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Week in Brief

Labor-HHS Appropriations: Senate Approves Labor-HHS-Education Spending Bill in Minibus Appropriations Package. For Related News, See:

  • Statements Prior to and After Vote from Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL)
  • Statements During and After Vote from Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Other Democratic Senators.
  • Statement from Senate HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
  • Floor Statement from House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)

340B: House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR), Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Senate HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN), and Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) Write Letter to HRSA Regarding 340B  Drug Pricing Program.

Pre-Existing Conditions: Republican Senators Introduce Legislation to Regarding Pre-Existing Conditions. Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) Releases Statement.


WHITE HOUSE UPDATE

Opioids: White House Takes Steps to Address Opioid Crisis:

  • White House Announces $90.9 million in Grants to 731 Local Drug Prevention Coalitions. President Trump Delivers
  • Office of National Drug Control Policy Joins Department of Justice, other Federal Agencies in Releasing Fentanyl Safety Recommendations Video for First Responders.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Monday, August 20

Opioids: House Energy and Commerce Committee Blog Post Highlights Impact of Opioid Crisis on States.

Tuesday, August 21

Medicaid Fraud: CMS Administrator Seema Verma Testifies on CMS’s Efforts to Fight Medicaid Fraud and Overpayments at Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Hearings.

Opioids:

  • House Energy and Commerce Committee Highlights Department of Justice (DOJ) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Proposal to Reduce Opioids Manufactured in U.S.
  • House Energy and Commerce Highlights California Initiative to Increase Access to Addiction Treatment Services, Draws Connection to 21st Century Cures Act.

Wednesday, August 22

HHS Nominations: Senate Finance Committee Holds Hearing to Consider Elizabeth Darling to be Health and Human Services (HHS) Commissioner on Children, Youth, and Families. For Related News, See:

  • Statement from Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
  • Statement from Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Medicaid Waivers: Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) Write Letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar on State Medicaid Waivers.

Supreme Court Nominations: Senate Aging Committee Ranking Member Bob Casey (D-PA) Releases Fact Sheet on Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s Record on Seniors, People with Disabilities.

Opioids: House Energy and Commerce Committee Highlights Axios Report on Opioid Crisis’ Impact on U.S. Workforce.

Thursday, August 23

NIH: Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing on NIH Agenda and Priorities.

Opioids: House Energy and Commerce Committee Publishes Blog Post on Community Resources to Combat Opioid Crisis.

Medicaid Waivers: House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) and Health Care, Benefits, and Administrative Rules Subcommittee Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) Write Letter to HHS and CMS Regarding Medicaid Work Requirements.

Friday, August 24

Veterans’ Health: Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Jon Tester (D-MT) Releases Statement After Senate Passes Legislation on Veterans Treatment Courts, Veterans’ Access to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services.

Monday, August 27

Opioids: House Energy and Commerce Committee Highlights Legislative Agenda Regarding Opioid Addiction Treatment and Recovery.

Tuesday, August 28

ACA: Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) and other Senate Democrats Write Letter to National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Regarding Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance Plans.

Opioids: House Energy and Commerce Committee Highlights Legislative Agenda Regarding Prevention of Opioid Addiction.

Wednesday, August 29

Opioids: Senate Energy and Commerce Committee Highlights Legislative Agenda Regarding Opioid Crisis, Community Health and Safety.

Thursday, August 30

Medicare: House Energy and Commerce Committee Leaders Send Letter to Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) Regarding Financial Impact of Hospital Consolidation on Medicare Patients and Program.

Nursing Homes: House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight Announces Upcoming Hearing on Federal Efforts to Ensure Quality of Care and Resident Safety in Nursing Homes.

Pharmacy Benefit Managers: House Energy and Commerce Committee Leaders Send Letters to Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) Seeking Information on Role in Drug Supply Chain.

Opioids: House Energy and Commerce Committee Highlights Legislative Agenda Regarding Fentanyl’s Role in Opioid Crisis.

Friday, August 31

Opioids: House Energy and Commerce Committee Recognizes International Overdose Awareness Day.

Medicare: House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) Announces Markup of Health Legislation.


REGULATORY UPDATE

Monday, August 20

Medicare: CMS Announces Revisions to Provider Enrollment Moratoria Access Waiver Demonstration for Part B Non-Emergency Ground Ambulance Suppliers and Home Health Agencies in Moratoria-Designated Geographic Locations.

Drug Pricing: HHS Press Release Reviews “100 Days of Action on the President’s American Patients First Blueprint.”

ACA: CMS Awards States $8.6 Million in Funding for Analyzing and Expanding Health Insurance Markets, Evaluating Data on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services.

