Week in Brief
Opioids: Senate and House Reach a Consensus over Opioid Legislation Package.
- Legislative Agreement Announced to Swiftly Move H.R.6 and the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 Through Both Chambers
- Statement form Bicameral Committee Leaders
- Statement from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Statement from Senate HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
- Statement from House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ways & Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA), and Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
- Floor Remarks from House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ)
SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Passed the House by a Vote of 393-8.
Labor-HHS Appropriations: President Trump Signs H.R. 6157 Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019 into Law.
Appropriations “Minibus” Passes House and Senate and Moves to President’s Desk for Approval
- Statement from President Donald Trump
- Statement from Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
- Statement from House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)
- Statement from House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY)
- Statement from House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and Energy Subcommittee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI)
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Monday, September 24
Medicare: House Committee on Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Peter Roskam (R-IL) and Adrian Smith (R-NE) Comment on CMS’s Current Progress on the Medicare Red Tape Relief Project.
Tuesday, September 25
Prescription Drugs: House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and Subcommittee on Health Chairman Michael Burgess (R-TX) Issue Statement Following House Passage of Legislation Regarding Prescription Drugs.
Veterans: House Passes S. 3479, the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2018, Including Hospital and Nursing Home Care.
Veterans: Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Ranking Member Jon Tester (D-MT) Release Statements on the Senate Passage of the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2018.
Rural Health: HELP Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security Convenes Hearing to Examine Experiences and Costs of Health Care in Rural America.
Wednesday, September 26
Veterans Suicide Prevention: The Department of Veterans Affairs Releases National Suicide Data Report 2005-2016.
- Statement from House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Representative Phil Roe (R-TN) on National Veteran Suicide Data Report
- Statement from House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) on National Veteran Suicide Data Report
- Statement from House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) on Veteran Suicide Prevention
- Statement from House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Phil Moe (R-TN) on Veteran Suicide Prevention
Veterans: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Jon Tester (D-MT) Holds Hearing on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert Wilkie’s first 60 Days as Secretary.
- Statement from Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
- Statement from Ranking Member Senator Jon Tester (D-MT)
Friday, September 28
Substance Abuse: House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice HoldsHearing Examining Sober Living Homes.
Substance Abuse: Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Elijah Cummings (D-MD) Delivers Statement on the Passage of the Substance Abuse Prevention Act.
REGULATORY UPDATE
Monday, September 24
Opioids: Health and Human Service’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration AwardGrant Funding to Fairbanks Native Association and Tanana Chiefs Conference, Inc. for Combating Opioid Addiction.
Tuesday, September 25
Antibiotics: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Calls for Action to Reduce Growing Antibiotic Resistance.
Mental Health: The Health Resources and Services Administration Awards $12.4 Million to Support Behavioral and Mental Health of Women and Children.
Substance Abuse: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Publishes A Toolkit for Implementation of Tobacco Cessation Programs.
Wednesday, September 26
Opioids: The Department of Health & Human Service’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Awards American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes $50 Million for Combating the Opioid Crisis.
Thursday, September 27
Veterans: The Government Accountability Office Recommends Oversight for Pharmacy Inventory Management.
Medicaid: Administrator Seema Verma Delivers Statement at 2018 Medicaid Managed Care Summit.
Medicare: Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar Remarks on “Medicare for All” Concept.
Friday, September 28
Medicare: CMS Announces Plan for a Decrease in Medicare Advantage and Part D Premiums with an Increase in Benefits and Plan Choices.
Medicare: Medicare Part D Enrollment, Premiums, and Cost-Sharing Projections Released for 2019.
Dialysis: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN)Award $2,265,000 to KidneyX: Redesign Dialysis for Innovation in Treatment.
Rural Health: Government Accountability Offices Releases Report on Hospital Closures in Rural Areas.
Veterans: The Government Accountability Office Reports Need for Timely Payments to Community Providers.
EVENTS
Senate Special Committee on Aging
Hearing: Patient-Focused Care: A Prescription to Reduce Health Care Costs
October 3, 2018 9:30 AM
Senate Dirksen Office Building 562
HELP Committee – Subcommittee on Children and Families
Hearing: Rare Diseases: Expediting Treatments for Patients
October 3, 2018 2:30 PM
430 Dirksen Senate Office Building