“I have been known on occasion to howl at the moon.” This may be what the drunk California teenager said to the cops after he was arrested this week for suspected criminal activity in a driverless Waymo car. [Pause here for the realization that this is how kids get in trouble these days – isn’t drinking inside a driverless car safer than the old-fashioned ways of drinking and driving?] Instead, this is a line spoken by Kevin Costner who plays a veteran minor league catcher in Bull Durham, the classic 1988 film about life, love, and baseball. The whole movie is about mentoring a young and talented player so he can have a bright future in the big leagues. This is the theme I will explore in the One Thoughtful Paragraph, because health policy also makes way for new and better things.
Other new and better things in the news this week:
- ONC finalized its newest and better-est USCDI+ Maternal Health dataset updates, as well as a new Postpartum Transition of Care Use Case, to standardize and improve maternal health data interoperability. New mothers need all the help they can get.
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an HHS subdivision, announced over $281 million in new and better funding opportunities as part of the Trump administration’s Great American Recovery Initiative. Funding opportunities support addressing trauma, mental illness, substance use prevention, and addiction treatment, among other behavioral health needs.
“You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Lollygaggers!” This is what the coach says in Bull Durham to fire up his players who are losing a lot of games. Fun fact: Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins met on the set of Bull Durham, stayed together for 23 years, created two sons together, and then amicably parted ways. Medicare also lollygagged for 23 years before shifting into something new. Like in the latest hospital payment proposed rule, CMS is considering a temporary way to pay for hospitals’ use of some medical devices and lab test analyses because the old ways no longer make sense. The agency needs some time and data to lollygag into a whole new way of paying for AI-supported software that is helping physicians diagnose and treat patients. This is exactly like the movie Bull Durham: Kevin Costner temporarily mentors the rookie Tim Robbins in the minor leagues, so Tim Robbins can go to the majors, and Kevin Costner can retire. But reading about a new payment methodology on pages 447-462 of the Hospital OPPS proposed rule is not as fun as watching Bull Durham. So, for now, just trust that this part of the proposed rule is a thoughtful attempt to shift from old to new ways of paying for the future of medical services. In the meantime, go watch this good movie that will allow your brain to continue to lollygag this summer with lines like this: “This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes… it rains.”
One thing you shouldn’t lollygag on: register for our inaugural ACCESS Collaborative webinar on July 22nd
