In This Issue:

- Brady Unveils Medicare/Medicaid Fraud Bill

- Possible Litigation Threat Adds to Considerations in Containing Drug Costs

- Implementation of the Affordable Care Act

- Other Federal Regulatory Initiatives

- Other Congressional and State Initiatives

- Other Health Care News

- Upcoming Hearings and Markups

- Excerpt from Brady Unveils Medicare/Medicaid Fraud Bill:

House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) released a discussion draft of the Protecting Integrity Medicare Act of 2014—the Committee’s expansive bill to address fraud in the Medicare and Medicaid systems. The draft, which is open for comment from stakeholders, includes a number of bipartisan priorities such as removing Social Security numbers from Medicare cards, increasing education for providers to address fraud through the Medicare Administrative Contractors, and changing durable medical equipment (DME) face-to-face requirements. Reigning in fraud and abuse in public programs continues to be a bipartisan area of agreement as lawmakers strive to introduce legislation focusing on reigning in health care spending.