2009-12-17

Congresses Passes Final FY 2010 NIH Funding Bill
Congress has approved a fiscal year (FY) 2010 omnibus spending package (HR 3288) that includes funding for all federal programs funded through the Labor-Health and Human Services-Education appropriations bill, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The conference agreement includes $31 billion in funding for NIH, a $691.8 million (2.3 percent) increase over final FY 2009 funding. Read more.

Senators Struggle to Get Votes Needed to Pass Health Reform Bill
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) continues to negotiate with Democrats in the Senate to reach a compromise on health reform legislation that will garner the 60 votes necessary for Senate passage. Read more.

ASH Supports Clinical Trials Coverage Amendment to Senate Health Reform Bill
Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) have introduced an amendment to the Senate health reform bill (HR 3590) currently under consideration to require coverage of routine patient costs associated with clinical trial participation. ASH has supported this amendment. Read more.

Congress Planning to Avert Medicare Physician Fee Cut Through Temporary Measure in Department of Defense Appropriations BillCongress plans to include a measure in the Department of Defense (DOD) spending bill that will prevent the 21 percent Medicare physician fee cut from taking effect through February 26, 2010. Read more.

CMS Provides Guidance on How to Handle the Elimination of Consultation Codes – Effective January 1, 2010; Act Now to Urge Your Senators to Delay Elimination of the Consultation Codes
Effective January 1, 2010, consultation codes will no longer be recognized for Medicare Part B Fee for Service payment. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has provided instructions on how to code for the services that were previously identified as consultations. Additionally, Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) will be offering an amendment to the health reform bill that would prohibit the elimination of consultation codes until January 1, 2011. ASH urges all members to visit the ASH Advocacy Center to send an e-mail to their Senators in support of the amendment. Read more.

First Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines Approved for Use Under New NIH Guidelines
On December 3, NIH Director Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, announced the approval of the first 13 human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines for use in NIH-funded research under the NIH Guidelines for Human Stem Cell Research adopted in July 2009. Read more.

Register Today for the National Conference on Blood Disorders in Public Health
ASH, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Division of Blood Disorders, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, are hosting the first National Conference on Blood Disorders in Public Health on March 9-11, 2010 in Atlanta, GA. The purpose of this conference is to serve as the catalyst for developing a nationally recognized public health framework for promoting the health of and improving outcomes among people at risk for or affected by a non-malignant blood disorder. To learn more and register today visit the conference Web site.

CDC Launches New Blood Disorders Listserv
CDC has created a new Blood Disorders Listserv in an effort to improve and streamline communication among individuals working on blood disorders, including information about conferences, publications, and funding opportunities. Read more.

NIH Office of Extramural Research Releases December 2009 Newsletter
The NIH Office of Extramural Research has released its December 2009 newsletter, which includes information on new application forms and instructions for grants with dues dates on or after January 25, 2010. Read more.