Midweek update

On the opioid front --

• The President signed the bipartisan opioid crisis response bill (H.R. 6) into law today. The wide-ranging laws focuses on illegal drug interdiction and treatment of opioid victims. 
• NPR reports that "The American opioid crisis is far from over, but early data indicate the number of deaths are beginning to level off, according to Alex Azar, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, citing 'encouraging' results in overdose trends."
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced "the Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) model, an important step in advancing the agency’s multi-pronged strategy to combat the nation’s opioid crisis. The model addresses the need to better align and coordinate care of pregnant and postpartum Medicaid beneficiaries with opioid use disorder (OUD) through state-driven transformation of the delivery system surrounding this vulnerable population. By supporting the coordination of clinical care and the integration of other services critical for health, wellbeing, and recovery, the MOM model has the potential to improve quality of care and reduce expenditures for mothers and infants."
• Health Payer Intelligence informs us that "Payers could improve outcomes, increase cost-effectiveness, and reduce opioid use for lower back pain by expanding non-pharmacological coverage such as physical therapy and chiropractic care, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open."

Today, the Food and Drug Administration today approved for marketing the first new flu drug in 20 years.  The New York Times adds that 

The new antiviral, generically known as baloxavir marboxil but sold under the brand name Xofluza, is a single dose [pill] treatment [sold by Genentech]. It is for use only in those aged 12 or more, the F.D.A. said, and should be taken only in the first two days after symptoms like fever, aches and sniffles appear [similar to the existing flu drug Tamiflu].

* * * Xofluza works in a new way, by blocking an enzyme the virus needs to copy itself. So, at least in theory, circulating flu strains resistant to earlier drugs should not have any resistance to it. [That's the advance over Tamiflu.]

On the Affordable Care Act front --

•  [Yesterday] the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury (collectively, the Departments) issued new guidance so states can move their insurance markets away from the one-size-fits-all rules and regulations imposed by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and increase choice and competition within their insurance markets. 
• Also yesterday, the ACA regulators issued a proposed rule that would permit employer funded health reimbursement accounts ("HRA") to be integrated with ACA qualified individual health insurance under certain conditions. Currently, under Obama era administration rules HRAs can only be integrated with ACA qualified group health coverage. The 21st Century Cures Act also permits small employers (under 50 full time employees as defined by the ACA) to create QSEHRAs that reimburse employees for individual health insurance premiums. From a 10,000 foot standpoint, the proposed rule would expand this opportunity to large employers. The public comment period on the proposed rule is December 28, 2018. The rule if finalized as proposed would take effect for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2020. 

Here's a link to an interesting Healthcare Dive interview with AHIP's President Matt Eyles. 

Finally as this is the FEHBlog, here's a link to useful Reg Jones column from FedWeek on the relationship between FEHBP and Medicare coverage. Enjoy.