January 2025
ASH Sends Letter to Trump Transition Team re Hematology Priorities
On December 19, ASH sent a letter to the Trump transition team on opportunities to collaborate on health priorities relating to hematology. The Society encouraged the transition team to support policies related to addressing barriers among people with sickle cell disease (SCD), including support of the Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Care Act and strengthening federal programs to collect data on SCD. Additionally, ASH encouraged the transition team to support biomedical research through robust funding for the NIH and federal agencies. Other priorities ASH touched upon include drug shortages, maternal health, physician payment reform, access to innovative therapies, prior authorization, and telehealth. Read more here. 
Congress Passes Short-Term Spending Bill 
More than a quarter way into the current fiscal year (FY), 2025 spending bills have stalled in Congress, forcing the passage of multiple continuing resolutions (CRs) to temporarily extend funding for federal programs and agencies and allow the government to remain open. The most recent CR, which was enacted in late December just prior to the end of the 118th Congress, extends funding for federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through March 14, 2025. With the start of the new Congress earlier this month, the House and Senate will have to restart negotiations to pass spending bills for fiscal year (FY) 2025.
ASH is continuing to work with members of the biomedical research community to advocate for a robust investment in NIH for the remainder of FY 2025 and beyond. However, your elected officials also need to hear from you. Grassroots support is critical to show your elected officials the importance of sustained and predictable NIH funding. Simply visit the ASH Advocacy Center, enter your contact information, and click “Submit Email” to quickly and easily send a message to your elected officials.
CMS Releases Updated Guidance for Using G2211 – Complex Patient Care Add-on Code
Beginning January 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented new payment policy pertaining to HCPCS code G2211 Visit complexity inherent to evaluation and management associated with medical care services that serve as the continuing focal point for all needed health care services and/or with medical care services that are part of ongoing care related to a patient's single, serious condition or a complex condition. (Add-on code, list separately in addition to office/outpatient evaluation and management visit, new or established). 
The new policy, finalized in the 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule, allows payment for G2211 even if modifier -25 is used to indicate that an evaluation and management (E/M) service is significant and separately identifiable from other allowed Part B services performed on the same date. Prior to this change, G2211 was not payable when a claim had the -25 modifier appended to the E/M service. The allowed services include Part B preventive services, immunization administration, and annual wellness visits.
CMS released guidance to assist providers, and other stakeholders in appropriate billing for G2211. The guidance includes a  and a  of allowed Part B preventative services that are captured under the policy.
Dr. Monica Bertagnolli Steps Down as NIH Director
On January 14, Dr. Monica Bertagnolli that she would step down as Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) effective January 17, 2025. Dr. Bertagnolli had served as NIH Director since November 2023. She previously served as Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) between October 2022 and November 2023.
President Trump previously announced the nomination of Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, to serve as NIH Director under his administration. Dr. Bhattacharya, who is currently a professor of health policy at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute and Stanford School of Medicine, must be confirmed by the Senate before he officially takes office as NIH Director.
In the interim, NIH that Matthew J. Memoli, MD, MS, who previously served as Director of the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases (LID) Clinical Studies Unit within the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), will be serving as Acting NIH Director as Dr. Bhattacharya awaits confirmation by the Senate. Dr. Memoli. Dr. Memoli received his Master’s degree in microbiology from Thomas Jefferson University, and his MD from St. George’s University School of Medicine. Before serving at NIH, Dr. Memoli completed residency in internal medicine at the Washington Hospital Center Georgetown University Internal Medicine Program in Washington DC.