The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced a partnership to leverage CMS’s program integrity tools to detect and prevent fraud within VA programs. The collaboration will focus on applying state-of-the-art data analytics tools and best practices identified by CMS to VA claims payment processes. In
Veterans Affairs
Congressional Health Policy Hearings & Markups
On January 27, 2015, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on bipartisan public health legislation, including:
- Ensuring Patient Access to Effective Drug Enforcement Act (to improve enforcement efforts regarding prescription drug diversion and abuse);
- Improving Regulatory Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act (to amend the Controlled Substances Act to improve
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House Approves Bills to Modify ACA Rules for Employers Related to Part-Time Workers, Veterans
On January 8, 2015, the House of Representatives approved H.R. 30, the “Save American Workers Act.” The legislation would amend the ACA’s definition of “full-time employee” for purposes of the requirement that certain employers provide health care coverage for their full-time employees. Specifically, the bill, which was approved on a 252 to 172 vote, would…
GAO Compares DOD and VA Drug Purchase Prices
A recent GAO report compares direct purchase prices paid by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for a sample of 43 brand-name and 40 generic drugs for the first quarter of 2012. In short, the GAO found that each agency obtained better prices on the type of drugs its…
June Congressional Health Policy Hearings
Several Congressional committees have held hearings this month on health policy issues, including the following:
- A House Education and the Workforce Health Subcommittee hearing on “Barriers to Lower Health Care Costs for Workers and Employers.”
- A House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing entitled “Through the Looking Glass: Return to Pharmaceutical Prime Vendor Program.”
- House Energy and
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Coverage and Payment for Genetic Laboratory Tests
The OIG has issued a report that summarizes genetic laboratory test coverage and payment policies adopted by state Medicaid programs, the Federal Employee Health Benefits program, and the Veterans Health Administration. The data was compiled for CMS’s use in setting Medicare coverage and payment policies for genetic tests.
Congressional Health Policy Hearings
Recent hearings on health policy issues include:
- Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearings on HIV/AIDS drug costs, health care delivery reforms, and federal laws to ensure patients’ access to care and privacy.
- A Senate Finance Committee hearing on “Progress in Health Care Delivery: Innovations from the Field.”
- A House Judiciary Subcommittee
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Congressional Hearings
Congressional panels have held several health policy hearings recently, including the following:
- A House Science and Technology Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation Committee hearing on “Standards for Health IT: Meaningful Use and Beyond”;
- A House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing on “Cutting Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Medicare and Medicaid”;
- A
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GAO Report on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Drug Formulary Process
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report entitled "VA Drug Formulary: Drug Review Process Is Standardized at the National Level, but Actions Are Needed to Ensure Timely Adjudication of Nonformulary Drug Requests." According to the GAO, regional Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN) and medical centers vary in how they implement the…
Congressional Hearings on Health Policy Issues
Recent Congressional health policy hearings have included: a House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee hearing on the Medicare program’s financial status; a Senate Finance Committee hearing on “Health Care Entitlements: The Road Forward“; a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearings examining the Medicare/Medicaid dual eligible population and the Medicare Secondary Payer program; and…
October Congressional Hearings
A number of Congressional committees have held hearings recently on health policy issues, including the following:
- An Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing on breast cancer prevention, research, treatment, and quality of care legislation (H.R. 995, H.R. 1691, H.R. 1740, and H.R. 2279).
- House Oversight and Government Committee hearings on Medicaid pediatric dental services and
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Congressional Hearings
A number of Congressional committees have held hearings recently on health policy issues, including the following:
- A House Science and Technology Committee hearing on “The Potential Need for Measurement Standards to Facilitate the Research and Development of Biologic Drugs.”
- A House Veterans Affairs Health Subcommittee hearing on the Veterans Affairs (VA) Department’s pharmaceutical policy, including
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Upcoming Hearings and Markups
On September 29, 2009, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is holding a hearing on the “Administration’s Flu Vaccine Program: Health, Safety, and Distribution.” On September 30, the Senate HELP Committee is scheduled to vote on the “Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009.” Also on September 30, the Senate VA Committee is…