Tag: Capitol Hill

Reconciliation Update – Republicans on Capitol Hill continue to work to advance a budget reconciliation package containing the spending and savings directives from the fiscal year 2025 budget resolution adopted in early April. The House Ways and Means Committee, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee are scheduled to mark up their portions of the bill beginning on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. The Ways and Means legislative proposal released in advance of the markup includes a provision to limit Medicare coverage to citizens and aliens meeting specific conditions.  Additional changes may be made to the text through the markup process. The Energy and Commerce Committee markup is expected to run continuously through the night and into Wednesday with no breaks. The panel has been instructed to produce approximately $880 billion in savings over the next decade, which is expected to necessitate cuts to the Medicaid program. In an op-ed published on Sunday, Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) noted that the package will include a reduction in federal aid to states that allow illegal immigrants to enroll in Medicaid, Medicaid work requirements for capable adults, and a prohibition on Medicaid funding for ‘gender reassignment’ surgery for children.

 

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released new estimates last week related to the impact of several policies under consideration by the GOP. The projections, which were requested by Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), indicate that reducing Medicaid expansion states’ enhanced federal match rate could lead to 5.5 million people losing health care coverage. Capping federal spending in expansion states could lead to 3.3 million people losing coverage, according to CBO’s estimates. The agency’s letter also considers the potential impact of limiting state taxes on health care providers, establishing caps on federal spending for the entire Medicaid population, and repealing Medicaid’s eligibility and enrollment rule.

 

President Signs Biological Research, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Orders – President Donald Trump signed an executive order (E.O.) last week to limit federal funding for gain of function research. The order halts U.S. funding of such research in countries deemed to have “insufficient research oversight” and empowers federal research entities to end funding of “other biological research that could pose a threat to American public health, public safety, or national security.”

 

The second E.O. issued by the White House last week aims to restore a domestic manufacturing base for prescription drugs, in part by reducing the regulatory barriers to construction. The order directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce the amount of time it takes to approve domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing plants, and directs the Environmental Protection Agency to accelerate the construction of facilities designed to manufacture prescription drugs, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and other necessary raw materials. Federal agencies issuing permits for a domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing facility are instructed to designate a single point-of-contact to coordinate permit applications. The FDA is further charged with increasing the frequency of inspections on overseas manufacturers.

 

The President has indicated that further executive actions related to drug pricing and the pharmaceutical industry should be anticipated in the coming days. These are expected to include a decision on tariffs for pharmaceuticals made overseas, as well as an E.O. to be signed Monday morning directing agencies to pursue a most-favored-nation initiative linking the price paid by the U.S. government for certain pharmaceuticals to the lower prices paid abroad. The White House had recently been in talks with lawmakers to include such a policy in the reconciliation package, but the provision drew opposition from congressional Republicans.

 

Casey Means Tapped as New Nominee for Surgeon General – The Trump administration announced its decision last week to withdraw the nomination of Janette Nesheiwat to serve as U.S. Surgeon General last week, tapping Dr. Casey Means as the new nominee. Nesheiwat, a Fox News contributor, had faced scrutiny about both her medical education credentials and her support of the COVID-19 vaccine. President Trump stated that Nesheiwat will instead serve in another capacity at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Casey Means is a medical doctor, wellness influencer, and co-founder of the bio wearables and health-tracking company Levels. Means graduated medical school but dropped out of her surgical residency in her fifth year, opting to open a functional medicine practice. She has written in support of reforms to allow lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers for vaccine related injuries, and has called for investigating the current vaccine schedule. She is also a vocal critic of direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising. She is the sister to Calley Means, who currently serves as a White House adviser.

 

Carter, Auchincloss Lead Bipartisan Letter on Impact of IRA on Pharmacies – Reps. Buddy Carter, BSPharm (R-Ga.) and Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) have sent a letter to HHS requesting that the administration examine the implementation of the Medicare drug price negotiation program and its impact on pharmacies. The lawmakers detail how the requirement that Part D plans pay pharmacies at no more than the Inflation Reduction Act’s maximum fair price is unsustainable for pharmacies, as it requires the pharmacies to purchase medications subject to price negotiations at a high price and wait for reimbursement. “We have an opportunity to reduce Americans’ out-of-pocket costs, and preserve health care access in rural America by preventing the pharmacy benefit managers’ (PBM) current unfair treatment of pharmacies,” the letter states. “The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services can help the PBM reform effort by using its existing statutory authority to ensure that reimbursement rates and other Part D contractual terms offered to all pharmacies are adequate to allow reasonable patient access to prescription drugs and pharmacy services.” The letter was signed by a bipartisan group of 24 other lawmakers.

 

Carter, Kelly Launch Campaigns for Senate – Rep. Buddy Carter, BSPharm (R-Ga.) has launched a campaign for the GOP primary to challenge Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) for his seat in the Senate.  Rep. Carter is a licensed pharmacist who has served in the House since 2015. He currently chairs the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health.

 

Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) announced her campaign to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). Rep. Kelly stated that she is running for the Senate to “fight for health care that doesn’t bankrupt families, for wages that lift people up, for housing that’s affordable, for neighborhoods safe from gun violence.” Kelly has served in the House since 2013 and is currently a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. She joins a growing Democratic primary that also includes Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) and Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton.

 

GAO Report on VA Oversight of Behavioral Health Medical Records – The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a new report recommending that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) increase its oversight related to behavioral health medical records and provider training. When patients are referred to providers outside the VA for mental health care, those providers are supposed to send medical records back to the VA. GAO found that a significant portion of medical records were missing for the referrals reviewed, and that the VA does not monitor whether records are ever sent back to the department. Veterans received more than 350,000 referrals to receive behavioral health services from community providers in fiscal years 2021 through 2023.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing “PBM Power Play: Examining Competition Issues in the Prescription Drug Supply Chain;” 10:15 a.m.; May 13

 

House Energy and Commerce Committee markup of legislative proposals to comply with the reconciliation directive of H.Con.Res. 14; 2:00 p.m.; May 13

 

House Ways and Means Committee markup of legislative proposals to comply with the reconciliation directive  of H.Con.Res 14; 2:00 p.m.; May13

 

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Budget Hearing – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 9:30 a.m.; May 14

 

House Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust hearing “The MATCH Monopoly: Evaluating the Medical Residency Antitrust Exemption;” 10:00 a.m.; May 14

 

Senate Finance Committee hearing “Trade in Critical Supply Chains;” 10:00 a.m.; May 14

 

Senate HELP Committee hearing on Fiscal Year 2026 Department of Health and Human Services Budget (witness: The Honorable Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.); 1:30 p.m.; May 14

 

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Budget Hearing – U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; 10:00 a.m.; May 15

 

House Homeland Security Committee hearing “In Defense of Defensive Measures: Reauthorizing Cybersecurity Information Sharing Activities that Underpin U.S. National Cyber Defense;” 2:00 p.m.; May 15

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

S.1587 — A bill to require that the retail list price for certain prescription drugs and biological products may not exceed the average retail list price for the drug or biological product among certain nations; Sponsor: Hawley, Josh [Sen.-R-MO]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1595 — A bill to establish standards for trauma kits purchased using funds provided under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program; Sponsor: Cornyn, John [Sen.-R-TX]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1598 — A bill to address maternity care shortages and promote optimal maternity outcomes by expanding access to birth centers and exploring more effective payment models for birth center care, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Lujan, Ben Ray [Sen.-D-NM]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1599 —A bill to address maternity care shortages and promote optimal maternity outcomes by expanding educational opportunities for midwives, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Lujan, Ben Ray [Sen.-D-NM]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1600 — A bill to protect hospital personnel from violence, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hyde-Smith, Cindy [Sen.-R-MS]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

H.Res.382 — Providing a point of order in the House of Representatives during the 119th Congress against reconciliation measures that reduce benefits under the Medicaid program or the supplemental nutrition assistance program; Sponsor: Nunn, Zachary [Rep.-R-IA-3]; Committees: House – Rules

 

H.Res.385 — Expressing support for the designation of May 2, 2025, as “NKH Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Vindman, Eugene Simon [Rep.-D-VA-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3178 —To protect hospital personnel from violence, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Dean, Madeleine [Rep.-D-PA-4]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.3183 —To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Office of Falls Prevention of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Budzinski, Nikki [Rep.-D-IL-13]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3205 — To deny tax deductions and other Federal funding for the costs of gender transition procedures; Sponsor: Tenney, Claudia [Rep.-R-NY-24]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

S.Res.206 — A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week, to be observed from May 6 through May 12, 2025; Sponsor: Merkley, Jeff [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1607 — A bill to establish an Inspector General of the National Institutes of Health, an Inspector General of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and an Inspector General for the Food and Drug Administration; Sponsor: Schmitt, Eric [Sen.-R-MO]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1609 — A bill to provide for further comprehensive research at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke on unruptured intracranial aneurysms; Sponsor: Blumenthal, Richard [Sen.-D-CT]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1611 — A bill to promote public service announcement campaigns targeted at youth substance use prevention, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kelly, Mark [Sen.-D-AZ]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1624 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a floor on the work geographic index for physicians’ services furnished in Hawaii; Sponsor: Schatz, Brian [Sen.-D-HI]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1629 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to align Medicare fee-for-service payment rates across ambulatory settings; Sponsor: Kennedy, John [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1630 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide more opportunities for mothers to succeed, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Britt, Katie Boyd [Sen.-R-AL]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1631 — A bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to approve a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy for mifepristone that is identical to the strategy previously approved, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hawley, Josh [Sen.-R-MO]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.Res.387 — Expressing support for the designation of May 2025 as “National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D-MI-6]; Committees: House – Oversight and Government Reform

