Congress

Though some stakeholders are praising CMS’ proposed increases to evaluation and management payments in the 2021 physician fee schedule, many physicians groups -- including the American Medical Association -- are loudly decrying the budget neutral cuts tied to those pay hikes, and lawmakers recently asked CMS to mitigate the cuts to give Congress time to step in.

FDA on Wednesday (Oct. 7) quietly updated its COVID-19 testing frequently asked questions webpage to say it will no longer review emergency use authorization requests for laboratory-developed tests for COVID-19.

During a congressional hearing Friday (Oct. 2), HHS Secretary Alex Azar defended the Trump administration’s involvement in public health agency decisions, including White House efforts to alter or block reports and guidances, asserting that some of the actions taken are “perfectly normal” and that lawmakers are over-reacting.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla on Thursday (Oct. 1) urged people to stop talking about potential COVID-19 vaccines in political terms and instead focus on the science, echoing similar pleas from former FDA chiefs, doctors and public health experts, some of whom recently criticized politicians and company CEOs, including Bourla, for talking about vaccine timelines.

Six Senate Republicans, including several in tight races, joined Democrats’ failed move Thursday (Oct. 1) to block the administration from continuing its Supreme Court battle to shoot down the Affordable Care Act, further highlighting the GOP’s vulnerability when it comes to the ACA’s most popular provision just a day after Republicans’ effort to pass their own bill claiming to protect people with preexisting conditions fell short.

On day two of the House Oversight Committee’s drug pricing hearing, Democrats released details on three more drug makers’ pricing practices, including Amgen’s use of shadow pricing for Enbrel.

The Senate on Wednesday (Sept. 30) passed a continuing resolution that funds the government through Dec. 11, narrowly avoiding a government shutdown, and extends funding for several Medicare and Medicaid programs, among other health care riders.

FDA has already shared its criteria for vaccine emergency use authorization directly with vaccine makers, even though the White House continues to stall publication of the guidance, former FDA chief Mark McClellan told House lawmakers Wednesday (Sept. 30).

HHS strongly defends Operation Warp Speed chief Moncef Slaoui’s financial ties to drug companies in a letter sent to the House coronavirus select subcommittee the same day Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said Slaoui should be fired from the role because of his investments in several biotech companies, including some making COVID-19 vaccines.