In This Issue:

Leading the News; Implementation of the Affordable Care Act; Other HHS and Federal Regulatory Initiatives; Other Congressional and State Initiatives; Other Health Care News; and Hearings and Mark-Ups Scheduled.

Excerpt from Leading the News -

On October 16th the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent agents to the New England Compounding Center (NECC) to investigate the recent outbreak of meningitis caused by a contaminated medicine created by the NECC. Officials acknowledged the investigation but said it would be premature to suggest potential results. An article on the investigation can be read here. On October 17th Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Ranking Member Henry Waxman (D-CA) and other members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg requesting all documentation relating to the agency’s interactions with the NECC since 2004.

On October 16th Representative Edward Markey (D-MA) wrote to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and requested that the New England Compounding Center (NECC) be investigated for alleged violations in the sale of controlled substances. The letter from Rep.