 

H.Res.388 — Supporting the designation of the first week of April as “Adolescent Immunization Action Week” and recognizing the importance of encouraging vaccination for adolescents and young adults to protect against serious illness; Sponsor: Espaillat, Adriano [Rep.-D-NY-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.389 — Supporting the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week, to be observed from May 6 through May 12, 2025; Sponsor: Joyce, David P. [Rep.-R-OH-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.392 — Expressing support for the designation of May as “National Bladder Cancer Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Murphy, Gregory F. [Rep.-R-NC-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.394 — Expressing support for the designation of July 16, 2025, as “Glioblastoma Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Williams, Roger [Rep.-R-TX-25]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3218 – To amend title 18, United States Code, to ensure requests for data on individuals do not pertain to reproductive services; Sponsor: Lieu, Ted [Rep.-D-CA-36]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.3222 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve risk adjustment under Medicare Advantage, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Spartz, Victoria [Rep.-R-IN-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

S.1637 —A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to codify value-based purchasing arrangements under the Medicaid program and reforms related to price reporting under such arrangements, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Mullin, Markwayne [Sen.-R-OK]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1640 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to increase support for physicians and other practitioners in adjusting to Medicare payment changes; Sponsor: Marshall, Roger [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1643 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to protect patient access to ground ambulance services under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Cortez Masto, Catherine [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1644 — A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish improvements and structural alterations as part of home health services for disabled veterans; Sponsor: Cortez Masto, Catherine [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1650 — A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify authorities relating to the collective bargaining of employees in the Veterans Health Administration; Sponsor: Duckworth, Tammy [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1655 — A bill to expand congressional oversight of the operation of the Veterans Crisis Line of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to improve workforce protections for all Veterans Crisis Line personnel, and to ensure robust performance standards that fulfill the Veterans Crisis Line mission and meet caller demand, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Duckworth, Tammy [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1657 — A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to limit the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to deny the claim of a veteran for benefits under the laws administered by such Secretary on the sole basis that such veteran failed to appear for a medical examination associated with such claim, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Banks, Jim [Sen.-R-IN]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.Res.396 — Expressing support for the designation of the week of May 4, 2025, through May 10, 2025, as “Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week”; Sponsor: Peters, Scott H. [Rep.-D-CA-50]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3235 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide more opportunities for mothers to succeed, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Fischbach, Michelle [Rep.-R-MN-7]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3257 — To ensure affordable health insurance coverage for low-income individuals in States that have not expanded Medicaid; Sponsor: Sewell, Terri A. [Rep.-D-AL-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3260 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize mental and behavioral health education and training grants; Sponsor: Sykes, Emilia Strong [Rep.-D-OH-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3261 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to modify authorities relating to the collective bargaining of employees in the Veterans Health Administration; Sponsor: Takano, Mark [Rep.-D-CA-39]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3262 — To make demonstration grants to eligible local educational agencies or consortia of eligible local educational agencies for the purpose of increasing the numbers of school nurses in public elementary schools and secondary schools; Sponsor: Titus, Dina [Rep.-D-NV-1]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3263 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a floor on the work geographic index for physicians’ services furnished in Hawaii; Sponsor: Tokuda, Jill N. [Rep.-D-HI-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

S.Res.208 — A resolution supporting the designation of May 10, 2025, as “National Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Mental Health Day”; Sponsor: Hirono, Mazie K. [Sen.-D-HI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1673 – A bill to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make loans and loan guarantees for planning, constructing, or renovating pediatric or adult mental health treatment facilities and pediatric or adult substance use disorder treatment facilities, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Merkley, Jeff [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1677 — A bill to provide health insurance benefits for outpatient and inpatient items and services related to the diagnosis and treatment of a congenital anomaly or birth defect; Sponsor: Baldwin, Tammy [Sen.-D-WI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1689 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a national outreach and education strategy and reach to improve behavioral health among the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander population, while addressing stigma against behavioral health treatment amongst such population; Sponsor: Hirono, Mazie K. [Sen.-D-HI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1690 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase funding for Social Security and Medicare; Sponsor: Whitehouse, Sheldon [Sen.-D-RI]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1701 — A bill to permit the use of health care workforce platforms during declared emergencies, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Budd, Ted [Sen.-R-NC]; Committees: Senate – Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

 

S.1702 — A bill to amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of prescription digital therapeutics under such titles, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Capito, Shelley Moore [Sen.-R-WV]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.R.3266 — To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make loans and loan guarantees for planning, constructing, or renovating pediatric or adult mental health treatment facilities and pediatric or adult substance use disorder treatment facilities, and for other purposes; Sponsor: McClellan, Jennifer L. [Rep.-D-VA-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3269 — To address patent thickets; Sponsor: Arrington, Jodey C. [Rep.-R-TX-19]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.3271 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase funding for Social Security and Medicare; Sponsor: Boyle, Brendan F. [Rep.-D-PA-2]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.3277 — To provide health insurance benefits for outpatient and inpatient items and services related to the diagnosis and treatment of a congenital anomaly or birth defect; Sponsor: Dunn, Neal P. [Rep.-R-FL-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3287 — To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a clearinghouse of ZIP-Code based information to expecting mothers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Harshbarger, Diana [Rep.-R-TN-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3288 — To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of prescription digital therapeutics under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hern, Kevin [Rep.-R-OK-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3295 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to improve the accuracy and transparency of animal use data collected by the National Institutes of Health from entities that conduct biomedical and behavioral research with funds provided under such Act; Sponsor: Malliotakis, Nicole [Rep.-R-NY-11]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3302 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Healthy Start Initiative; Sponsor: Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [Rep.-D-NY-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3309 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans for improvements and structural alterations furnished as part of home health services; Sponsor: Sorensen, Eric [Rep.-D-IL-17]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

Reconciliation Update – Congress returned from a two-week recess last week and began marking up parts of the budget reconciliation package containing the spending and savings directives from the fiscal year 2025 budget resolution adopted in early April. Six House committees – Oversight and Government Reform, Judiciary, Homeland Security, Armed Services, Education and Workforce, Transportation and Infrastructure – held markups last week of their specific reconciliation instructions. The Education and Workforce package includes provisions to cap student loan amounts – $50,000 for undergraduates, $100,00 for graduate students, and $150,000 for students in professional programs – and revise student loan repayment policies. The GOP aims to use the reconciliation package to advance President Donald Trump’s domestic policy agenda, including tax cuts, energy policy, and border security, while trimming the budget deficit by at least $1.5 trillion. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is targeting the week of May 19 to hold a vote on the assembled package on the House floor.

 

The House Energy and Commerce Committee is instructed to produce approximately $880 billion in savings over the next decade, which is expected to necessitate cuts to the Medicaid program. Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) estimates that health care provisions could account for $500 to $600 billion of the panel’s deficit reduction target. Negotiations between committee Republicans, GOP leadership, and the Trump administration are ongoing as policymakers work to reach an agreement around the details of Medicaid reform. Republican leadership is insisting that changes to the Medicaid program can be accomplished without cutting enrollee benefits for the most vulnerable populations. Proposals that may be under consideration include: cutting the tax levied by states on providers and hospitals to generate Medicaid funding; reducing Medicaid expansion states’ enhanced federal match rate; adding federal work requirements to the Medicaid program; mandating more frequent Medicaid beneficiary eligibility checks; excluding noncitizens from Medicaid program eligibility; per capita caps on Medicaid funding for expansion state enrollees; and lowering the federal Medicaid matching rate for the District of Columbia. The White House has also held discussions about the idea of pursuing a most-favored-nation policy – linking the price paid by the U.S. government for certain pharmaceuticals to the lower prices paid abroad – as a possible alternative for generating the savings necessary to help pay for the reconciliation package. Chair Guthrie has delayed Energy and Commerce’s markup of its portion of the reconciliation bill to the week of May 12. The panel had initially planned to meet on May 7.

 

A bloc of moderate Republican lawmakers remains wary of making drastic changes to the safety net program.  Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), for example, has stated that he will not support legislation with more than $500 billion in reductions to Medicaid. GOP leadership will have to balance the concerns of these members with the insistence of at least 20 more conservative Republicans that deep cuts to the Medicaid program are crucial for reining in the federal deficit. With a seven-seat majority in the House, the GOP can lose no more than three Republicans if all members are present and voting, in what is expected to be an otherwise party-line vote.

 

President’s Budget Proposes Steep Cuts to HHS/NIH – The Trump administration released its fiscal year 2026 abbreviated – or “skinny” – budget request on Friday. The administration’s full budget request to Congress will be released at a later date. The budget proposes to cut $33.3 billion in discretionary funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – a 26.2% reduction compared to current spending. This includes a $3.6 billion reduction in discretionary funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and an $18 billion reduction for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Make America Healthy Again initiative would be funded at $500 million. On Capitol Hill, the President’s budget request is understood as a signal of the administration’s priorities and spending targets for the coming fiscal year rather than an actual legislative proposal. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) has already expressed “serious objections” to the budget’s proposed cuts to biomedical research which she and other senators voiced during a hearing she chaired last Wednesday titled “Biomedical Research: Keeping America’s Edge in Innovation.”

