In This Issue:

Implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA); Other HHS and Federal Regulatory Initiatives; Other Congressional and State Initiatives; Other Health Care News; and Hearings & Mark-ups Scheduled.

Excerpt from Implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA):

On July 23rd the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) began accepting public comment on a draft Methodology Report. The report puts forward standards to guide patient-centered outcomes research. Comments will be open until September 14th and a public meeting will be held in November.

On July 23rd the Republican Governors Association (RGA) released a letter written by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, Chairman of the RGA, to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The letter follows up on a July 10th letter asking HHS thirty questions about the ACA’s Medicaid expansion and the implementation of health insurance Exchanges. The letter notes that HHS has only given vague answers to most of the questions.