The next six weeks are shaping up to be the final work period before the summer recess, with both chambers scheduled to leave DC by July 15th for party conventions followed by the August recess. The National Defense...more
The next work period basically runs from April 4 to May 27, with both chambers adjourning for a week long recess the week of May 2. Following this work period, there will be five weeks left on the legislative calendar before...more
4/5/2016
/ 21st Century Cures Initiative ,
Congressional Committees ,
Drug Pricing ,
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ,
Home Healthcare Workers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicare Advantage ,
Mental Health ,
NDAA ,
Water ,
Zika
This morning, the Senate HELP Committee will hold an executive session regarding the Mental Health Reform Act of 2016, a comprehensive mental health package negotiated in part by the Senate HELP Committee and the...more
The next Hill work period basically runs from February 22 to March 18. As Congress returns, here’s a brief look at the pending health care issues on the radar for this work period....more
Martin Shkreli Not the Big Story on the Hill Last Week -
Congress’s complex relationship with prescription drugs was on display last week in the House of Representatives. In the House Committee on Oversight and...more
2/16/2016
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Biosimilars ,
BPCIA ,
Cancer ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Drug Pricing ,
GDUFA ,
Martin Shkreli ,
Mental Health ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Telemedicine ,
Zika
Are Lawmakers and Stakeholders Ready for the Silver Tsunami? -
Last week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a projection that shows Medicare enrollment will grow by more than 30 percent in the next decade...more
2/16/2016
/ ACOs ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Alternative Payment Models (APM) ,
Congressional Budget Office ,
Drug Pricing ,
Elder Issues ,
FCC ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Healthcare Costs ,
Medical Debt ,
Medicare ,
Mental Health ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Substance Abuse ,
TCPA ,
Telemedicine
Ways & Means Leadership Changes – Health Policy Implications Looming:
As Congress pushes forward with a two-year budget deal, and new Speaker Paul Ryan begins his tenure as the top Republican in the House of...more
11/4/2015
/ 21st Century Cures Initiative ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Automatic Enrollment ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Co-Op ,
Congressional Committees ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Drug Pricing ,
E-Cigarettes ,
Federal Budget ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
FTEs ,
Generic Drugs ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Home Health Care ,
Hospitals ,
ICD-10 ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
MedPAC ,
Mental Health ,
New Legislation ,
Open Enrollment ,
OPPS ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Rebates ,
Rulemaking Process ,
SCOTUS ,
Substance Abuse ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Two-Midnight Rule ,
U.S. Treasury
Senate Working Group Pressing Forward on Telehealth -
As Congress focuses on bigger picture policy decisions, including broad budget negotiations and raising the debt ceiling, there are some exciting developments on the...more
10/29/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Alternative Payment Models (APM) ,
Barack Obama ,
Cadillac Tax ,
Co-Op ,
Congressional Committees ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
E-Cigarettes ,
Elder Issues ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fee-for-Service ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Generic Drugs ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
Medicare Part D ,
Mental Health ,
Orphan Drugs ,
PACE ,
Prescription Drugs ,
SAMHSA ,
Section 340B ,
Social Security ,
State Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Substance Abuse ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
Congress Slowly Works on Budget Reconciliation; ACA Reform Proposals Still Up in the Air -
The FY 2016 budget resolution, which was agreed to by Congress this past April, included broad reconciliation instructions...more
7/21/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
AHRQ ,
Budget Reconciliation ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Drug Pricing ,
Electronic Medical Records ,
Federal Budget ,
Fraud Prevention ,
GAO ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare.gov ,
Home Health Care ,
ICD-10 ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
Medicaid ,
Medical Records ,
Medicare ,
Mental Health ,
Obama Administration ,
OMB ,
ONC ,
Pending Legislation ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
In This Issue:
Implementation of the Affordable Care Act; Other HHS and Federal Regulatory Initiatives; Other Congressional and State Initiatives; and Hearings and Mark-Ups Scheduled.
Excerpt from...more