 

Energy and Commerce Advances Six Health Bills – The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced six health bills to the full chamber on Tuesday:

• R. 2483, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act, was reported by a vote of 36–13. Several Democrats who voted against the typically bipartisan bill cited concerns about recent layoffs at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Certain SUPPORT Act programs lapsed at the end of fiscal year 2023, and reauthorization of the law was dropped from the initially proposed bipartisan year-end spending package in December 2024.
• R. 1520, the Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act, was reported by a vote of 46–1.
• R. 2319, the Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2025, was reported by voice vote.
• R. 1669, to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training Program, was reported by voice vote.
• R. 1082, the Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act, was reported by voice vote.
• R. 2484, the Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act, was reported by a vote of 38–7.

 

Ways and Means Republicans Outline Value-Based Care Priorities – Republican members of the House Ways and Means Committee have sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services outlining their priorities for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). The lawmakers urge the agency to focus on payment models that save money, improve transparency and communication around changes to existing models, ensure solicitation of stakeholder feedback in the development of new models, and renew attention on improving rural health care. The letter details the lawmakers’ concerns with CMMI’s failure to develop value-based payment models that improve care quality and reduce costs to the government. “We believe that with the right leadership, CMMI can produce models that promote value over volume, result in meaningful program savings, improve care for the most vulnerable beneficiaries living in rural and underserved communities, and better incorporate public input,” the letter states.

 

Connolly to Retire, Step Down as Oversight Ranking Member – Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) announced his decision last week to not run for reelection and to step down from his position as ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Rep. Connolly, 75, has been battling esophagus cancer since late last year. He has served in the House of Representatives since 2009.

 

GAO Report on Implementation of Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program – The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a new report on the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare drug price negotiation program. The report describes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) implementation of the negotiation program and the inflation rebate program, and assesses CMS’s plans for using funds for both programs. The report includes details about how CMS spends money on activities such as program support, administration, and outreach and education efforts.

 

NIH Director Speeds Implementation of New Public Access Policy – NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD announced his decision last week to move up the implementation date of a recent change to the NIH Public Access Policy.  The 2024 change, which will make NIH research findings freely accessible to the public without the previously instated one-year embargo period, was set to go into effect December 31, 2025. It will now be effective as of July 1, 2025. “Earlier implementation of the Public Access Policy will help increase public confidence in the research we fund while also ensuring that the investments made by taxpayers produce replicable, reproducible, and generalizable results that benefit all Americans,” Bhattacharya stated.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization hearing “Improving Access to External VA Care through Enhanced Scheduling Technology;” 3:00 p.m.; May 5

 

Senate Finance Committee hearing to consider the nominations of James O’Neill, of California, to be Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Gary Andres, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services; 10:00 a.m.; May 6

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Committee markup of pending legislation, including H.R. 1107, Protecting Veteran Access to Telemedicine Services Act; H.R. 1336, Veterans National Traumatic Brian Injury Treatment Act; H.R. 658, To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish qualifications for the appointment of a person as a marriage and family therapist, qualified to provide clinical supervision, in the Veterans Health Administration; H.R. 1860, Women Veterans Cancer Care Coordination Act; 10:15 a.m.; May 6

 

House Budget Committee hearing “The Fiscal State of the Nation;” 10:00 a.m.; May 7

 

House Appropriations Committee oversight hearing on the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; 9:00 a.m.; May 8

 

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on the nominations of James O’Neill to serve as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Janette Nesheiwat to serve as Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service and Surgeon General of the Public Health Service; 10:00 a.m.; May 8

 

Senate HELP Committee hearing on Fiscal Year 2026 Department of Health and Human Services Budget (witness: The Honorable Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.); 1:00 p.m.; May 14

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

S.1500 —A bill to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to prohibit group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage from imposing cost-sharing requirements with respect to diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations; Sponsor: Shaheen, Jeanne [Sen.-D-NH]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1501 — A bill to amend the Animal Health Protection Act to improve the prevention of the spread of animal diseases, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Wicker, Roger F. [Sen.-R-MS]; Committees: Senate – Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

 

H.R.3029 — To amend the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act to support nucleic acid screening, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Salinas, Andrea [Rep.-D-OR-6]; Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology

 

H.R.3032 — To ensure appropriate access to remote monitoring services furnished under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Balderson, Troy [Rep.-R-OH-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3037 — To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to prohibit group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage from imposing cost-sharing requirements with respect to diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations; Sponsor: Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D-MI-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3038 — To amend the Animal Health Protection Act to improve the prevention of the spread of animal diseases, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Feenstra, Randy [Rep.-R-IA-4]; Committees: House – Agriculture; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3039 — To direct the Attorney General to authorize the youth gun violence prevention program; Sponsor: Goldman, Daniel S. [Rep.-D-NY-10]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3042 — To rescue domestic medical manufacturing activity by providing incentives in economically distressed areas of the United States and its possessions; Sponsor: Malliotakis, Nicole [Rep.-R-NY-11]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3043 — To prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars to support animal experimentation in the laboratories of adversarial nations; Sponsor: McClain, Lisa C. [Rep.-R-MI-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3051 — To direct the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, or its successor, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide assistance for individuals affected by exposure to Agent Orange, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Tlaib, Rashida [Rep.-D-MI-12]; Committees: House – Foreign Affairs; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3052 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide assistance for individuals affected by exposure to Agent Orange, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Tlaib, Rashida [Rep.-D-MI-12]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3053 — To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to carry out a study on interagency data sharing and collaboration between the State agencies that administer WIC, SNAP, and Medicaid, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Watson Coleman, Bonnie [Rep.-D-NJ-12]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Agriculture; Energy and Commerce

 

S.1506 — A bill to establish a Medicare-for-all national health insurance program; Sponsor: Sanders, Bernard [Sen.-I-VT]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.Res.360 — Expressing support for the designation of the last Tuesday of April each year as “APOL1-Mediated Kidney Disease (AMKD) Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Plaskett, Stacey E. [Del.-D-VI-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3063 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to assist rural hospitals, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Figures, Shomari [Rep.-D-AL-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3069 — To establish an improved Medicare for All national health insurance program; Sponsor: Jayapal, Pramila [Rep.-D-WA-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Education and Workforce; Rules; Oversight and Government Reform; Armed Services; Judiciary

 

H.R.3079 — To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to extend renewal periods for certain home and community-based services waivers and State plan amendments under the Medicaid program; Sponsor: Rulli, Michael A. [Rep.-R-OH-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3080 — To ensure health care fairness and affordability for all Americans through universal access to equitable health insurance tax credits, reformed health savings accounts, and strengthened consumer protections, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sessions, Pete [Rep.-R-TX-17]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3082 — To repeal section 704(b)(12) of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Titus, Dina [Rep.-D-NV-1]; Committees: House – Oversight and Government Reform; Energy and Commerce; Judiciary

 

S.Res.192 — A resolution designating April 30, 2025, as “National Assistive Technology Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Markey, Edward J. [Sen.-D-MA]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

 

S.Res.194 — A resolution expressing support for the designation of the month of April 2025 as “Parkinson’s Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Scott, Rick [Sen.-R-FL]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1533 — A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent and codify the pilot program for use of contract physicians for disability examinations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Moran, Jerry [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1535 — A bill to ensure high-quality remote physiologic monitoring services for Medicare beneficiaries and for other purposes; Sponsor: Blackburn, Marsha [Sen.-R-TN]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.Res.362 — Expressing support for the designation of April 30, 2025, as “National Adult Hepatitis B Vaccination Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Johnson, Henry C. “Hank” [Rep.-D-GA-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3088 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to include licensed hearing aid specialists under the Veterans Community Care Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Barrett, Tom [Rep.-R-MI-7]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3091 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat amounts paid for fertility treatments as medical expenses for purposes of health savings accounts, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Underwood, Lauren [Rep.-D-IL-14]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.3092 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for additional requirements with respect to electrodiagnostic services under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Sessions, Pete [Rep.-R-TX-17]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3099 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to local governments for the training of local law enforcement officers on public health threats arising from violations of building codes, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Costa, Jim [Rep.-D-CA-21]; Committees: House – Transportation and Infrastructure

 

H.R.3102 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an Office of Rural Health, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Guest, Michael [Rep.-R-MS-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3103 — To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to establish requirements for the disclosure of certain information relating to health care sharing ministries, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Huffman, Jared [Rep.-D-CA-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3108 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act with respect to payment for remote patient monitoring under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Kustoff, David [Rep.-R-TN-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3121 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to expand trauma-informed training for law enforcement personnel and emergency medical technicians related to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking cases, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Schakowsky, Janice D. [Rep.-D-IL-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3128 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat diapers as qualified medical expenses; and to prohibit States and local governments to impose a tax on the retail sale of diapers; Sponsor: Watson Coleman, Bonnie [Rep.-D-NJ-12]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Judiciary

 

