Stephanie Kennan at McGuireWoods LLP

Washington Healthcare Update - July 2023 #3

This Week in Washington: Senate Finance Committee reports out Modernizing and Ensuring PBM Accountability Act; House Ways and Means Committee reports out healthcare bills; Senate Appropriations Committee reports out FY 2024...more

8/1/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Final Rules , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , GAO , Medicare , Pharmaceutical Industry , Proposed Rules

Washington Healthcare Update - July 2023 #2

This Week in Washington: House Energy and Commerce Committee marks up 15 healthcare bills; Senate HELP Committee to hold mark up on primary care bill; CMS concerned over procedural Medicaid coverage terminations...more

7/25/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Drug Pricing , Final Rules , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , Proposed Rules , SAMHSA

Washington Healthcare Update - July 2023

This Week in Washington: Appropriation bills move forward but remain incomplete; House Energy and Commerce Committee markup includes 17 healthcare bills; Senate Finance Committee schedules PBM markup...more

7/18/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Final Rules , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , GAO , OCR , Physician Fee Schedule , Proposed Rules

Washington Healthcare Update - June 2023 #4

This Week in Washington: Senate Appropriations Committee meets to figure out top-line numbers; Majority Leader Schumer leads Senate in developing a policy response to artificial intelligence; and CMS proposes new Medicare...more

6/27/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Drug Pricing , Final Rules , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , GAO , Medicare , Pharmaceutical Industry , Prescription Drugs , Proposed Rules

Washington Healthcare Update - June 2023 #3

This Week in Washington: FDA funding bill passes House Appropriations Committee, MedPAC and MacPAC release June 2023 report to Congress, RSC budget blueprint brings back premium support concept for Medicare...more

6/21/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Drug Pricing , Final Rules , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , Medicare , Pharmaceutical Industry , Prescription Drugs , Proposed Rules

Washington Healthcare Update - June 2023 #2

This Week in Washington: Fallout from debt ceiling holds up House floor action; SCOTUS rules to allow patients to sue nursing homes...more

6/13/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Drug Pricing , Final Rules , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , GAO , Medicaid , Prescription Drugs , Proposed Rules

Washington Healthcare Update - June 2023

This Week in Washington: Debt-ceiling agreement passes, House Energy and Commerce Committee reports out legislation on site-neutral Medicare payments for certain drugs...more

6/6/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Final Rules , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , Medicaid , Medicare , Pharmaceutical Industry , Popular , Prescription Drugs , Proposed Rules

Debt Ceiling Deal and Healthcare: Notes from the Fiscal Cliff

The deal announced Memorial Day weekend suspends the U.S. borrowing limit until Jan. 1, 2025, removing it as a potential issue in the next presidential election. The bill addresses discretionary spending – not mandatory...more

6/5/2023 / Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Debt Ceiling , Fraud and Abuse , Healthcare Fraud , Medicaid

U.S. House and Senate Committees Move Legislation to Reform Pharmacy Benefit Managers

Both the House and Senate are considering multiple bipartisan bills concerning pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), meaning action is likely this year. However, the timeline and path forward remain unclear, since the two bodies...more

5/25/2023 / Drug Pricing , Pharmaceutical Industry , Pharmacies , Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) , Popular , Prescription Drugs

Medicare Site-Neutral Payments Included in House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Markup

On May 17, the House Energy and Commerce Committee Health Subcommittee held a markup of 17 healthcare bills. In particular, the subcommittee advanced legislation that would implement site-neutral payments under Medicare for...more

5/23/2023 / Health Care Providers , Hospitals , Medicare , Off-Campus Departments , Site-Neutral Exception

Washington Healthcare Update - May 2023 #3

This Week in Washington: President and Speaker McCarthy to meet on debt limit with 10 days to go, House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health marks up 17 bills, House Appropriations Committee begins moving appropriation...more

5/23/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Drug Pricing , Final Rules , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , GAO , Medicare , Popular , Prescription Drugs , Proposed Rules

Washington Healthcare Update - May 2023 #2

This Week in Washington: Debt Ceiling Continues to Loom Over the Capitol; DEA Extends COVID-19 Controlled Medications Prescribing Telehealth Flexibilities...more

