The Biden administration on Sept. 26 unveiled a suite of new efforts to combat gun violence, including directives to ensure healthcare providers are reimbursed for firearm safety counseling.
During a ceremony at the White House, President Joe Biden signed an executive order meant to improve active shooter drills in schools and minimize the trauma associated with them. The order also establishes a task force to assess emerging threats posed by firearms without serial numbers, or ghost guns, and machine gun conversion devices.
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were joined by survivors of gun violence, local and state officials and advocates at the White House for the signing ceremony. Among them was Chethan Sathya, MD, a pediatric trauma surgeon and director of Northwell Health's Center for Gun Violence Prevention.
In addition to the executive order, federal leaders announced several other actions to mitigate gun violence. Three healthcare takeaways:
- By the end of October, CMS will clarify that states may use Medicaid funds to reimburse healthcare providers for counseling patients on firearm safety and injury prevention. This builds on existing coverage that Medicaid provides for "anticipatory guidance" — which refers to broader health education and counseling where providers discuss potential risks to children's health with parents and caregivers.
In a LinkedIn post following the ceremony, Dr. Sathya commended the new federal efforts:
"It was a huge moment for many in the gun violence prevention movement because as a result of their efforts, POTUS, VP and the incredible White House Office for Gun Prevention team signed a number of life saving policies — including a number we have been advocating for that are focused on healthcare, such as reimbursements for safe storage counseling and violence intervention," he wrote. - CMS is also working to ensure that Medicaid can be used to support hospital-based and community violence intervention programs, the White House said. The agency is exploring ways to support states in integrating Medicaid benefits into their violence prevention strategies. Separately, the Department of Justice is allocating $85 million to support 30 agencies and organizations, including hospitals, to advance community violence intervention work.
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will release a set of resources this fall to support individuals and communities affected by gun violence. SAMHSA, a division of HHS, will share best practices for local violence prevention offices and a toolkit for community leaders.