News from NASADAD
- NASADAD attends briefing on health care incentives
- NASADAD attends briefing on trauma-informed care
- NASADAD attends briefing on the international impacts of changing marijuana policies in the US
Around the Agencies
- CMS announces new model for ACOs in Medicare
- CMS announces effort to help enrollees in the new Marketplace stay covered
Capitol Hill News
- Senator Markey releases report on prescription drug and heroin epidemic
In the News
- National Safety Council releases white paper on pain medication efficacy
News from NASADAD
NASADAD attends briefing on health care incentives
Thomas Friedlander, Public Policy Intern attended the briefing, “Incentives 2.0: Is Paying for Performance Enough?” on October 14th, hosted by the Commonwealth Fund and the Alliance for Health Reform. The briefing discussed how to make the “pay-for-performance” (P4P) system of incentives work among diverse health care systems. Panelists discussed the “Incentives 2.0” approach, which takes into account behavioral economics such as risk aversion, uncertainty, and organizational culture. “Incentives 2.0” also features a rewards system that encourages more consistent improvement over single-payment programs, which panelists argued did not promote health care responses.
Moderators:
Ed Howard, Alliance for Health Reform
Anne-Marie Audet, the Commonwealth Fund
Panelists:
Ashish Jha, Harvard School of Public Health
Ateev Mehrotra, Harvard Medical School
Patrick Herson, Fairview Medical Group
NASADAD attends briefing on trauma-informed care
Colleen Haller, Public Policy Associate and Shalini Wickramatilake-Templeman, Research Analyst attended the briefing, “Trauma-Informed Care: Change the Culture to Change the Outcome,” on October 14th hosted by the American Institutes for Research. The briefing discussed the impact of traumatic stress events, and how failing to properly address these events can lead to long-term damaging health effects. In light of this, providers have been working on a model for “trauma-informed care,” which can help improve outcomes for traumatic stress survivors. Distinct from trauma-specific clinical services that treat survivors’ symptoms, trauma-informed care is an organizational structure that understands, recognizes, and responds to all the effects of trauma. Panelists discussed the specifics of trauma-informed care, as well as the impact of successfully implemented trauma-informed approaches. Panelists also addressed the projected needs for implementation and the cultural and organizational changes one may expect from trauma-informed care.
Moderator:
Jane Stevens, Aces too High News
Panelists:
Larke N. Huang, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Cheryl Sharp, National Council for Behavioral Health (NCBH)
Bonnie Stone, Women in Need (WIN)
NASADAD attends briefing on the international impacts of changing marijuana policies in the US
Colleen Haller, Public Policy Associate attended the event, “International Impacts of the U.S. Trend towards Legal Marijuana,” hosted by The Brookings Institution on October 17th. The panelists discussed the international implications of changes to marijuana policies in some US States. The panelists particularly discussed the impacts of US drug policies in various Latin American countries and how changes in the US marijuana policy landscape have prompted similar discussions in parts of Central and South America. The panelists also raised questions about how changes in US policy related to marijuana and other illicit drugs affect international drug control treaties, of which the US is a signatory.
Moderator:
John Walsh, Senior Associate, Washington Office on Latin America
Panelists:
Wells Bennett, Fellow, Governance Studies, The Brookings Institution
Sandeep Chawla, Former Deputy Executive Director and Director of Research and Policy, UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Martin Jelsma, Director, Drugs and Democracy Program, Transnational Institute
Lisa Sanchez, Program Manager, Mexico Unido Contra la Delincuencia and Transform Drug Policy Foundation
Around the Agencies
CMS announces new model for ACOs in Medicare
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the availability of a new investment model for accountable care organizations (ACOs) in the Medicare Shared Savings Program on October 15th. The new model will give ACOs in Medicare more flexibility in setting goals for quality and financial goals. Under the new model, the CMS Innovation Center will invest $114 million in up to 75 ACOs across the country. CMS will recover this investment through an offset of an ACO’s earned shared savings. ACOs that joined the Shared Savings Program in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016 will be eligible to apply for funds (AHA News Now).
CMS announces effort to help enrollees in the new Marketplace stay covered
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the beginning of a communications effort to ensure that consumers enrolled in coverage in the new Marketplace know how to renew their coverage for 2015. Consumers will begin receiving notices that explain the renewal process and how they can return to the Marketplace from November 15th to December 15th (open enrollment) to update their application and review policies to make sure they choose the best plan. In addition to mailed notices, CMS will also use email, digital marketing efforts, and telephone calls. CMS also developed the 5 Steps to Staying Covered: Review, Update, Compare, Choose, and Enroll and released a two-page consumer fact sheet.
Capitol Hill News
Senator Markey releases report on prescription drug and heroin epidemic
Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) released a comprehensive report outlining a federal strategy to combat the growing drug epidemic in the US. The report, titled, “Overdosed: A Comprehensive Federal Strategy for Addressing America’s Prescription Drug and Heroin Epidemic,” focuses primarily on opioid painkillers, which have shown the most dramatic increase in abuse and overdose over the last several years. The report is organized into three categories: Prevention, Treatment, and Enforcement. In this report, Senator Markey recommends many policies which have shown positive results, such as take-back programs and expanding Medicaid coverage.
In the News
National Safety Council releases white paper on pain medication efficacy
The National Safety Council (NSC) released a white paper titled, “Evidence for the Efficacy of Pain Medications,” which discusses alternatives to highly addictive opioid medications in treating acute pain. The paper states that over-the-counter pain medications, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, are more effective under some circumstances than prescription painkillers. This paper coincides with the recent Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) reclassification of hydrocodone products from Schedule III to Schedule II, making them harder to prescribe and to obtain. While opioid painkillers have been shown to be effective in certain treatment processes, the paper argues that the risk of addiction and the increasing number of opioid-based overdoses strengthens the logic behind alternative medications. You can also access a short version of the paper.