On June 24, 2015, the Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to vote on the following bipartisan health policy bills, described by Chairman Hatch as “common sense legislation that will improve the healthcare system for patients and taxpayers alike”:
Continue Reading Senate Finance Committee to Vote on Bipartisan Health Bills
Hearings and Markups
Energy & Commerce Committee Hearing on Administration’s Approval of Medicaid Demonstrations
On June 24, 2015, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee is holding a hearing to examine the Obama Administration’s approval of Medicaid demonstration projects. According to a background memo, the panel will focus on the following questions:
Continue Reading Energy & Commerce Committee Hearing on Administration’s Approval of Medicaid Demonstrations
House Panel to Review Bipartisan Bills to Improve Health Care for Infants/Children
On June 25, 2015, the Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee will review three bipartisan bills that aim to improve health care for newborns, infants, and children. Specifically, members will discuss:
- H.R. 2820, the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act, to reauthorize programs that promote bone marrow, adult stem cell, and cord blood donations, match
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Ways and Means Committee Approves Health Policy Bills, Including Repeal of ACA Medical Device Tax & IPAB, and Medicare Advantage/LTCH Policy Changes
On June 2, 2015, the House Ways and Means Committee approved ten health policy bills, including legislation to repeal the ACA’s medical device tax and the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). Other measures would make a series of changes to Medicare Advantage (MA) requirements and Medicare long-term care hospital (LTCH) policy. Specifically, the Committee approved the following bills:
Continue Reading Ways and Means Committee Approves Health Policy Bills, Including Repeal of ACA Medical Device Tax & IPAB, and Medicare Advantage/LTCH Policy Changes
Senate Finance Committee Approves Medicare Appeals Reform Proposal
On June 3, 2015, the Senate Finance Committee approved by voice vote a bipartisan proposal to reform the Medicare audit and appeals process in an attempt to help ease the backlog of Medicare appeals and promote efficiency and transparency. The draft proposal, the “Audit & Appeal Fairness, Integrity, and Reforms in Medicare Act of 2015,” would, among other things:Continue Reading Senate Finance Committee Approves Medicare Appeals Reform Proposal
Congressional Health Policy Hearings
A number of Congressional panels have held hearings this month on health policy issues, including the following:
- A House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Affordable Care Act implementation and the FY 2016 HHS budget request;
- A Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on “Health Information Exchange: A Path Towards Improving
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21st Century Cures Bill Includes Proposal to Broaden Sunshine Act Exclusions Related to Education
As we reported last week, on May 21, 2015, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved H.R. 6, the “21st Century Cures Act,” by a bipartisan, unanimous 51-0 vote. This major legislation is intended to accelerate the pace of medical cures in the United States through a variety of reforms addressing drug and device development and approval, clinical trial design, research funding, interoperability of health technology, and other issues. This blog post focuses on the bill’s proposed Sunshine Act (aka Open Payments) changes, which would broaden exclusions related to the provision of education-related payments or transfers of value.
Continue Reading 21st Century Cures Bill Includes Proposal to Broaden Sunshine Act Exclusions Related to Education
House Energy and Commerce Committee Unanimously Approves 21st Century Cures Bill
Today the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved H.R. 6, the “21st Century Cures Act,” by a bipartisan, unanimous 51-0 vote. This major legislation is intended to accelerate the pace of medical cures in the United States through a variety of reforms addressing drug and device development and approval, clinical trial design, research funding, interoperability…
Action Continues on 21st Century Cures Act; Hearings on Medicare Competition, ACA Implementation, Opioid Abuse
Later today, the full House Energy and Commerce Committee is scheduled to begin markup of the 21st Century Cures Act, following Health Subcommittee approval on May 14. Votes are expected tomorrow (markup was subsequently delayed until May 21). Also today, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health is holding a hearing on “Improving Competition…
Upcoming 21st Century Cures Markup, Hearings on Medicare Chronic Care, Competition
Tomorrow the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee is scheduled to mark up the 21st Century Cures Act; the Subcommittee has posted a substitute amendment that will be considered by the panel. Also tomorrow, the Senate Finance Committee is holding a hearing on improving care for Medicare patients with chronic conditions.
Looking ahead…
Congressional Health Policy Hearings
Congressional committees have held a number of hearings recently on health policy issues, include the following
- A House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing on “Medicare Post-Acute Care Delivery and Options to Improve It.”
- A Senate Commerce Committee hearing on “Advancing Telehealth Through Connectivity.”
- A Senate Finance Committee hearing on the impact of
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Congressional Health Policy Hearings
Congressional committees have held several hearings this week on health policy issues. On March 24, the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee held a hearing on the 340B drug pricing program. Also on March 24, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight examined CMS’s use of the Fraud Prevention System (FPS) to identify and stop…
Ways & Means Committee Schedules March 24 Hearing on Use of Data Analysis to Stop Medicare Fraud
On March 24, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight is holding a hearing on CMS’s use of the Fraud Prevention System (FPS) to identify and stop Medicare fraud. Government and non-governmental witnesses will discuss the progress that the FPS has made and how data analysis is being used to identify and stop Medicare…
March Congressional Health Policy Hearings
On March 10, 2015, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing on “Continuing America’s Leadership in Medical Innovation for Patients,” featuring testimony from NIH Director Francis Collins, MD, PhD, and FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD.
On March 17, the HELP Committee has scheduled a hearing on “America’s…
Upcoming House Hearing on 340B Program (March 25)
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing on Thursday, March 5, 2015 on “Examining the 340B Drug Pricing Program,” focusing on the functionality of the program and the extent to which it meets its goal of improving access to prescription drugs for needy patients at facilities serving these populations. Scheduled…
Ways and Means Committee to Markup Medicare Fraud, Competitive Bidding, and other Medicare Policy Bills
On February 26, 2015, the House Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to vote on the following bills:
- H.R. 1021, “Protecting the Integrity of Medicare Act of 2015” – a sweeping bill to promote Medicare program integrity and efficiency. Among many other things, the bill would: eliminate civil money penalties for inducements to physicians to
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Energy & Commerce Committee Approves Bipartisan Public Health Bills
On February 11, 2015, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the following bipartisan public health bills:
- H.R. 471, Ensuring Patient Access to Effective Drug Enforcement Act (to improve enforcement efforts regarding prescription drug diversion and abuse);
- H.R. 639, Improving Regulatory Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act, as amended (to amend the Controlled Substances Act
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Congressional Health Policy Hearings
The following Congressional panels have held hearings recently on various health policy issues:
- The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee held a hearing entitled, “Can Americans Trust the Privacy and Security of their Information on HealthCare.gov?”;
- The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing on the reemergence of vaccine-preventable diseases; and
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Congressional Hearings to Focus on HHS Budget, Medical Preparedness, ACA Implementation
Three health policy hearings are scheduled for February 26, 2015:
- The Energy and Commerce Committee is holding a hearing on the Obama Administration’s proposed FY 2016 budget for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS);
- The Senate HELP Committee is holding a hearing entitled “Medical and Public Health Preparedness and Response: Are We
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House E&C Committee Schedules SGR Hearing (Jan. 21 & 22)
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health has scheduled a two-day hearing for January 21 and 22 to discuss how to pass Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) reform legislation before the current patch expires at the end of March 2015.