LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY UPDATE
Week in Brief
Insurers Call Off Two Healthcare Mergers; Humana Announces Plans to Exit ACA Insurance Markets.
CMS Releases Proposed Rule, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Market Stabilization.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
February 13
House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Send Letter to Marathon Pharmaceuticals Regarding “Exorbitant Pricing of Potentially Life-Saving Medication” Deflazacourt.
House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) Comments on Recent GAO Report Regarding Medicaid Personal Care Services.
House Energy & Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) Writes Opinion Piece Outlining Efforts President Donald Trump’s Administration Has Taken to “Sabotage” the ACA.
Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Ranking Member Jon Tester (D-MT) Release Statements Regarding Senate 100-0 Vote Confirming Dr. David Shulkin as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Chairman John Hoeven (R-ND) Delivers Congressional Response to 2017 State of Indian Nations Address, Includes Concerns Regarding Health Care.
February 14
House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR), House Ways & Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA), and Senate HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) Release Statements on Humana’s Decision to Exit ACA Exchanges in 2018.
Representative Diane Black (R-TN) Releases Statement Regarding Her Designation by the House Republican Steering Committee to Be New House Budget Committee Chairwoman.
House Budget Committee Ranking Member John Yarmuth (D-KY) Announces Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) to Be Committee’s Vice Ranking Member.
House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) Delivers Opening Statement Regarding First Ways & Means Committee Markup of 115th Congress.
House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) Stresses Importance of “Getting Health Care Right” at House Republican Leadership Press Conference.
House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) Releases Statement Welcoming Congressman Mike Bishop (R-MI) to the Ways & Means Committee.
February 15
House Energy & Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), House Education & the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), and House Ways & Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA) Release Joint Statement Regarding Proposed CMS Rule on the ACA Marketplace. Senate HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX), House Budget Committee Ranking Member John Yarmuth (D-KY), and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) Also Release Statements Regarding Proposed Rule.
House Energy & Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Gene Green (D-TX), and Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (D-CO) Send Letter to President Donald Trump Expressing Concerns Regarding Federal Hiring Freeze’s Impact on NIH.
House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) and Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) Release Statements Regarding Veterans Health Administration Being Kept on GAO’s High-Risk List.
House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) Releases Statement Welcoming Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (D-CT), Congressman Scott Peters (D-CA), and Congressman Kilili Sablan (D-MP) to the Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittees.
House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) Releases Statement Announcing Updated Subcommittee Assignments.
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO) Chairs Hearing on Mental Health Care Treatment and Services.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) Reiterates Need for ACA Repeal and Replacement, Highlighting Importance of Repealing ACA Taxes.
February 16
House Judiciary Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law Holds Holds Hearing on Healthcare Antitrust Reform.
Senate Finance Committee Holds Hearing on Seema Verma’s Nomination to Be Next CMS Administrator.
House Freedom Caucus Backs Senator Rand Paul’s (R-KY) ACA Repeal and Replace Proposal.
REGULATORY UPDATE
Department of Health and Human Services
February 15
CMS Releases Projections of National Health Expenditures Data for 2016 Through 2025.
February 16-17
HHS Delays Effective Dates of Final Rules: Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records and Medicare Program; Advancing Care Coordination Through Episode Payment Models (EPMs); Cardiac Rehabilitation Incentive Payment Model; and Changes to the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model.
OTHER UPDATES
GAO Publishes Reports,
- Medicaid: CMS Needs Better Data to Monitor the Provision of and Spending on Personal Care Services (Feb 13).
- Private Health Insurance: In Most States and New Exchanges, Enrollees Continued to Be Concentrated Among Few Issuers in 2014 (Reissued Feb 14).
- VA Health Care: Actions Needed to Ensure Medical Facility Controlled Substance Inspection Programs Meet Agency Requirements (Feb 15).
UPCOMING EVENTS
Congressional Hearings/Markups
SENATE
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee
Public Witness Hearing Announced.
•Deadline to submit a request to testify for the March 8th Hearing is February 21st.
OTHER
The IMPACT Act in 2017 Call
Discussion on the IMPACT Act’s goals, requirements, progress, and key milestones for 2017.
• February 23 | 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Teleconference
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.