This Week in Washington: CMS releases first list of Inflation Rebate Program drugs, initial guidance on Medicare Drug Negotiation Program


Congress

House

Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act Reintroduced

On March 14, Reps. Steube (R-FL), Higgins (D-NY), Alford (R-MO) and Larson (D-CT) reintroduced the Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act. The legislation would expand Medicare coverage to include chiropractic services, and would ensure that Medicare patients have access to chiropractic care as an alternative to using prescription drugs for pain management. Sens. Blumenthal (D-CT) and Cramer (R-ND) introduced a companion bill in the Senate.

For more information, click here.

Senate

Rural Health Legislation Announced

On March 16, Sens. Blackburn (R-TN) and Warner (D-VA) reintroduced the Save Rural Hospitals Act. The legislation would reduce hospital closures in rural areas by establishing a minimum Medicare Area Wage Index of 0.85. The wage index is used to calculate the overall Medicare payment hospitals receive based on the average labor costs in the area in which the hospital is located.

Sen. Blackburn and Sen. Hickenlooper (D-CO) intend to introduce the Rural Health Innovation Act. The legislation would:

  • Create two 5-year grant programs administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Community-Based Division;
  • Ensure that the first grant program go toward establishing Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), aimed at addressing a community’s urgent care and triage needs. Grants awarded by the program would be limited to $500,000 for existing facilities and $750,000 for startup facilities; and
  • Ensure that the second grant program go toward expanding existing rural health departments. Grants awarded by the program would be limited to $500,000. Grants would only be awarded to communities that are rural and are located at least 30 minutes away from the nearest emergency department. Communities that have lost a hospital in the past seven years will be given priority.

Additionally, Sen. Blackburn and Sen. Durbin (D-IL) intend to introduce the Rural America Health Corps Act. The legislation would:

  • Create a new loan repayment program titled “NHSC Rural Provider Loan Repayment Program”;
  • Ensure practitioners would be eligible for flexible loan repayments, based on the severity of healthcare staff shortages in the area;
  • Waive associated income tax liability for the loan repayment program; and
  • Allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants to participate in the loan repayment program.

For more information, click here.

Maximizing Opioid Recovery Emergency (MORE) Savings Act Introduced

On March 15, Special Committee on Aging Chairman Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the Maximizing Opioid Recovery Emergency (MORE) Saving Act. The goals of the legislation are to lower the cost of treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) and eliminate the cost of treatment and recovery services for privately insured individuals, as well as those enrolled in a new Medicare pilot program. It would also increase federal funding for Medicaid treatment programs and establish a pilot program in 15 states, which would allow individuals to seek Medicare OUD services at no cost for the next five years. Rep. Dean (D-PA) will be introducing a companion bill in the House.

For more information, click here.

Senate Finance and Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairmen Send Letter to CMS Regarding IRA Medicare Part B Coinsurance

On March 13, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-MT) led 20 senators in sending a letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, asking CMS to announce which Medicare Part B medications would be subject to the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) Medicare Part B and D inflation rebate provision. The senators also asked CMS to announce what the coinsurance percentage and amount would be for each applicable Part B drug.

This request came just as CMS released on March 15 a list of the first 27 drugs that fall under the rebate provision.

The other senators who signed the letter include Democratic senators Bennet (CO), Klobuchar (MN), Brown (OH), Gillibrand (NY), Casey (PA), Cortez Masto (NV), Cardin (MD), Kaine (VA), Blumenthal (CT), Manchin (WV), Warnock (GA), Merkley (OR), Baldwin (WI), Warner (VA), Carper (DE), Welch (VT), Whitehouse (RI), Kelly (AZ), Murray (WA) and Murphy (CT).

For more information, click here.

Read more on healthcare policy in McGuireWoods Consulting’s Washington Healthcare Update.

This Week in Washington: President releases FY2024 Budget



Congress

House

Prescription Information Modernization Act of 2023 Introduced

On March 9, Reps. Harshbarger (R-TN) and Sherrill (D-NJ) introduced the Prescription Information Modernization Act of 2023. The bipartisan bill would give healthcare professionals the option to choose whether to receive digital or printed versions of prescription information from manufacturers. Current policy restricts healthcare professionals from obtaining prescription information digitally. The bill will allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to move forward with a proposed rule that will grant drug manufacturers permission to transmit prescription information electronically.

