Category Archives: Health

Kidney Care Partners Raises Concerns Around 2025 ESRD PPS Proposed Rule

Washington, DC, June 29, 2024 — Kidney Care Partners (KCP) – the nation’s leading kidney care multi-stakeholder coalition representing patient advocates, physician organizations, health professional groups, dialysis providers, researchers, and manufacturers – today released the following statement in reaction to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rule on End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS), Payment for Renal Dialysis Services Furnished to Individuals with Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), End-Stage Renal Disease Quality Incentive Program (QIP), and End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices Model (ETC):

While our members continue to review the proposed rule, KCP is deeply concerned about the sustainability of the program given that the market basket fails to reflect the actual increase in costs incurred by facilities. Moreover, we are disappointed that CMS did not heed the kidney care community’s call for reforms to address the barriers the current payment policies have created in terms of patients being able to access innovative treatment options. Without changes in these areas, dialysis patients who are, as CMS notes, “disproportionately young, male, African American, have disabilities and low income” will continue to experience significant inequities when compared to patients with other chronic diseases.

Despite these concerns, KCP supports CMS’ proposal to expand access to home dialysis for patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). Increasing access for AKI patients is particularly important, as it can improve outcomes and enable patients to recover kidney function, avoiding permanent kidney failure that can lead to a need for life-long dialysis or kidney transplant. KCP also appreciates CMS’ ongoing attention to the cost and operational challenges associated with moving historically unbundled drug products into the PPS and urges CMS to provide sufficient funding to support these activities which are not currently covered by the base rate. We are also pleased that CMS seeks to better direct resources to low-volume facilities through the two-tiered low-volume adjuster. Moreover, KCP is heartened that CMS has addressed the community’s concerns and has proposed to reinstate the four individual dialysis adequacy measures and to remove the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) dialysis event reporting measure.

Need for a Sustainable Market Basket that Reflects the Cost of Providing Care to Individuals Requiring Dialysis Services

CMS proposes a market basket increase (minus the productivity factor) of 1.8 percent, based on the existing market basket methodology. We appreciate that CMS is trying to address this issue, but the rule falls short of meeting the actual increase in costs that dialysis facilities have experienced. In addition to failing to capture actual inflationary costs for the fifth year in a row, the dialysis market basket increase has historically been the lowest among Medicare providers, making it extremely challenging for dialysis facilities to compete against the wages provided by other providers, such as hospitals, which have seen significant increases in additional funding in recent years.

KCP continues to urge CMS to reexamine the market basket methodology in light of actual cost data demonstrating increases and provide a more sustainable update.

The Current Post-TDAPA Policy Continues to Stifle Innovation, Despite Efforts to Address the Lack of Adequate Funding for New, Innovative Therapies in the Base Rate

KCP appreciates language in the preamble demonstrating that CMS recognizes that the current policies negatively impact patient access to new, innovative treatment options.

However, the proposed modifications do not go far enough to address the failure of the post-Transitional Drug Add-on Payment Adjustment (TDAPA) temporary base rate adjustment to meet its intended purpose of incentivizing access to new drugs and biological products. KCP had hoped that CMS would take a more patient-centric approach and reform this policy by revising its methodology in recognition that, as designed, the bundle does not include sufficient funding for new treatment options that address recognized gaps in care. As the real-world example of patients not being able to access the only FDA-approved drug to treat CKD-associated pruritis demonstrates, an inadequate payment rate for innovative products creates a significant barrier to patient access.

KCP urges CMS to consider the kidney care community’s concerns and looks forward to providing more specific feedback in forthcoming comments.

Surya Hospitals organizes a Health and Screening Camp with Tribal Community

29th June 2024 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India To promote health awareness and provide the necessary knowledge to the community, a health and screening camp on Sickle Cell Disease was organized by Surya Hospitals in the rural village of Vasai, Maharashtra recently.

The event featured educational talks by Dr. Vandana Bansal and Dr. Nisha Iyer, which reached over 100 students. Additionally, Adivasi residents at the camp were tested for the HPLB gene to evaluate their susceptibility to Sickle cell disease. Participants also had the opportunity to consult with doctors and receive valuable information on preventive care and healthy lifestyle choices.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Vandana Bansal, Director, Department of Fetal Medicine, Consultant Obstetrics & Gynecology, Surya Hospitals said, “Sickle Cell Disease is a genetic hemoglobin disorder common amongst the tribal population of India. According to the census, Scheduled Tribes constitute 8.6 per cent of the country’s total population and 11.3 per cent of the total rural population. Requiring lifelong management, Sickle Cell Disease contributes to significant morbidity and mortality amongst the affected infants and children. In India, there are many comprehensive guidelines for prevention of the disease developed jointly by the Government of Health and Family Welfare and the Government of Tribal Affairs. But because of lack of awareness those guidelines are not fructified. So, we have organized the camp to make people understand and give them a basic knowledge about the disease. Hope, through this initiative, we can strengthen our commitment to combating this disease.”

