Congress

Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) said Tuesday (Feb. 26) he supports expanding the Trump administration’s proposed International Pricing Index model to Medicare Part D.

Representatives for health insurers, hospitals and providers said on Monday (Feb. 25) that they would welcome the chance to testify before Congress about drug pricing ahead of drug makers’ turn in the hot seat Tuesday.

Representatives for health insurers, hospitals and providers said on Monday (Feb. 25) that they would welcome the chance to testify before Congress about drug pricing ahead of drug makers’ turn in the hot seat Tuesday.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb and Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response Frank Yiannas on Monday (Feb. 25) promoted the agency’s food safety goals and programs in a statement that one food safety advocate believes is largely aspirational, as the agency does not have additional resources to help staff its foreign offices and conduct more import inspections.

State and federal proposals to ban settlements that delay generic or biosimilar competition likely would not stop the deals AbbVie struck to protect its blockbuster arthritis drug Humira, antitrust lawyers said.

Senate Finance Committee ranking Democrat Ron Wyden (OR), and House Energy & Commerce Committee Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) sent another letter Thursday (Feb. 21) to HHS Secretary Alex Azar calling for an end to Medicaid work requirement waivers, shortly after CMS Administrator Seema Verma told the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) that CMS would continue to approve such waivers.

A group of six major hospital associations called on lawmakers to refrain from setting a benchmark for out-of-network payment rates for physicians as they craft legislation to address balance billing, as insurers and employers are set to ask Congress to do just that.

CMS says the Independence at Home Demonstration saved about $9.1 million in its third year, once incentive payments to practices were taken into account -- results praised by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ed Markey (D-MA), who would like to make the demonstration permanent.

Eight major hospital associations are asking House and Senate leadership to again delay Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital payments, as they say the coverage rates envisioned by the Affordable Care Act haven’t materialized and Medicaid already underpays providers.