Summary
The newly rebranded Impact Health Policy Partners is excited to share the announcement of our new CEO, Yvette Fontenot. To celebrate these exciting developments and introduce you to Yvette, we are hosting a happy hour reception this Wednesday, June 7, from 5-7pm at Bar Deco in Washington. We hope you will stop by for some drinks, apps, and good cheer. Please RSVP by emailing billy@impacthealthpolicy.com if you plan to attend.
Congressional Update
Both the House and Senate are in session this week, the first week of a three-week work period where both sides of the Capitol will be busy with hearings and appropriations markups (markups have not been scheduled but are expected to begin sometime this month).
Debt Ceiling Crisis Over: Last week the House and Senate managed to quickly move the Fiscal Responsibility Act through on a bipartisan basis, avoiding default on the national debt and preventing economic chaos. The President signed the bill over the weekend. In addition to lifting the debt ceiling for the next two years, the legislation solidifies that spending levels will be frozen at fiscal year (FY) 2023 levels for non-defense discretionary programs, with some adjustments for veteran’s benefits and Biden priorities like the Moonshot Cancer program. Defense spending will be funded at the President’s FY 24 request, which is a 3% increase. To calm Republican Senators that were concerned with what they considered to be low funding levels for DOD, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) went on record stating they would support emergency supplemental funding later in the year to fund defense priorities, like aid for Ukraine, as well as funding for domestic disaster relief efforts and border security issues. Though it calmed Senators concerned with limited funding, getting a supplemental emergency funding package through the Republican controlled House will not be an easy process.
Hearings
House Energy & Commerce Committee: The E&C Subcommittee on Oversight will hold a hearing on Wednesday to examine the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ‘Moving Forward Initiative’, focusing on the lack of transparency around how the CDC developed and is implementing the initiative. Details.
Senate Finance Committee: On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Finance will hold a hearing to examine consolidation and corporate ownership in health care, focusing on trends and impacts on access, quality, and costs. Details.
Senate HELP Committee: Also on Thursday, the Senate Committee on Heath, Education, Labor, and Pensions will hold a hearing to examine the American youth mental health crisis, focusing on causes and solution. Details.
Regulatory Update
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is currently reviewing the following rules.
- Minimum staffing standards for long-term care facilities – Proposed rule would address staffing requirements at long-term care facilities, including nursing homes.
- 340B Drug Pricing Program – Proposed rule regarding potential remedies for safety-net hospitals affecting cost years 2018-2022. In American Hospital Association v. Becerra, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of safety-net hospitals that challenged Medicare reimbursement cuts for prescription drugs provided in outpatient settings.
- Calendar year 2024 Medicare payment policies – specifically, proposed updates to the Physician Fee Schedule and payment and policy updates for hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgical centers, home health agencies, and end-stage renal disease facilities;
- TCET Pathway – Proposed rule that would establish criteria for an alternative coverage pathways to provide transitional coverage for emerging technologies (TCET) under Medicare; and
- Short-Term Plans – Proposed rule that would ensure short-term limited duration insurance includes protections for people with pre-existing conditions and other ACA protections.