On Feb. 9, 2022, U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced S. 3620, the Health Data Use and Privacy Commission Act.
The bill proposes to create a Commission on Health Data Use and Privacy...more
Last week, Congress passed an appropriations package for the rest of fiscal year 2022. While the package increases funding for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by 12 percent, it also contains important...more
This Week in Washington: Congress Passes Appropriations to Fund Government Through Fiscal Year 2023...more
This Week in Washington: President Biden Reiterates Healthcare Priorities and Announces Initiatives in his State of the Union Address...more
3/8/2022
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Final Rules ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Popular ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Rules ,
Vaccinations
This Week in Washington: President Biden Selects Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to Nominate to the Supreme Court...more
Congress -
The House is in a district work period this week. The Senate is in a state work period this week.
Senate -
Short-Term Continuing Resolution Passes Senate and is Signed by the President -
On Feb. 18,...more
This Week in Washington: Continuing Resolution Moves Forward and Senate Sets Up Vote on FDA Commissioner Nomination this Week...more
2/15/2022
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Final Rules ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Medicare Part B ,
Medicare Part D ,
Popular ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Rules ,
Vaccinations
Upcoming Hearings/Markups -
February 8 -
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Hearing: “Lessons Learned from COVID-19: Highlighting Innovations, Maximizing Inclusive Practices and Overcoming Barriers to...more
2/8/2022
/ 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) ,
HRSA ,
Medicare Part D ,
Popular ,
Proposed Rules ,
SAMHSA ,
Vaccinations
This Week in Washington: President Biden and Speaker Pelosi Open to Moving Pieces of the Build Back Better Act....more
1/25/2022
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Final Rules ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Healthcare Workers ,
HRSA ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Medicare Part D ,
Proposed Rules ,
Vaccinations
This week in Washington: Supreme Court Rules on Biden Administration Vaccine Mandates....more
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
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
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
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