Illinois Healthcare Transformation 1115 Waiver Annual Public Forum

The Illinois Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) will hold a virtual public forum on Friday, Oct. 3 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. CT to provide updates on the progress of Illinois' Healthcare Transformation 1115 waiver and solicit public comments. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requires Illinois to hold this annual forum as part of the waiver requirements.

This 1115 waiver, approved through June 30, 2029, allows the state to secure additional Medicaid resources and spending flexibilities with a focus on addressing social determinants of health. The waiver covers health-related social needs (HRSN) such as housing support, violence prevention and intervention services, pre-release services for incarcerated individuals, and the extension of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services. The forum will include program updates on SUD services, HRSN implementation planning, and pre-release/re-entry implementation planning.

HFS recently paused implementation of working groups following the passage of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), to understand the impact of Medicaid cuts and how they will impact the budget, timing, and roll-out of waiver services. Waiver programs may be impacted by the state budget and Congress' OBBBA cuts. HFS has continued internal planning activities, including the detailed system development and back-end set up that will be required to stand up any of the 1115 waiver Healthcare Transformation services. Workgroups, including the Health Care Provider Workgroup, are set to resume implementation coordination activities this fall.

Individuals seeking to provide oral comments on the public forum must pre-register by emailing [email protected] by 5 p.m. on Oct. 1. Written comments may be submitted through Oct. 15 to [email protected]. To register for the WebEx meeting, click here.

White House Releases 'Make Our Children Healthy Again' Report

Yesterday, the Trump Administration released its "Make Our Children Healthy Again" strategy report intended to improve children's health by addressing childhood chronic diseases. The report identified four potential drivers behind the rise in childhood chronic disease that the Make America Healthy Again Commission say present the "clearest opportunities for progress," including poor diet, chemical exposure found in the environment, lack of physical activity, chronic stress, and overmedicalization and unnecessary treatments. In response, the report outlines 128 recommendations focused on policy reform, research into chronic disease prevention, deregulation, raising public awareness and public-private sector collaboration.

President Signs Memo Targeting Pharmaceutical Misinformation in Ads

As part of an effort to ensure "transparency and accuracy" in direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising, yesterday President Donald Trump signed a memo directing U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take "appropriate action" to improve the amount of information regarding risks associated with the use of prescription drugs that is included in prescription drug advertisements. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was also directed to enforce federal drug advertising provisions to ensure the ads are truthful and do not contain misleading information.

The memo noted that, "These advertisements can mislead the public about the risks and benefits, encourage medications over lifestyle changes, inappropriately intervene in the physician-patient relationship, and advantage expensive drugs over cheaper generics." An FDA news release said that yesterday it sent thousands of letters warning pharmaceutical companies to remove misleading ads and issued approximately 100 cease-and-desist letters to companies with deceptive ads.

CDC COCA Call: Clinician Update on U.S. Measles Cases and Outbreaks

This year, record-breaking numbers of U.S. measles cases and outbreaks have been reported, despite measles being declared eliminated in 2000. While the risk of widespread measles remains low for the general population due to high population-level immunity, measles importations continue to occur.

During a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Call, presenters will discuss the current epidemiology of measles in the United States and address the most common questions from clinicians about preventing, identifying, and testing for measles. Presenters will also summarize measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination recommendations and considerations. Click here to join the call tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 11 from 1-2 p.m. CT. Registration is not required.

If you are unable to attend the live session of this COCA Call, the closed-captioned video and transcript will be available on the COCA Call webpage approximately one week after the live session. The slide deck will be available on the day of the call on the COCA Call webpage under "Webinar." Free continuing education credit will be offered for this COCA Call.