Update (Jan. 15, 2022): After the Jan. 14, 2022, publication of this alert, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued updated guidance to State Survey Agency directors providing 30 days (by Feb. 13) for facilities...more
1/17/2022
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Mandates ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
National Federation of Independent Business v Department of Labor and OSHA ,
OSHA ,
Popular ,
SCOTUS ,
Stays ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing
On Jan. 13, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court granted an emergency request for relief regarding one of the two Biden administration COVID-19 employee vaccine mandates on appeal before the Court...more
1/14/2022
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
National Federation of Independent Business v Department of Labor and OSHA ,
OSHA ,
SCOTUS ,
Stays ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing
Upcoming Hearings/Markups -
January 11 -
Senate Health, Education and Labor Committee Hearing: “Addressing New Variants: A Federal Perspective on the COVID-19 Response” 10:00 a.m....more
This week in Washington: Congress makes agreement on pathway forward to raise the debt ceiling....more
Upcoming Hearings/Markups -
December 8 -
House Agriculture Committee, Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations Subcommittee Hearing: “Review of USDA Nutrition Distribution Programs”...more
12/7/2021
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Final Rules ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
HRSA ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Medicare ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Popular ,
Proposed Rules ,
Vaccinations
Congress -
House -
House Passes Reconciliation Package -
On Nov. 19, the House passed the $1.7 trillion reconciliation package with a vote of 220-213. Votes came the morning after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)...more
11/23/2021
/ 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 ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Popular ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Rules
This week in Washington: CBO Scores Reconciliation Package While House Waits....more
On Nov. 2, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule to update the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and address other Medicare Part B issues for Calendar Year (CY) 2022. The rule, which goes...more
This week in Washington: Congressional Democrats reach drug pricing agreement; bipartisan infrastructure bill goes to President Biden’s desk with budget reconciliation bill delayed....more
As McGuireWoods noted in a Sept. 10, 2021, alert, in Sept. 20 and Sept. 23 FAQs, and in Sept. 27 and Oct. 18 alerts, President Biden’s “Path Out of the Pandemic” employee COVID-19 vaccination mandates have three main...more
Upcoming Hearings/Markups -
November 2 -
House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Technology Modernization Hearing: “Next Steps: Examining Plans for the Continuation of the Department of Veterans Affairs...more
11/2/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Final Rules ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Pfizer ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Proposed Rules
Upcoming Hearings/Markups -
October 26 -
House Education and Labor Committee, Subcommittee on Workforce Protections and the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services Hearing: “Protecting Lives and Livelihoods:...more
This week in Washington: Debt ceiling measure signed by President Biden; default averted for at least a month. Discussions about budget reconciliation continue....more
10/19/2021
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) ,
Final Rules ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medicare ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Rules
This week in Washington: Reconciliation delayed; short-term debt ceiling fix passed....more
10/12/2021
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Medicare ,
Pfizer ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Proposed Rules
This week in Washington: Continuing resolution passes House, government shutdown averted for now, infrastructure and reconciliation package votes delayed....more
Upcoming Hearings/Markups -
September 27 -
House Rules Committee Meeting: to discuss H.R. 3110 — PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act, H.R. 3992 — Protect Older Job Applicants (POJA) Act and H.R. 2119 — Family Violence Prevention...more
9/28/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) ,
Final Rules ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
OIG ,
Pfizer ,
Popular ,
Proposed Rules ,
Skilled Nursing Facility ,
Vaccinations
This week in Washington: Reconciliation markup passes out of House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees....more
This week in Washington: Reconciliation markups begin.
Congress -
Upcoming Hearings/Markups -
House -
• Need for Continuing Resolution to Fund the Government...more
9/14/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Final Rules ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Generic Drugs ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
Medicaid ,
OIG ,
Popular ,
Proposed Rules ,
Skilled Nursing Facility
On Aug. 31, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) issued a notice announcing the reorganization of several parts of the agency. This is not the first effort in...more
This week in Washington: House passes budget resolution with compromise, setting up a September deadline for infrastructure bill vote....more
This week in Washington: Senate passes infrastructure bill; Senate passes budget resolution with reconciliation instructions; Congress enters recess with House members to return Aug. 23....more
8/17/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Final Rules ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Popular ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Rules ,
Skilled Nursing Facility
The clock is ticking for Congress to reach a deal to raise the federal borrowing limit — the debt ceiling. On July 23, 2021, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen notified Congress that, as of Aug. 1, the outstanding debt of...more
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: House in recess, Senate continues to debate bipartisan infrastructure bill, Senate to pass a budget resolution with reconciliation instructions before they leave for recess....more
This week in Washington: Senate agrees on infrastructure compromise, budget resolution with reconciliation instructions to be voted on....more
8/3/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
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 ,
OCR ,
Opioid ,
Prescription Drugs