On January 12th, the Committee on the Determination of Essential Health Benefits at the Institute of Medicine (IOM) began a three-day series of meetings to begin determining what constitutes an “essential health benefit” under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The IOM research will play a key role in helping HHS determine which benefits will be required in health insurance plans offered on the future insurance exchanges. More information on the meeting can be found here.

The recently-elected Republican attorney general in Kansas announced on January 12th that the state intends to join a lawsuit challenging the ACA being led by Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (R). On January 18th Bondi filed a motion adding Kansas and 5 other states, Iowa, Ohio, Wyoming, Maine, and Wisconsin, to the lawsuit, bringing the total number of states on this particular lawsuit to 26.

Please see full update below for more information.