Hello ERIC members,
We are halfway through October and a little over two weeks from the election. Congress is still out. We have been busy advocating to Capitol Hill on competition and transparency policies as well as speaking to offices to not cosponsor bad kidney dialysis legislation. This week, we have a short highlight to share.
Today we’ll discuss: (1)MHP Final Rule Deep Dive Webinar, (2)ERIC Tax Teams Response, (3)P4ESC Kidney Dialysis Advocacy, (4)Digital Health Survey.
MHP Final Rule Deep Dive Webinar
ERIC will be bringing back Chris Condeluci and Alden Bianchi to do a deep dive into the mental health parity final rule. They will be discussing the six content elements now required in every NQTL comparative analysis and will talk through the staggered effective dates and what plan sponsors need to know in advance of January 1, 2025. The webinar will be held on Monday, October 28 at 3:00 p.m. (ET). To register for the webinar, click HERE.
ERIC Response to House Tax Teams RFI
On Tuesday, October 15, ERIC submitted to the House Ways and Means Committee’s Tax Teams its thoughts on tax policies as they consider policies for 2025 tax reform. ERIC encouraged the Tax Teams to maintain tax benefits, such as the employer tax exclusion for health insurance, as it is the bedrock of the employer-sponsored system. We also noted policies that should be considered if not passed this year and policies that had substantial savings like site-neutral payments, honest billing, and fairness in contracting just to name a few. ERIC will continue its advocacy on tax reform into 2025.
Keeping Strong on Kidney Dialysis Legislation
The Partnership for Employer-Sponsored Coverage (P4ESC), which ERIC chairs, urged congressional leaders to oppose the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act (H.R. 6860/S. 5018) during the
post-election, lame duck session.
The letter explains that the same protections under the Medicare Secondary Payer Act, ERISA, HIPAA, and the Affordable Care Act still protect dialysis patients today, even after the Marietta Memorial Health Plan v. Davita, Inc. U.S. Supreme Court decision. P4ESC also raises concerns that the bill will increase employers’ and employees’ costs while imposing overly broad parity requirements. Not to mention the bill hasn’t been the subject of a hearing or scored by the Congressional Budget Office.
The bill is completely unnecessary and ERIC along with P4ESC is advocating to congressional members not to cosponsor the legislation. More to come, so stay tuned.
Digital Health Survey
Peterson Health Technology Institute released a new survey finding that health plans, employers, and providers remain committed to adopting digital solutions that can deliver health benefits, positive user experience, and return on investment. Spending on digital health has increased rapidly over the past two years and the survey indicates that purchasers plan to continue to grow their spending on digital health offerings in the year ahead.
According to the survey, 97 percent of employers, 86 percent of health systems, and 84 percent of health plans intend to maintain or increase spending on digital health solutions over the next year. Reasons for increased spending were relatively consistent, with all three purchaser groups reporting increased consumer demand (83 percent) and improved health outcomes (62%) as primary motivators.
With respect to contracting, the survey shows most contracts with digital solution providers last for two years or less, giving purchasers frequent opportunities to reassess the performance of these products. In terms of disease areas, the survey shows that purchasers plan to prioritize digital health solutions for diabetes (53 percent), preventative care (51 percent), mental health (50 percent), cardiovascular disease (47 percent), and primary care (46 percent), which is consistent with current priorities.
The survey is another tool to encourage Congress to pass 1st-dollar coverage of telehealth and other digital health bills that promote patient health and well-being.