U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that 64 prescription drugs will have lower Medicare Part B coinsurance rates from July 1, 2024 through September 30, 2024. This is thanks to the Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program that lowers the cost of certain prescription drugs under Part B that have increased in price faster than the rise of inflation. Drug companies are required to pay rebates to Medicare through this program. CMS will begin invoicing no later than Fall 2025.

This brief summarizes the available data and literature on the cross-national impact of COVID-19 in LTC settings as of October 2020 and the changes in reported death rates since June 2020. This brief was prepared through intramural research by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Office of Behavioral Health, Disability, and Aging Policy.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is approving Nebraska’s fourth submission to amend the following 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers with the Emergency Preparedness and Response Appendix K in order to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The amendments that the state has requested in the Appendix Ks are additive to those previously approved and are effective from March 6, 2020 through March 5, 2021.

The United States Departments of Health and Human Services and Education released a policy statement on September 14, 2015, that declares that all children with disabilities should be allowed access to "inclusive high-quality" early childhood programs, "where they are provided with individualized and appropriate support in meeting high expectations." Presently, children with disabilities and their families face difficulties in accessing these programs that are available for their peers.