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
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
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 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
After a two-week recess, lawmakers are back on Capitol Hill to begin marking up their budget reconciliation legislation. The budget resolution that passed in early April instructs committees to spend or save a certain amount....more
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
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
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
The Trump Administration and 119th Congress will likely be targeting trillions of dollars in savings in the year ahead. Healthcare makes up a significant portion of mandatory spending and therefore likely will be a large part...more
1/24/2025
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Federal Budget ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Advantage ,
Medicare Payment Reform ,
MedPAC ,
Section 340B ,
Trump Administration
During the Biden Administration’s final week, congressional Republicans are moving full steam ahead with Senate confirmation hearings for Trump-nominated officials and with ongoing budget reconciliation discussions....more
A lot has happened in the last three weeks, so here’s a high-level recap:
Congress successfully, albeit rockily, passed a continuing resolution that will fund the government through March 14, 2025. That legislation...more
1/7/2025
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
Senate Committees ,
Telehealth ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. House
Watchful Waiting: Three Weeks Left in Lame Duck -
Congress returns on Tuesday to begin the remaining three weeks of the lame duck session. Lawmakers have a packed agenda, and they have 18 days to pass a bill funding the...more
12/3/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Deadlines ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Disaster Aid ,
Farm Bill ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Healthcare ,
Lame Duck Session ,
Medicare ,
NDAA ,
Telehealth
The incoming Trump Administration made several decisions and announcements in the first week of the lame duck session, including announcing his nominee for Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)....more
11/19/2024
/ Congressional Committees ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Lame Duck Session ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Members of Congress ,
Presidential Elections ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Senate Committees ,
Trump Administration
Election Day 2024 has come and gone. Republicans have all but officially achieved a trifecta – control of the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives.
Both the House and Senate return today for the lame duck...more
11/13/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Donald Trump ,
Election Results ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Lame Duck Session ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Members of Congress ,
Presidential Elections ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Senate Committees ,
Trump Administration
One More Week Until Election Recess -
The House and Senate are in Washington, DC, for one more week before leaving until after election day. Over the weekend, congressional leaders struck a deal on a continuing resolution...more
Both chambers of Congress are out of session today and return for the rest of the week.
Most healthcare priorities remain out of the congressional spotlight this week, but telehealth is still top of mind. As we...more
5/14/2024
/ Congressional Committees ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Final Rules ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
HELP ,
Laboratory Developed Tests ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
While congressional debate and action will focus on aid to Israel this week, committees will continue to move forward their health agendas via hearings. The House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on the Change Healthcare...more
4/16/2024
/ Congressional Review Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Federal Budget ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Israel ,
Long-Term Care ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare
BIDEN’S BUDGET -
Today, Monday, March 11, President Biden released his budget for fiscal year (FY) 2025. While the budget request represents the administration’s funding goals for the coming year, it also sheds light on...more
It is finally healthcare week in the 118th Congress. Congress has produced an agreement to fund six of the dozen outstanding appropriations bills and should avoid the partial government shutdown pending on Friday. To that...more
IT’S SHUTDOWN WEEK . . . AGAIN -
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. Congress returns to session this week, with precious little time to avert a looming partial government shutdown at midnight on Friday. After...more
2/27/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Senate Committees ,
U.S. House