S.Res.198 — A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the Secretary of Health and Human Services should withdraw a reduction in public notice and comment opportunities; Sponsor: Wyden, Ron [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1546 — A bill to amend title 35, United States Code, to address matters relating to patent subject matter eligibility, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Tillis, Thomas [Sen.-R-NC]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1548 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude certain Nurse Corps payments from gross income; Sponsor: Wicker, Roger F. [Sen.-R-MS]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1551 — A  bill to deny tax deductions and other Federal funding for the costs of gender transition procedures; Sponsor: Marshall, Roger [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1552 — A bill to promote and protect from discrimination living organ donors; Sponsor: Cotton, Tom [Sen.-R-AR]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1553 – A bill to amend title 35, United States Code, to invest in inventors in the United States, maintain the United States as the leading innovation economy in the world, and protect the property rights of the inventors that grow the economy of the United States, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Coons, Christopher A. [Sen.-D-DE]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1562 — A bill to reauthorize the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Act; Sponsor: Bennet, Michael F. [Sen.-D-CO]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1565 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow expenses for parents to be taken into account as medical expenses, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rosen, Jacky [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.Res.369 — Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Secretary of Health and Human Services should withdraw a reduction in public notice and comment opportunities; Sponsor: Fletcher, Lizzie [Rep.-D-TX-7]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.Res.371 — Expressing support for the designation of May 2025 as “National Brain Tumor Awareness Month”; Sponsor: McCaul, Michael T. [Rep.-R-TX-10]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.372 — Recognizing the impact the stigmatization of menstruation has on the lives of women, girls, and people who menstruate, and expressing support for the designation of the month of May as “National Menstrual Health Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Meng, Grace [Rep.-D-NY-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3130 — To establish education partnership programs between public schools and public health agencies to prevent the misuse and overdose of synthetic opioids by youth, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bonamici, Suzanne [Rep.-D-OR-1]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3134 — To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of certain services furnished by freestanding emergency centers; Sponsor: Arrington, Jodey C. [Rep.-R-TX-19]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3136 — To require the reinstatement of recently terminated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Barragán, Nanette Diaz [Rep.-D-CA-44]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3145 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude certain Nurse Corps payments from gross income; Sponsor: Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [Rep.-R-PA-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.3146 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include service as a volunteer firefighter or volunteer emergency medical technician as a public service job for purposes of eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Goldman, Daniel S. [Rep.-D-NY-10]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3148 — To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program to assist certain members of the Armed Forces and dependents with additional supplemental coverage relating to cancer; Sponsor: Jack, Brian [Rep.-R-GA-3]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.3152 — To amend title 35, United States Code, to address matters relating to patent subject matter eligibility, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kiley, Kevin [Rep.-R-CA-3]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.3154 — To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to eliminate the general Medicaid funding limitations for territories of the United States, and for other purposes; Sponsor: King-Hinds, Kimberlyn [Del.-R-MP-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3162 — To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to allow for the importation of affordable and safe drugs by wholesale distributors, pharmacies, and individuals; Sponsor: Schakowsky, Janice D. [Rep.-D-IL-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3164 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide pharmacy payment of certain services; Sponsor: Smith, Adrian [Rep.-R-NE-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3170 — To amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, to cover, for purposes of workers’ compensation under such chapter, services by physician assistants and nurse practitioners provided to injured Federal workers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Walberg, Tim [Rep.-R-MI-5]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

RFK Jr. to Testify Before HELP in May – Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will testify before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee in mid-May. A date has yet to be set for the hearing. HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sent a request for the Secretary to appear before the Committee on April 10 to discuss the recent HHS reductions in force and proposed reorganization, but the Secretary did not formally respond to the initial request. An HHS spokesperson has framed next month’s hearing as a part of the normal proceedings surrounding the President’s budget proposal.  It will be Kennedy’s  first time before Congress since overseeing a major restructuring of the department. HHS staff recently told the House Energy and Commerce Committee that the Secretary may not be able to speak about the recent HHS reduction-in-force until 60 days after personnel dismissals.

 

Cassidy Releases Report on 340B Reform – Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) has released a report detailing the findings of a years’ long investigation into the 340B drug pricing program. “This investigation underscores that there are transparency and oversight concerns that prevent 340B discounts from translating to better access or lower costs for patients. Congress needs to act to bring much-needed reform to the 340B program,” said Sen. Cassidy. Potential reforms suggested by the report include:

• Requiring covered entities to provide detailed annual reporting on how 340B revenue is used to ensure direct savings for patients;

• Addressing potential logistical challenges caused by increased administrative complexity;

• Investigating the types of financial benefits contract pharmacies and third-party administrators receive for administering the 340B program;
• Requiring transparency and data reporting for entities supporting participants in the 340B program; and

• Providing clear guidelines to ensure that manufacturer discounts actually benefit 340B-eligible patients, including examining legislative changes to the definition of eligible patient and contract pharmacies’ use of the inventory replenishment model.

 

Carter Launches American-Made Medicines Caucus – Rep. Buddy Carter, BSPharm (R-Ga.), alongside Reps. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) and Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), launched the American-Made Medicines Caucus last week. The group will focus on promoting policies to onshore and friendshore pharmaceutical manufacturing, strengthen U.S. economic and national security interests, and reduce America’s reliance on adversarial countries for essential medications. “China determines whether we have the pharmaceutical products we need in the United States to keep our citizens healthy,” Rep. Carter stated in the press release announcing the caucus. “That is a terrifying reality, one we must address before the next public health crisis.”

 

President Pledges to Veto Cuts to Medicare, Medicaid – President Donald Trump stated in an interview last week that he would veto legislation that includes cuts to the Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid programs. Congressional Republicans are currently drafting a budget reconciliation package to advance the President’s domestic policy agenda, including tax cuts, energy policy, and border security, while trimming the budget deficit by at least $1.5 trillion. This includes $880 billion in savings over the next decade from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is expected to necessitate cuts to the Medicaid program. President Trump indicated that he would be open to polices that reduce Medicaid waste, fraud, and abuse. House GOP leadership is aiming to enact the budget reconciliation bill by the end of May, while Senate Republicans have discussed completing the process by August. House committees are scheduled to begin marking up reconciliation packages this week. The House Energy and Commerce Committee expects to markup its package next week.

 

Durbin Announces Decision to Retire – Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has announced his decision to not run for re-election next year. Sen. Durbin was first elected to the Senate in 1996 after serving for 14 years in the House of Representatives. He has held the number two leadership post in the chamber for more than 20 years, and currently serves as the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. Durbin is one of nine current lawmakers who has spent more than half their life in Congress.

 

SCOTUS Calls for New Briefs Following Braidwood Oral Arguments – The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments last week in Kennedy v. Braidwood Management. The case will decide the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) preventive services mandate and requirements for no-cost access to services as it relates to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The Supreme Court appeal follows a lower court ruling that the USPSTF is unconstitutional because its members wield power that resembles legislative authority without being appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.  The Trump White House has aligned itself with its Biden administration predecessors in defending  the preventive services requirement and USPSTF; however, the new administration goes further in its arguments regarding the authority of the HHS secretary. The Biden administration previously argued that USPSTF’s authority derives from the HHS secretary, who retains a supervisory role over the task force. The Trump administration further argues that the HHS secretary has full authority over USPSTF, including final say over its membership, recommendations, and course of studies. A majority of the Supreme Court appeared skeptical of the plaintiff’s challenge to the law last week. The Court ordered more briefings after arguments on Friday, asking the parties to discuss the HHS secretary’s authority to appoint the members of the Task Force. A ruling in the case is expected by the end of June.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing “Answering the Call: Examining VA’s Mental Health Policies;” 10:00 a.m.; April 29

 

House Education and Workforce Committee markup of Committee Print to Comply with Reconciliation Directives Included in H.Con.Res 14, Section 2001(B)(3), H.Res. 344; 10:15 a.m.; April 29

 

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing “Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Outreach to Support Veterans’ Mental Health;” 10:30 a.m.; April 29

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health hearing “Dignity Denied: The Case for Reform at State Veterans Homes;” 2:15 p.m.; April 29

 

House Energy and Commerce Committee markup to consider: H.R. 2483, SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025; H.R. 1520, Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act; H.R. 2319, Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2025; H.R. 1669, To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond (SOAR) to Health and Wellness Training Program; H.R. 1082, Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act; H.R. 2484, Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act; 10:15 a.m., April 29

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing “Answering the Call: Examining VA’s Mental Health Policies;” 10:00 a.m.; April 30

 

House Education & Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions hearing “Investing for the Future: Honoring ERISA’s Promise to Participants;” 10:15 a.m.; April 30

 

Senate Appropriations Committee hearing “Biomedical Research: Keeping America’s Edge in Innovation;” 10:30 a.m.; April 30

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.Res.342 — Recognizing the history of the drug diethylstilbestrol and the harm it has caused, and for other purposes; Sponsor: McGovern, James P. [Rep.-D-MA-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.344 — Of inquiry requesting the President, and directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to transmit respectively, to the House of Representatives certain documents relating to the elimination of the Administration for Community Living; Sponsor: Bonamici, Suzanne [Rep.-D-OR-1]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.Res.345 — Expressing support for designation of the month of April 2025 as “Parkinsons Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Bell, Wesley [Rep.-D-MO-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3000 — To address the worsening long-term care workforce crisis and increase access to and affordability of long-term care; Sponsor: Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [Rep.-R-PA-1]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3006 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to limit the coinsurance amount for certain services furnished in an ambulatory surgical center; Sponsor: Kelly, Mike [Rep.-R-PA-16]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3010 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to deny the deduction for advertising and promotional expenses for certain drugs; Sponsor: Murphy, Gregory F. [Rep.-R-NC-3]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.3017 —To direct the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation of the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct an annual study on health care competition and consolidation at the State level; Sponsor: Spartz, Victoria [Rep.-R-IN-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3018 —To amend the Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004 to repeal the antitrust exemption applicable to graduate medical resident matching programs; Sponsor: Spartz, Victoria [Rep.-R-IN-5]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.3019 —To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish new community benefit standards for tax-exempt hospital organizations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Spartz, Victoria [Rep.-R-IN-5]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.3020 —To require the Government Accountability Office to evaluate the effects of anticompetitive contracting clauses in contracts between health insurers and health care providers and to determine actions taken by the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice relating to the use of such clauses in such contracts and to assess their ability to effectively enforce the Federal antitrust laws with respect to such use; Sponsor: Spartz, Victoria [Rep.-R-IN-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary

