CEO Update 117
NABH Sends CMS Comments on Covid-19 Reporting Requirements
NABH this week urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to exempt psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric units in inpatient hospitals from the Covid-19 reporting requirements the agency added to the Conditions of Participation (CoP) and announced in an interim final rule.
In a letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma, NABH President and CEO Shawn Coughlin asked that if the agency does not exempt psychiatric hospitals and units, that it at least modify the requirements to remove the ones that are not relevant to psychiatric facilities. These requirements relate to supplies and use of Remdesivir, intensive care unit beds, ventilators and ventilator supplies and medications, and the use of emergency department or overflow locations for Covid-19 patients while those patients wait for an inpatient bed.
“Furthermore, we ask that you modify the interim final rule to lessen the frequency of reporting,” Coughlin wrote in the letter. “The rule does not explain why this very burdensome reporting must be done every day, seven days a week. It is especially unclear why this daily reporting is necessary for facilities that are not focused on treating Covid-19. The staffing information is particularly arduous to submit on a daily basis.”
The letter also highlights that guidance on data elements incorporated in the interim final rule indicate that some hospitals may report to their state agencies, which will report to the federal government on their behalf. But it’s unclear how hospitals will know whether their states have been certified to conduct that reporting.
“In addition, the status of each state’s certification may change, and states may be permitted to report for some of their hospitals, but not all,” the letter noted. “It is not clear how hospitals will know whether they should report this information to their state agencies or to the federal government, especially because a state’s certification may change over time.”
SAMHSA Proposes Establishing Guidelines to Include Hair Specimens in Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is proposing to establish scientific and technical guidelines to include hair specimens in the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs using Hair (HMG).
In a recent notice, SAMHSA said the HMG will allow federal executive branch agencies to collect and test a hair specimen as part of their drug testing program within the limitation that hair specimen be used for pre-employment and random testing.
A federal agency that chooses to test hair specimens must authorize collection and testing of at least one other specimen type (i.e., urine or oral fluid) that is authorized under the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs and provide procedures in which the alternate specimen is used in cases when a donor is unable to provide a sufficient amount or length of hair.
SAMHSA has requested public comments on this notice through Monday, Nov. 9. Click here to learn more about the guidelines and how to submit comments.
CMS Issues Covid-19 Reporting Guidance for Labs and Long-term Care Facilities
CMS has issued new surveyor guidance for Covid-19 laboratory test reporting for Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments-certified laboratories.
These labs are expected to adhere to the new requirements no later than Wednesday, Sept. 23 and will be subject to civil monetary penalties if they do not comply.
New Report Highlights Harmful Effects of Eating Disorders on Individuals, Families, and Society
About 9% of the U.S. population, or approximately 28.8 million Americans, will have an eating disorder in their lifetime, says a new report from the Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders, or STRIPED.
Working with the Academy for Eating Disorders and Deloitte Access Economics, STRIPED spent a year gathering evidence on the effects of eating disorders on individuals, families, and societies; analyzing the direct costs for treatment; and reporting other economic costs, such as informal caregiving, productivity, and estimated substantial losses in wellbeing.
Researchers found that eating disorders cost the U.S. about $64.7 billion a year, including $48.6 billion in productivity losses, $6.7 billion in informal caregiving, $4.8 billion in efficiency losses, and $4.6 billion throughout the country’s health system.
Eating disorders affect everyone, the report found, but people of color with eating disorders are half as likely to be diagnosed or to receive treatment. Meanwhile, females are twice as likely to have an eating disorder than males.
CMS to Host Open Door Forum on Hospital IPPS and OPPS Rules Next Week
CMS will host an Open Door Forum on Thursday, Sept. 17 to provide an update and answer questions about the agency’s 2021 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System final rule and 2021 Outpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule.
The hourlong event will begin at 2 p.m. ET, and CMS has requested that participants dial in 15 minutes before the call begins. This is a conference call only. Click here for details.
September is National Recovery Month & National Suicide Prevention Month
September is National Recovery Month and National Suicide Prevention Month, which are intended to educate Americans about services, treatment, and resources available to those with mental health and substance use disorders and to promote suicide prevention.
SAMHSA will host a webinar series throughout Recovery Month that will feature a different topic every Thursday. Upcoming topics include supported employment, communities supporting recovery, and the importance of integrating recovery support services.
Meanwhile, the National Action Alliance (Action Alliance) for Suicide Prevention has developed several resources to help build awareness about suicide prevention. Please see the Action Alliance’s #BeThere activities and use the hashtag #BeThere to educate your organization’s social media followers.
And please remember to follow NABH on Twitter and LinkedIn to learn what NABH members, federal agencies, and other organizations are doing to honor National Recovery Month and National Suicide Prevention Month.
Please Complete the 2020 NABH Annual Survey!
The 2020 NABH Annual Survey opened late last month and NABH members should have received personalized links to the survey from consulting firm Dobson DaVanzo.
If you have not received a link, please click here and follow the instructions to submit your survey today. Your feedback will help inform and improve NABH’s advocacy efforts. Thank you for your time!
Fact of the Week
Calls to the National Eating Disorders Association’s helpline are up 70% to 80% in recent months.
For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.