities and business…
Congressional Hearing on Government Response to Ebola Crisis (Nov. 6)
By Debra A. McCurdy on
On November 6, 2014, the Senate Appropriations Committee is holding a hearing on the U.S. government response to the Ebola outbreak. This follows an October 24 House Oversight Committee hearing on coordination of a multi-agency response to the Ebola crisis, along with an October 16 House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on the U.S. public…
CDC Guidance for Health Care Industry Regarding Patients with Ebola Virus
By Debra A. McCurdy on
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a number of guidance documents for the health care industry on management of patients with known or suspected Ebola virus. To date, the CDC has offered recommendations regarding, among many other topics: the use of personal protective equipment by health care workers in hospitals;…