Dr. Nisha Iyer, Pediatric Hemato Oncologist and BMT Physician, Surya Hospitals stated, “The initiative aimed to enhance health literacy among college students and the Adivasi population, identifying individuals at risk of Sickle cell disease. Regular health screenings are important for early detection and prevention of diseases. Events like these play a vital role in promoting overall well-being and empowering individuals to take charge of their health.” She also added, “The success of the camp would not have been possible without the support of volunteers, and community members who came together with us to make this camp a reality. We, Surya Hospitals, extends its gratitude to all those who contributed to the success of the health camp.”

Sickle Cell is an inherited blood type disease in which a genetic mutation causes abnormal hemoglobin to clump together and soften red blood cells. Sickle cells cause blood clots, leading to bleeding, pain, infections and other serious problems. People with sickle cell disease carry only one defective gene and usually live normal lives, but they can pass that gene on to their children. Therefore, adults and newborns must undergo medical examinations for the disease.

Dr. Stefie Deeds Featured in New York Times Article on Innovative Obesity Treatment Approach

Seattle, WA, June 27, 2024 –Dr. Stefie Deeds, a Seattle-based internist and obesity medicine specialist, was recently featured in a New York Times article exploring the emerging “obesity first” approach to treating chronic diseases. The article, published on June 18, 2024, highlights how treating obesity with medications can lead to improvements in other health conditions.

Dr. Deeds, who runs a private practice in Seattle, is at the forefront of this innovative treatment approach. “We are treating the medical condition of obesity and its related complications at the same time,” Dr. Deeds explained in the article.

The New York Times piece prominently features one of Dr. Deeds’ patients who experienced significant improvements in her arthritis and high blood pressure after being prescribed Wegovy, a new obesity medication. She not only lost over 50 pounds but also found that her arthritis symptoms improved and she no longer needed blood pressure medication.

Dr. Deeds’ approach exemplifies a growing movement in obesity medicine that focuses on addressing obesity as a primary condition, rather than solely treating its related health issues separately. This method has shown promising results in improving various chronic conditions associated with obesity.

“Being featured by The New York Times for our approach to obesity treatment is a tremendous honor,” said Dr. Deeds. “It underscores the importance of considering obesity as a treatable medical condition that can have far-reaching effects on a patient’s overall health.”

QPS Announces New Laboratory Services for Clinical Trials and Cell Therapy Development

Newark, Del., United States
QPS, a leading global contract research organization (CRO), is pleased to announce new laboratory services capabilities. The central laboratory, leukopak cell therapy facility, and enhanced PBMC capabilities will complement existing bioanalysis, translational medicine and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PMBC) laboratories and extend the current QPS full-service global CRO offerings.

QPS Missouri, a division of QPS Holdings, LLC, a global Contract Research Organization. QPS Missouri conducts Phase I-IV clinical trials and houses central lab, safety lab, PBMC and cell production services in Springfield, Missouri. (Photo: Business Wire)
QPS Missouri, a division of QPS Holdings, LLC, a global Contract Research Organization. QPS Missouri conducts Phase I-IV clinical trials and houses central lab, safety lab, PBMC and cell production services in Springfield, Missouri. (Photo: Business Wire)

QPS now offers clinical trial sample analysis services and leukopak cell therapy products from its newly expanded clinical trials unit conveniently located in Springfield, Missouri. In addition, QPS has also expanded PBMC service offerings from its Miami, Florida location into its Springfield, Missouri laboratories. The new facilities are housed with an existing clinical (safety) laboratory, a modern self-contained pharmacy, and dedicated space to build and ship clinical trial kits.

The modern central laboratory for sample analysis complements the existing on-site safety laboratory, equipped with the most up-to-date technologies for chemistry, urinalysis, serology, coagulation, and hematology testing. These capabilities, designed to monitor subject safety during ongoing clinical trials, will remain as core services for QPS in-house clinical trials.

The new leukopak products collection and processing facility is designed to meet the exponential growing demand for blood products to support cell therapy research and QPS is ideally placed to provide this service. QPS Missouri has a database of over 35,000 potential study participants, who can be contacted as potential blood donors for leukopak products.

“There is significant unmet demand in this rapidly growing area of cell therapy products, which represents a tremendous opportunity for QPS. Over 3,000 cell and gene therapy programs are currently in progress representing a 20% increase over the past five years. These programs require leukopak products to move forward, and as a result this market is forecasted to grow by a CAGR of more than 8% over the next six years,” said Benjamin Chien, Chairman, President and CEO of QPS.

