IHA Daily Briefing: September 15

IHA Comments on Proposed Changes to Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
On Sept. 14, IHA submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the calendar year (CY) 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule. Comments supported provisions allowing clinical staff to work at top of license, including greater payment flexibility for teaching physicians with a virtual presence and advanced care planning service delivery by clinical staff under supervision.

However, several proposed changes, on top of a statutorily required reduction in overall physician payment, would negatively affect beneficiary access. Therefore, IHA urged CMS to:

• Revise the 340B-related proposal for mandated submission of targeted Part D claims data to the 340B claims data repository, instead permitting voluntary submission as previously planned to reduce administrative and financial provider burden; and
• Withdraw proposals to modify coding and payment policies for remote monitoring, which restrict access to care and provider reimbursement.

Comments emphasized that hospital-employed physicians and advanced practice professionals are already facing significant cost pressures, including payment reductions arising from changes to Medicaid financing and the continued rising pharmaceutical, supply chain, and workforce costs. IHA advised CMS not to compound these challenges through additional payment reductions and access-impeding policies.

Staff contact: Lia Daniels

Funding Opportunity: Illinois Medical Respite Capacity Building Initiative
The Illinois Medical Respite Capacity Building Initiative is now offering organizations across Illinois another opportunity to strengthen their community's ability to support people experiencing homelessness. Through the initiative, up to six new organizations will receive grants of $30,000-$40,000 for planning and developing new medical respite programs. These programs will provide a safe place for people experiencing homelessness to recover and heal with dignity, while receiving care coordination and social support for health and housing stability. Applications are due Oct. 6. Interested organizations can click here to review the Request for Applications, including information on eligibility requirements and application instructions.

The Illinois Medical Respite Capacity Building Initiative is managed by the Illinois Public Health Institute with funding and support from the Illinois Dept. of Human Services and Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. Planning grants are designed to help organizations identify potential partners, determine the need for and barriers to medical respite in their community, and develop a plan to implement new medical respite services to address the need in their community.

Questions and completed applications should be sent to [email protected] or [email protected]. Note: This funding opportunity is specifically designated for new programs; existing medical respite programs should reach out to the above email contacts.

FAST PHACT SESSION: Clinician Education on End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act
The Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) continues to host its series of clinician-directed interactive info sessions on timely emerging and high-impact public health issues that directly involve clinical care or health system considerations.
The FAST PHACT (Public Health Allied Clinician Talks) webinar titled "Clinician Education: End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act" will be held this Thursday, Sept. 17, from noon-1 p.m. CT.

IDPH said the webinar will focus solely on the process, forms and documentation required by the Act. No clinical or standard of care guidance or legal advice will be provided. Learning objectives include:

• Describing patient eligibility criteria for medical aid in dying in Illinois.
• Describing the process attending physicians must follow to provide medical aid in dying.
• Reviewing the required forms and the procedures for submitting the forms to IDPH.

All healthcare professionals are invited to participate. Up to one credit hour of Continuing Medical Education credit is available with live webinar attendance and completion of the post-webinar survey and quiz. To register and view a list of upcoming webinars, click here.

Illinois Respiratory Disease Surveillance Data

The Infectious Respiratory Disease Surveillance Dashboard from the Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) provides the latest data on hospital visits, seasonal trends, lab test positivity and demographic data. IDPH also tracks COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus information through the Illinois Wastewater Surveillance System dashboard.

Briefly Noted

Starting in spring 2027, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said today it will expand an existing initiative to offer technology-supported care options to Medicare beneficiaries who have heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, substance use disorders, and nicotine dependence. This disease management support is made possible by the Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions (ACCESS) Model. The ACCESS Model enables participating organizations to potentially provide virtual care, health coaching, remote monitoring, and connected devices and wearables between regular doctor visits.

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