Congress

The House passed a third coronavirus stimulus package on Friday (March 27) and it now goes to the president’s desk.

Women’s health advocates are concerned that a provision in the third coronavirus stimulus package passed by the Senate late Wednesday night (March 25) excludes non-profits, such as Planned Parenthood, from accessing Small Business Administration loans, after the original draft provision was tweaked as to not exclude non-profits that receive Medicaid.

A draft compromise of lawmakers’ third response to the COVID-19 pandemic circulating on Tuesday (March 24) would fund the so-called health extenders and delay Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital Payment cuts only through Nov. 30 -- matching policies in House Democrats’ version of the bill, but providing a shorter extension than the Senate GOP's initial plan to extend the funding until 2022 or fiscal 2022.

A draft of the House Democrats’ coronavirus stimulus bill circulating Monday (March 23) would urge health care providers against sending patients surprise medical bills for COVID-19 testing and treatment, and the bill would direct insurers to secure in-network treatments for plan participants.

The Senate GOP’s third COVID-19 response package would fund a number of so-called health extenders through 2021 or through the end of that fiscal year, including funding for community health centers, and would delay the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital pay cuts until fiscal 2022, as well.

The updated phase three coronavirus package unveiled Sunday (March 22) by Senate Republicans keeps all the provisions proposed by the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday (March 19), including language expanding telehealth and increasing funding for community health centers.

The Senate GOP’s third coronavirus stimulus bill includes several Medicare and Medicaid extenders, which jeopardizes the surprise billing and drug pricing policies that were excluded.

The Senate’s coronavirus stimulus bill, released Thursday (March 19), encourages further development and use of antimicrobial drugs by allowing inpatient hospitals to get paid for qualifying antibiotics under Medicare.

Senate health committee Chair Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and House Energy & Commerce Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) are trying to tack their surprise medical bill legislation onto the third coronavirus stimulus package emerging on Capitol Hill, multiple sources close to negotiations say.