On May 27, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it was withdrawing the Securing Updated Necessary Statutory Evaluations Timely final rule (SUNSET final rule), which was originally set to take...more
On Aug. 31, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) issued a notice announcing the reorganization of several parts of the agency. This is not the first effort in...more
2020 saw the courts continuing to play an important role in health policy with several notable lawsuits related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Several other Trump administration policies were challenged, including Medicare...more
On March 22, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced it was delaying the Securing Updated and Necessary Statutory Evaluations Timely (SUNSET) rule until March 22, 2022. A one-year delay is unusual....more
This week in Washington: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced he is waiting to see who will become the next House speaker before working on another COVID-19 stimulus package; Senate Appropriations Committee releases...more
11/17/2020
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Comment Period ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Hospitals ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
Medicaid ,
Physicians ,
Trump Administration
On Nov. 10, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for California v. Texas, the case challenging the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) constitutionality. This case centers on the ACA’s minimum essential coverage...more
House -
Democrats Ask GAO to Investigate Legality of President Trump’s Medicare Drug Gift Cards -
On Oct. 13, House Energy & Commerce Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ), House Ways & Means Chair Richard Neal (D-MA) and Senate...more
10/20/2020
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Medicare ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Section 340B ,
Trump Administration ,
Vaccinations
This week in Washington: The Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government until Dec. 11 was signed by President Trump; House passes COVID-19 stimulus bill....more
10/6/2020
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Medicaid ,
OMB ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Telehealth ,
Trump Administration
This week in Washington: House passes bipartisan continuing resolution (CR) to avoid government shutdown; Senate set to pass the CR this Tuesday....more
9/29/2020
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Continuing Resolution ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
GAO ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part D ,
Telehealth ,
Trump Administration
This week in Washington: Senate stays in session this week as negotiations on the COVID-19 package continue, but is not expecting votes; House remains in district work period....more
8/11/2020
/ 1332 Waiver ,
Ambulatory Surgery Centers ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Opioid ,
Public Charge ,
SAMHSA ,
Telehealth ,
Trump Administration
This week in Washington: Both the House and Senate return to session, discussions on the next COVID-19 package begin....more
7/21/2020
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
MedPAC ,
Nursing Homes ,
Telehealth ,
Trump Administration
This week in Washington: The House and Senate are out for a two-week working period until July 17th....more
This week in Washington: House hearing on the response to COVID-19 by the Department of Veterans Affairs; Senate hearing on caring for seniors amid the COVID-19 crisis....more
This week in Washington: Senate hearing on safely getting back to work and school, House hearing on protecting scientific integrity in the COVID-19 response....more
This week in Washington: Congress passes $484 billion COVID-19 package, with $321 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program; Supreme Court rules for commercial health insurers in $12 billion risk corridors case....more
This week in Washington: The Senate reconvenes April 13 to continue negotiations on the next COVID-19 stimulus package; the House is expected to reconvene April 20....more
This week in Washington: Congress debates additional legislation to address the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. ...more
This week in Washington: The House and Senate will be in recess the week of Feb. 17 in observation of Presidents Day....more
2/18/2020
/ Biosimilars ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Controlled Substances ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
HRSA ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Advantage ,
Medicare Part D ,
Trump Administration
This week in Washington: Senate to hold hearing on home healthcare in rural America, House to hold hearing on protecting women's access to reproductive healthcare....more
This week in Washington: The House of Representatives passes legislation on fentanyl analogues; Senate continues impeachment trial....more
This week in Washington: The House is not in session. The Senate will resume the impeachment trial on Tuesday....more
1/22/2020
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
HRSA ,
MACPAC ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Advantage ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Trump Administration ,
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)
2019 saw court hearings of a number of cases related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Several other Trump administration policies were also challenged, including Medicare payment policies, price transparency, how the...more
1/15/2020
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Association Health Plans ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Hospitals ,
Medicaid ,
Section 340B ,
Trump Administration
This Week in Washington: The House and Senate are out of session until the new year.
Congress -
House -
House Passes USMCA Trade Deal
...more
12/24/2019
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
HRSA ,
Impeachment ,
Individual Mandate ,
OIG ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Trump Administration ,
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)
This Week in Washington: The House and Senate are back from Thanksgiving recess. Congress is expected to be in session until or about Dec. 20....more
12/10/2019
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Hospitals ,
OIG ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Safe Harbors ,
Stark Law ,
Trump Administration
This week in Washington: Senate to hold a hearing on eligibility requirements under the Medicaid program, as well as a hearing to review a number of healthcare bills, including OTC drug safety, innovation and reform....more
10/29/2019
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Health Care Providers ,
MACPAC ,
Medicare ,
OIG ,
Opioid ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Physicians ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Self-Referral ,
Stark Law ,
Trump Administration