Not a lot happened during the past week in Washington…with respect to health care, that is. The president signed the Autism CARES Act but, otherwise, policymakers and politicos have been preoccupied with other matters (i.e., the impeachment inquiry), which may interfere with the ability of the two parties and two branches of government to get much accomplished in the way of legislation. In the judicial branch, however, a notable decision has been rendered: a federal appeals court ruled that the Department of Justice can move forward with a suit against Florida regarding the placement of children in nursing homes. With respect to regulations and resources, this Update includes (among other things) information about: The Roadmap to Behavioral Health (for families); a statement from the FDA about patient engagement in medical device clinical investigations; quality ratings for health plans sold in the Marketplace; and a Final Rule on “Patients Over Paperwork” (in the Medicaid section below). And, please note…
IT’S RECESS! Members of Congress are home on a two-week recess (through October 14), providing an opportunity for you to see them in their local offices or at town halls or other public events. It’s a great chance to educate them about CYSHCN and their families, and about your Family-to-Family Health Information Center or other programs. To get contact information for your Members of Congress, see www.contactingcongress.org, or www.senate.gov and www.house.gov. For a list of public events in your area, see the Town Hall Project.
NOTE:
- The 2020 Open Enrollment Period is November 1, 2019 to December 15, 2019. See the list of 2019 CMS Navigator grantees.
- Get Ready: TRICARE Open Season, Federal Benefits Open Season Begins Nov. 11
Encourage confidence to act