The courts continue to play an important role in health policy. 2020 saw several notable lawsuits related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Several other Trump administration policies were challenged, including Medicare...more
8/10/2021
/ 1332 Waiver ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Health Insurance ,
Individual Mandate ,
Medicaid ,
Popular ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Section 340B ,
US v Texas
This week in Washington: Infrastructure deal struck, but it still has a long road ahead to passage; Senate Budget Committee discussed draft resolution with health initiatives included....more
This week in Washington: President Biden Announces American Families Plan Vision in Speech to Joint Session of Congress....more
This week in Washington: Andrea Palm’s nomination for HHS Deputy Secretary Advances out of Senate Finance Committee, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure’s nomination deadlocked....more
4/27/2021
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Medicare ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Rules ,
Skilled Nursing Facility
Congress -
House -
Representatives Propose a Permanent Extension of CHIP Funding -
The House Energy and Commerce Committee is looking at ways to strengthen the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and expand Medicaid coverage. A...more
3/30/2021
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Medicare ,
OMB ,
Popular ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Telehealth ,
Vaccinations
This week in Washington: Becerra confirmed 50-49 to be Secretary of Health and Human Services...more
3/23/2021
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Medicare Part D ,
Nursing Homes ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Vaccinations
2020 saw the courts continuing to play an important role in health policy with several notable lawsuits related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Several other Trump administration policies were challenged, including Medicare...more
2/2/2021
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Association Health Plans ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Section 1557 ,
Section 340B ,
Take Care Clause
This week in Washington: Congress passes funding bill for an additional week to come up with full-year spending legislation to avoid a government shutdown....more
House -
Democrats Ask GAO to Investigate Legality of President Trump’s Medicare Drug Gift Cards -
On Oct. 13, House Energy & Commerce Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ), House Ways & Means Chair Richard Neal (D-MA) and Senate...more
10/20/2020
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Medicare ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Section 340B ,
Trump Administration ,
Vaccinations
This week in Washington: Negotiations for COVID-19 stimulus package are ongoing; House and Senate are in recess....more
10/13/2020
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part D ,
OIG ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Section 340B
This week in Washington: The Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government until Dec. 11 was signed by President Trump; House passes COVID-19 stimulus bill....more
10/6/2020
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Medicaid ,
OMB ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Telehealth ,
Trump Administration
This week in Washington: The House and Senate are out for a two-week working period until July 17th....more
This week in Washington: CMS develops additional code for coronavirus lab tests, announces actions to address spread of coronavirus; House passes bill to ban e-cigarette flavors; Grassley says updated Senate Finance drug...more
This week in Washington: Hearings scheduled on the U.S. response to the Coronavirus. ...more
Upcoming Hearings/Markups -
Wednesday, February 26, 2020 -
House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies: “Department of Health and Human Services...more
This week in Washington: The House is not in session. The Senate will resume the impeachment trial on Tuesday....more
1/22/2020
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
HRSA ,
MACPAC ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Advantage ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Trump Administration ,
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)
2019 saw court hearings of a number of cases related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Several other Trump administration policies were also challenged, including Medicare payment policies, price transparency, how the...more
1/15/2020
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Association Health Plans ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Hospitals ,
Medicaid ,
Section 340B ,
Trump Administration
On Dec. 12, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 3, the Elijah Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which would allow the government to negotiate drug prices, among other reforms. Prior to HR 3 being considered on...more
This Week in Washington: The House and Senate will leave for the holidays by Dec. 20....more
12/17/2019
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
OIG ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs
This Week in Washington: The House and Senate are back from Thanksgiving recess. Congress is expected to be in session until or about Dec. 20....more
12/10/2019
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Hospitals ,
OIG ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Safe Harbors ,
Stark Law ,
Trump Administration
This week in Washington: Senate to hold a confirmation hearing for Dr. Stephen Hahn, Trump's nominee to be the new FDA commissioner, as well as a hearing on Alzheimer's awareness. ...more
This week in Washington: House returns from recess and has scheduled hearing on caring for aging Americans; Senate to hold hearing on rising electronic cigarette use among youth and will hold a confirmation hearing for Dr....more
11/12/2019
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
OIG ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Safe Harbors ,
Self-Referral ,
Stark Law
This week in Washington: Senate to hold a hearing on the response to lung illness and rising youth electronic cigarette use, as well as a hearing on protecting veterans from a variety of scams, including fake charities....more
On Oct. 28, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed two bills that, if enacted, require public disclosure of the discounts drug companies provide to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)....more
In keeping with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s schedule for pushing H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, through the House of Representatives, the three committees of jurisdiction held mark-ups and passed the proposal, as...more