On Wednesday, June 15, 2022, in a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in favor of the American Hospital Association in the case of American Hospital Association vs. Becerra, that the nearly 30 percent cuts in...more
6/22/2022
/ American Hospital Association ,
American Hospital Association et al v Becerra Secretary Of Health And Human Services et al ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
Prescription Drugs ,
SCOTUS ,
Section 340B
After two years, a multitude of factors are pointing toward the end of the formal public health emergency declaration, related emergency declarations, and associated waivers in connection with COVID-19, including declining...more
On September 10, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced $25.5 billion in new funding that will be made available to health care providers to reimburse health care related expenses and revenue losses...more
On Friday, June 11, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the deadlines by when health care providers must use COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund (PRF) payments and submit reports to HHS on use of...more
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it will accept applications for Round 2 of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program (the Program) from 12:00 p.m. ET Thursday, April 29 to 12:00 p.m. ET Thursday, May 6, 2021....more
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion package to provide relief related to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The final legislation, which passed with support from...more
3/22/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Biden Administration ,
CARES Act ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Grants ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Mental Health ,
Public Health ,
Relief Measures ,
Rural Health Care Providers ,
Skilled Nursing Facility ,
Vaccinations
On December 21, 2020, the House and Senate passed fiscal year (FY) 2021 federal omnibus appropriations legislation that included the fifth measure passed by Congress to address the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to providing...more
12/28/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Federal Funding ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Popular ,
Relief Measures
Remaining Congressional Session - There is very little time left in this Congressional session, and both the House and Senate are expected to depart in October to go home to campaign. The exact timing is unclear and the plans...more
On June 9, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced additional payments under the COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund to reimburse providers for health care related expenses and revenue losses attributable...more
On May 1, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced additional payments under the COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund to reimburse providers for health care related expenses and revenue losses attributable...more
5/15/2020
/ Attestation Requirements ,
CARES Act ,
Compliance ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Eligibility ,
Funding Portal ,
Guidance Update ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
MACPAC ,
Overpayment ,
Provider Relief Fund ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Rural Health Care Providers
On April 23, 2020, the House of Representatives passed the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, which previously passed the Senate on April 21, 2020, and is expected to be signed into law by the...more
4/26/2020
/ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Community Health Systems ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Dentists ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Federal Funding ,
Health Care Providers ,
Indian Health Service (IHS) ,
Manufacturers ,
Medical Research ,
National Institute of Health (NIH) ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act ,
Popular ,
Relief Measures ,
Rural Health Care Providers ,
Skilled Nursing Facility ,
Small Business Loans ,
Uninsured Patients ,
Virus Testing
On April 2, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission released a Report and Order establishing the COVID-19 Telehealth Program (Program). The Program will provide $200 million in funding made available as part of the CARES...more
Health care providers are beginning to receive payments from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to address expenses and revenue losses related to coronavirus (COVID-19). On April 10, 2020, HHS announced the...more
Both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have now passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and the President is expected to sign the bill into law shortly. The CARES Act appropriates...more
3/27/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Federal Funding ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Medical Research ,
National Institute of Health (NIH) ,
Rural Health Care Providers ,
SAMHSA ,
Substance Abuse
Over the last few weeks, President Trump and lawmakers in both the House and Senate have taken several steps to protect patients from surprise medical bills, the latest signs of bipartisan momentum to address the issue this...more
5/29/2019
/ Bipartisan Agreement ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medical Expenses ,
Medicare ,
Out of Network Provider ,
Patient Rights ,
Physicians ,
Surprise Medical Bills ,
Trump Administration
President Trump's fiscal year 2020 (FY20) budget proposal for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reflects the Trump Administration's priorities to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), implement...more
3/18/2019
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Opioid ,
Popular ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Section 340B ,
Trump Administration
After months of hearings and negotiations, lawmakers reached agreement on a bipartisan package to address prevention, treatment, research, and enforcement related to the misuse of and addiction to opioids....more
The wide-reaching Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA), passed by Congress and signed by the President on February 9, 2018, extends and modifies dozens of health care programs, including extending funding for two years for...more
2/22/2018
/ ACOs ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Bipartisan Budget Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization (MACRA) ,
Medicare Part B ,
Medicare Part D
On February 20, 2018, the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a proposed rule to expand the availability of Short-Term, Limited Duration Insurance (STLDI). Building on President Trump's...more
Note: All fiscal estimates cited over a ten-year budget window refer to the Fiscal Year 2019-2028 budget window.
The President's fiscal year 2019 (FY19) budget proposal for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)...more
2/20/2018
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Federal Budget ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
HRSA ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part D ,
Opioid ,
Trump Administration
After a brief federal government shutdown overnight, Congress passed and the President signed into law the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 on February 9, 2018. The Senate voted 71-28 and the House voted 240-186 to approve the...more
2/12/2018
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Bipartisan Budget Act ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization (MACRA) ,
Medicare Part B ,
Medicare Part D ,
Opioid
On February 6, 2018, the House voted 242-182 to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to extend government funding until March 23, 2018 (H.R. Res 128). The CR includes provisions to extend funding for a number of Medicare...more
Health care stakeholders, the Administration, and Congress are likely to continue responding to the worsening nationwide opioid abuse epidemic. Last October, President Trump declared a Nationwide Public Health Emergency to...more
In a major development last fall, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized its proposal to pay hospitals less for certain physician-administered drugs purchased through the 340B Drug Discount Program....more
On November 2, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final rule implementing policies for Year 2 (2018) of the Quality Payment Program established under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization...more