Appropriations Update. As appropriators continue to finalize the 12 funding bills for fiscal year (FY) 2024 – which began on October 1, 2023 – a series of stopgap CRs have been needed to avoid a government shutdown. This...more
3/4/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Payment Systems ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
SAMHSA ,
Senate Banking Committee ,
Senate Committees
Senate HELP Committee Releases HIPAA Modernization White Paper: Sen. Cassidy (R-LA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee, released a white paper entitled “Strengthening Health...more
2/26/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Data Privacy ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
GAO ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
HELP Act ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Senate Committees ,
U.S. House
House Energy and Commerce Committee Holds Hearing on Healthcare Costs. The hearing included discussion on what factors are causing cost increases for individuals, for the healthcare sector, and for federal health programs...more
2/2/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicare Advantage ,
Medicare Part D ,
Mental Health ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
SAMHSA ,
Senate Committees ,
Substance Abuse ,
Telehealth ,
U.S. House
A few weeks ago, Regs & Eggs highlighted the major issues that McDermott+Consulting is monitoring this year – and the implementation of the president’s executive order (EO) on artificial intelligence (AI) was definitely part...more
2/1/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Biden Administration ,
Deadlines ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Executive Orders ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Machine Learning ,
New Legislation ,
ONC ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Technology
Senate Finance Chair Continues Inquiry into MA Marketing Techniques. Chairman Wyden (D-OR) sent letters to five third-party marketing organizations that participate in the MA enrollment period. The letters seek information on...more
1/29/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Long-Term Care ,
Medicare Advantage ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Senate Committees ,
U.S. House
Congress Works to Meet Imminent Funding Deadlines. Speaker of the House Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader Schumer (D-NY) announced an agreement on top-line spending levels to fund the government for the remainder of...more
1/15/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Definition ,
Employees ,
Final Rules ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Independent Contractors ,
Mental Health ,
OCR ,
Religious Discrimination ,
SAMHSA ,
Senate Committees
Congress Returns Next Week to Face Imminent Funding Deadlines. The Senate will return to session on January 8, and the House will return on January 9. Lawmakers face an immediate time crunch on FY 2024 appropriations, as the...more
1/8/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Enrollment ,
GAO ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medical Devices ,
Medicare ,
OMB ,
Physician Fee Schedule
House Passes Healthcare Legislation. The House brought two key bipartisan healthcare bills to the floor this week. The Lower Costs, More Transparency Act (H.R. 5378) was approved by a vote of 320–71, and the Support for...more
12/18/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
GAO ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
HELP ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Privacy Laws ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Senate Committees ,
Technology Sector ,
U.S. House
Senate Finance Committee Examines Drug Shortages. The hearing addressed concerns and explored potential solutions related to drug shortages in the United States, particularly focusing on essential medications. The hearing...more
12/11/2023
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
HELP ,
March-in-Rights ,
NIST ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Price Transparency ,
Request For Information ,
Telehealth ,
U.S. Commerce Department
CONGRESS -
House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Examines AI. The hearing explored the transformative potential of AI in healthcare, acknowledging its promise in enhancing efficiency, improving patient care and...more
12/4/2023
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Senate Committees ,
U.S. House
It’s Thanksgiving week, so instead of eating eggs with your regs, you should sit back, relax and reflect on the regs you are thankful for as you eat your turkey legs (or whatever you enjoy on Thanksgiving). Many of the...more
11/21/2023
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Digital Health ,
Final Rules ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) ,
Medicare ,
Mental Health ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
No Surprises Act (NSA) ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Telehealth
CONGRESS -
Senate Finance Committee Holds Markup on Better Mental Health Care, Lower-Cost Drugs, and Extenders Act. The bipartisan package includes Medicare and Medicaid extenders, provisions to expand the mental health...more
11/10/2023
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Hospitals ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicare ,
Mental Health ,
National Institute of Health (NIH) ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Senate Committees ,
Telehealth ,
U.S. House
A few weeks ago, Regs & Eggs discussed the constant give and take between federal agencies and Congress as they both work on overlapping policies and objectives. The major regs released last week provide an excellent example...more