For more information, click here.

EFFECTIVE Act Introduced

On March 3, Reps. Trone (D-MD) and Meuser (R-PA) introduced the Ensuring the FDA Fully Examines Clinical Trial Impact and Vitalness before Endorsement (EFFECTIVE) Act. The bipartisan bill would grant the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to deny new drug applications for opioids if they do not offer material safety advantages over approved opioids already on the market. Sens. Manchin (D-WV) and Braun (R-IN) introduced a companion bill in the Senate.

For more information, click here.

Senate

Senators Send Letter Concerning Healthcare Pricing Transparency

On March 6, Sens. Hassan (D-NH) and Braun (R-IN) sent a letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, expressing their concerns over the amount of transparency in healthcare pricing. The senators are concerned health insurance companies are evading CMS’ July 2022 Transparency in Coverage rule. That rule requires health insurance companies to publish their in- and out-of-network rates for healthcare plans. The letter urges CMS to update the rule and increase its enforcement of health plan pricing transparency and compliance.

For more information, click here.

Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act of 2023 Introduced

On March 8, Sens. Shaheen (D-NH) and Capito (R-WV) introduced the Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act of 2023. The bipartisan bill would expand Medicare coverage to include Prescription Digital Therapeutics (PDTs). PDTs are software-based disease treatments that can be used to treat a variety of illnesses, such as mental health and substance abuse disorders. Reps. Hern (R-OK) and Thompson (D-CA) introduced a companion bill in the House.

For more information, click here.

Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act Introduced

On March 6, Sens. Markey (D-MA) and Paul (R-KY) introduced the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act. The legislation would help patients access medication treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), by updating outdated rules, allowing board-certified physicians to prescribe methadone and granting U.S. pharmacies permission to dispense methadone. It would also require the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to submit an annual report that provides the names of patients who were prescribed methadone, as well as those of the providers and state physicians who are registered to prescribe methadone. Reps. Norcross (D-NJ) and Bacon (R-NE) introduced a companion bill in the Senate.

Cosponsors of the Senate bill include Sens. Sanders (I-VT), Braun (R-IN), Booker (D-NJ) and Hassan (D-NH). Cosponsors of the House bill include Reps. Kuster (D-NH), Trone (D-MD), Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Tonko (D-NY), Pettersen (D-CO) and Kim (D-NJ).

For more information, click here.

Read more on healthcare policy in McGuireWoods Consulting’s Washington Healthcare Update.

This Week in Washington: Workforce issues studied, PBMs under more scrutiny



Congress

House

House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman Launches Investigation into Pharmacy Benefit Manager Practices

On March 1, House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) announced that he is launching an investigation to analyze whether pharmacy benefit managers’ (PBM) tactics are harming patient care and increasing the costs of healthcare programs. Chairman Comer is requesting that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Defense Health Agency (DHA) provide information related to PBM practices, to analyze the impact on patients, the pharmaceutical market and federal healthcare programs.

For more information, click here.

Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2023 Introduced

On Feb. 21, Reps. Burgess (R-TX) and Cuellar (D-TX) introduced the Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2023. The bipartisan bill would repeal the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) ban on new physician-owned hospitals.

For more information, click here.

Senate

Senate HELP Committee Chair and Ranking Member Request Input from Healthcare Providers on Workforce Shortages

On March 2, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) sent a letter to healthcare providers, requesting their input on current healthcare workforce shortages. The senators are asking healthcare providers to propose potential solutions to resolve the ongoing shortages. The letter comes in the wake of a hearing the Senate HELP Committee held on Feb. 16 titled “Examining Health Care Workforce Shortages: Where Do We Go From Here?,” which focused on understanding the root causes of current healthcare workforce shortages.

For more information, click here.

Primary Care Enhancement Act Introduced

On March 2, Sens. Cassidy (R-LA), Shaheen (D-NH), Scott (R-SC) and Kelly (D-AZ) introduced the Primary Care Enhancement Act. The bipartisan bill seeks to expand patient access to primary care providers by allowing patients to use health savings accounts (HSAs) to pay for primary care services sought out by them without specialist or hospital referrals.

For more information, click here.

