Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New Rule Makes It Easier For People With Disabilities To Visit The Doctor
When the rule takes effect July 1, healthcare organizations will be required to modify facilities and medical equipment to cater to patients' physical and sensory needs. Facilities will have to update features such as elevators and ramps to ensure they are functional and meet federal standards. Medical equipment such as examination tables, scales and mammogram machines will need modifications to accommodate patients using wheelchairs or will need to be replaced. In addition, healthcare organizations must ensure websites, mobile apps and virtual care programs are user-friendly for people with disabilities and remove disability status as a factor in clinical support tools. (Hartnett, 5/2)
More on disabilities, home health care, Medicaid, and telehealth 鈥
Caregivers for older adults and people with disabilities could see a bump in their wages in the coming years, thanks to a forthcoming rule by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Broderick, 5/3)
Under a new federal rule, home health care providers in North Carolina will be required to put most of the money they receive from Medicaid toward workers鈥 wages.聽The policy, issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on April 22 as part of the Biden administration鈥檚 Expanding Access to Medicaid Services initiative, comes amid a national shortage of direct care workers. (Baxley, 5/3)
Community health workers are sometimes called the 鈥渂oots on the ground鈥 of public health: doing outreach and education, connecting people with services and addressing barriers to getting care. A measure aiming to strengthen that workforce is up for a vote in the New Hampshire House Thursday. (Cuno-Booth, 5/2)
A new policy that allows states to provide Medicaid health care coverage to incarcerated people at least a month prior to their release has drawn bipartisan interest and a slew of state applications. Federal policy has long prohibited Medicaid spending on people who are incarcerated in jails or prisons, except for hospitalization. As a result, when people are released, they typically don鈥檛 have health insurance and many struggle to find health care providers and get needed treatment. (Hassanein, 5/2)
Members of Congress appear poised to advance another short-term extension of pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities instead of permanently addressing the issue, seven sources familiar with the talks said. (Aguilar and Zhang, 5/2)
