House Committee Calls Out Fading Antipsychotic Campaign
On January 22, Richard E. Neal, the Chairperson of the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives, took aim at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ nursing home antipsychotic reduction campaign – calling the recent data on antipsychotic use “extremely disappointing.” Representative Neal’s letter is remarkable not only for its clear disapproval of the campaign’s lack of progress, but also for its insightful understanding of why the campaign is failing. The letter begins by pointing out that progress in reducing the use of antipsychotics in nursing homes has stalled.