Tag Archives: Health

US Executive Branch Update – June 26, 2020

This report provides a snapshot of the US Executive Branch priorities via daily schedules and the prior day’s press releases. POTUS’ Schedule* *The US President (POTUS) and Vice President’s (VPOTUS) daily schedules are subject to change, as is the White House press briefing schedule. 11:45 a.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT receives his intelligence briefing | … Continue Reading

Transatlantic Trade: US and European Trade Talk Update – June 19, 2020

America and European countries remain focused on securing a COVID-19 vaccine to prevent resurgences of the virus, with the European Commission unveiling a strategy this week to accelerate its coordinated efforts.  At a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Defense Ministerial this week, partners focused on COVID-19 and other topics, including the US’ announcement to lower … Continue Reading

Two Health Bills Scheduled for House Floor; Senate to Consider Opioid Abuse Legislation; CMS Releases Proposed Rule on Provider Integrity; MedPAC Meets This Week

Legislative Activity Two Health Bills Scheduled for House Floor House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has stated that the chamber may consider two health bills this coming week. On Tuesday, March 1, the House is expected to consider H.R. 2814, to Name the Department of Veterans Affairs Community-Base Outpatient Clinic in Sevierville, Tennessee, the Dannie … Continue Reading

Congress Awaits Health Provisions in President’s Budget; Health Bills Slated for House Floor Consideration; SAMHSA Releases Proposed Rule Focused on Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records

Legislative Activity Congress Awaits Health Provisions in President’s Budget On Tuesday, February 9, President Barack Obama will submit his FY 2017 Budget Request to Congress, which is expected to include several large-scale investments for the nation’s health. Last week, the White House released a “sneak preview” of the Budget, which includes: $755 million for cancer … Continue Reading

Blizzard Postpones House Consideration of Veto Message on Reconciliation Legislation; CMS Releases Final Rule on Medicaid Drug Reimbursement

Legislative Activity Blizzard Postpones House Consideration of Veto Message on Reconciliation Legislation Due to the winter storm in Washington, the House will no longer be in session this week. Previously, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) had announced that on Tuesday, January 26, the House would consider the President’s veto message on H.R. 3762, the … Continue Reading

Health Bills Scheduled For House Floor Action; Medicare Premiums And Deductibles Announced

Legislative Activity Health Bills Scheduled For House Floor Action House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has announced that on Monday, November 16, the House will consider two health bills under suspension of the rules: S. 599, the Improving Access to Emergency Psychiatric Care Act, which extends and expands the Medicaid emergency psychiatric demonstration project; and … Continue Reading

Lawmakers To Vie For House Ways And Means Gavel; FDA Names Medical Device Security As A Priority; CMS Releases Proposed Notice On Basic Health Program Funding

Legislative Activity Lawmakers To Vie For House Ways And Means Gavel With Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) expected to succeed Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) as Speaker of the House, some Republican lawmakers are eyeing the opening Rep. Ryan would leave behind at the helm of the House Committee on Ways and Means. Several congressmen are expected … Continue Reading

Health-Focused Reconciliation Recommendations Clear Three Committees; CMS Requests Input on MIPS Implementation

Legislative Activity Health-Focused Reconciliation Recommendations Clear Three Committees Last week, three House committees considered and passed reconciliation recommendations that included health-related language. The House Committee on Ways and Means approved language that would repeal the individual and employer mandates, the excise taxes on medical devices and high cost employer-sponsored health coverage (also known as the … Continue Reading

Health Legislation Hits House Floor; Senate HELP Committee To Mark Up Health Bills; ONC Releases Federal Health IT Strategic Plan; Transition to ICD-10 Approaches

Legislative Activity Health Legislation Hits House Floor House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has announced that the following health-related bills will be considered this week under suspension of the rules: H.R. 1624, the Protecting Affordable Coverage of Employees Act, as amended, which provides that employers with 51 to 100 employees are small employers for purposes … Continue Reading

