RFK Jr. Confirmed as HHS Secretary. In a 52 – 48 Senate vote, Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr. was confirmed as the next HHS secretary. All Democrats voted no, and Sen. McConnell (R-KY) was the only Republican to join them. He...more
2/14/2025
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Executive Orders ,
Healthcare ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
National Institute of Health (NIH) ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Trump Administration
Key Nominations Move Forward. The Senate Finance Committee advanced Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr.’s nomination to lead the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) in a 14 – 13 vote along party lines. The nomination now...more
2/10/2025
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Executive Orders ,
Gender Identity ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Opioid ,
Presidential Nominations ,
Public Health ,
Senate Committees ,
Senate Confirmation Hearings ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. House
Senate Finance, HELP Committees Hold RFK Jr. Nomination Hearings. RFK Jr., nominated for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), testified before the Senate Finance Committee on January 29 and before the Senate Health,...more
1/31/2025
/ Abortion ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Veterans Affairs ,
Executive Orders ,
Food Safety ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
HELP ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Presidential Nominations ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Senate Finance Committee ,
Transgender ,
Transparency ,
Trump Administration
Senate Committees Continue Nomination Hearings. The Senate VA Committee held a hearing for VA secretary nominee Doug Collins and subsequently voted for his confirmation with broad bipartisan support. His confirmation vote...more
1/27/2025
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Budget ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Trump Administration ,
World Health Organization
118th Congress Continues to Grapple with Contentious CR. With the collapse of Republican support for the negotiated continuing resolution (CR) package, as of the time of publication on Friday at 3:00 PM EST, Congress is still...more
12/23/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
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Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Machine Learning ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Technology ,
U.S. House
Congress Negotiates Healthcare Extenders, Continues to Plan for 2025. Lawmakers continue negotiations to wrap up the 118th Congress and pass remaining must-do policies, including government funding, likely through a...more
12/9/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Machine Learning ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Section 340B ,
Technology ,
U.S. House
Congress Returns for Lame Duck Session. The House and Senate returned this week, kicking off the post-election lame duck session. The focus this week was not on legislating, but on organizing for the upcoming 119th Congress,...more
11/18/2024
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Lame Duck Session ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Members of Congress ,
Presidential Elections ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Senate Committees ,
Trump Administration
Senate Judiciary Human Rights and the Law Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Georgia Abortion Ban. The field hearing examined how Georgia’s abortion ban impacts women’s health, and featured patient and physician witnesses....more
9/23/2024
/ Abortion ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Georgia ,
HRSA ,
Human Rights ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part D ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Proposed Regulation ,
State Bans ,
Telehealth
House Oversight Subcommittee Hearing with Fauci. The hearing aimed to gather more information on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic by Anthony Fauci, MD, former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases...more
6/7/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
HELP ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Section 340B ,
Senate Committees ,
U.S. House
House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Holds Legislative Hearing on Improving Medicaid Access. Daniel Tsai, deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS), testified. Members...more
5/6/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
DACA ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Final Rules ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Senate Committees ,
U.S. House
A Quiet Healthcare Week on Capitol Hill. Congress was largely in recess this week, although the Senate returned briefly to complete consideration of a long-awaited foreign aid bill. Both chambers will return to session the...more
4/26/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
HRSA ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Nursing Homes ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Section 340B ,
Senate Committees ,
Skilled Nursing Facility ,
U.S. House
House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Cybersecurity. During the hearing, there was bipartisan concern about UnitedHealth Group’s response to the Change Healthcare cyberattack and consensus around the...more
4/18/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
GAO ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Advantage ,
Payment Systems ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Senate Committees ,
U.S. House
Senate HELP Committee Holds Field Hearing on Private Equity. In the hearing, held at the Massachusetts State House, members discussed the impact of private equity ownership on patients, providers, quality of care and...more
4/8/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Final Rules ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
Payment Systems ,
Proposed Legislation ,
U.S. House
House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Holds Legislative Hearing on 19 Bills. Lawmakers discussed 19 pieces of legislation designed to support patients and caregivers in the key areas of autism, heart defects,...more
2/19/2024
/ Ambulatory Surgery Centers ,
Caregivers ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Legislative Agendas ,
MACs ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Advantage ,
Medicare Part D ,
Mental Health ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Request For Information ,
Senate Committees ,
U.S. House
CONGRESS -
House Ways & Means Chair Smith, House Energy & Commerce Chair Rodgers and Senate Finance Ranking Member Crapo Call for Withdrawal of Nurse Staffing Mandate. Rep. Smith (R-MO), Rep. Rodgers (R-WA) and Sen. Crapo...more
11/6/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Dispute Resolution ,
ESRD ,
Executive Orders ,
Final Rules ,
Hospitals ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare Advantage ,
OIG ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS)
Time’s up and pencils down! Comments on the calendar year (CY) 2024 physician fee schedule (PFS) proposed reg were due earlier this week. Now, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will have to review them and...more
9/15/2023
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Comment Period ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medicaid ,
Medical Monitoring ,
Medicare ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Physicians ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Quality Payment Program (QPP) ,
Telehealth
The House and Senate were both in session this week, with healthcare activity continuing at the committee level. The House Energy and Commerce Committee held hearings on the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA)...more
6/16/2023
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Debt ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Healthcare ,
HELP ,
Hospitals ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Telehealth ,
Transgender
The House was in session this week, while the Senate was in recess. The House Energy & Commerce Committee continued its work on healthcare by advancing six bills that address competition, transparency and access to care. The...more
5/30/2023
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Medicaid ,
New Legislation ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Transparency
The House and Senate were both in session this week, with significant healthcare activity at the committee level. The House Ways & Means Committee met to discuss healthcare price transparency, and the Ways & Means Health...more
5/19/2023
/ Abortion ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare Advantage ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Price Transparency ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Ways and Means Committee
Congress was in session, and it was a busy healthcare week at the committee level, with six hearings focused specifically on health issues. On the House floor, Republicans passed the Limit, Save, Grow Act—a bill that raises...more
5/2/2023
/ Abortion ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
DACA ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Funding ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
HELP ,
Hospitals ,
Medicaid ,
New Legislation ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Price Transparency ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Proposed Rules ,
Right of Access
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published an interim final rule with comment period (IFR) on November 5, 2021, that implements the Biden administration’s previously announced vaccine mandate for...more