Top News
ARPA-H Director
On September 12, President Biden announced the appointment of Dr. Renee Wegrzyn as the first director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).
Administration
NIH Focus on AI
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced plans to accelerate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the biomedical and behavioral research communities. Through Bridge2AI, NIH researchers will create guidance and standards for the development of ethically sourced, state-of-the-art, AI-ready data sets.
Data Usability Workgroup Implementation Guide
The Sequoia Project recently announced the release of Data Usability Workgroup Implementation Guide, Version 0.1 and is seeking public feedback through Friday, October 14, 2022. This implementation guide covers the identified priority use cases that can be readily adopted within health information exchange vendors, implementers, networks, governance frameworks and testing program.
CMS Issues RFI on Promoting Efficiency, Reducing Burden, and Advancing Equity
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) seeks to better understand individual and community-level burdens, health-related social needs, and opportunities for improvement that can reduce disparities and promote efficiency and innovation across programs administered by CMS. Specifically, CMS requests information related to strategies that successfully address drivers of health inequities, including opportunities to address social determinants of health and challenges underserved communities face in accessing comprehensive, quality care. For more information and instructions on how submit a response (due November 4), click here.
CMS Proposed Rule on Nondiscrimination
CMS issued a proposed rule on nondiscrimination in health programs and activities. The proposed rule affirms protections against discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity, and reiterates protections from discrimination for seeking reproductive health care services. The proposal also prohibits discrimination in the use of clinical algorithms to support decision-making in covered health programs and activities. Comments are due October 3.
Legislation and Politics
Prior Authorization Simplification
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed legislation, the "Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act," to streamline prior authorization processes used by Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. The bill would establish an electronic prior authorization (ePA) program and require MA plans to adopt ePA capabilities, as well as require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a list of items and services eligible for real-time decisions under an MA ePA program. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Health Data Protections
Representatives Jason Crow and Brian Fitzpatrick introduced legislation September 13, Protect Americans' Healthcare Data from Cyberattacks (H.R. 8806), to bolster collaboration and information-sharing between federal agencies to better guide the healthcare sector in preventing cyberattacks on patient data.
Senate Confirmation – OSTP Director
On September 22, the Senate confirmed former Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Director Arati Prabhakar to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
AMIA News & Notes
Register Now: AMIA 2022 Annual Symposium
Join us November 5-9 in Washington, D.C. for the largest informatics meeting worldwide. We have a full program featuring top content on the latest science in informatics and collaborative networking opportunities. Register by October 13 to receive your advance rate.
Around the Web
- ONC and CDC Working Together to Strengthen Public Health Systems, Tools, and Practices that Keep Us Safe; Health IT Buzz
- Collaboration Needed for Race, Ethnicity Data Collection, Exchange; EHRIntelligence
- VA EHR ‘not even close’ to meeting patient needs right now, deputy secretary tells senators; Federal News Network
AMIA’s Washington Download is your source for health informatics policy news and information from around the Beltway, covering action from the Hill, the Administration and important AMIA collaborators.