Thirty-Two Senators Send Letter Concerning Short-Term Health Plans

On Feb. 22, Sens. Baldwin (D-WI) and Murphy (D-CT) led a group of 32 senators in sending a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra. The letter asks HHS to take immediate action on short-term limited duration insurance (STLDI) plans. The senators are concerned over the expansion of STLDI plans in the weeks leading up to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) unwinding. Millions of Americans are expected to lose their Medicaid coverage when the PHE comes to an end.

The other senators who signed the letter include Democratic Sens. Blumenthal (CT), Booker (NJ), Brown (OH), Cardin (MD), Casey (PA), Coons (DE), Cortez Masto (NV), Duckworth (IL), Durbin (IL), Feinstein (CA), Hassan (NH), Heinrich (NM), Hickenlooper (CO), Kaine (VA), Klobuchar (MN), Luján (NM), Markey (MA), Menendez (NJ), Merkley (OR), Murray (WA), Padilla (CA), Peters (MI), Reed (RI), Shaheen (NH), Smith (MN), Stabenow (MI), Van Hollen (MD), Warner (VA), Warnock (GA), Warren (MA) and Welch (VT). Sen. King (I-ME) also signed.

For more information, click here.

Read more on healthcare policy in McGuireWoods Consulting’s Washington Healthcare Update.

This Week in Washington: CBO 2023 Budget Report is released



Congress

House

House Not in Session

CBO Releases Presentation of its 2023 Budget and Economic Outlook Report

On Feb. 16, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a presentation showcasing the results it published in its 2023 Budget and Economic Outlook report. The report highlights CBO’s projections of the federal deficit over the next 10 years. It also showcases the amount of federal debt held by the public, and projected outlay, revenue, interest, inflation, unemployment and real GDP rates.

For more information, click here.

House Members Urge More Oversight into Hospice Care Fraud and Abuse

On Feb. 14, Reps. Blumenauer (D-OR), Van Duyne (R-TX), Panetta (D-CA) and Wenstrup (R-OH) sent a letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, expressing their concerns over hospice care fraud and abuse. The representatives are asking CMS to identify additional oversight measures that Congress could take, to combat hospice care fraud and abuse.

For more information, click here.

Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act Introduced

On Feb. 10, Reps. Wenstrup (R-OH) and Larson (D-CT) introduced the Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act. Sens. Cassidy (R-LA) and Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced a companion bill in the Senate. The legislation seeks to make outpatient surgical care more affordable for Medicare beneficiaries. The bill would:

  • Make permanent the alignment of Medicare reimbursement update factors for the Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) and Hospital Outpatient Department (HOPD) payment systems under Medicare to ensure the disparity between HOPD and ASC payments is reduced
  • Eliminate copay penalties for Medicare beneficiaries
  • Reduce other barriers Medicare beneficiaries may encounter when searching for affordable, quality care

For more information, click here.

Senate

Senate HELP Committee Announces Hearing on Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine

On Feb. 15, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced that the Senate HELP committee will hold a hearing on March 22, where it will question Moderna’s CEO Stéphane Bancel over the company’s plan of quadrupling the price of its COVID-19 vaccine. On Feb. 16, Moderna announced that it will keep its vaccine available to everyone at no cost. Insured individuals will have access to the vaccine through their doctors’ offices and pharmacies, and the Moderna Patient Assistance Program will help underinsured and uninsured individuals receive the vaccine at no cost.

Announced hearing panelists include:

  • Stéphane Bancel, CEO and Director of Moderna, Inc.
  • Christopher J. Morten, Ph.D., J.D., Associate Clinical Professor of Law at Columbia Law School
  • Ameet Sarpatwari, Ph.D., J.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
  • Craig Garthwaite, Ph.D., M.P.P., Herman R. Smith Research Professor in Hospital and Health Services Management at the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management

Twenty Senators Send Letter Concerning Alzheimer’s Treatment Access

On Feb. 17, Sens. Collins (R-ME) and Capito (R-WV) led a bipartisan group of 20 senators in sending a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and Centers of Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. The letter asks CMS to reconsider the Coverage with Evidence Development (CED) requirements for Alzheimer’s monoclonal antibody treatments recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The other senators who signed the letter include Sens. Barrasso (R-WY), Lankford (R-OK), Moran (R-KS), Cramer (R-ND), Budd (R-NC), Mullin (R-OK), Rubio (R-FL), Lummis (R-WY), Murkowski (R-AK), Peters (D-MI), Wicker (R-MS), Fischer (R-NE), Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Tillis (R-NC), Klobuchar (D-MN), Hoeven (R-ND), Rounds (R-SD) and Boozman (R-AR).