House Votes on Defunding Planned Parenthood; Subcommittee Continues Review of Medicaid Program; ONC Names Chief Nursing Officer; MedPAC Considers Unified PPS for Post-Acute Care; ACA Lawsuit to Proceed

Legislative Activity House Votes on Defunding Planned Parenthood With the fiscal year quickly coming to an end, the government spending fight will ramp up as the House of Representatives continues its response to the controversial Planned Parenthood videos which were released this summer. As early as Thursday, September 17, the House is expected to vote … Continue Reading

House Committee on Energy and Commerce to Mark Up Health Legislation; Potential Senate Vote on Obamacare Repeal This Week; House Committee on the Judiciary Announces Hearings on Competition in the Health Care Marketplace; Medicare Trustees Release Annual Report

Legislative Activity House Committee on Energy and Commerce to Mark Up Health Legislation The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has announced that it will hold a markup on Tuesday, July 28. Several health bills are on the agenda: H.R. 1344, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2015, which reauthorizes a program for … Continue Reading

Republicans Postpone Reconciliation Actions Until After August Recess; CMS Proposes Sweeping Changes to LTC Facilities; MedPAC Releases 2015 Data Book

Legislative Activity Republicans Postpone Reconciliation Actions Until After August Recess With the August District Work Period only weeks away, House Committee on the Budget Chairman Tom Price (R-GA) announced this past week that the House Committee on the Budget would not act on reconciliation until after the lawmakers reconvene in September. The three House committees … Continue Reading

House to Consider Medical Device Excise Tax and IPAB Repeals; CMS Clarifies Use of Section 1311 Grant Funds; Agencies Issue Final Rule on Summary and Benefits Coverage

Legislative Activity House to Vote on Medical Device Excise Tax and IPAB Repeals In the House of Representatives, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has announced that several health care bills will be considered on the floor this week. Two of these bills dismantle portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). H.R. 160, the Protect Medical … Continue Reading

John Boehner Continues Pursuit of Lawsuit Against President Barack Obama and Health Care Reform

Legislative Activity On Monday, July 28, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health will hold a markup to consider two bills: H.R. ____, a bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for recommendations for the development and use of clinical data registries for the improvement of patient … Continue Reading

Veterans’ Affairs Hospitals And Clinics Continue To Be Scrutinized

Legislative Activity Scrutiny of the Veterans’ Affairs (VA) hospitals and clinics continues this week. Last week, the Senate voted to approve H.R. 3230, the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014, a bill that was negotiated by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and John McCain (R-AZ). This week, the House of … Continue Reading

CMS: 2015 Payment Policies for Medicare Parts C and D

Legislative Activity This Week’s Hearings: Monday, February 24: The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Tuesday, February 25: The House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies has scheduled an oversight hearing on “Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasure Enterprise.” The Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and … Continue Reading

House Addresses Issues With Affordable Care Act

Legislative Activity House Leadership is expected to bring up an Affordable Care Act (ACA) bill next week that would address security issues with the health insurance exchanges and enhance protection of personal information entered on the healthcare.gov website. The measure will be the first of a number of proposals in 2014 addressing health reform focusing … Continue Reading

The Congressional Budget Office Releases A Memo That Lowered The Cost For Repealing Medicare’s Physician Payment Formula

Legislative Activity SGR Update The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a one-page memo that lowered the cost for repealing Medicare’s physician payment formula, reporting that a ten-year repeal would cost about $23 billion less than a previous estimate this year. According to the CBO, the cost of repealing the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula would … Continue Reading

Quality Rating System for Qualified Health Plans Notice

Legislative Activity The House and Senate will continue to hold oversight and investigation hearings focused on the problems with HealthCare.gov. This week’s hearings follow the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) announcement that 106,185 individuals have selected a health care insurance plan through the exchanges and President Obama’s announcement that HHS will use its … Continue Reading
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