 

H.R.3021 —To eliminate the inpatient-only service list; Sponsor: Spartz, Victoria [Rep.-R-IN-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3022 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to repeal the Obamacare ban on provider-owned hospitals, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Spartz, Victoria [Rep.-R-IN-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3023 —To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act and title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to address incorrect billing by off-campus hospital locations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Spartz, Victoria [Rep.-R-IN-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3025 —To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the coverage of assisted reproductive services under the TRICARE program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Strickland, Marilyn [Rep.-D-WA-10]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.3027 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a counseling program for certain survivors of veterans who die by suicide; Sponsor: Van Drew, Jefferson [Rep.-R-NJ-2]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

GOP Sets Ambitious Timeline for Reconciliation Bill – Republican leadership of the House of Representatives is aiming for all committees to hold markups of their respective components of the forthcoming reconciliation package within the first two weeks after the chamber returns from recess on April 28. The joint budget resolution adopted by Congress earlier this month sets a nonbinding deadline of May 9 for committees to deliver their respective sections of the bill. Senate and House Budget Committee leadership are targeting Memorial Day for sending the bill to President Donald Trump for his signature. House leadership encouraged committees to work over the recess in order to meet this ambitious timeline. The GOP aims to use the reconciliation package to advance the President’s domestic policy agenda, including tax cuts, energy policy, and border security, while trimming the budget deficit by at least $1.5 trillion. This includes $880 billion in savings over the next decade from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is expected to necessitate cuts to the Medicaid program.

 

Twelve House Republicans signed on to a letter to GOP leadership stating that they will not support any final bill that includes cuts to Medicaid enrollees’ benefits. “We must reform Medicaid so that it is a strong and long-lasting program for years to come,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter, “However, we cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations.” The letter, which was signed by Reps. David Valadao (Calif.), Don Bacon (Neb.), Jeff Van Drew (N.J.), Rob Bresnahan (Pa.), Juan Ciscomani (Ariz.), Jen Kiggans (Va.), Young Kim (Calif.), Rob Wittman (Va.), Nicole Malliotakis (N.Y.), Nick LaLota (N.Y.), Andrew Garbarino (N.Y.), and Jeff Hurd (Colo.), expresses openness to targeted reforms that “improve program integrity, reduce improper payments, and modernize delivery systems to fix flaws in the program that divert resources away from children, seniors, individuals with disabilities and pregnant women — those who the program was intended to help.”

 

Internal Document Shows Deep Budget Cuts for HHS – The Trump administration is considering deep cuts to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) according to an internal budget proposal from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The ‘pre-decisional’ proposal would cut one-third of the department’s budget, reducing discretionary funding from $116.8 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2025 to approximately $80.4 billion. The document proposes to cut funding for both the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by more than 40%. Funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Administration for Community Living would be eliminated. The new Administration for a Healthy America, under which many of the eliminated programs would be consolidated, would receive roughly $14 billion in budget authority. The proposal is still subject to change, given that the White House has not yet sent its formal FY 2026 budget proposal to Congress. Spokespeople for OMB have also confirmed that no final funding decisions have been made.

 

Bipartisan Probe MA Compliance with MLR Requirements – Reps. Greg Murphy, MD (R-N.C.) and Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) have sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting that the agency investigate the growth of Medicare Advantage (MA) insurers, and specifically whether the insurers meet the federal requirement to spend at least 85% of their revenue on beneficiary health care. The letter suggests that insurer acquisition of related businesses like health care providers could undermine the effectiveness of medical loss ratio (MLR) requirements, noting that payments to a related business are considered medical expenses for purposes of calculating the MLR, even though a portion of these payments may ultimately be profits for the insurer. The lawmakers request that GAO examine the ownership structures of MA insurers, trends in spending on medical services and supplemental benefits, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) oversight of MA reporting requirements.

 

Ways and Means RFI on OPOs – The House Ways and Means Committee issued a request for information (RFI) on the nation’s 55 organ procurement organizations (OPOs) on Wednesday. The panel seeks information from the public about whether the groups, which qualify as tax-exempt organizations, are abiding by federal laws and regulations. The RFI provides background on the laws and regulations governing OPOs as 501(c)(3) entities, and also details recent reports suggesting that certain OPOs have billed Medicare for costs that may not be appropriate or allowable under law. Responses should be submitted to [email protected] by May 16, 2025.

 

E&C Republicans Investigate 23andMe Bankruptcy – Republican leadership of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have launched an investigation into 23andMe and its handling of Americans’ sensitive data following the company’s decision to file for bankruptcy. 23andMe filed for bankruptcy last month, and announced that it intends to sell all of its assets to pay off debts. The company’s most valuable asset is considered to be its genetic database of over 15 million customers. “With the lack of a federal comprehensive data privacy and security law, we write to express our great concern about the safety of Americans’ most sensitive personal information,” the letter states. The lawmakers specifically express concerns about reports of customers experiencing issues accessing and deleting their data from their 23andMe accounts. The lawmakers request a response to questions related to the practices 23andMe will implement with regard to customers’ sensitive information by May 1.

 

Democrats Urge Part D Coverage of GLP-1’s – A group of five Democratic senators have sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. regarding access to GLP-1’s in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The letter, signed by Sens. Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Cory Booker (N.J.), Ben Ray Luján (N.M.), and Gary Peters (Mich.), calls on the administration to reissue a Biden-administration proposed rule that would have allowed Medicare Part D to cover the anti-obesity drugs. The Trump administration recently decided not to finalize the proposal, with CMS providing no reason for the decision. The lawmakers argue that allowing Medicare and Medicaid to cover drugs used to treat obesity “will not only benefit the health of Americans, but is also a critical long-term investment to improve the costly treatment of health complications associated with obesity.”

 

NJ Congressman in Intensive Care – Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.), 66, was admitted to an intensive care unit on Tuesday and faces an extended recovery that could require physical rehabilitation, according to a press release from his office. Norcross was diagnosed with a gallbladder infection that had progressed to sepsis. Norcross has served in Congress since 2014 and currently serves on the Armed Services and Education and the Workforce committees.

 

President Signs Drug Price Executive Order – President Donald Trump signed an executive order (E.O.) on Tuesday aimed at lowering prescription drug prices. The E.O. touches upon several key policy issues, including: 340B, the Inflation Reduction Act’s “pill penalty,” and pharmacy benefit managers.  Hart Health Strategies Inc. has prepared an analysis of the E.O. below, and an official fact sheet can be found here.

 

Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs)

• Directs several offices to provide recommendations on how to promote “a more competitive, efficient, transparent, and resilient pharmaceutical value chain.”  While the E.O. does not explicitly cite PBMs, the section is titled “Reevaluating the Role of Middlemen,” which has typically been understood as the PBMs, but could include others in the drug supply chain.
• Directs the Secretary to improve “fiduciary transparency” of PBM compensation for employer health plans under ERISA.

 

Drug Administration

• Directs the Secretary to propose regulations that ensure Medicare payments for administered medications do not encourage care in hospital outpatient departments over “physician office settings.”

 

Insulin & Injectable Epinephrine

• Directs the Secretary to ensure that federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) offer insulin and injectable epinephrine at or below the 340B price to patients with a high cost-sharing requirement for either insulin or injectable epinephrine, a high unmet deductible, or no health care insurance.  Ensuring these discounts will be a condition for future grants made under Section 330(e).

 

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)

• While Republicans have long discussed the possibility of repealing the IRA, the E.O. commits to the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (MDPNP) and directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to continue seeking guidance and comments for future rounds of drug negotiations.
• Directs several offices to provide recommendation on how to “stabilize and reduce” Medicare Part D premiums.
• Directs Congress to end the “pill penalty,” which currently allows for the MDPNP to review small molecule drugs (i.e. pills) four years earlier than it permits review of biologic products.  The E.O. instructs Congress to address this discrepancy, which is understood to exempt all drugs from MDPNP eligibility for 13 years.

 

Generics & Biosimilars

• Directs the Secretary to provide administrative and legislative recommendations that increase generic, biosimilar, and other select drug approvals.  It also directs the Secretary to make recommendations on opportunities to reclassify prescription drugs to over-the-counter medications.

 

International Importation

• Directs the Secretary to streamline State application and approval of drug wholesale importation programs.  While Florida’s program has been approved, Colorado, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Texas, and Vermont have not received program approval to date.

 

Medicare

• Instructs the Secretary to develop and implement a payment model to secure “better value” for high-cost prescription drugs that are not subject to the MDPNP.  “Better value” is not defined within the E.O.

 

Site Neutrality

• Instructs the Secretary to conduct a survey and subsequently propose adjustments that would achieve Medicare site neutrality for outpatient drugs.  Site neutrality within the E.O. aims to remove additional payments made by Medicare for drugs provided at hospital outpatient departments.  The E.O. does not comment on services nor does it mention physician offices.

 

Medicaid

• Directs several offices to provide recommendations to improve the Medicaid drug rebate program with manufacturers, identify new drug payment methods, implement value-based care for drugs, and “support” Medicaid drug spending.

 

Pharmaceutical Manufacturers

• Directs the Department of Justice, the Department of Commerce, and the Federal Trade Commission to conduct listening sessions and issue a report with recommendations to reduce “anti-competitive behavior” by pharmaceutical manufacturers.

