Summary
Ahead of recess next week, Republicans are pushing to send the budget reconciliation bill funding ICE and CBP to President Trump’s desk for signature by his June 1 deadline. They will first need to address Byrd Rule issues concerning ballroom funding. The bill is scheduled to be marked up by the Senate Budget Committee on Wednesday, with a vote-a-rama tentatively planned for Thursday. This will be another opportunity for Senate Democrats to force votes on amendments aimed at lowering costs.
The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule will be the new focus for the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, after completing a series of affordability hearings. On Wednesday, members will examine physician payment issues and reforms, a topic that has drawn bipartisan interest. Reps. John Joyce (R-PA), Kim Schrier (D-WA), and Greg Murphy (R-NC) plan to release a comprehensive MACRA reform bill in early summer. There is also bipartisan interest in the Senate. Senate Finance Committee leaders released a white paper outlining policy concepts to reform Medicare physician payment in 2024, but have not followed up with legislation.
CMS’ updated annual strategic priorities will be released at an event hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center on Wednesday. The 2025 strategy centered around making America health again and protecting taxpayers through a three-pronged approach: promote evidence-based prevention, empower people to achieve their health goals, and drive choice and competition.
The first meeting of the Healthcare Advisory Committee is later today. It will focus on introducing Committee members – most of whom come from the private sector – outlining the vision of the Committee, and establishing Committee bylaws. Dr. Robert Bessler, CEO of Honest Health, a value-based care company, will chair the committee, which is tasked with providing recommendations to the HHS Secretary and CMS Administrator. Priority issues include chronic disease, administrative burden, claims processing, quality improvement, and Medicare Advantage sustainability.
Other hearings on Thursday include a Senate Appropriations Labor, HHS, Education Subcommittee hearing with the NIH Director, Dr. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, and a Senate HELP Committee hearing to examine gender transition procedures on minors.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a proposed rule implementing changes directed under the Executive Order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” The rule proposes to remove references to “gender” and “gender identity” from HUD regulations, or remove and replace it with “sex,” as defined by the Executive Order. Through these revisions, the Administration desires to ensure equal access to qualifying facilities would be provided in accordance with the sex of an individual based on his or her immutable biological classification as either male or female rather than the concept of gender identity. The proposal also enable grant recipients, operators, and other providers under HUD programs that permit single-sex or sex-specific facilities (such as temporary, emergency shelters or other facilities that are permitted to have shared sleeping quarters or bathrooms) the ability to require reasonable assurances and evidence to confirm the sex of an individual seeking service. Comments are due June 29, 2026.
Regulatory Update
CMS released the 2027 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters final rule on Friday. Our summary will be released later today.
Recently Arrived at OMB
- Proposed Rule: CY 2027 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update and Home Infusion Therapy Services Payment Update
- Medicaid. Proposed Rule: Strengthening the Integrity of Medicaid and CHIP Managed Care, Financing, and Access to Care
- Essential Health Benefits. Notice: Request for Information: Comprehensive Review of the Essential Health Benefits Framework and Typical Employer Standard
- Notice: Oncology Pharmaceuticals: Streamlined Nonclinical Safety Studies for Biologics and Conjugated Products
- ERISA. Proposed Rule: Default Electronic Disclosures by Group Health Plans Under ERISA
- WIC. Final Rule: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC): WIC Online Ordering and Transactions and Food Delivery Revisions to Meet the Needs of a Modern, Data-Driven Program
Pending OMB Review
- Coverage and Payment:
- Medicaid:
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- State Directed Payments. Proposed Rule: Medicaid Managed Care State Directed Payments and Medicaid Fee-For-Service Targeted Medicaid Practitioner Payments
- Medicaid Tax Waivers. Proposed Rule: Amending the Indirect Hold Harmless Threshold of Health Care-Related Taxes
- Work Requirements. Interim Final Rule: Establishing State Community Engagement Requirements for Certain Individuals Under Section 1902(xx) of the Social Security Act
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- Medicare. Proposed Rules: CY 2027 policy changes and payment rates for hospital outpatient departments, physicians, and ESRD facilities
- Marketplace. Proposed Rule: Exchange Pre-Enrollment Eligibility Verification
- No Surprises Act. Final Rule: Independent Dispute Resolution Operations
- Organ Transplant. Final Rule: Alternative Payment Model Updates and the Increasing Organ Transplant Access
- Drug Price Negotiation. Proposed Rule: Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program
- Accrediting Organizations. Final Rule: Strengthening Oversight of Accrediting Organizations (AO), Burden Reduction, and Related Provisions
- Nutrition
- Work Requirements. Proposed Rule: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Modification to Work Requirements for Able-Bodied Adults
- Categorical Eligibility. Proposed Rule: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Reforming Categorical Eligibility
- Cost Sharing. Proposed Rule: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Changes in Federal-State Administrative Cost Sharing
- Immigration. Interim Final Rule: Unaccompanied Children Program Foundational Rule; Update to Include Proof of Identity and Income Verification Standards
- Medication-Assisted Treatment. Final Rule: Implementation of the SUPPORT Act: Dispensing and Administering Controlled Substances for Medication-Assisted Treatment
- HIPAA. Final Rule: HIPAA Privacy Rule: Changes to Support Coordinated Care and Individual Engagement and Reduce Regulatory Burdens
- Discrimination. Final Rule: Rescinding Portions of Department of Health and Human Services Title VI Regulations to Conform More Closely with the Statutory Text and to Implement Executive Order 14281