5/16/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Final Rules , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , GAO , Medicare Advantage , Medicare Part D , OCR , Popular , Proposed Rules , Public Health Emergency , Telemedicine

Washington Healthcare Update - May 2023

This Week in Washington: Debt Limit fight continues; Disagreements arise during Senate HELP Committee mark-up of PBM and Generic Drug Competition Bills...more

5/9/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Final Rules , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , GAO , HRSA , Medicare , Medicare Advantage , Popular , Proposed Rules

CMS Publicly Releases Ownership Data for Medicare-Certified Hospice and Home Health Agencies

On April 20, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the release of ownership data for all Medicare-enrolled hospice and home health agencies. This release is consistent with the Department of...more

5/3/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Health Care Providers , Home Health Care , Hospice , Medicare , Nursing Homes

CMS Tightens Hospital Price Transparency Enforcement Measures

On April 26, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) strengthened its enforcement of the hospital price transparency rule by implementing three new enforcement measures. These include...more

5/2/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Civil Monetary Penalty , Health Care Providers , Hospitals , Transparency

Washington Healthcare Update - April 2023 #3

This Week in Washington: House Republicans release debt ceiling plan, Speaker McCarthy moves forward with proposal that includes Medicaid work requirements...more

4/25/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Drug Pricing , Final Rules , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , GAO , Medicare , Prescription Drugs , Proposed Rules

Washington Healthcare Update - April 2023 #2

This Week in Washington: CMS Releases Annual Payment Rules for Skilled Nursing Facilities, Hospice and Other Segments of Medicare...more

4/11/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Drug Pricing , Final Rules , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , Medicare , Medicare Advantage , Proposed Rules , SAMHSA

Hospitals and MedPAC Disagree on Economic State of Hospitals

In its March 2023 report to Congress, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) recommended adjusting the fee-for-service (FFS) base payment rate for acute care hospitals in 2024 by an amount equaling the current...more

4/4/2023 / Fee-for-Service , Health Care Providers , Hospitals , Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) , MedPAC

Washington Healthcare Update - April 2023

This Week in Washington: FDA Approves Narcan OTC Nasal Spray, Senate Finance Committee Investigates Pharmacy Benefit Manager Practices...more

4/4/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Final Rules , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , Medicare , Popular , Proposed Rules

Washington Healthcare Update - March 2023 #4

This Week in Washington: HHS Secretary appears before Senate Finance and Senate Appropriations Committees...more

3/28/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Drug Pricing , Final Rules , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , GAO , Medicare , Pharmaceutical Industry , Prescription Drugs , Proposed Rules

Washington Healthcare Update - March 2023 #3

This Week in Washington: CMS releases first list of Inflation Rebate Program drugs, initial guidance on Medicare Drug Negotiation Program...more

3/21/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Drug Pricing , Final Rules , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , GAO , Medicare , Popular , Prescription Drugs , Proposed Rules

President Biden’s Budget Invests in Healthcare

Although President Biden’s budget is almost always dead on arrival on Capitol Hill, it serves as an outline of the administration’s priorities. In the budget process, the House and Senate are to work separately on budget...more

3/14/2023 / Affordable Care Act , Biden Administration , Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Federal Budget , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , Medicare , Medicare Advantage , Prescription Drugs , Telehealth

Washington Healthcare Update - March 2023 #2

Upcoming Hearings - March 15 - Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Hearing: “Examining the Future Path of VA’s Electronic Health Record Modernization Program” - 3:30 p.m., Dirksen Senate Building 106...more

3/13/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Final Rules , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , GAO , Medicare , Pharmaceutical Industry , Proposed Rules

Washington Healthcare Update - March 2023

This Week in Washington: Workforce issues studied, PBMs under more scrutiny...more

3/7/2023 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Final Rules , Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , GAO , Pharmaceutical Industry , Popular , Proposed Rules , Vaccinations

House Republicans Unveil Guidance on 2024 Congressionally Directed Spending

House - House Appropriations Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX) released fiscal year 2024 member request guidance. House Republicans announced as part of the guidance that congressionally directed spending, also known as...more

3/3/2023 / Appropriation , Federal Funding , Funding , Project Finance

Stephanie Kennan

McGuireWoods LLP

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