The enhanced PBMC services include a new PBMC processing lab at the Springfield location, complementing the existing lab at QPS Miami in Miami, Florida. This new lab will support a current unmet need for PBMC processing in the midwestern USA. PBMC sample analysis is a time-consuming process, typically required in vaccine trials, and it is best done in a lab adjacent to the clinical trial unit. QPS is uniquely positioned to offer this service.

“These new facilities, services and products extend our full service CRO capabilities, putting QPS in a position to offer clients comprehensive clinical research services in one location. The central lab, PBMC lab, and the leukopack facility complement and enhance our current 240 bed clinical trials unit, safety laboratory, modern self-contained pharmacy, and clinical trial kit production facility,” said Brendon Bourg, Vice President, Early Phase Clinical and Head of Administration at QPS Missouri.

More Home Health Cuts in 2025 Further Undermine Patient Access to Care

Washington, DC, June 27, 2024 — The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare today warned that the permanent -4.067 percent payment cut to home health services proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will further undermine the delivery of high-quality home healthcare services to millions of older Americans. Despite several years of significant Medicare home health payment cuts and reliable data demonstrating a troubling decline in the number of home health patients and patient visits, CMS has again proposed additional permanent cuts to home health in 2025.

“For the third consecutive year, CMS has proposed cuts that make it significantly harder for home health providers to meet the care demands for an increasingly complex and aging patient population,” said Joanne Cunningham, CEO of the Partnership. “The status quo of continuous cuts is unsustainable: Medicare’s continued application of permanent cuts to home health further undermines a community that is facing historic labor costs and workforce shortages. We fear that CMS’s proposed actions for 2025 will have unintended consequences on older Americans who want to receive care at home.”

The Home Health Prospective Payment System (“HHPPS”) Proposed Rule for Calendar Year (CY) 2025 includes the full current remaining permanent adjustment of -4.067 percent to the CY 2025 home health base payment rate. The overall economic impact related to the changes in payments under the HH PPS for CY 2025 is estimated to be -$280 million (-1.7 percent).

Since adopting a new payment model for the Medicare Home Health Program, annual cuts to home health have diminished the provider community’s ability to maintain an adequate workforce to meet patient need, transfer patients home following hospitalization, and ensure home health services are accessible to Medicare beneficiaries across the country. To summarize the impact of Medicare’s home health cuts to date:

· Starting in 2020, CMS’s cuts are producing an estimated total cut of $20 billion from Medicare home health payments through 2029.
· These deep and destabilizing cuts have already resulted in agency closures, service area reductions, and a reduction in home health services.
· Patient access to home health is already declining, with 500,000 fewer patients receiving care through the Medicare home health program this year compared to 2019—despite increasing demand for care.
· The costs to hire and deploy clinicians to deliver care in the home are increasing (outpacing CMS’s market basket updates), as are related costs such as fuel and medical supplies.
· Home health agencies struggle to recruit, retain, and sustain a steady workforce to meet patient demand, as healthcare workers are in short supply.

In a February 2024 letter to CMS, the Partnership and the National Association for Home Care & Hospice wrote, “Our members continue to report closures, declining capacity, and immense challenges as they struggle to hire nurses and address other workforce constraints… In addition, while inflation has cooled somewhat from its peak, costs remain high, and CMS’ annual payment updates have not kept pace with inflation… The financial pressures created by the combination of these factors make it extremely challenging to provide high-quality services and support continued access in broader services areas, including rural locations.”

CMS has again used the market basket increase (+2.5%) to mask the impact of the permanent reimbursement rate cut (-4.067%), an approach that is unsustainable and inconsistent with the purpose of an update to account for increases in the costs of care.

In addition to the permanent payment cut, CMS also calculated temporary adjustments of $4.55 billion to be recouped in future years. CMS recognizes in the new proposed rule that “implementing both the permanent and temporary adjustments in the same year may adversely affect HHAs.”

“We are very disappointed that CMS did not use its authority to suspend further reductions to home health payments in CY 2025, despite our repeated requests and data demonstrating decreased access to home health services,” added Cunningham. “The role of Congress in alleviating the burden of these cuts is now increasingly important, and we will be calling on our champions in Congress to finish the job on legislation to block these harmful cuts this year.”

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced legislation to block further cuts to the Medicare home health benefit. The Preserving Access to Home Health Act (S. 2137/H.R. 5159) – introduced by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) and Representatives Terri Sewell (D-AL) and Adrian Smith (R-NE) – prevents CMS from implementing cuts to the Medicare Home Health Program in 2025 and in future years.