 

Dr. Oz Sworn-in as CMS Administrator – Mehmet Oz, MD was officially sworn in as administrator of CMS on Friday. Dr. Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, was confirmed by the Senate along party lines earlier this month. During his remarks at the swearing in ceremony, Oz identified several areas of focus for his work going forward – noting that Medicaid often crowds out other social programs in state budgets and highlighting how much the U.S. spends on health care per person compared to other countries, the prevalence of medical errors, and the decline in the nation’s life expectancy since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Oz also aligned himself with the administration’s Make America Healthy Again vision, stating “Together, we’re going to make the care better. We’re going to make … the outcomes improve, and we’re going to make sure that America can actually be the healthiest country it could ever possibly be.”

 

DOJ Contacts Medical Journals About Competing Viewpoints – The Department of Justice  has sent letters to at least three medical journals requesting information about how the publications handle scientific debates and competing viewpoints. The letter to the editor-in-chief of CHEST from Edward R. Martin Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, states that “more and more journals and publications like CHEST Journal are conceding that they are partisans in various scientific debates.” Martin poses the following questions:

• How do you assess your responsibilities to protect the public from misinformation?
• How do you clearly articulate to the public when you have certain viewpoints that are influenced by your ongoing relations with supporters, funders, advertisers, and others?
• Do you accept articles or essays from competing viewpoints?
• How do you assess the role played by government officials and funding organizations like the National Institutes of Health in the development of submitted articles?
• How do you handle allegations that authors of works in your journals may have misled their readers?

The letter requests a response by May 2.

 

HHS Opens Tip Line on Gender Affirming Care – HHS has launched a new whistleblower tip line to report physicians offering gender-affirming care to children. The page offers multiple options for submitting complaints “related to the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.” President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January characterizing puberty blockers and hormones for people under 19 as forms of chemical and surgical mutilation. Enforcement of the order is currently on hold following a preliminary injunction by a U.S. district court judge, who ruled that the order unconstitutionally treated people differently based on their sex or transgender status in violation of the equal protection guarantee of the U.S. Constitution’s Fifth Amendment.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

House Energy and Commerce Committee markup to consider: H.R. 2483, SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025; H.R. 1520, Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act; H.R. 2319, Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2025; H.R. 1669, To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond (SOAR) to Health and Wellness Training Program; H.R. 1082, Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act; and H.R. 2484, Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act; 10:15 a.m.; April 29

 

Senate Appropriations Committee hearing “Biomedical Research: Keeping America’s Edge in Innovation;” 10:30 a.m.; April 30

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.Res.332 — Supporting the designation of the week of April 11 through April 17, 2025, as the eighth annual “Black Maternal Health Week”, founded by Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc. (BMMA), to bring national attention to the maternal and reproductive health crisis in the United States and the importance of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women and birthing people; Sponsor: Adams, Alma S. [Rep.-D-NC-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2921 —To require the Secretary of Defense to provide to firefighters of the Department of Defense medical testing and related services to detect and prevent certain cancers; Sponsor: Bacon, Don [Rep.-R-NE-2]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.2934 —To amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for a new rule regarding the application of the Act to marijuana, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Joyce, David P. [Rep.-R-OH-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary; Transportation and Infrastructure

 

H.R.2935 — To establish a Commission on the Federal Regulation of Cannabis to study a prompt and plausible pathway to the Federal regulation of cannabis, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Joyce, David P. [Rep.-R-OH-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary; Ways and Means; Agriculture; Financial Services

 

H.R.2936 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to allow certain public health data modernization grants to be used to track hospital bed capacity, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Joyce, John [Rep.-R-PA-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2937 — To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to improve the detection, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues among public safety telecommunicators; Sponsor: Kelly, Robin L. [Rep.-D-IL-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2942 —To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish standard practices for a grant or pilot program administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs through the Veterans Health Administration, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Landsman, Greg [Rep.-D-OH-1]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2943 — To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on insurance coverage of dyspraxia/developmental coordination disorder; Sponsor: Lawler, Michael [Rep.-R-NY-17]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Oversight and Government Reform

 

H.R.2957 —To amend the Public Health Service Act to support the development and implementation of programs using data analysis to identify and facilitate strategies to improve outcomes for children in geographic areas with a high prevalence of trauma from exposure to adverse childhood experiences, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Pressley, Ayanna [Rep.-D-MA-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2960 — To amend title III of the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the program of payments to children’s hospitals that operate graduate medical education programs; Sponsor: Schrier, Kim [Rep.-D-WA-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2970 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to the laws relating to advocacy for veterans who receive health care and other benefits furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Yakym, Rudy [Rep.-R-IN-2]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

House Passes GOP Budget Resolution – The House of Representatives agreed to the fiscal year 2025 Concurrent Budget Resolution as amended by the Senate (H. Con. Res. 14) on Thursday by a vote of 216-214. The vote allows the budget reconciliation process to proceed. Congressional Republicans must now begin drafting a reconciliation package to advance President Donald Trump’s domestic policy agenda, including tax cuts, energy policy, and border security, while trimming the budget deficit by at least $1.5 trillion. The budget blueprint charges the House Energy and Commerce Committee with finding $880 billion in savings over the next decade, which is expected to necessitate cuts to the Medicaid program. Lawmakers have now returned to their districts for a two-week congressional recess. Both the Senate and the House are scheduled to reconvene on April 28. During the district work period, House Democrats have planned a series of national events in opposition to the GOP budget bill, including a Medicaid Matters Day of Action on April 17.

 

House Budget Committee Reestablishes Health Care Task Force – House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) has reestablished the panel’s Health Care Task Force and appointed Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah) as chair. The Task Force was previously led by former Rep. Michael Burgess, MD (R-Texas). This congress, the Task Force plans to focus on the budgetary effects of chronic disease and opportunities to Make America Healthy Again. Members of the Task Force include Reps. Mike Carey (R-Ohio), Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.), Erin Houchin (R-Ind.), Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.), Chip Roy (R-Texas), and Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.).

 

HELP Committee RFK Jr. Hearing Does Not Take Place– U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee last week to testify about the department’s proposed reorganization and reductions in force. HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) had requested his attendance at a hearing set for April 10. Spokespersons for HHS have declined to comment on whether the Secretary has a date set to appear before the committee. During his confirmation process, Kennedy committed to coming before the HELP Committee on a quarterly basis upon request from the chair. He is not expected to appear before the committee until after the Senate returns from recess at the end of April.

 

E&C to Reschedule Consideration of Health Bills  – The House Energy and Commerce Committee convened a markup of 26 bills last week, including six bipartisan health care measures. During the markup, committee Democrats offered an amendment to take up and pass the end-of-year legislative package (including a partial Medicare physician fix and 2-year extension of telehealth flexibilities) that was removed from the December 2024 continuing resolution. The amendment failed on a party line vote. The panel did not have time to consider the following health bills due to scheduling conflicts, and plans to reschedule consideration of H.R. 2483, SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act; H.R. 1520, Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act; H.R. 2319, Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act; H.R. 1669, To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training Program; H.R. 1082, Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act; and H.R. 2484, Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act.

 

National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology Releases Final Report – The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology released its congressionally mandated final report last week. The report’s recommendations are centered on the following pillars: prioritizing biotechnology at the national level; mobilizing the private sector to get U.S. products to scale; maximizing the benefits of biotechnology and defense; out-innovating strategic competitors; building the biotechnology workforce of the future; and mobilizing the collective strengths of allies and partners.  The 11-member bipartisan commission led by Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) was mandated as part of the 2022 defense authorization bill. Sen. Young said he is already working with the leadership of the Senate Armed Services Committee to include provisions from the report in the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.

 

Cassidy Raises Concerns About 23andMe Bankruptcy – Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) has sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressing concerns about the potential sale of 23andMe’s genetic database of over 15 million customers.  23andMe filed for bankruptcy last month, and announced that it intends to sell all of its assets to pay off debts.  Sen. Cassidy urges the administration to use its authority through the Committee on Foreign Investment to prevent foreign adversaries from buying the database.  “Safeguarding sensitive consumer data is a top goal to protect our national security,” Cassidy writes. “Chinese companies have already taken steps to collect genetic data across the world that could be used for adverse purposes. These adversaries may similarly seek to acquire 23andMe’s database and potentially use it against Americans.”

