In This Issue:

Leading the News; Implementation of the Affordable Care Act; Other HHS and Federal Regulatory Initiatives; Other Congressional and State Initiatives; and Other Health Care News.

Excerpt from Leading the News -

On January 1st the Senate approved a legislative package, the American Taxpayer Relief Act (H.R. 8), by a vote of 89-8. This measure prevented the United States from going over the “Fiscal Cliff,” a series of across-the-board tax increases and spending cuts that would have automatically implemented without intervening legislative action. Later that day, the House voted to approve the Senate package by a vote of 257-167. The bill also provides a yearlong doc-fix extension through 2013 that prevents a 27% reimbursement cut to physicians who treat Medicare patients.