Iowa news
CareSource invests $2M in Iowa fund
CareSource, a nonprofit managed care organization, has invested $2 million in the CareSource Iowa Opportunity Investment Fund. CareSource announced the fund in September 2022. It will provide capital for Iowa-based startups that seek to improve health care outcomes, promote health equity and generate positive social impact, especially for underserved populations and those with complex care needs. (Business Record)
New facility to focus on substance abuse, mental health treatment
Polk County leaders are calling a new sobering center in Des Moines a “safe place” for people seeking support and treatment for alcoholism and other types of services. With plans to open next summer, the Polk County Board of Supervisors plans to renovate a vacant building that will house the sobering center, a walk-in mental health clinic and crisis observation center. Polk County Supervisor Angela Connolly said the board will spend the next few months discussing the design of the space with their partners and meeting with architects before going to bid. (Des Moines Register)
Temporary staffing agencies thrust more into crosshairs amid workforce crisis
A bill recently introduced in Oregon would make temporary staffing agencies more transparent and affordable, senior living advocates say. Other states also are experiencing extreme stress, with many seeking to lighten the burden either regulatorily or legislatively. Several states have passed laws requiring health care staffing agencies to register with their states and pay annual fees, including Iowa, Louisiana and Pennsylvania. (McKnights Senior Living)
National news
CMS rule would revise Medicare DSH payment calculation
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed changing how it calculates the Medicaid fraction for Medicare disproportionate-share hospital payments. Under the rule, CMS would only include in the Medicaid fraction patient days covered through state Section 1115, Medicaid demonstrations, for which state Medicaid funds pay for the patient’s insurance coverage. The proposed rule was published in the Feb. 28 Federal Register with comments accepted for 60 days. (American Hospital Association)
Patients more reluctant to share health care data with health IT companies
Patients are more willing to share their health care data with clinicians, but their willingness to share their data with health technology companies is decreasing, according to a report from Rock Health. The report attributed the decrease to the growing public attention toward health care data privacy. Rock Health recommended health care and Big Tech start investing in better cybersecurity infrastructure and patient data management to get consumers to want to share their health care data with them. (Becker’s Health IT)
Paving the way for the world’s first RSV vaccine, FDA advisers recommend shot from Pfizer.
Food and Drug Administration advisers recommended that the agency approve the country’s first RSV vaccine for older people, a shot from Pfizer for adults ages 60 and up. In trials, Pfizer’s RSV shot reduced the risk of illness in older people. The FDA advisory committee will evaluate a similar shot from GSK this week. (NBC News)