Congress

Democratic lawmakers are pushing a bill to improve oversight and infection control in nursing homes, expanding on some of the requirements CMS has put out in response to COVID-19 and blocking some of the proposals previously pushed by the agency.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told reporters Wednesday (May 6) that the chamber’s next stimulus package will include Energy & Commerce health subcommittee Chair Anna Eshoo’s (D-CA) bill that calls for an expert committee to assess the U.S. drug supply chain and recommend ways to reduce dependence on foreign drug manufacturing.

Regeneron told investors that it would have hundreds of thousands of doses of its experimental antibody cocktail to treat COVID-19 ready for distribution by the end of the summer, but biotech company executives say it’s too early to talk about whether Regeneron will donate its supply or what the treatment could potentially cost.

Pharmaceutical companies anticipate sales returning to normal by the end of the year as life normalizes and people begin returning to doctors’ offices for nonessential procedures and wellness visits, several industry executives said during first quarter investor calls.

Lawmakers, providers and hospitals want additional funding for Medicaid and behavioral health included in the upcoming coronavirus stimulus package, as well as funding for providers, although they don’t say how much.

House Energy & Committee Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) wants his committee to push key policies he says are critical to reopening the economy.

CMS on Thursday (April 30) moved to further expand telehealth in a sweeping rule to ease access to telehealth for Medicare beneficiaries amid COVID-19.

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers hopes to tuck into the next coronavirus response package a newly introduced bill that would increase federal Medicaid matching funds (FMAP) by 1% for telehealth in states that cover those services.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce joined other business and health care stakeholders on Tuesday (April 28) in urging Congress to include measures in the next stimulus package to help Americans maintain, or access, health insurance coverage throughout the public health crisis.