For more information, click here.

Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act Introduced

On Feb. 17, Sens. Smith (D-MN), Murkowski (R-AK) and Hassan (D-NH) reintroduced the Mental Health Professional Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023. The bill would establish a loan repayment program that would provide loan repayment services to full-time employees who worked a minimum of 6 years as a behavioral or mental health professional, or a substance use disorder treatment professional.

Sen. Grassley Urges Oversight of Nursing Home Psychotropic Medicines

On Feb. 16, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, asking for improvements to be made to CMS’ oversight and enforcement of psychotropic drug deficiencies in nursing home facilities. Sen. Grassley stressed his concern over reports of nursing homes misdiagnosing seniors with schizophrenia and prescribing them antipsychotic drugs, which can pose significant risks.

For more information, click here.

Promoting Public Health Information Act Introduced

On Feb. 15, Sens. Murphy (D-CT) and Ray Luján (D-NM) reintroduced the Promoting Public Health Information Act. The legislation aims to assist the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with addressing health disinformation during public health emergencies. Reps. DeGette (D-CO) and Castor (D-FL) introduced a companion bill in the House.

The Promoting Public Health Information Act would grant the HHS Secretary authority to:

  • Establish a Public Health Information and Communications Advisory Committee within HHS composed of federal officials with backgrounds in public health, medicine, communications and national security. The committee would be tasked with issuing recommendations on how to communicate scientific and medical information during a public health emergency, and how to curb the spread of disinformation.
  • Issue awards to encourage evidence- and fact-based initiatives that educate people on public health and medical science.
  • Spend $45 million for educational initiatives and committee tasks.

For more information, click here.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Urges CMS to Finalize Medicare Advantage Consumer Protections

On Feb. 14, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) wrote to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, asking CMS to finalize a proposed rule that would implement new restrictions on private insurance agent and broker deceptive consumer marketing practices. Sen. Wyden led an investigation into deceptive marketing practices last year, which revealed that private agents and brokers were using misleading language, cold calls and the Medicare name and logo in marketing, to mislead seniors into signing up for fraudulent Medicare Advantage (MA) plans.

For more information, click here.

Read more on healthcare policy in McGuireWoods Consulting’s Washington Healthcare Update.

This Week in Washington: President Biden delivers State of the Union Address, House votes to end CDC COVID-19 Foreign Air Traveler Vaccine Mandate

Congress

House

House Votes to Terminate CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Foreign Travelers

On Feb. 8, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 185, which would end the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 vaccine mandate for foreign air travelers. Democratic Reps. Craig (MN), David (NC), Higgins (NY), Horsford (NV), Titus (NV), Lee (NV), and Pappas (NH) joined House Republicans in voting against the vaccine mandate. The bill is not expected to move forward in the Senate.

Senate

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Bipartisan Bills to Lower Prescription Drug Costs

On Feb. 9, the Senate Judiciary Committee reported out of committee five bills that are designed to lower prescription drug prices. The bills are:

  • 113, Prescription Pricing for the People Act of 2023, as amended, to require the Federal Trade Commission to study the role of intermediaries in the pharmaceutical supply chain and provide Congress with appropriate policy recommendations. The bill was introduced by Sens. Grassley and Cantwell and is cosponsored by Sens. Blumenthal, Lankford, Blackburn, Tuberville, Tillis, Capito, Braun, Boozman, Welch, Coons, Hirono and Feinstein.
  • 142, Preserving Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act, as amended, to prohibit brand-name drug companies from compensating generic drug companies to delay the entry of a generic drug into the market, and to prohibit biological product manufacturers from compensating biosimilar and interchangeable companies to delay the entry of biosimilar biological products and interchangeable biological products. The bill was introduced by Sens. Klobuchar and Grassley and is cosponsored by Sens. Durbin, Cramer, Blumenthal, Kelly, Van Hollen, Booker, Ossoff and Ernst.
  • 148, Stop STALLING Act, as amended, to enable the Federal Trade Commission to deter filing of sham citizen petitions to cover an attempt to interfere with approval of a competing generic drug or biosimilar, to foster competition and to facilitate the efficient review of petitions filed in good faith to raise legitimate public health concerns. The bill was introduced by Sens. Klobuchar and Grassley and is cosponsored by Sens. Durbin, Braun, Blumenthal, Cruz, Booker and Ossoff.
  • 150, Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act of 2023 to amend the Federal Trade Commission Act to prohibit product hopping. The bill was introduced by Sens. Cornyn and Blumenthal and is cosponsored by Sens. Grassley, Durbin, Cruz and Klobuchar.

