House Approves Prescription Drug Take-Back Program

The state House of Representatives gave its final approval to legislation authorizing broader opportunities for collecting and disposing of unused controlled substances.  House Bill 1618 also directs the state Department of Health and Senior Services to develop an education campaign regarding the disposal of controlled substances and other drugs.  It now moves to the Missouri Senate, which previously passed a similar bill.  If enacted and signed into law, the bill would become effective immediately. 

Committee Advances Bills To House Debate

A state House committee approved several health-related bills, allowing them to be placed in the queue for House debate.  House Bill 2183 allows state hospital licensure regulations to update automatically to be in sync with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ standards and expands the definition of a hospital’s premises.  House Bill 1574 and House Bill 2223 address collaborative practice arrangements and allow more flexibility in the number of APRNs and physician assistants a physician may supervise.  House Bill 2280 would authorize Medicaid coverage for up to a year post-partum if the mother is receiving substance abuse treatment within 60 days of the birth. 

Medicaid Imposes Limits On Opioid Prescriptions

Effective Tuesday, March 6, MO HealthNet is imposing new requirements for prescriptions of short-acting opioids and short-acting combination opioid drugs.  Prescriptions for these drugs will require particular diagnoses, and edits will limit the allowable amounts (based on milligram morphine equivalents) and doses of drugs dispensed.  Although pharmacists may be able to resolve some discrepancies through communication with the providers, prescriptions for patients without appropriate diagnoses will not be dispensed unless and until the prescribing provider submits the required clinical data to MO HealthNet. 

CMS Announces MyHealthEData Initiative

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a new initiative called MyHealthEData.  The initiative is designed to empower patients by giving them control over their health care data.  Led by the White House Office of American Innovation with participation from the Department of Health and Human Services, MyHealthEData also will help to “break down the barriers that prevent patients from having electronic access and true control of their own health records from the device or application of their choice.”  CMS also announced the launch of Medicare’s Blue Button 2.0, which is a secure way for Medicare beneficiaries to access and share their personal health data in a universal digital format. 

Low Volume Appeals Settlement Option Update Call

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is hosting a low volume appeals settlement update call.  CMS began accepting applications for settlement on Monday, Feb. 5.  The settlement is for providers with fewer than 500 appeals pending at the Office of Medicare Hearing and Appeals and the Medicare Appeals Council, and the total billed amount is $9,000 or less per appeal.  The call is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 13.  Registration is required. 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration updated protocols for providers regarding the use of the three Food and Drug Administration-approved medications used to treat opioid use disorder – buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone – and the other strategies and services needed to support recovery.