The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued the calendar year (CY) 2020 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) final rule. It addresses payment to hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), including payment rates for blood components. Laboratory date of service (DOS) exception policy. The rule finalized the categorical exemption of…
Read MoreAmerica’s Blood Centers (ABC) encourages the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to continue to assess the impact of the Final Guidance issued on Bacterial Risk Control Strategies for Blood Collection Establishments and Transfusion Services to Enhance the Safety and Availability of Platelets for Transfusion Guidance for Industry. While the Final Guidance took an important step…
Read MoreOn behalf of the over six hundred innovators, patient groups, physicians, hospitals, venture capitalists and other stakeholders signed below representing millions of patients and hundreds of thousands medical technology jobs, we respectfully request that Congress prioritize repeal of the medical device excise tax before it causes any more harm to the innovation ecosystem. While the…
Read MoreAABB, America’s Blood Centers and the American Red Cross welcome the opportunity to submit comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to the proposed rule related to the hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) published in the Federal Register on August 9, 2019. Collectively, our organizations represent the nation’s blood…
Read MoreA joint initiative between the America’s Blood Centers (ABC) Policy Council and Scientific, Medical, and Technical Committee, this paper confirms the role of a safe and robust blood supply to the overall U.S. healthcare system and highlights areas that warrant further attention and support. Topics focus on current challenges, clinical value of blood, areas of…
Read MoreBlood donation is a safe and common activity that meets a critically important community need. When adverse events occur, most are mild and consist primarily of hematomas and vasovagal reactions (VVRs). VVRs are particularly frequent in teenage donors and there has been an increased effort to research and reduce these events. VVRs can occur from…
Read MoreOn behalf of the undersigned groups representing the nation’s blood collection establishments, transfusion services, and transfusion medicine professionals, we request that as you review the federal advisory committees as required by the Executive Order issued on June 14, 2019, you support the current structure of two distinct federal advisory committees charged with making recommendations related to the safety and availability of our nation’s blood supply.
Read MoreThe National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has included blood donation in their 2019 Congressional Public Service Announcement (PSA) Campaign. NAB has hosted the Congressional PSA Campaign in off-election years since 1985. All members of Congress and their family members were invited to participate in the campaign. Radio and television broadcasters have the option to air…
Read MoreThe undersigned organizations appreciate the opportunity to submit comments to the ACBSCT. Collectively, our organizations represent cord blood banks and individuals in the cord blood community, such as physicians and other healthcare providers, researchers and professionals in cord blood banking and transplantation. We are submitting this letter with a request to be added to the…
Read MoreThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced late today that they have extended the enforcement discretion period with respect to the laboratory date of service exception policy (14-Day rule for Advanced Laboratory Tests). The enforcement discretion is extended for 6 months until January 2, 2020. CMS’s announcement is accompanied by a questions and…
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