 

RAND Releases Report on Current State of Emergency Care – The RAND Corporation released a new report entitled Strategies for Sustaining Emergency Care in the United States. The report assesses the current value of emergency care, evaluates challenges to sustaining emergency care, measures trends in emergency care payment, and identifies alternate funding strategies for emergency care. The authors assert that while emergency departments offer many types of value to different stakeholders across the country, the stresses EDs have faced over the past decade (including the opioid and gun violence epidemics, COVID-19 pandemic, increases in patient acuity and complexity, and declines in payment) put the viability of emergency care at risk. The report includes the following recommendations:

• Stakeholders should advocate funding for the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.
• Local governments and other stakeholders should pursue policies to allocate city and local funds to ED care and related activities that confer value to the broader community.
• Stakeholders should develop uninsured and underinsured patient compensation benchmarks so that EDs are compensated commensurate with the level of indigent care they provide.
• Health care organizations and legislatures should invest in expanding primary care capacity and develop and implement strategies to address ED crowding.
• Legislatures should institute state or federal laws that protect health care workers by increasing the legal consequences for violence against health care workers.
• Stakeholders should advocate Medicaid expansion in states that have not adopted it yet and should advocate Medicaid parity with Medicare.
• Legislatures should require insurance entities to collect deductibles and copays from their enrollees and should implement a legislative fix to No Surprises Act flaws so that payers must pay in full any independent dispute resolution judgments to the prevailing physicians within a preset time frame.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

Senate Appropriations Committee hearing “Biomedical Research: Keeping America’s Edge in Innovation;” 10:30 a.m.; April 30

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

S.1305 — A bill to allow for greater collaboration between the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and the network of Manufacturing USA institutes; Sponsor: Tillis, Thomas [Sen.-R-NC]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.Res.298 — Expressing support for the designation of April 7, 2025, as “World Health Day” and recognizing the importance of prioritizing public health nationally and globally; Sponsor: Thanedar, Shri [Rep.-D-MI-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2667 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow distributions from a health flexible spending arrangement or health reimbursement arrangement directly to a health savings account in connection with establishing coverage under a high deductible health plan; Sponsor: Bean, Aaron [Rep.-R-FL-4]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2678 — To provide for further comprehensive research at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke on unruptured intracranial aneurysms, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [Rep.-R-PA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2687 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a refundable tax credit for non-directed living kidney donations; Sponsor: Malliotakis, Nicole [Rep.-R-NY-11]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2695 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize grants for building communities of recovery; Sponsor: Pettersen, Brittany [Rep.-D-CO-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

S.1320 — A bill to direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take certain steps regarding research related to menopause, perimenopause, or mid-life women’s health, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Murray, Patty [Sen.-D-WA]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1329 — A bill to address the behavioral health workforce shortages through support for peer support specialists, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kaine, Tim [Sen.-D-VA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1330 — A bill to advance research to achieve medical breakthroughs in brain tumor treatment and improve awareness and adequacy of specialized cancer and brain tumor care; Sponsor: Blumenthal, Richard [Sen.-D-CT]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1348 — A bill to amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to prohibit an employer from recovering any health care premium paid by the employer for an employee if the employee fails to return to work due to the birth of a child, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Lee, Mike [Sen.-R-UT]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.Res.305 — Expressing support for the designation of the fourth Wednesday of February as “Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Awareness Day”; Sponsor: LaHood, Darin [Rep.-R-IL-16]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2715 — To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to extend the destruction authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to articles that present a significant public health concern, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Higgins, Clay [Rep.-R-LA-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2717 — To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take certain steps regarding research related to menopause, perimenopause, or mid-life women’s health, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Houlahan, Chrissy [Rep.-D-PA-6]; Committees: House – Armed Services; Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2730 — To include pregnancy and loss of pregnancy as qualifying life events under the TRICARE program and to require a study on maternal health in the military heath system, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Mace, Nancy [Rep.-R-SC-1]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.2732 — To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to prohibit an employer from recovering any health care premium paid by the employer for an employee if the employee fails to return to work due to the birth of a child, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Moore, Riley [Rep.-R-WV-2]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Oversight and Government Reform; House Administration

 

H.R.2741 — To address the behavioral health workforce shortages through support for peer support specialists, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Salinas, Andrea [Rep.-D-OR-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.2744 — To amend part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a special enrollment period under Medicare for individuals enrolled in COBRA continuation coverage, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Smucker, Lloyd [Rep.-R-PA-11]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2745 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow both spouses to make catch-up contributions to the same health savings account; Sponsor: Steube, W. Gregory [Rep.-R-FL-17]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

S.1361 — A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to give priority in the consideration of suicide prevention grants to entities located in States that have not received such a grant, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cramer, Kevin [Sen.-R-ND]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1380 —A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment program to encourage specialty medicine physicians to serve in rural communities experiencing a shortage of specialty medicine physicians, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rosen, Jacky [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1384 — A bill to require States to report information on Medicaid payments to abortion providers; Sponsor: Banks, Jim [Sen.-R-IN]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1387 — A bill to authorize the National Biotechnology Initiative, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Young, Todd [Sen.-R-IN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1390 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to revise certain physician self-referral exemptions relating to physician-owned hospitals; Sponsor: Lankford, James [Sen.-R-OK]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1399 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure appropriate payment of certain algorithm-based healthcare services under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Rounds, Mike [Sen.-R-SD]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.R.2753 — To amend the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to provide for a point of order against reconciliation measures that cut benefits for Medicaid or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Boyle, Brendan F. [Rep.-D-PA-2]; Committees: House – Rules; Budget

 

H.R.2756 — To authorize the National Biotechnology Initiative, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bice, Stephanie I. [Rep.-R-OK-5]; Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology; Foreign Affairs; Agriculture; Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.2757 —To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve coverage of audiology services under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bilirakis, Gus M. [Rep.-R-FL-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2767 —To advance research to achieve medical breakthroughs in brain tumor treatment and improve awareness and adequacy of specialized cancer and brain tumor care; Sponsor: Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [Rep.-R-PA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2779 — Abortion Funding Awareness Act – To require States to report information on Medicaid payments to abortion providers; Sponsor: Houchin, Erin [Rep.-R-IN-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2793 — To allow individuals to choose to opt out of the Medicare part A benefit; Sponsor: Palmer, Gary J. [Rep.-R-AL-6]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

S.Res.171 — A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of “National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Blumenthal, Richard [Sen.-D-CT]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.Res.172 — A resolution supporting the designation of the week of April 11 through April 17, 2025, as the eighth annual “Black Maternal Health Week”, founded by Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc., to bring national attention to the maternal and reproductive health crisis in the United States and the importance of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women and birthing people; Sponsor: Booker, Cory A. [Sen.-D-NJ]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.Res.173 — A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of World Malaria Day; Sponsor: Wicker, Roger F. [Sen.-R-MS]; Committees: Senate – Foreign Relations

 

S.Res.181 — A resolution designating the week of April 14 through April 20, 2025, as “National Osteopathic Medicine Week”; Sponsor: Wicker, Roger F. [Sen.-R-MS]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.Res.182 — A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of National Public Health Week; Sponsor: Lujan, Ben Ray [Sen.-D-NM]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1406 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the payment method for oxygen and oxygen related equipment, supplies, and services, to increase beneficiary access to oxygen and oxygen related equipment, supplies, and services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1407 — A bill to ban the use of Federal funds for the purchase of drugs manufactured in the People’s Republic of China, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cotton, Tom [Sen.-R-AR]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1409 — A bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to collect and disseminate information on concussion and traumatic brain injury among public safety officers; Sponsor: Cornyn, John [Sen.-R-TX]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1410 —A bill to provide for health coverage with no cost-sharing for additional breast screenings for certain individuals at greater risk for breast cancer; Sponsor: Klobuchar, Amy [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1414 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide that clinical studies required for licensure of biological products as biosimilar shall not be required to include the assessment of immunogenicity, pharmacodynamics, or comparative clinical efficacy; Sponsor: Paul, Rand [Sen.-R-KY]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1435 — A bill to prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars to support animal experimentation in the laboratories of adversarial nations; Sponsor: Ernst, Joni [Sen.-R-IA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1440 — A bill to amend title II of the Public Health Service Act to include as an additional right or privilege of commissioned officers of the Public Health Service (and their beneficiaries) certain leave provided under title 10, United States Code to commissioned officers of the Army (or their beneficiaries); Sponsor: Duckworth, Tammy [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1448 — A bill to address mental health issues for youth, particularly youth of color, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hirono, Mazie K. [Sen.-D-HI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1460 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend incentive payments for participation in eligible alternative payment models under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Barrasso, John [Sen.-R-WY]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1469 —A bill to amend the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to include food allergy information in existing training modules for local food service personnel; Sponsor: Durbin, Richard J. [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

 

S.1482 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to support and stabilize the existing nursing workforce, establish programs to increase the number of nurses, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Blunt Rochester, Lisa [Sen.-D-DE]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1489 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for public health research and investment into understanding and eliminating structural racism and police violence; Sponsor: Warren, Elizabeth [Sen.-D-MA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.Res.324 — Raising awareness of esophageal cancer by expressing support for the designation of April 2025 as “Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Connolly, Gerald E. [Rep.-D-VA-11]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.331 — Supporting the goals and ideals of “National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Pocan, Mark [Rep.-D-WI-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2810 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat amounts paid for private umbilical cord blood, or umbilical cord tissue, banking services as medical care expenses; Sponsor: Arrington, Jodey C. [Rep.-R-TX-19]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2821 —To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, to publish a final rule relating to nonclinical testing methods; Sponsor: Carter, Earl L. “Buddy” [Rep.-R-GA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2830 — To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to collect and disseminate information on concussion and traumatic brain injury among public safety officers; Sponsor: Crenshaw, Dan [Rep.-R-TX-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2846 — To amend title II of the Public Health Service Act to include as an additional right or privilege of commissioned officers of the Public Health Service (and their beneficiaries) certain leave provided under title 10, United States Code to commissioned officers of the Army (or their beneficiaries); Sponsor: Houlahan, Chrissy [Rep.-D-PA-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2855 — To limit the impoundment, transfer, or reprogramming of Federal funds made available for the National Institutes of Health, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kennedy, Timothy M. [Rep.-D-NY-26]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2868 — To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to add highly pathogenic avian influenza as a high priority research and extension area; Sponsor: McBride, Sarah [Rep.-D-DE-At Large]; Committees: House – Agriculture

 