Florida Association of ACOs Welcomes Bold as New Member

Jacksonville, FL, June 27, 2024 —  The Florida Association of Accountable Care Organizations (FLAACOS) proudly announces the addition of Bold to its growing network of partners. Bold, a trailblazer in healthy aging, specializes in evidence-based exercise programs designed to prevent falls, manage chronic conditions, and reduce joint pain among older adults. This collaboration is particularly significant in Florida, a state with the largest senior population in the United States, where Bold’s clinical exercise programs are poised to make a profound impact.

Falls are a leading cause of hospitalizations and injuries among seniors. In 2020 alone, over 1 million Floridians aged 65 and older reported a fall. Bold’s rigorous balance and strength training programs offer a preventative solution that can significantly reduce these incidents. According to CDC data, more than one in four seniors experiences a fall each year, resulting in over $50 billion in medical expenses.

Moreover, physical inactivity is a major contributor to chronic conditions, which are among the most costly health issues for older adults. Studies indicate that the cost of managing these conditions can exceed $1,000 annually per person. Despite the clear benefits, less than 15% of seniors in the U.S. meet the recommended physical activity guidelines. Bold’s innovative approach aims to bridge this gap by making exercise more accessible and tailored to individual needs.

Amanda Rees, CEO and Co-Founder of Bold, emphasizes the transformative potential of this partnership: “By collaborating with ACOs, Bold can help reduce healthcare costs while significantly enhancing the physical and mental well-being of members. Our online, on-demand solution addresses common barriers to exercise, such as transportation challenges, joint pain, fear of injury, and busy schedules, by offering personalized exercise plans that seniors can follow from the comfort of their homes.”

Notably, Bold’s programs not only contribute to cost savings but also boost member satisfaction and retention. Surveys reveal that 8 in 10 participants are more likely to remain with their healthcare plan or provider due to the positive impact of Bold’s offerings.

Nicole Bradberry, CEO of FLAACOS, expresses her enthusiasm for the new partnership: “We are thrilled to welcome Bold as a business partner. Their proven ability to deliver cost-effective and high-quality health solutions is a tremendous asset to our member ACOs. Bold’s approach provides quantifiable benefits in both financial savings and improved health outcomes.”

As FLAACOS continues to serve the healthcare needs of Floridians, the inclusion of Bold represents a significant step forward in promoting a longer, healthier, and more active life for the state’s senior population.

Mobile Wellness Care Expanding Revolutionary Health Services Beyond Arizona and Utah

Phoenix, AZ, June 26, 2024 –Mobile Wellness Care, a trailblazer in providing on-demand health services directly to clients’ homes, today announced its ambitious expansion beyond its successful operations in Arizona and Utah. The company, which specializes in chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage therapy, is setting a new benchmark for accessible and personalized healthcare across the United States.

Since its inception, Mobile Wellness Care has revolutionized how clients receive health treatments by eliminating the need to travel to traditional clinics. The expansion aims to address the growing demand for convenient healthcare services that cater to the busy schedules of modern consumers. With a focus on high-quality, personalized care, Mobile Wellness Care ensures that professional wellness services such as chiropractic adjustments, therapeutic massages, and acupuncture treatments are just a few clicks away.

Dr. Clinton Huston, chiropractor and co-founder of Mobile Wellness Care, expressed enthusiasm about the expansion: “We started Mobile Wellness Care with a vision to transform the healthcare delivery model. Seeing our vision come to life and as we begin to expand beyond Arizona and Utah is incredibly rewarding. Our service not only provides convenience but also alleviates the stress associated with managing health. As we grow, we’re excited to introduce more people to the benefits of mobile chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage therapy, ensuring they have access to the care they need, right in the comfort of their own homes or any other location of their choice.”

Mobile Wellness Care is committed to maintaining the highest standards of care as it grows. Each practitioner is extensively vetted and trained to deliver exceptional service, ensuring that every treatment session is safe, relaxing, and beneficial. The services are designed to fit seamlessly into clients’ lives, promoting better health without the inconvenience of traditional healthcare settings.

Ericka Huston, co-founder, added, “Our mission at Mobile Wellness Care has always been to make wellness easy and accessible for everyone. As we expand, our focus remains on empowering clients by providing them with more control over their health and well-being. We believe that everyone deserves to experience the healing benefits of chiropractic care, acupuncture, and massage therapy without the hassle of waiting rooms or unnecessary stress.”

The expansion plan includes not only broadening the geographic footprint but also enhancing the range of services offered. Mobile Wellness Care is developing new wellness packages and group offerings, making it an ideal choice for families, businesses looking to support employee health, and communities seeking group health solutions.

With the health and wellness industry evolving rapidly, Mobile Wellness Care’s innovative approach addresses the crucial need for flexibility, affordability and personalization in healthcare. The expansion is set to roll out over the next several months, with detailed information on new service areas to be made available on the company’s website and through direct communication with existing and prospective clients.