Tag Archives: HHS

COVID-19: US Developments – Implementation and Oversight of CARES Act – May 29, 2020

The stay-at-home order in the nation’s capital has been lifted, while the debate continues in the United States Congress about the scope, timing and focus of the next major bipartisan federal COVID-19 response legislation. Stymied in their efforts to force quick congressional approval of another massive package, Washington Democrats are keeping busy by passing targeted … Continue Reading

US Executive Branch Update – May 29, 2020

This report provides a snapshot of the US Executive Branch priorities via daily schedules and the prior day’s press releases. POTUS’ Schedule* 11:00 a.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT receives his intelligence briefing | Oval Office 4:00 p.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT participates in a roundtable with Industry Executives on Reopening | State Dining Room VPOTUS’ … Continue Reading

COVID-19: US & EU Developments, Implementation and Oversight of CARES Act – May 26, 2020

The US House of Representatives returns to Washington this week, but negotiations aimed at forging a bipartisan consensus on the next federal COVID-19 response package are still weeks away. The Memorial Day holiday weekend brought a surge of activity by Americans who have been in lockdown for months and are yearning for a return to … Continue Reading

21st Century Cures Advances to Senate; Health Bills Scheduled for House Floor; MedPAC Meetings This Week

Legislative Activity 21st Century Cures Advances to Senate Last week the Senate amendment to H.R. 34, the Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act of 2015 (21st Century Cures Act) overwhelmingly passed the House by a vote of 392 yeas to 26 nays. The bipartisan innovation package is the result of over two years of work … Continue Reading

Final 21st Century Cures Bill Released; HHS Rule on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program

Legislative Activity Final 21st Century Cures Bill Released Over the weekend, House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) released the final version of the 21st Century Cures Act. The bipartisan innovation package is the result of over two … Continue Reading

Republicans Seek to Attack the Affordable Care Act; Potential Zika Funding Deal in Senate; The Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health Marks Up Public Health Legislation; Updated Medicare Emergency Preparedness Regulations Released by HHS; HHS Releases Plans for Quality Payment Program in 2017

Legislative Activity Republicans Seek to Attack the Affordable Care Act This week House Republicans are putting the Affordable Care Act’s summer headlines front and center.  Both the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, as well as the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, will hold … Continue Reading

House Energy and Commerce Committee to Hold Concussion Roundtable; Senate HELP Committee to Mark Up Substance Abuse and Mental Health Bills; CMS Releases Proposed Rule on Part B Drug Payment Model

Legislative Activity House Energy and Commerce Committee to Hold Concussion Roundtable Last December, House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) announced that the committee would commence a broad review of concussions and their implications. His initiative officially begins this week, with a roundtable titled “Broad Review of Concussions: Initial Roundtable.” The committee … 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

Senate Cloture Vote Scheduled for FDA Nominee, Chamber May Consider Opioid Legislation

Legislative Activity Senate Cloture Vote Scheduled for FDA Nominee, Chamber May Consider Opioid Legislation On Monday, February 22, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has scheduled a cloture vote on the nomination of Dr. Robert Califf for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner.   Three Senators – Joe Manchin (D-WV), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Bernie Sanders … 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

House to Consider Overriding President’s Veto of Reconciliation Legislation; CMS Releases Proposed Rule on ACOs and Issues Policy Changes Related to Home Health

Legislative Activity House to Consider Overriding President’s Veto of Reconciliation Legislation Following a postponement due to weather last week, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has announced that on Tuesday, February 2, the House will consider the President’s veto message on H.R. 3762, the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015. The legislation seeks … Continue Reading

President May Highlight Obamacare Successes in State of the Union Address; HHS-OCR Releases HIPAA Guidance; MedPAC Meeting This Week

Legislative Activity President May Highlight Obamacare Successes in State of the Union Address On Tuesday, January 12, President Barack Obama will give his final State of the Union address to Congress. While details of the speech have yet to be released, last week, the President vetoed Congress’s budget reconciliation bill, which aimed to dismantle the … Continue Reading

House To Possibly Consider Amended Reconciliation Bill; House Committee To Hear Testimony From Acting Administrator Slavitt; CMS Justifies Payment Cut Under The Two-Midnight Rule

Legislative Activity House To Possibly Consider Amended Reconciliation Bill Last week, the Senate passed an amended H.R. 3762, the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015, on a vote of 52-47. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has stated that the House of Representatives could possibly consider the Senate-passed bill on the House floor … Continue Reading

Senate Republicans Eye Obamacare Repeal Measures In Reconciliation Bill; HHS-OIG Evaluates 340B Payments; CMS Releases Notice Of 2017 Benefit And Payment Parameters

Legislative Activity Senate Republicans Eye Obamacare Repeal Measures In Reconciliation Bill Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has scheduled a meeting on Monday, November 30, for Republican senators to discuss repealing parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Senate Republican leaders are hoping to consider the Senate substitute amendment to the House-passed reconciliation bill, H.R. … 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

Health Subcommittee to Mark Up Seven Bills; HHS Waives Fraud and Abuse Laws in Shared Savings Program; Two-Midnight Rule Revisions Finalized

Legislative Activity House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health to Mark Up Seven Bills On Tuesday, November 3, and Wednesday, November 4, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a markup to consider seven pieces of legislation: H.R. 2017, the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2015, 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

House To Vote On ACA Repeal Provisions; HHS Projects 2016 ACA Marketplace Enrollment; HRSA’s 340B Orphan Drug Policy Struck Down Again

Legislative Activity House To Vote On ACA Repeal Provisions House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has included two health-related bills on this week’s floor schedule. On Wednesday, the House is expected to consider S. 1362, a bill to amend title XI of the Social Security Act to clarify waiver authority regarding programs of all-inclusive care … 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
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