Below is Alston & Bird’s Health Care Week in Review, which provides a synopsis of the latest news in health care regulations, notices, and guidance; federal legislation and congressional committee action; reports, studies,...more
With the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) passed by U.S. Congress and signed into law, Congress now has less than three weeks that it will be in session before government funding expires on Sept. 30, 2025. Appropriators will...more
THIS WEEK’S DOSE - - Senate Finance Committee Releases Reconciliation Text. The language is subject to change as negotiations continue and the Byrd rule process plays out. - CMS Releases MA Risk Adjustment Audit Methodology...more
The President’s Budget Request Impact on Programs for the Disabled and Older Americans Act Programs - This is part three of a series on health care budget cuts....more
THIS WEEK’S DOSE - - Reconciliation Moves Forward. Senate committees continue to release their reconciliation provisions. - NIH Director Testifies on FY 2026 Budget. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Bhattacharya...more
The U.S. Senate will likely release additional sections of the reconciliation package this week. It is unlikely the Senate Committee on Finance, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid, will hold a markup on its portion of the...more
On May 2, 2025, the White House released President Trump’s recommendations for discretionary funding in 2026. These recommendations would result in “significant savings” and budget cuts to several healthcare programs. The May...more
U.S. Congress returns from a two-week recess this week and has lofty goals to draft, mark up and pass a reconciliation bill by Memorial Day 2025. The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, which was...more
Looking Ahead: House to Vote on Compromise Budget Resolution On the heels of the U.S. Senate's passage of a compromise budget resolution, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to consider the budget resolution on the...more
Last week, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it will undergo a major restructuring and plans to eliminate 10,000 employees on top of 10,000 HHS employees who have already departed (20,000...more
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
When President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States on January 20, 2025, he is expected to hit the ground running. A few months into his presidency, he will likely release the fiscal...more
Key Points - GLP-1 agonists have ushered in a new era in anti-obesity medication policy considerations against the backdrop of a continued focus by policymakers on both drug access and pricing. CMS has taken steps to clarify...more