POLITICAL:

New bipartisan legislation, the BIO Preparedness Workforce Act proposes to address retention and recruitment in the U.S. health care systems by establishing a new student loan repayment program for those seeking to work as health professionals.

ECONOMIC:

The state of Washington mandated hospital and nursing home staff receive COVID-19 vaccines and subsequently lost 2% of its health care workers. This may foreshadow the impact of the federal vaccination mandates, which take effect in January 2022.

TECHNOLOGY:

2021 has been a notable year for U.S. efforts toward interoperability. This nationwide exchange of data has included gathering information about the spread of COVID-19 and reporting back to the CDC, but there has been additional progress toward the wider goals of free-flowing health information to improve care.

Professional Development:

How to avoid these all-too-common mistakes in your email communications.

LEGAL:

The fight is intensifying over the federal ban on surprise billing set to take effect on January 1, 2022. Provider groups object to what they say is favoring of insurers, while consumer groups support the current proposed arbitration process.

ENVIRONMENTAL:

As part of the COP26 Health Program and the United Nations Climate Change Summit, governments of 50 countries have pledged to reduce the impact of their healthcare systems on the climate. Statistics show the healthcare industry is the fifth largest contributor of global greenhouse gas emissions.

SOCIAL:

Over 1.6 million people have signed up for 2022 coverage in the two weeks since the beginning of ACA open enrollment. The figures so far mirror 2021, despite the Biden administration’s push to increase participation.