Congress

Hospitals and providers are looking to the future, calling for a permanent emergency fund for hospitals in case of future emergencies, an investment in public health surveillance and medical supplies, and permanent flexibility to offer telehealth services in recent letters to Congress.

A bipartisan group of senators on Thursday (July 2) introduced legislation to waive eligibility requirements next year for any previously eligible hospital in the 340B program, citing challenges faced by these hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic that might make them ineligible moving forward.

Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley plans to introduce “in the coming days” an updated version of his drug pricing legislation, and the Iowa Republican now blames Democrats, who voted for his bill in committee, for not negotiating on changes.

Senators on both side of the aisle raised concern with White House Coronavirus Task Force members that employees and students who must take COVID-19 tests to return to work or school could get stuck with large bills due to the Trump administration’s recent guidance.

Four long overdue Medicaid guidance documents meant to help states tackle the nation’s opioid crisis are still missing, months after CMS and HHS officials promised the House Energy & Commerce health subcommittee in early March they’d get the guidance out sometime this spring.

The House on Monday (June 29) passed 234-179 legislation to expand the Affordable Care Act’s ACA’s tax credits, incentivize Medicaid expansion and reverse Trump administration policies that chipped away at the law, and Democrats fully paid for the package using legislation to reduce prescription drug prices via government negotiation.

Beneficiary advocates, family and nursing home staff told lawmakers at a heated House Ways & Means Committee hearing Thursday (June 25) that an increased focus on testing and oversight in nursing homes is needed after CMS said more than 29,000 residents died of COVID-19.

Democrats will vote Monday (June 29) on House Democrats’ bill to enhance the Affordable Care Act by boosting the law’s tax credits, reverse Trump administration rules seen as undermining the law and encourage states to take up the Medicaid expansion.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield told lawmakers on Tuesday that CDC is working to ensure nursing home reporting data include ethnicity and race when it is sent to CMS to be publicly reported, although CMS hasn’t yet confirmed whether it will include such data.