11/9/2023
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Price Transparency ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Senate Committees ,
Telehealth ,
U.S. House
On October 30, 2023, the White House released a long-awaited Executive Order (EO) on the “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence.” The EO acknowledges the transformative potential of AI...more
11/1/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Biden Administration ,
Data Security ,
Executive Orders ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Innovative Technology ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Privacy Laws ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Technology
CONGRESS -
House Republicans Elect New Speaker. After weeks of turmoil, the House elected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) as the new Speaker of the House on Wednesday with 220 votes secured on the floor. The House is now able to...more
10/30/2023
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
HELP Act ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
Legislative Agendas ,
National Institute of Health (NIH) ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Senate Committees ,
U.S. House
CONGRESS -
House Republicans Still Unable to Elect New Speaker. As of publication of this newsletter, the House has held three roll call votes this week to elect a new speaker, with Rep. Jordan (R-OH) failing all three...more
CONGRESS -
House Republicans Working to Elect New Speaker. On October 11, House Majority Leader Scalise won the Republican Conference’s nomination to become Speaker of the House after last week’s motion to vacate Speaker...more
The bumpy road toward implementing the No Surprises Act took another turn last Friday, October 6, 2023. The US Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor and the Treasury (collectively, the Departments) provided...more
10/12/2023
/ Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
No Surprises Act (NSA) ,
Out-of-Pocket Expenses ,
Payment Systems ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
U.S. Treasury
THIS WEEK’S DOSE -
Uncharted Territory in the House: The House voted to remove Rep. McCarthy (R-CA) as Speaker of the House, then recessed until at least October 11, when the House is slated to reconvene to elect a new...more
10/9/2023
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Extensions ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Laboratory Developed Tests ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
Over The Counter Drugs (OTC) ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Preventive Health Care ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Request For Information ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine ,
Temporary Regulations ,
U.S. Treasury
CONGRESS -
Senators Sanders and Marshall Release Bipartisan Primary Care and Health Workforce Act. Released on September 14, the legislation would reauthorize funding for a number of healthcare workforce programs that are...more
9/20/2023
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
DEA ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicare ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Proposed Legislation ,
U.S. House
CONGRESS -
House Republicans Release Healthcare Package. On September 6, House Republicans unveiled the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, a draft package of healthcare transparency provisions, pharmacy benefit manager...more
9/11/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
CMMI ,
Congressional Committees ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Drug Pricing ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
HELP ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
Long-Term Care ,
New Legislation ,
Over-Time ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Proposed Rules ,
Request For Information ,
Rural Health Care Program ,
Transparency
The House and Senate were both in session this week, with healthcare activity at the committee level. The House Ways and Means Committee held a markup focused on healthcare transparency and consolidation legislation. The...more
7/28/2023
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Inpatient Rehab Facilities ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medical Bills ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Senate Committees ,
Senate Finance Committee ,
Transparency ,
U.S. House
The House and Senate were both in session this week, with healthcare activity at the committee level. The House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on innovation and a markup of 15 healthcare bills. The Senate...more
7/24/2023
/ Billing ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
HELP Act ,
Legislative Agendas ,
MCOs ,
Medicare ,
Proposed Legislation ,
SAMHSA ,
Senate Committees ,
Technology ,
Telehealth ,
U.S. House ,
Vaccinations
The House and Senate returned from recess, beginning a three-week sprint toward the August break. The House Education and the Workforce Committee held a markup of a bipartisan healthcare package of four bills. The House...more
7/14/2023
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Senate Committees ,
U.S. House
During this session, panelists offered insights into the regulatory action, rulemaking and legislation shaping the future of digital health, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI), data privacy and the end of...more
6/19/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Data Privacy ,
Digital Health ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Telehealth