Tuesday, August 21

Medicaid: GAO Releases Report on CMS Efforts to Address Improper Payment Issues.

Wednesday, August 22

Opioids: FDA Begins Project to Develop Evidence-Based, Indication-Specific Guidelines Regarding Appropriate Prescribing of Opioid Analgesics.

Behavioral Health: NIH Highlights New Findings on Key Brain Circuits for Reward-Seeking and Avoidance Behavior.

Medicaid Funding: CMS Releases Letter to State Medicaid Directors Regarding Budget Neutrality Expenditure Limits for Medicaid Demonstration Projects.

Clinical Trials: FDA Releases Report on Representation in Clinical Trials.

Thursday, August 23

ACA: GAO Releases Report on HHS Efforts to Encourage Enrollment in ACA Health Insurance Exchanges. Senate Democratic Health Leaders Release Statement, Write Letter to HHS and CMS.

Opioids: CMS Announces New Innovation Center Payment and Service Delivery Model to Address Impact of Opioid Crisis for Children, Releases Fact Sheet.

IPPS: CMS Announces Changes to Payment Adjustment for Low-Volume Hospitals Under Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems (IPPS) for Acute Care Hospitals for Fiscal Years (FYs) 2011 Through 2017.

Friday, August 24

Durable Medical Equipment: GAO Releases Report on First Year of Nationwide Reduced Payment Rates for Durable Medical Equipment Within Medicare Fee-For-Service.

Primary Care Training: HRSA Requests Nominations for Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry.

Monday, August 27

Value-Based Care: HHS Office of Inspector General Requests Public Input on Anti-Kickback Statute and Beneficiary Inducements Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP), Impact on Value-Based and Coordinated Care.

Brain Tissue: NIH Assesses Findings from Study on Immune Cells, Injured Tissue.

Tuesday, August 28

Chronic Pain: NIH Launches Research Program to Explore Transition from Acute to Chronic Pain.

Opioids: FDA Issues Warnings to Websites Marketing Unapproved Opioids.

Cardiac Arrest: NIH Highlights Study on New EMS Resuscitation Technique to Reduce Cardiac Arrest Fatalities.

Wednesday, August 29

ACA: CDC Releases Statistics on National Insurance Rates.

Medicare Part D: CMS Introduces New Formulary Management Tool for Part D Programs, Releases Fact Sheet.

Opioids: FDA Commissioner Scott Gottleib Issues Statement on Agency’s Efforts to Combat Opioid Crisis.

Substance Use: The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Open Registration for Upcoming “National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week.”

Multiple Sclerosis: NIH-Funded Trial Finds Multiple Sclerosis Drug Slows Brain Shrinkage.

Thursday, August 30

Spinal Health: NIH-Funded Preclinical Trial Explores New Methods for Repairing Spinal Damage.

Substance Use: SAMHSA Awards $215.2 Million to Support Individuals With Substance Use or Co-occurring Mental and Substance Use Disorders, Involved in Criminal Justice System.


EVENTS

Senate Judiciary Committee
Hearing: Nomination of the Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Tuesday, September 4, 2018, 9:30 AM
216 Hart Senate Office Building

NIH National Institute of Nursing Research
Meeting
September 4, 2018, 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
National Institutes of Health
Building 31, 6th Floor, C Wing, Room 6,
31 Center Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892

NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Meeting
September 5, 2018, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
National Institutes of Health
Building 35A, Porter Building, Room 640
35A Convent Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892

NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse
Meeting
September 5, 2018, 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM
National Institutes of Health
Neuroscience Center
6001 Executive Boulevard
Rockville, MD 20852

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Hearing: Examining Federal Efforts to Ensure Quality of Care and Resident Safety in Nursing Homes
September 6, 2018, 10:15 AM
2322 Raymond House Office Building

NIH National Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Advisory Council
Meetings (Various)
September 7, 2018; Various times
National Institutes of Health
Building 31, C Wing, 6th Floor
31 Center Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892

NIH
Symposium on Chronic Pain: The Science of Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches
September 11, 2018
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
415 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210

FDA
Public Workshop: Advancing the Development of Pediatric Therapeutics 5: Advancing Pediatric Pharmacovigilance
September 14, 2018 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
FDA White Oak Campus
10903 New Hampshire Ave. Bldg 31, Room 1503
Silver Spring, MD 20903


For more information about this issue of Power Play: Washington Week in Review or more legislative and regulatory updates, contact the Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville Government Relations and Public Policy group at (202) 466-6550.

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