Medicare Commission Recommends Lowering Home Care Payments Reports AAMSI

Mar 23, 2022 | Business

 The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has recommended reducing the 2022 home health care base payment rate by 5 percent according to information shared today by the director of the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance.

“Medicare paid $17.1 billion in 2020 for home care according to the just-published report to Congress,” notes Jesse Slome, director of the Medicare and long-term care insurance advocacy organizations.

The report was issued by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission., an independent congressional agency established by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to advise the U.S. Congress on issues affecting the Medicare program.

“Medicare spending on home care declined 4.7 percent compared to the prior year,” Slome noted on the call with agents who market Medicare and long-term care insurance protection. “The recommendation is especially important because when it comes to long-term care people want to remain in their own home more than ever.”

Slome reminded the professionals that the Medicare.gov website specifically explains that Medicare does not pay for many home care services that are considered long-term care. “Educating people is the key to making sure that they are properly prepared for whatever the future brings,” Slome advised. “Can Medicare and Medicaid expenditures keep growing at levels that some say are not sustainable? That’s a reason people should underate a little of their own planning.”

The Association posted some of the highlights of data from the March 2022 Report to Congress from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). To learn more about Medicare home care information go to https://www.medicaresupp.org/does-medicare-cover-home-care/.

The American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance (AAMSI) and the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance advocate for the importance of planning. For more information, visit the organization’s websites at www.medicaresupp.org and www.aaltci.org.

American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance

Jesse R. Slome

818-597-3205

https://www.medicaresupp.org

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Cabinet approves Memorandum of Understanding between Competition Commission of India and Competition Commission of Mauritius

Dec 23, 2021 | Business


The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Competition Commission of Mauritius (CCM) for promotion and strengthening of co-operation in competition law and policy.


Implementation Strategy and Targets


The MoU aims to promote and strengthen cooperation in matters of competition law and policy through exchange of information, sharing of best practices and capacity building initiatives. It is intended to promote mutual co-operation in the areas of technical co-operation, experience sharing and enforcement co-operation. The resultant outcomes would benefit consumers at large and promote equity and inclusiveness.  


Impact:


The MoU between CCI and CCM is expected to:


(a)     Address anticompetitive restraints that affect international trade;


(b)      Improve enforcement of the Competition Act, 2002 by CCI;


(c)      Promote understanding of competition policy;


(d)      Capacity building;


(e)      Bring diplomatic benefits;


Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Competition Commission of India on the Indian side and Competition Commission of Mauritius on the other side would be major beneficiaries in this Memorandum of Understanding.


Background:


Section 18 of the Competition Act, 2002 permits CCI to enter into any memorandum or arrangement with any agency of any foreign country for the purpose of discharging its duties or performing its functions under the Act.


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DS/SKS




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Air Quality Commission orders immediate closure of NCR industries not running on gas/ Cleaner fuels in industrial areas despite availability of gas infrastructure and supply

Dec 8, 2021 | Business


Despite the measures taken in different sectors towards improvement of air quality of Delhi-NCR, the air quality still remains in ‘Very Poor’ to ‘Severe’ category. Keeping in view the need to enforce strict actions against the deteriorating air quality of the region, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) believes that there is an urgent need to take further preventive measures, as a matter of extreme emergency and abundant caution.


Taking a tough stand against the industries in industrial areas flouting the comprehensive policy directions for shifting of industries operating in NCR districts to PNG/ cleaner fuels the commission has issued directions for immediate closure of all such industries located in industrial areas where PNG infrastructure and supply are available but have still not switched over to PNG. As per the directions of the Commission, these violating industries/ industrial units will not be permitted to schedule their operations till 12.12.2021,and the position will be reviewed for further decisions.


In the Commission’s comprehensive policy Directions dated 12.08.2021 for shifting of industries operating in NCR Districts to PNG/ cleaner fuels, the State Governments of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) were directed to:


  • audit and inspect the industries which are already connected to PNG supply and ensure that those industries are not using any other polluting fuels like coal etc.


  • maintain strict vigil to prevent the use of unapproved fuels in the NCR, through the enforcement agencies concerned and take stringent action, in case of the defaulting units.


  • prepare an implementable Action plan by clearly specifying definite time lines for switching over of all identified industries units to PNG, where infrastructure and supply of gas are already available.


  • develop a time bound comprehensive action plan, in consultation with the authorized entities to supply gas in the industrial areas falling within the specified Geographical areas of NCR districts, for ensuring PNG and infrastructure supply in the remaining industrial areas.


As per the Commission’s Directions dated 16.11.2021 on steps for effective control of air pollution in the wake of prevailing air quality scenario in Delhi-NCR, all industries in the National Capital Region having gas connectivity shall be run only on gas, failing which industries concerned shall be closed.


It was also directed that all industries in NCR where gas connectivity is available shall immediately be shifted to gas and State Governments to furnish industry-wise date of shifting. Additionally, NCR State Governments and GNCTD were required to further set up effective enforcement mechanism including intensive and continuous drives by deputing adequate number of teams consisting of senior officers.


CAQM has also deputed Flying Squads for field visits and rigorous inspections of different sites contributing to deteriorating air quality of Delhi-NCR and reporting their compliance of the directions to the CAQM. The Commission is reviewing the progress on daily basis by holding the review meetings with the Flying Squads to take stock of the situation and take necessary punitive actions against the violators.


