This Week in Washington: House Republicans release debt ceiling plan, Speaker McCarthy moves forward with proposal that includes Medicaid work requirements...more
This Week in Washington: HHS Secretary appears before Senate Finance and Senate Appropriations Committees...more
This Week in Washington: CMS releases first list of Inflation Rebate Program drugs, initial guidance on Medicare Drug Negotiation Program...more
Although President Biden’s budget is almost always dead on arrival on Capitol Hill, it serves as an outline of the administration’s priorities. In the budget process, the House and Senate are to work separately on budget...more
Upcoming Hearings -
March 22 -
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Hearing: “Taxpayers Paid Billions For It: So Why Would Moderna Consider Quadrupling the Price of the COVID Vaccine?” 10:00 a.m.,...more
This Week in Washington: President Biden announces ending date of COVID-19 PHE, House begins investigations into COVID-19 origins; State of the Union scheduled for Feb. 7...more
2/7/2023
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Final Rules ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Medicare Part D ,
Popular ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Rules ,
Vaccinations
Congress -
The House and Senate are in recess for Memorial Day.
House -
Rep. Underwood Leads 26 Democratic House Members in Letter Calling for Measures to Lower Healthcare Costs to be Included in Reconciliation...more
6/1/2022
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Final Rules ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Medicaid ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Popular ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Rules ,
Skilled Nursing Facility
This Week in Washington: Senate Questions Supreme Court Justice Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson...more
This Week in Washington: President Biden Signs Omnibus Appropriations Package into Law to Fund the Federal Government Through FY 2022...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
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
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: Congressional Democrats reach drug pricing agreement; bipartisan infrastructure bill goes to President Biden’s desk with budget reconciliation bill delayed....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: 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
The courts continue to play an important role in health policy. 2020 saw several notable lawsuits related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Several other Trump administration policies were challenged, including Medicare...more
8/10/2021
/ 1332 Waiver ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Health Insurance ,
Individual Mandate ,
Medicaid ,
Popular ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Section 340B ,
US v Texas
This week in Washington: Senate agrees on infrastructure compromise, budget resolution with reconciliation instructions to be voted on....more
8/3/2021
/ 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 ,
Medicare ,
OCR ,
Opioid ,
Prescription Drugs
This week in Washington: Infrastructure deal struck, but it still has a long road ahead to passage; Senate Budget Committee discussed draft resolution with health initiatives included....more
This week in Washington: Biden Administration expresses support for WTO TRIPS Waiver....more
This week in Washington: Andrea Palm’s nomination for HHS Deputy Secretary Advances out of Senate Finance Committee, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure’s nomination deadlocked....more
4/27/2021
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Medicare ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Rules ,
Skilled Nursing Facility
Congress -
House -
Representatives Propose a Permanent Extension of CHIP Funding -
The House Energy and Commerce Committee is looking at ways to strengthen the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and expand Medicaid coverage. A...more
3/30/2021
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Medicare ,
OMB ,
Popular ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Telehealth ,
Vaccinations
This week in Washington: Becerra confirmed 50-49 to be Secretary of Health and Human Services...more
3/23/2021
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Medicare Part D ,
Nursing Homes ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Vaccinations
This week in Washington: Budget reconciliation goes back to the House with changes for vote on Tuesday....more