Administration announces Medicare trial payment program for dementia care

Reuters (7/31, Satija) reports that the administration “said on Monday it would trial a new payment program for people who provide dementia care coordination services for patients covered by the Medicare health plan.” This “program includes services such as personalized assessments, care plans for patients as well as 24/7 access to a support line.” The new “pilot program will test a per-patient per-month amount payment model for people who provide support services to patients with dementia.”

The Hill (7/31, Choi) reports, “In the GUIDE care model, participating providers will establish dementia care programs through which they will assign people with dementia and their caregivers to ‘care navigators’ who will help them in accessing services and support. Unpaid caregivers would also be connected with training programs and education on best practices.” According to the plan, “Medicare Part B-enrolled providers who are able to bill for Medicare Physician Fee Schedule services and agree to the requirements of the GUIDE model are eligible to apply.”

Modern Healthcare (7/31, Tepper, Subscription Publication) reports that the eight-year program “seeks to keep Medicare enrollees outside of long-term care facilities by extending a package of local care coordination and management and caregiver education and support services.”

Related Links:

— “US announces trial payment program for care providers of dementia patients,”Bhanvi Satija, Reuters, July 31, 2023

Nearly A Quarter Of Drivers Between The Ages Of 16 And 20 Years Who Have Used Cannabis In The Past Year Have Driven Under The Influence Of The Drug, Study Indicates

Psychiatric News (7/31) reports, “Nearly a quarter of drivers between the ages of 16 and 20 years who have used cannabis in the past year have driven under the influence of the drug,” investigators concluded after examining “data from 12,863 drivers aged 16 to 20 years who participated in the 2020 and 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.” The study revealed that “overall, more people in this age group reported driving under the influence of cannabis than under the influence of alcohol.” The findings were published online July 28 in the journal Addictive Behaviors.

Related Links:

— “More Youth Drive Under the Influence of Cannabis Than Alcohol, Psychiatric News, July 31, 2023

Medical Experts Acknowledge Marijuana Addiction Is Real

According to the Washington Post (7/31, Ovalle, Nirappil), with the widespread legalization of marijuana, “many experts believe that most people can use it without significant negative consequences, not unlike enjoying occasional alcoholic drinks.” Yet, for some people, “the struggles to quit are real and complicated by the powerful cultural perception that marijuana is natural and therapeutic, not a substance that can be addicting.” Now, however, “medical experts and even many proponents of legalized marijuana acknowledge it can be addictive.” In fact, research published eight years ago in JAMA Psychiatry “found that nearly three in 10 users in 2012-2013 experienced cannabis use disorder.”

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

Deaths tied to excessive alcohol consumption rising in U.S., especially among women

NBC News (7/28, Carroll) reported, “Deaths related to excessive alcohol consumption are rapidly rising in the United States, especially among women, a…study finds.” Although “drinking is still killing more men than women, the rate of alcohol-related deaths is rising faster among women, according to the report published…in JAMA Network Open.”

Related Links:

— “More women in the U.S. are drinking themselves to death, research finds,”Linda Carroll, NBC News, July 28, 2023

Based On Mounting Evidence Of Negative Health Impact, Physicians Increasingly Discouraging E-Cigarette Use

According to ABC News (7/30, Oje), physicians “are increasingly discouraging people from using e-cigarettes given the mounting evidence about the significant negative health impact of vaping – even as a smoking cessation tool.” For example, “for current smokers, ‘there are other very powerful, safe and FDA approved interventions,’” said Petros Levounis, MD, MA, President of the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “Doctors increasingly discourage vaping amid mounting health concerns,”Dr. Adesola Oje, ABC News, July 30, 2023

Remotely Administered Urine Drug Screening Feasible In Patients With OUD Receiving Buprenorphine In Remote Care Settings, Study Indicates

MedPage Today (7/28, DePeau-Wilson) reported, “Remotely administered urine drug screening was found to be feasible in patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) who were receiving buprenorphine in remote care settings,” investigators concluded.

Psychiatric News (7/28) reported, “Urine drug screening of people in treatment for” OUD “is feasible and reliable via telehealth,” investigators concluded in the findings of a 3,395-adult study published online July 28 in JAMA Health Forum.

Related Links:

MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

FDA Approves Nonprescription Nasal Spray For Emergency Treatment Of Opioid Overdose

Healio (7/28, Volansky) reported that the FDA approved “an over-the-counter, nonprescription RiVive (naloxone hydrochloride) nasal spray for emergency treatment of opioid overdose.” This marks “the second nonprescription naloxone product approved by the FDA.”

Reuters (7/28) reported that the manufacturer Harm Reduction “said it anticipates that RiVive will be available early next year, primarily to harm-reduction organizations and state governments.” The not-for-profit drugmaker also “said it would make at least 200,000 doses available for free.”

The Hill (7/28, Weixel) and Pharmacy Times (7/28) also reported.

Related Links:

— “FDA approves nonprescription nasal spray for opioid overdose,”Rob Volansky, Healio, July 28, 2023

Poor Mental, Social Health Linked To Worse Asthma Outcomes In Children, Study Finds

Healio (7/27, Gawel) reports, “Children with poor measures of mental and social health also experienced poor respiratory outcomes following intensive care use for asthma, according to a study.” The findings were published online in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.

Related Links:

— “Poor mental, social health associated with worse asthma outcomes in children,”Richard Gawel, Healio, July 27, 2023

Bipartisan Measure Seeks To Heighten Fentanyl Test Strip Access

NBC News (7/27, Tsirkin) reports, “A bipartisan group of lawmakers is working to address the staggering number of opioid overdoses nationwide, with two-thirds of drug overdose deaths last year caused by synthetic opioids like fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” On Thursday, “Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Chris Coons, D-Del., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., introduced legislation aimed at expanding access to fentanyl test strips.” The legislation “would clarify the federal drug paraphernalia statute to exclude the test strips, potentially life-saving tools that remain criminalized in many states.”

Related Links:

— “A new bipartisan bill aims to increase access to fentanyl test strips amid overdose deaths,”Julie Tsirkin, NBC News, July 27, 2023

In 2022, Gun Suicides In The US Reached An All-Time High, Data Indicate

USA Today (7/27, Hauck) reports, “Gun suicides reached an all-time high in the United States in 2022, and the gun suicide rate among Black teens surpassed that of white teens for the first time on record,” according to “newly-released provisional data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions in Baltimore.” In addition, guns “remained the leading cause of death for children and teens, marking the fifth straight year that firearms have claimed the lives of more minors than any other cause, including car crashes and cancer.” The provision data are “based on information from death certificates.”

Related Links:

— “‘A hidden epidemic’: Gun suicides reached an all-time high in the US in 2022,”Grace Hauck, USA TODAY, July 27, 2023