FDA Creates Advisory Committee to Examine Digital Health Technologies
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week announced it has created a Digital Health Advisory Committee to help the agency explore the scientific and technical issues related to digital health technologies (DHTs), such as artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), augmented reality, virtual reality, digital therapeutics, wearables, remote patient monitoring and software.
The new committee will advise the FDA on issues related to DHTs and provide expertise to help the agency better understand benefits, risks, and clinical outcomes associated with use of DHTs.
“As one of our strategic priorities, our goal is to advance health equity in part through expanding access by bringing prevention, wellness, and healthcare to all people where they live – at home, at work, in big cities and rural communities,” Jeff Shuren, M.D., J.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in an announcement. “Digital health technologies are critical for achieving this transformation in care delivery,” he continued. “As digital health technologies advance, the FDA must capitalize on knowledge from inside and outside of the agency to help ensure we appropriately apply our regulatory authority in a way that protects patient health while continuing to support innovation.”
FDA’s announcement said the committee should be fully operational in 2024.
SAMHSA Releases Mental Health Client-Level Data 2021 Annual Report
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) this week released
Mental Health Client-Level Data (MH-CLD) 2021: Data on Clients Receiving Mental Health Treatment Services Through State Mental Health Agencies, the annual report that details the total number of clients receiving mental health treatment services in 2021 by demographics, national outcomes measures, and the top five mental health diagnoses for children (ages 0-17) and adults (ages 18 and older) by geographic distribution.
SAMHSA uses the MH-CLD data to better understand publicly funded mental health treatment service systems. The data are also used to inform decisions about how SAMHSA’s uses its mental health block grant funds, and are used to help the agency learn about the technical assistance and support needs of mental health providers and the communities they serve.
CMS Administrator Brooks-LaSure to Host Stakeholder Update Next Week
CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and her leadership team will provide a stakeholder and partner update about the agency’s recent accomplishments and efforts to advance the
CMS Strategic Plan on Tuesday, Oct. 17.
Click
here to RSVP for the hourlong call, which starts at 1 p.m. ET.
Manatt Health to Host Webinar Next Week on Emerging Fraudulent Healthcare Schemes
Manatt Health will host a webinar next week to help providers and health plans navigate the emerging landscape of fraudulent healthcare schemes and provide practical answers to the legal questions that resulted from recent litigation and enforcement actions.
The free webinar will feature panelists — all of whom have successfully defended litigants who have been forced to deal with inducement-based lawsuits in both federal and state courts – who will share an overview of the current litigation and policy landscape and offer insights into how providers and plans can protect themselves and their organizations.
The webinar also will discuss the findings from internal investigations that have uncovered fraudulent activities and improper conduct impacting patients’ health and safety and providers’ and plans’ financial viability.
Click
here to register for the hourlong webinar on Tuesday, Oct. 17, which starts at 1 p.m. ET.
NABH’s Enhanced Denial-of-Care Portal is Now Available!
NABH thanks all members who have submitted data to the association’s
Denial-of-Care Portal. You have provided critical information that expands the portal and helps NABH strengthen its advocacy efforts related to erroneous prior-authorization denials.
With guidance from our members, NABH has improved the portal by adding two elements:
- Time-based data on the number of days between a request for coverage and a plan’s denial, which improves our ability to assess and compare health plan responsiveness.
- The gap between days of provided care versus days of covered care to quantify and compare uncompensated days per health plan.
We strongly encourage all NABH members to submit their denial-of-care data in the portal. If you need help starting, or if you have other questions, please e-mail NABH Associate Manager for Congressional Affairs
Emily Wilkins.
Reminder: NABH Board Nominations Due Next Friday, Oct. 20!
NABH is seeking help from members as the NABH Selection Committee prepares to consider possible nominees to serve on the NABH Board of Trustees. Specifically, NABH requests that members help the association identify:
►
Board Chair-Elect and
► Four Board seats that will become available in 2024
The Selection Committee is particularly interested in identifying senior managers who represent the broad diversity within the NABH membership, including various levels of care, organizational structures, and size.
Please download a nomination form to share your recommendations of individuals you would like to see included in the single slate for 2024.
Please attach a curriculum vitae (CV) for each person you recommend. This will help the Selection Committee in its deliberations. You are welcome to suggest yourself.
Please return this form (and candidates’ CVs)
by Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, to
maria@nabh.org.
The O’Neill Institute to Host Webinar on Recovery Housing Next Month
The O’Neill Institute’s
Addiction and Public Policy Initiative will host a webinar next month about the current state of recovery housing and the opportunities for improving recovery housing in the United States.
As the O’Neil Institute explains, social determinants, such as housing, and expanded access to medications for substance use disorder are part of effective, long-term solutions. National standards for recovery housing, along with protecting the rights of individuals under the law, are central to facilitating a needed societal shift and maximizing opportunities for people with substance use disorder.
Recognizing the critical role that housing plays in improving outcomes for people with substance use disorder (SUD), SAMHSA recently issued
Best Practices for Recovery Housing, and the U.S. Justice Department protects the rights of individuals with SUD afforded under the
Fair Housing Act and the
Americans with Disabilities Act.
Fact of the Week:
Nearly 40% of primary care providers (PCPs) are screening patients for behavioral health conditions, according to a new report from The
Advisory Board, which included survey responses from 300 PCPs.
For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.