On February 14, 2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), outlined a new model for emergency medical triage, treatment, and transportation services. CMS will offer Medicare reimbursement through the new model to transport patients to hospital emergency departments as well as other destinations appropriate to patient needs, such as primary care physicians and urgent care clinics.

On February 11, 2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), released proposed rules on appropriate access, exchange, and use of data obtained through electronic health records. ONC’s proposed rules would implement provisions in Title IV of the 21st Century Cures Act, which prohibits improper technical barriers to information exchange, often referred to as “information blocking.”

On November 13, 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a letter to state Medicaid directors outlining a wide range of opportunities for states to design innovative delivery systems for adults and children with serious mental health conditions.

On October 24, 2018, the President signed H.R. 6, the Support for Patients and Communities Act. The new legislation contains amendments to Medicaid, Medicare, and other federal laws to address the opioid crisis.