Summary
Over a month into the 118th Congress, both the House and Senate have finally finished organizing themselves and have agreed on Committee membership, though some of the Senate Subcommittee assignments are yet to be named. With the Republicans taking control of the House, and new leadership on the top of both the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate HELP Committee, there will be a new set of priorities when it comes to addressing health policymaking in Washington.
Congress ended last year having accomplished a sizable amount health focused legislative achievements. In addition to the several bipartisan provisions included in the fiscal year (FY) 2023 omnibus, lawmakers also passed bipartisan legislation on mental health and gun reform, and congressional Democrats were successful in advancing substantial drug pricing reforms and coverage expansions via the Inflation Reduction Act. With a divided 118th Congress, the outlook for similar legislative achievements is dim. However, there are still areas of bipartisan support that could see some action, including: workforce issues, expanding telehealth, reforming the Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) system, and mental health. Additionally, several key authorizations are going to expire this year and Medicare physician payments are scheduled to decrease at the beginning of calendar year 2024, which may prompt the opportunity for some health focused legislative activity. Additionally, Congress will also have to address the debt ceiling in the summer and resolve how to fund the government for FY 2024.
A summary of key issues facing each of the health focused Committees in Congress, as well as a roster of the each of the Committee’s membership, is attached.