(May 10, 2024) – 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention in a 10-year, comprehensive approach to suicide prevention. The plan provides recommendations for addressing gaps in the suicide prevention field. HHS's coordinated and comprehensive approach to suicide prevention at the national, state, tribal, local and territorial levels relies upon partnerships across the public and private sectors and people with lived experience. The National Strategy seeks to prevent suicide risk, identify and support people with increased risk through treatment and crisis intervention, prevent reattempts, promote long-term recovery and support survivors of suicide loss.
CMS Spotlight on Opioid Treatment Program G-codes
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently published a reminder of the guidelines for using G-codes when billing for opioid treatment program services. Medicare pays enrolled OTPs bundled payments for opioid use disorder treatment based on weekly episodes of care. Professionals who can provide substance use counseling and individual and group therapy included in the bundled payment may include but aren’t limited to:
- Licensed clinical social workers
- Licensed professional counselors/mental health counselors
- Licensed marriage and family therapists
- Licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselors
- Certified peer specialists
- Other professionals are permitted to give this type of therapy or counseling by state law and scope of practice
For Medicare patients, there is no copayment for OTP services, but the Part B deductible does apply. Check your patient's Medicare eligibility.
Clinicians cannot use OTP codes to bill for office-based treatment and should visit Office-Based Substance Use Disorder Treatment Billing and Opioid Use Disorder Screening & Treatment for more information on office-based SUD treatment billing and OUD screening and treatment.
Updated Federal Standards for Collecting and Reporting Data on Race and Ethnicity
On March 29, 2024, the Office of Management and Budget announced revisions to Standards for Maintaining, Collecting and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity, which apply to federal data collection and reporting. The revisions include using a single combined question for race and ethnicity, adding Middle Eastern or North African as a minimum category, clarifying instructions for individuals to select multiple racial and ethnic categories that represent their identity and requiring collection of more detail beyond the minimum categories. In addition, the Standards require data tabulation procedures produce as much information on race and/or ethnicity as possible, including data for people reporting multiple racial and/or ethnic categories.
The updated standards are effective for all new federal racial and ethnic data collection and reporting as of March 28, 2024, and existing racial and ethnic data must be updated as soon as possible but no later than March 28, 2029. The Kaiser Family Foundation details the revisions in an issue brief.
Resource to Locate Dementia Care
A new national directory helps organizations and individuals providing dementia care locate and compare programs to find the best fit for patients. Launched by Best Programs for Caregiving, the portal provides dementia care professionals with program features, focus areas, outcome information, implementation costs, training requirements and more. The portal also includes real-world implementation experiences for each program and a side-by-side comparison to select dementia caregiving programs for their communities. The program is supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation.
Medicare Trustees Release 2024 Annual Report to Congress
The Medicare Trustees released the 2024 Annual Report to Congress about the financial and actuarial status of the hospital insurance and supplementary medical insurance trust funds. According to the report, Medicare covered 66.7 million people in 2023, with about 48 percent enrolled in a Medicare Advantage product. Total expenditures were $1,037 billion, with income of $1,024.6 billion. The total assets held in special issue U.S. Treasury securities decreased by $12.4 billion. Of the $1,037 billion in total expenditures, hospitals received $211.8 billion, while private health plans (MA) received $466.7 billion.
CMS Issues Revised Guidance for Home Health Agencies, Hospices
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued revised guidance for home health agencies and hospices regarding the informal dispute resolution process. QSO-24-11-HHA & Hospice clarifies CMS' ability to issue civil monetary penalties, directed in-service training, directed plans of correction, suspension of payment for new admissions and temporary management of programs found to have conditional-level deficiencies.
DNR Proposes Changes to Hazardous Waste Rules
The Department of Natural Resources is proposing changes to several hazardous waste rules. The department started the formal rulemaking process for the proposed hazardous waste regulations and is providing text of the proposed changes. A public hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, at Bennett Springs Conference Room during the Hazardous Waste Commission Meeting. Of particular interest to hospitals will be changes to hazardous waste pharmaceuticals, which are yet to be defined. Any impact these rules will have on current hospital licensing regulations is unclear. The current regulations can be found in 19 CSR 30-20.070 Registration as a Hospital Infectious Waste Generator, 19 CSR 30-20.100 Pharmacy Services and Medication Management and 19 CSR 30-20.114 Environmental Waste Management and Support Services.
MLN Connects Provider eNews Available
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued the following updates to MLN Connects Provider eNews:
Before You Go ...
- On Tuesday, May 14, join Cheryl Connors from Johns Hopkins' Resilience in Stressful Events team and Anna Koerbel from Maryland Patient Safety Center for a webinar. They will discuss the importance of peer support and how the R.I.S.E. peer support program can be used to build resilience and psychological safety of caregivers. Registration is required.