MHA Today | August 9, 2021

Staff Contact: Daniel Landon

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services proposed to withdraw a Nov. 27, 2020, Trump administration rule on Medicare drug pricing. The original rule would have tied Medicare payment for drugs administered in physician offices to lower amounts paid for those drugs in various foreign countries. It was paused by several federal courts for procedural flaws and again further departmental review. The Biden administration is soliciting public comments on withdrawing the original rule and specified that it may issue its own proposal for curbing Medicare drug costs.

Staff Contact: Jane Drummond or Sarah Willson

MHA submitted a letter to Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Acting Director Robert Knodell, seeking an extension of the state’s emergency declaration and hospital regulatory waivers. The governor’s current emergency declaration expires Tuesday, Aug. 31. Based on the current regional surges associated with the delta variant, staff requested all waivers remain in place. Staff also is working with the professional licensure boards to ensure needed waivers are available and timely processed.

Staff Contact: Alison Williams

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, in partnership with several other industry organizations, released updated guidance on COVID-19 vaccination considerations for obstetric-gynecologic care. The organizations shifted to a strong recommendation that all eligible persons, including pregnant and lactating individuals and those considering future pregnancy, receive a COVID-19 vaccine or vaccine series. An email providing further information was sent to all Missouri birthing units.

ACOG released a conversation guide for clinicians when discussing vaccination with patients, and SMFM released an infographic in both English and Spanish.

Staff Contact: Shawn Billings

In a recent report published in The Lancet Oncology, researchers found that more than 4% of all new cancer cases in 2020 were caused by alcohol consumption. Most cases were linked to people who have more than two alcoholic beverages per day. Three-quarters of alcohol-related cancers were diagnosed in men with the most common being liver and esophageal cancers. Breast cancer was most common among women.

The new findings come as a major concern, as alcohol consumption rates drastically increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly two-thirds of surveyed Americans reported that their drinking had increased. With a 10-year lag between drinking and being diagnosed with alcohol-related cancer, the pandemic’s impact is unclear.

Staff Contact: Sherry Buschjost

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released instructional support videos to assist hospitals with navigating through Hospital Quality Reporting. The videos may be accessed from the HQR playlist. To receive notifications when additional videos become available, subscribe to the CMSHHSgov YouTube channel.