RULES GALORE (I) — On Tuesday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released several final policies affecting sectors across the industry — and patients across the country. The policies will become effective on Jan. 1, 2023. Some highlights, winners and losers: — A new behavioral health push: The new rule loosens requirements on Medicare patients seeing a therapist or a counselor. It also allows opioid treatment via telehealth or mobile units to help expand access across the country. Another part of the policy will aim to integrate psychologists and psychiatrists in primary care settings. The mental health aspects of the new policy were a focus for the Biden administration’s announcement of the new CMS rules — and it comes amid a backdrop of many members on the Hill being open to new legislation on the matter. — Cuts to the Physician Fee Schedule: CMS, as expected, finalized Medicare cuts to doctors through the Physician Fee Schedule. Providers are pushing Congress to stop the cuts, emphasizing the “significant medical inflation, along with staffing and supply chain shortages” that make the cuts increasingly concerning, according to the Surgical Care Coalition. The American Medical Association said the cuts represented “an ominous reality” that needed to be stopped. The Medical Group Management Association emphasized that getting rid of the cuts “cannot wait until next Congress.” It puts the pressure on a lame-duck Congress to pass legislation stopping the cuts, likely in an end-of-year package. — A plan to boost ACOs: CMS is changing its Medicare Shared Savings Program in an effort to increase the number of members in Accountable Care Organizations (groups of providers coordinating care for increased efficiency) — a figure that has plateaued in recent years. By adjusting benchmarks and trying to mitigate provider risk, the administration hopes to push toward the goal of all traditional Medicare beneficiaries being in an ACO by 2030. Additionally, the final rule includes measures focused on patient equity in ACOs. The agency described the policies in the final rule as “some of the most significant reforms since the program was established in 2011.” The National Association of ACOs welcomed the policy, thanking the agency for “improving accountable care models and speeding the movement toward value for all patients.” WELCOME TO WEDNESDAY PULSE, where we were concerned to read about the frog pandemic — caused by a fungus that’s infected about half of amphibians in the U.S. Have ideas to help the frogs (besides the “topical yogurt” being considered)? What about health news or tips? Drop us a line at dpayne@politico.com and kmahr@politico.com . TODAY ON OUR PULSE CHECK PODCAST , Katherine Ellen Foley talks with Ben Leonard about the FDA’s tobacco regulatory decision-making process. Plus, Greer Donley, a professor specializing in reproductive health care at the University of Pittsburgh Law School, breaks down what the FDA’s stance on doctors prescribing abortion pills to people who aren't yet pregnant means in practice.
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