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GK




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Japan – European Commission Approves LENVIMA (lenvatinib) Plus KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) for Patients With Certain Types of Endometrial Carcinoma

Nov 29, 2021 | Business

Eisai Co., Ltd. and Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada) today announced that the European Commission has approved the combination of LENVIMA, the orally available multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor discovered by Eisai, plus KEYTRUDA, the anti-PD-1 therapy from Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A., for the treatment of advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma in adults who have disease progression on or following prior treatment with a platinum containing therapy in any setting and who are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation. This marks the first combination of tyrosine kinase inhibitor with immunotherapy approved in Europe for these patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma.

The approval is based on results from the pivotal Phase 3 Study 309/KEYNOTE-775 trial, in which LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA demonstrated statistically significant improvements in overall survival (OS), reducing the risk of death by 38% (HR=0.62 [95% CI, 0.51-0.75]; p
“This approval is welcome news for patients in Europe, and is based on the first Phase 3 study evaluating an immunotherapy and tyrosine kinase inhibitor combination that showed superior overall survival for patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer compared to chemotherapy,” said Dr. Gregory Lubiniecki, Vice President, Clinical Research, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. Research Laboratories. “Regardless of mismatch repair status, patients whose endometrial cancer progresses or returns after prior platinum-containing systemic therapies now have a combination treatment option in KEYTRUDA plus LENVIMA that demonstrated a 38% reduction in risk of death compared to chemotherapy alone.”

“Until recently, women in Europe with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer have faced a difficult prognosis and had few treatment options,” said Corina Dutcus, M.D., Vice President, Clinical Research, Oncology Business Group at Eisai Inc. “The approval of LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA in this setting reflects the progress that we have made in our collaboration with Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. in developing solutions for those diagnosed with difficult-to-treat cancers. We thank the patients, families and healthcare providers who made this milestone possible.”

In the Study 309 trial, the most common adverse reactions of these patients (>/=20%) for LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA* were hypertension (63%), diarrhoea (57%), hypothyroidism (56%), nausea (51%), decreased appetite (47%), vomiting (39%), fatigue (38%), decreased weight (35%), arthralgia (33%), proteinuria (29%), constipation (27%), headache (27%), urinary tract infection (27%), dysphonia (25%), abdominal pain (23%), asthenia (23%), palmar-plantar erythrodysaesthesia syndrome (23%), stomatitis (23%), anaemia (22%), and hypomagnesaemia (20%).

This approval allows marketing of LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA in all 27 EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Northern Ireland. LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA is now approved by the European Commission for two different types of cancer: for advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma in adults who have disease progression on or following prior treatment with a platinum containing therapy in any setting and who are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation and for the first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

*According to the information listed in the SmPC (Summary of Product Characteristics)

For more information, visit https://www.eisai.com/news/2021/news202193.html.

Copyright ©2021 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. A division of Japan Corporate News Network.

Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) holdscrucial emergency meet in wake of deteriorating air quality of the Delhi-NCR region

Nov 14, 2021 | Business

The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) convened a crucial meeting on an emergent basis today in wake of deteriorating air quality of the Delhi-NCR region. Apart from the order issued on 13.11.2021 after the 8th meeting of the Sub-Committee for GRAP, detailing various air pollution preventive measures and mitigation actions that need to be undertaken by the various agencies concerned across Delhi-NCR, the GRAP order has also advised States and concerned agencies to be in complete readiness for implementing ‘Emergency Measures’ as listed under Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

The adverse air quality scenario in Delhi-NCR as a combined result of paddy stubble burning, vehicular pollution, post-Diwali pollution, dip in temperature and other local factors, was also greatly impacted by a dust storm moving in from the South-Westerly directions of the Thar desert which brought in huge quantities of dust that further amplified the PM2.5 / PM10 levels significantly. Considering all different aspects causing a spike in the air pollution levels, the Commission during the meeting reiterated that the actions recommended by the orders of the Sub-Committee, shall be strictly implemented by the States.

The Commission has also identified 5 different areas contributing to the prevailing adverse air quality of Delhi-NCR that need better focus with intensified efforts by the concerned agencies of the State Governments of National Capital Region (NCR) and GNCTD. These areas are:

  • Control of paddy stubble burning incidences;
  • Control of dust from Construction and Demolition (C&D) activities;
  • Control of dust from roads and open areas;
  • Vehicular Pollution; and
  • Industrial Pollution

CAQM has pulled out all the stops in the battle against air pollution. The Commission, from time to time, has been advising various policy initiatives and actions directed towards improvement of air quality in the region. From issuing 43 Directions and 7 Advisories to regularly holding meetings with the concerned departments of the State Governments and other concerned agencies of NCR, CAQM has been pro-actively taking stock of efforts taken by the respective states towards abatement of air pollution.

CAQM is of the view that there is a vital need for regular assessments by senior level management in the State Governments and the agencies concerned so as to be well aware of the visible impact of the efforts initiated on-ground towards improvement of air quality in Delhi-NCR.

While soliciting views from the State Governments of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (U.P.), the Commission advised the concerned departments to consider similar restrictions/ regulations in the respective NCR districts as implemented by GNCTD through its order on 13.11.2021 which includes, inter alia, closure of schools up to 20th November, 2021 and closure of C&D activities from 14th – 17th November.

Further, the State Governments and District Administrations in the NCR States were also suggested to issue a Citizen Charter / Advisory for general public including various steps that need to be taken during various stages/ categories of the GRAP Action Plan. The Commission also reiterated the need for extra vigilance and concerted measures in various sectors that immediately and adversely impact the air quality.

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GK

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