Tuesday Tidbits

David Ermer–CDC, Congress, COVID-19, SCOTUS, U.S. Healthcare–

Happy 100th anniversary of American women’s suffrage to all. It seems to the FEHBlog that the British women’s suffrage movement overshadows the American women’s suffrage movement in history. (Perhaps the FEHBlog watch too much English television). The FEHBlog was favorably struck by the fact that American women got the same right to vote as men about ten years before British women did.

The FEHBlog discovered today that the OPM Inspector General has posted his semi-annual report to Congress for the period ended March 31, 2020, and OPM has posted its management response thereto. The first page of the Inspector General’s report following the cover is particularly flashy.

The Department of Health and Human Services released today its Health People 2030 report which “features 355 core – or measurable – objectives with 10-year targets, new objectives related to opioid use disorder and youth e-cigarette use, and resources for adapting Healthy People 2030 to emerging public health threats like COVID-19. For the first time, Healthy People 2030 also sets 10-year targets for objectives related to social determinants of health.” Check it out.

In a related action, the Wall Street Journal reports that the federal government is in the midst of crafting its five year plan for American diets. The alcohol committee is proposing that men meet the same daily consumption standard set for women — one alcoholic beverage per individual. This reminds the FEHBlog of another action that happened a century ago but only lasted a thirteen years — prohibition. The Department of Agriculture will finalize the five year diet plan later this year.

On the prescription drug front —

  • Medscape offers a description of the 35 prescription drugs that the Food and Drug Administration has approved so far in 2020.
  • Drug Channels to the FEHBlog’s surprise informs us that “nine out of ten large hospitals now operate a specialty pharmacy. Hospitals and other healthcare providers account for one-third of all U.S. accredited specialty pharmacies. Clinical and general financial motivations are driving hospitals’ DIY specialty pharmacy growth. The enormous profit opportunities from the 340B Drug Pricing Program offer further encouragement for hospitals. In-house specialty pharmacies are also a valuable hedge against the potential loss of contract pharmacies.”

Speaking of hospitals, Beckers Hospital Review reports that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced yesterday that “Hospitals will get a [20%] payment boost on Sept. 1 for caring for Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with COVID-19. A positive COVID-19 laboratory test must be documented in the patient’s medical record for the hospital to receive the higher payment.”

Finally, on the Postal Service front, the Federal News Network reports that “Postmaster General Louis DeJoy says the Postal Service will hold off on ‘longstanding operational initiatives’ to reduce costs until after this November’s election.” The Wall Street Journal adds that

The House plans to vote Saturday on a bill that would give $25 billion in additional funding to the agency, which is what the Postal Service requested to meet budget shortfalls and costs related to the coronavirus pandemic. The bill would also prohibit the agency from implementing any changes to operations or service levels it had in place on Jan.1 until the end of the Covid-19 emergency or Jan. 1, 2021, whichever comes later.

Senate Republicans are preparing a pared-down coronavirus aid package that would include $10 billion for the Postal Service as well as money for the unemployed and for testing and combating the coronavirus.

The Postmaster General will appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Friday August 21 at 9 am and the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Monday August 24 at 10 am.