For more information, click here.

Read more on healthcare policy in McGuireWoods Consulting’s Washington Healthcare Update.

This Week in Washington: President Biden announces ending date of COVID-19 PHE, House begins investigations into COVID-19 origins; State of the Union scheduled for Feb. 7

Congress

House

House Energy and Commerce Committee Begins Investigation into COVID-19 Origin

On Feb. 2, Reps. Rodgers (R-WA), Griffith (R-VA) and Guthrie (R-KY) began the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s investigation into the origin of COVID-19. The members sent letters to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and EcoHealth Alliance requesting the preservation of any document detailing research done at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).

For more information, click here.

House Democrats Introduce the Protect Social Security and Medicare Act

On Feb. 2, Reps. Pocan (D-WI), Doggett (D-TX) and Frost (D-FL) introduced the Protect Social Security and Medicare Act. The bill would raise to two-thirds the vote threshold needed to introduce any legislation in the House that would reduce benefits under either program.

House Passes Pandemic is Over Act

On Jan. 31, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Pandemic is Over Act with a vote of 220-210. If enacted, the bill would immediately terminate the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. The bill is not expected to pass in the Senate.

For more information, click here.

Reps. Pallone, Eshoo and Castor Send Letter Urging Action on Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance Plans

On Jan. 31, Reps. Pallone (D-NJ), Eshoo (D-CA) and Castor (D-FL) sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor and the Department of the Treasury, urging the departments to roll back short-term limited-duration health insurance plans before Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) redeterminations begin on March 31, 2023.

For more information, click here.

House Republicans Introduce Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act

On Jan. 31, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-MO) and GOP Doctors Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Brad Wenstrup, D.P.M. (R-OH), and Rep. Michael Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), introduced H.R. 485, the Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act, which would expand access to cures and prevent discrimination against Americans with disabilities. On Feb. 1, the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health held a hearing titled “Lives Worth Living: Addressing the Fentanyl Crisis, Protecting Critical Lifelines, and Combatting Discrimination Against Those with Disabilities.” The legislation was discussed at the hearing.

H.R. 485 would prohibit the use of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) in all federal programs—an expansion from the current prohibition that only applies in a limited fashion to the Medicare program.

The bill would also prohibit the importation of price controls from countries that use QALYs.

House and Senate Members Urge Investment in KidneyX Program

On Jan. 30, Reps. DelBene (D-WA) and Bucshon (R-IN), along with Sens. Cardin (D-MD) and Young (R-IN), sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), urging President Biden and OMB Director Shalanda Young to add a $25 million investment to the president’s fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget for KidneyX. KidneyX is a public-private partnership between the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) devoted to the development of the world’s first artificial kidney. The members stressed the high cost of kidney disease treatment and the urgent need for artificial kidneys in their letter.

For more information, click here.

Senate

The Ensuring Kids Have Access to Medically Necessary Dental Care Act is Introduced

On Feb. 2, Sens. Cardin (D-MD), Stabenow (D-MI) and Rep. Barragán (D-CA) reintroduced the Ensuring Kids Have Access to Medically Necessary Dental Care Act. The bill would eliminate lifetime and annual limits for children receiving dental care through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The bill would also require CHIP to cover dental services for eligible children who are not currently enrolled in the program.

Senators Send Letter to CMS in Support of Medicare Advantage Program

On Feb. 1, Sens. Cassidy (R-LA), Cortez Masto (D-NV), Scott (R-SC), Peters (D-MI) and Capito (R-WV), along with 57 other senators, issued a letter to Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Brooks-LaSure expressing their support of the Medicare Advantage (MA) Program. The senators urged Administrator Brooks-LaSure and CMS to take steps toward sustaining and strengthening the MA Program.

For more information, click here.

American Values Act Reintroduced

On Jan. 31, Sens. Risch (R-ID), Cruz (R-TX), Rubio (R-FL), Young (R-IN), Hagerty (R-TN), Johnson (R-WI) and Barrasso (R-WY) reintroduced the American Values Act. The bill would permanently prohibit the use of U.S. foreign assistance funds to pay for abortion services overseas.

