Senate Steers Toward Summer Break -
With the House already on August recess, the Senate will consider several of President Trump’s nominees, including Gustav Chiarello III to be an assistant secretary of the US Department of...more
The budget reconciliation process resulting in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was enacted on July 4, 2025, contains many significant changes to the Medicaid program. Many of the changes, such as those related to work...more
7/24/2025
/ Federal Budget ,
Federal Funding ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Immigrants ,
MCOs ,
Medicaid ,
New York ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State Budgets ,
Tax Credits
Two long weeks until August recess -
This is the last week with both chambers in session until September, and things are relatively slow as lawmakers count down the days to the month-long August recess. With reconciliation...more
7/22/2025
/ Congressional Committees ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Federal Funding ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicare ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Presidential Nominations ,
Senate Committees ,
Telehealth ,
Trump Administration
On July 15, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems Proposed Rule [CMS-1834-P],...more
7/18/2025
/ Ambulatory Surgery Centers ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medicare ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Payment Systems ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements
Rescissions rescissions -
Congressional focus this week is on the rescissions package and appropriations. The rescissions bill has a July 18 deadline to reach the president’s desk for signature.
The bill is pending in the...more
7/15/2025
/ Congressional Committees ,
Federal Budget ,
Federal Funding ,
Government Agencies ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicare ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Trump Administration
Many healthcare programs are extended for specific time periods, as short as one or two years or as long as 10, and are usually attached to a larger piece of must-pass legislation. Additionally, while traditional...more
Reconciliation aftermath -
Last week, President Trump signed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, into law after months of work on the reconciliation package. This week, things will slightly cool down in Washington, DC....more
7/8/2025
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Federal Funding ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Trump Administration
Welcome to what technically was supposed to be a congressional recess week in advance of the Fourth of July. The Fourth also has been Republicans’ internal deadline for having a reconciliation package on the president’s desk,...more
Reconciliation Byrd Rulings and Potential Floor Vote -
This week will be busy as Republicans race to try to get the reconciliation package to President Trump’s desk by July 4. Last week, the Senate Finance Committee, which...more
The House is out this week for the Juneteenth holiday, but the Senate will be in town through Wednesday. We expect these three days to be significant because the Senate Finance Committee has announced that it intends to...more
6/17/2025
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Budget Reconciliation ,
Congressional Committees ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Senate Finance Committee
Senate Continues Reconciliation Consideration -
This week, Senate consideration of the reconciliation package will continue, and more text will be made public as the process begins to move out from behind closed doors....more
MAHA and More Medicaid -
Late Sunday night, May 18, 2025, the House Budget Committee voted to advance the reconciliation package drafted by the Energy and Commerce Committee and Ways and Means Committee last week. The four...more
5/20/2025
/ Congressional Committees ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Federal Budget ,
Government Agencies ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Senate Committees ,
U.S. House
Reconciliation Text Is Here -
Late Sunday night, May 11, 2025, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce released the much-anticipated budget reconciliation bill text ahead of its scheduled markup on May 13,...more
5/13/2025
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Drug Pricing ,
Executive Orders ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Trump Administration
Reconciliation Hits a Speedbump -
As of May 6, 2025, it will not be what was anticipated on Capitol Hill. Multiple committees, including the House Energy and Commerce Committee, reportedly had planned to spend this week...more
5/7/2025
/ Budget Reconciliation ,
Congressional Committees ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Federal Budget ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Senate Committees ,
Trump Administration
Final Week Before Easter Recess -
Focus this week on Capitol Hill will remain on reconciliation, as Republicans aim to pass the unified budget resolution in the House before leaving on Thursday for the two-week Easter...more
4/8/2025
/ Budget Reconciliation ,
Congressional Committees ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Senate Committees ,
Trump Administration
Reconciliation Watch -
Reports indicate that the Senate will move as soon as Wednesday to begin advancing a unified budget plan. The Senate hopes to be able to advance the budget resolution by having the two chambers...more
4/1/2025
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Budget Reconciliation ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Senate Committees ,
Trump Administration
Lawmakers are back in Washington, DC, after a week-long recess. Both chambers will be in town for three weeks before a two-week Easter recess in mid-April. With the government funded through the end of this fiscal year, focus...more
This Friday is the deadline to pass a budget or enter a government shutdown. The House released a continuing resolution (CR) over the weekend and is scheduled to be in session only until Wednesday. The House Rules Committee...more
Attention Turns to Government Funding -
Last week, after some drama on the floor, the House passed its version of a budget resolution in a 217 – 215 vote, a week after the Senate passed its “skinny” resolution. For the...more
3/4/2025
/ Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Budget ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Telehealth ,
Trump Administration
Can the House Pass a Budget Resolution This Week?
The House is back from recess, so both chambers of Congress are in session this week (although the House is out again on Friday).
With 18 days left to pass a budget before...more
After the Presidents Day long weekend, the House is out of session this week. The Senate is in session, with a continued focus on nominations and potential floor action on the budget resolution that the Senate Budget...more
2/19/2025
/ Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Funding ,
Healthcare ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Senate Committees ,
Trump Administration
Budget Reconciliation Process Begins -
The Senate Budget Committee will hold a two-day markup on its budget resolution, officially kickstarting the reconciliation process. The resolution includes directions for committee...more
The Senate Finance Committee is set to vote on the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr., President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), on Tuesday morning. All eyes are...more
2/4/2025
/ Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Healthcare ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Life Sciences ,
Presidential Nominations ,
Public Health ,
Senate Committees ,
Senate Confirmation Hearings ,
Tariffs ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. House
Republicans hold a trifecta of control after winning the White House, US Senate, and US House of Representatives for the 119th Congress. They will aim to pass an agenda backed by President Trump that is focused on tax cuts,...more
1/31/2025
/ Byrd Amendment ,
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 ,
Energy Sector ,
Federal Budget ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Immigration ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Reconciliation ,
Senate Committees ,
Tax Reform ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. House
RFK Nomination Hearing Week -
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK), nominated for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), has a busy week with two Senate nomination hearings. He will testify in front of the Senate Finance...more
1/28/2025
/ Abortion ,
Biden Administration ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Executive Orders ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Reproductive Healthcare Issues ,
Senate Confirmation Hearings ,
Senate Finance Committee ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. House