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ARN Health Policy Digest - October 2024

Health Policy & Advocacy

We are pleased to present the October issue of the ARN Health Policy Digest. This member benefit provides updates on health policy and legislative and regulatory developments that may be of interest to rehabilitation nurses. 

Congress Passes CR… What's Next?

Congress has passed a continuing resolution (CR) to avoid a government shutdown before the end of the fiscal year on September 30. The CR provides government funding at current levels through December 20, giving lawmakers time to advance an FY 2025 appropriations bill when they return to Washington after the November elections.

As we wait for Congress to reengage in FY 2025 spending negotiations, we hope to see robust sustained funding for ARN's priorities at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, the Administration for Community Living, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

The FY 2025 spending bill also represents the last opportunity for Congress to pass legislation on the broader health care agenda before the end of the year. While there will be a number of competing priorities for the end of year package, the Congressional appetite to address these policies will remain unclear until after the election. We will continue to monitor the FY 2025 appropriations process and update members on the prospects of these key priorities.

In the meantime, ARN members should remind their members of Congress what our priorities are. You can take action here by sending emails to your members of Congress urging them to support (1) telehealth expansion; (2) funding for programs supporting traumatic brain injury patients; and (3) funding for nursing and rehabilitation workforce and research programs. 

HRSA Invests in Rural Health

HRSA announced a $75 million investment to support health care services in rural America. The Biden-Harris Administration has continuously provided support for rural communities through their time in office. Many rural communities face barriers in accessing healthcare because of the lack of nearby resources and health services. When addressing the specific needs of the rural community, the Biden-Harris Administration has focused on substance use disorder treatment, maternal health services, and keeping rural hospitals viable.

In keeping with these areas of focus, the money from this investment will be put toward substance use disorder treatment, recovery, and social support in rural areas; expanding access to maternal health by coordinating health care services during and after pregnancy; and support for rural hospitals to expand health care services and stay open to serve patients near their homes. For a list of the rural health monetary awards, please visit here. 

Coverage for Standing Systems in Power Wheelchairs

On October 8, the chairs of the House Disability Caucus, Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure urging her to open the National Coverage Analysis (NCA) and public comment period for standing systems in powered wheelchairs. CMS recently added coverage for seat elevation systems in Group 3 power wheelchairs under Medicare, but Reps. Dingell, Fitzpatrick, and 20 other members of Congress who contributed to the sign-on letter, believe it is imperative to add standing systems in powered wheelchairs to the National Coverage Determination (NCD).

The letter highlights the positive impact standing systems in powered wheelchairs make on people who are wheelchair users. As ARN members know, standing systems improve health outcomes and quality of life and allow wheelchair users to be more independent. ARN, as a member of the Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid (ITEM) Coalition, has emphasized the importance of the standing system as a tool to increase a wheelchair user's ability to perform mobility related activities of daily living. The ITEM Coalition was instrumental in updating the seat elevation NCD in 2023 and has been working for coverage of standing systems since they put in a NCD Request for Reconsideration in September of 2020.

This sign on letter comes over a year after the previous attempt by Reps. Dingell and Fitzpatrick to change the coverage determination to include standing elevation. We'll continue to keep ARN members updated on these efforts as we learn more.

NIH Reestablishes the Scientific Management Review Board

NIH Director Monica Bertagnolli, MD recently announced that the agency is reestablishing the Scientific Management Review Board. Officially reestablished on September 12, the Board will provide reports to the NIH Director at least once every seven years, evaluating whether organizational changes are needed and offering recommendations with justifications. Specifically, recommendations may include establishing, reorganizing, or abolishing national research institutes and offices within the NIH Office of the Director, as well as reorganizing divisions, centers, or other administrative units within NIH institutes or centers. A full list of the Board members can be found here. The Scientific Management Review Board will have their first public meeting on November 12. You can register to attend either in person or virtually here.

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