Health Industry Washington Watch : Washington DC Healthcare Industry Law Firm : Reed Smith : Health Industry Washington Watch : Regulations, Medicare/Medicaid, Governmental Organizations

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The Reed Smith Health Industry Washington Watch blog has been updated to discuss a variety of health policy developments, including the following:  

• Regulatory Developments. CMS has released major proposed rules that would update the Medicare physician fee schedule, the hospital outpatient prospective payment system, and the ambulatory surgical center payment system for 2010. CMS also has delayed enforcement of a 2008 Medicaid provider tax rule and rescinding three controversial Bush Administration Medicaid rules that also had been blocked by Congress. The NIH has published its final “Guidelines for Human Stem Cell Research,” and the FDA is seeking public input on implementation of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.
• Other HHS Developments. CMS has announced an evaluation report on a nursing home survey process. The OIG has issued a report on Medicare Part B chemotherapy administration. AHRQ has released reports on state quality of care and on off-label drug use.
• Legislative Developments. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee has released additional details on its health reform package, and the Congressional Budget Office has released cost estimates for two draft reform plans. Congressional committees continue to hold hearings on health reform and other health policy issues. 
• Odds & Ends. Two panels have issued reports on comparative effectiveness research priorities under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Federal Trade Commission has issued an interim report on the impact of authorized generic drugs on competition in the prescription drug marketplace.
• Looking Ahead. Upcoming health industry events include a CMS meeting on HCPCS codes for negative pressure wound therapy devices, an H1NI Flu Preparedness Summit, meetings on federal health information technology efforts, a CMS meeting on clinical laboratory test payments, and a meeting of the Advisory Panel on Ambulatory Payment Classification Groups.