Read more on healthcare policy in McGuireWoods Consulting’s Washington Healthcare Update.

This Week in Washington: Fighting over how to proceed on the debt limit; Congress still finalizing committee assignments


Congress

House

Reps. Lee, DeGette, Pressley and Schakowsky Introduce the Ensuring Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act

On Jan. 26, Reps. Lee (D-CA), DeGette (D-CO), Pressley (D-MA) and Schakowsky (D-IL) introduced the Ensuring Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act. The bill reverses the restrictions placed by the Hyde Amendment on Medicaid and federal health insurance coverage of abortion.

Reps. Carter and Blunt Rochester Introduce Bipartisan Essential Medicines Strategic Stockpile Act

On Jan. 23, Reps. Buddy Carter (R-GA) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) introduced the Essential Medicines Strategic Stockpile Act. The bill seeks to strengthen U.S. generic drug stockpiles to prevent drug shortages during public health emergencies and decrease U.S. dependence on foreign pharmaceutical markets. The bill would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to select 50 drugs to include in the stockpile, keep an updated list of the drugs and make the list publicly available.

Senate

Sens. Barrasso, Tester, Daines and Hickenlooper Issue Letter to CMS Regarding Nursing Home Staffing Mandates

On Jan. 20, Sens. Barrasso (R-WY), Tester (D-MT), Daines (R-MT) and Hickenlooper (D-CO) sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), expressing their concerns over CMS’ intent to issue new nursing home staffing mandates. The senators are concerned that new nursing home staffing mandates would adversely impact nursing homes in rural areas. The senators are urging CMS to consider proposals to address the staffing and operational challenges experienced by nursing homes in rural, underserved areas.

For more information, click here.

Read more on healthcare policy in McGuireWoods Consulting’s Washington Healthcare Update.

This Week in Washington: House and Senate not in session, U.S. reaches debt-ceiling limit



Congress

House

Rep. Frank Pallone Questions FDA and NIH Over Federally Funded Clinical Trial Reporting Compliance

On Jan. 19, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), raising concerns over whether medical product sponsors are submitting federally funded clinical trial results to the ClinicalTrials.gov database. Medical products sponsors are required to submit clinical trial results to the federal database, in order to provide healthcare providers and researchers with safety and efficacy information. A recent study revealed that up to 31 percent of clinical trials are going unreported.

Senate not in session.

Read more on healthcare policy in McGuireWoods Consulting’s Washington Healthcare Update.

This Week in Washington: House assigns members to committees and finalizes committee chairmanships



Congress

House

House Passes Abortion Bill

On Jan. 11, the House of Representatives approved a bill on a vote of 220-210 that would require infants born alive after an attempted abortion receive the same protection under the law and degree of care as any newborn. Medical providers could face up to five years in prison for failing to resuscitate babies born alive during abortions. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) joined Republicans while Rep. Vicente González (D-TX) voted present. The bill is not expected to pass the Senate.

Senate not in session.

Read more on healthcare policy in McGuireWoods Consulting’s Washington Healthcare Update.

This Week in Washington: 118th Congress begins, House finally chooses Speaker



Congress

House

House Names Speaker

Although in the past, members of Congress are generally sworn in following the selection of a Speaker, the need for 15 ballots to choose a Speaker delayed this important step. On Jan. 9, it is expected that the House will finalize choosing members to be chairman of committees for which there is a race. The Ways and Means Committee is one such committee.

Rep. Frank Pallone Releases Names of Democratic Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Staff Leadership

On Jan. 3, House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) announced the names of the Democratic committee staff that will lead the minority staff for the Energy and Commerce Committee’s subcommittees during the 118th Congress. They are as follows:

Jennifer Epperson – Communications and Technology Subcommittee
Lisa Hone – Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee
Tuley Wright – Energy Subcommittee
Caitlin Haberman – Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee
Una Lee – Health Subcommittee
Will McAuliffe – Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee

Senate

Sen. Bernie Sanders Takes Over as Senate HELP Committee Chair

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will chair the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee for the 118th Congress. As chair, Sanders has vowed to challenge drug manufacturers, insurers and work for lower prescription drug costs.

Read more on healthcare policy in McGuireWoods Consulting’s Washington Healthcare Update.