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HHS Issues Latest Health Care Press Releases

Apr 8, 2024

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued its latest press releases on health care topics, which you can read and access below.

Biden-Harris Administration Finalizes Rule Expanding Access to Care and Increasing Protections for People with Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D
April 4, 2024
On Thursday, April 4, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), is finalizing policies that continue to strengthen enrollee protections and guardrails to ensure Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D (Part D) prescription drug plans best meet the needs of people with Medicare.
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HHS Finalizes Policies to Make Marketplace Coverage More Accessible and Expand Essential Health Benefits
April 2, 2024
On Tuesday, April 2, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), announced policies for the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces that make it easier for low-income people to enroll in coverage, provides states the ability to increase access to routine adult dental services, and sets network adequacy standards for the time and distance people travel for appointments with in-network providers.
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HHS Releases White Paper Focused on Preventing Drug Shortages
April 2, 2024
On Tuesday, April 2, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a white paper highlighting steps HHS has taken to prevent and mitigate drug shortages and proposing additional solutions for policymakers to consider.  Drug shortages have occurred in the nation’s health care system for several decades, largely due to market failures and misaligned incentives.
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Biden-Harris Administration Furthers Medicare Drug Price Negotiations, Releases New Data on How the President’s Historic Law Lowers Health Care Costs for Women
April 2, 2024
On Tuesday, April 2, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) released new research showing how key Inflation Reduction Act provisions will lower costs for women enrolled in Medicare, including nearly 30 million women enrolled in Part D.
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OASH Health Equity Fact Sheet
April 1, 2024
The HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) remains steadfast in its commitment to the Department's overarching mission of addressing inequities and promoting equity.
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CMS Finalizes Payment Updates for 2025 Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D Programs
April 1, 2024
On Monday, April 1, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Rate Announcement for the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug (Part D) Programs that updates payment policies for these programs and ensures payment accuracy.
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Statement by Secretary Xavier Becerra in Honor of National Minority Health Month
April 1, 2024
On Monday, April 1, 2024, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra released the following statement in honor of National Minority Health Month, recognized every year in the United States throughout the month of April.
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HHS Office for Civil Rights Imposes a Civil Monetary Penalty on New Jersey Nursing Facility for Failing to Provide Timely Access to Patient Records
April 1, 2024
On Monday, April 1, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), announced a $100,000 civil monetary penalty against Essex Residential Care, LLC, doing business as Hackensack Meridian Health, West Caldwell Care Center (“Hackensack Meridian Health”), a skilled nursing facility that provides long-term care and rehabilitation services.
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Letter to the nation’s teaching hospitals and medical schools
April 1, 2024
On Monday, April 1, 2024, the Department of Health and Human Services (the Department), through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), released new guidance to reiterate and provide clarity regarding hospital requirements for informed consent from patients as it relates to medical professionals performing sensitive examinations, particularly on patients under anesthesia.
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OCR Health Equity Factsheet
April 1, 2024
On Monday, April 1, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) implements statutes that are critical to health equity, including federal civil rights laws, conscience and religious freedom laws, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules, and the Patient Safety Act and Rule, which together protect fundamental rights of non-discrimination, conscience, religious freedom, and health information privacy.
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