U. S. House of Representatives Approves American Rescue Act
The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation implementing President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan to address the COVID-19 pandemic and support the U.S. economy. Approximately $50 billion are designated to support laboratory testing for COVID-19. Read
more.
ASCP Secures MIPS Penalties Relief
In response to ASCP advocacy, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has announced that physicians will be held harmless from MIPS penalties due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Read
more.
White House Orders Review of America’s Supply Chains
President Joe Biden has signed several executive orders aimed at identifying and correcting weaknesses in the United States’ public health supply chains in order to ensure sufficient supplies are available to combat COVID-19. Read
more.
CMS Orders Insurers to Cover Asymptomatic COVID-19 Testing
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has provided new guidance clarifying that insurers must cover the cost of COVID-19 testing for asymptomatic individuals. Read
more.
Biden Extends Public Health Emergency
President Joe Biden has extended the national emergency concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. Read
more.
Biden Administration Reaffirms Role of Science/Evidence in Federal Policymaking
The Biden Administration has committed to making evidence-based decisions that are guided by the best available science and data. “Scientific and technological information, data, and evidence are central to the development and iterative improvement of sound policies, and to the delivery of equitable programs, across every area of government,” President Biden wrote in a recent memorandum. Read
more.
ASCP-AMA: Partnering on Advocacy
ASCP has joined with the American Medical Association to advocate on several policy matters, from urging Congress to extend the moratorium on the two percent annual reduction in Medicare fees to raising concerns about Veterans Health Administration scope of practice issues and addressing surprise billing. Read
more.
For more information regarding ASCP's advocacy initiatives and policy positions, please contact ASCP's Center for Public Policy at (202) 408-1110.
ASCP ePolicy News is supported by an unrestricted grant from Hologic.