H.R.2874 — To provide for regulations on protecting statutory conscience rights in health care; Sponsor: Moolenaar, John R. [Rep.-R-MI-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2875 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow refunds of Federal motor fuel excise taxes on fuels used in mobile mammography vehicles; Sponsor: Moore, Tim [Rep.-R-NC-14]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2884 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for public health research and investment into understanding and eliminating structural racism and police violence; Sponsor: Pressley, Ayanna [Rep.-D-MA-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2892 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and nationally disseminate accurate, relevant, and accessible resources to promote understanding about sensitivities regarding adoption in the health care industry, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Smucker, Lloyd [Rep.-R-PA-11]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.2902 —To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the payment method for oxygen and oxygen related equipment, supplies, and services, to increase beneficiary access to oxygen and oxygen related equipment, supplies, and services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Valadao, David G. [Rep.-R-CA-22]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

Senate Adopts Budget Blueprint – The Senate passed a budget resolution early Saturday morning, a critical step in the reconciliation process that Republicans hope to use to advance President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda. The measure was adopted in a 51-48 vote following a lengthy series of votes on amendments known as a vote-a-rama. Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Susan Collins (Maine) were the only Republicans to vote against the resolution. For the reconciliation process to proceed, a unified budget resolution must first be adopted by the House of Representatives. The House approved its own budget resolution in February that called for $880 billion in savings over the next decade to come from the Energy and Commerce Committee – likely necessitating deep cuts to the Medicaid program. The possibility of such cuts has received bipartisan pushback in the Senate. During the Senate vote-a-rama, the chamber adopted an amendment from Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) to strengthen and improve Medicaid for the most vulnerable populations and extend the life of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund. The amendment was agreed to along party lines, with Democrats arguing that the failure to define “most vulnerable populations” continues to leave the door open for cuts to the Medicaid program. House Republican leadership told their members that they will proceed with a vote on the Senate budget blueprint this week, despite apparent opposition from some fiscal conservatives. The Senate plan contains lower spending cut targets and would allow for more tax cuts that are not fully paid for in comparison to the House’s original framework. Republicans can only lose three members on a party-line vote if all members of the chamber are present and voting.

 

Dr. Oz Confirmed as CMS Administrator – The Senate confirmed Mehmet Oz, MD as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday in a 53-45 party line vote. As CMS administrator, Dr. Oz – a cardiothoracic surgeon – will be responsible for the agency in charge of the insurance coverage of more than 160 million people. During his Senate confirmation process, Oz stated that his focus as administrator will be on empowering beneficiaries with better tools and more transparency to manage their health and navigate the health care system; incentivizing health care providers to optimize care with real time information; and modernizing tools to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse.

 

Senate Panel Advances Six Bills to Lower Prescription Drug Prices – The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced six bipartisan pieces of legislation on Thursday that aim to reduce prescription drug costs and increase access to generic medications. Each of the bills – which were previously approved by the committee during the 118^th Congress– was advanced by voice vote.  The Prescription Pricing for the People Act (S. 527) requires the Federal Trade Commission to examine the effects of consolidation in the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) industry, as well as other potentially abusive behavior by PBMs, on pricing. The Drug Competition Enhancement Act (S. 1040) would prohibit branded drug manufacturers from deliberately preventing potential competitors from entering the marketplace using product hopping. The Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act (S. 1041) would prevent bad actors in the pharmaceutical industry from using “patent thickets” to stop potential competitors from entering the marketplace. The Interagency Patent Coordination and Improvement Act (S. 1097) would establish a task force between the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve communication and coordination in implementing each agency’s activities related to pharmaceutical patents. The Stop STALLING Act (S. 1095) would deter branded pharmaceutical companies from filing sham “citizen petitions” with the FDA to interfere with the approval of generic and biosimilar medicines. Finally, the Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act (S. 1096) would limit “pay-for-delay” deals that prevent or delay the introduction of generic drugs. The Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act was the only bill of the six to pass the full Senate last Congress.

 

HELP Requests RFK Testimony on HHS Restructuring – Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have called on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to testify before the panel on Thursday. The lawmakers wish to discuss the department’s proposed reorganization and recent reductions in force. It remains unclear whether the Secretary will accept the panel’s invitation to testify. “The news coverage on the HHS reorg is being set by anonymous sources and opponents are setting the perceptions,” Sen. Cassidy said in a statement. “This will be a good opportunity for him to set the record straight and speak to the goals, structure and benefits of the proposed reorganization.” During his confirmation process, Kennedy committed to coming before the HELP Committee on a quarterly basis upon request from the chair.

 

E&C Democrats Press for Answers on HHS Job Cuts – Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee have sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his decision to eliminate 25% of the department’s workforce. The lawmakers ask for a response to the following requests by April 15:

• Provide a detailed list of the roles being eliminated across HHS;
• Describe in detail the process by which it was determined what roles would be eliminated;
• Specify what is meant by the elimination of 3,500 roles at the Food and Drug Administration not affecting reviewers or impacting reviewers;
• Specify which five regional offices will be closed and the process for determining why regional offices should be closed and which ones should be closed; and
• Specify which operating divisions will be eliminated or consolidated, and which new or existing operating division(s) will be responsible for carrying out the eliminated or consolidated operation division’s work.

The letter was signed by Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Yvette D. Clarke (D-N.Y.). Staff from HHS are scheduled to brief the House Energy and Commerce Committee on the HHS restructuring this week.

 

Senate Democrats Urge HHS to Address MA Spending – A group of Senate Democrats led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) have sent a letter to the Trump administration highlighting the need to reign in waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. The letter points out that the MA program has continuously cost more than traditional Medicare without improving health outcomes, arguing that MA program spending endangers the solvency of the Medicare trust funds. The lawmakers urge the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to:

• Eliminate waste and abuse from overpayments by improving risk adjustment calculations in the proposed 2026 MA Rate Notice and strictly enforcing the overpayment regulations for MA Organizations outlined in the 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rule.
• Strengthen enforcement against MA insurers that illegally deny care.
• Address additional barriers to care.
• Enact reforms to reduce disparities in care.

 

Booker Sets Record for Longest Speech on Senate Floor – Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) held the Senate floor for 25 hours and five consecutive minutes last week in protest of the Trump administration and congressional Republicans. The speech broke the previous Senate floor speech record set by the late South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond in 1957, lasting 24 hours and 18 minutes. Booker yielded to Democratic senators throughout the day for questions to give himself short breaks from speaking. During the speech, he argued for the need to defend against actions from the administration that would cut Medicaid, defund medical research, and increase health care costs for Americans.

 

Court Issues Permanent Injunction in NIH Indirect Cost Cuts Litigation – On April 4, 2025, the federal government requested that the court convert its March 5 preliminary injunction (barring the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) indirect cost cuts) into a permanent injunction. In their motion for conversion, the NIH noted that it hoped to expedite its ability to appeal to the First Circuit Court of Appeals on the case’s merits once a final judgment was entered. The court agreed and issued a permanent injunction the same day. The ruling vacates the NIH’s February 2025 guidance (Notice Number NOT-OD-25-068), which sought to cap indirect cost reimbursement at 15%, and permanently bars the agency from implementing the cap nationwide unless the federal government is able to successfully appeal. Judge Angel Kelley of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts concluded that the plaintiffs—22 state attorneys general and several major research institutions—had demonstrated actual success on the merits of their claims. Reiterating the points in the preliminary injunction, the court held that the NIH’s policy violated federal law, was arbitrary and capricious, improperly retroactive, and was issued without required notice-and-comment procedures.

 

FTC’s PBM Lawsuit to Continue – The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) case against the nation’s largest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) will continue to move forward with the involvement of FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson. The status of the lawsuit against CVS Health Corp., Cigna Group, and UnitedHealth Group Inc., alleging that the PBMs used illegal rebate programs to keep less expensive insulin products off of drug formularies, was called into question following the Trump administration’s dismissal of the two Democratic commissioners overseeing the case last month. Ferguson, who had previously recused himself from the case, changed his decision last week to ensure that the lawsuit can continue.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

House Appropriations Committee hearing “Assessing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief;” 8:00 a.m.; April 8

 

House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health hearing “Lowering Costs for Patients: The Health of the Biosimilar Market;” 10:00 a.m.; April 8

 

House Energy and Commerce Committee markup at 10:00 a.m. on April 8 to consider:

• H.R. 2483, SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025
• H.R. 1520, Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act
• H.R. 2319, Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2025
• H.R. 1669, To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond (SOAR) to Health and Wellness Training Program.
• H.R. 1082, Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act
• H.R. 2484, Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act

 

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing “The Freedom of Information Act: Perspectives from Public Requesters;” 10:15 a.m.; April 8

 

House Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation hearing “Final Report on the National Security Commission for Emerging Biotechnology;” 4:00 p.m.; April 8

 

Senate HELP Committee executive session to consider S. 932, Give Kids a Chance Act of 2025; 10:00 a.m.; April 9

 

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing “Restoring Trust in FDA: Rooting Out Illicit Products;” 10:00 a.m.; April 9

 

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education public witness day; 10:30 a.m.; April 9

 

POSSIBLE: Senate HELP Committee hearing “An Update on the Restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services” with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; 10:00 a.m.; April 10

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.Res.276 — Raising awareness of the racial disparities in the impact of colorectal cancer on the Hispanic community; Sponsor: Hernández, Pablo [Resident Commissioner-D-PR-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.277 — Supporting the designation of May 2025 as “National Myositis Awareness Month”; Sponsor: McCormick, Richard [Rep.-R-GA-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2483 — Sponsor: Guthrie, Brett [Rep.-R-KY-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce; Judiciary; Financial Services

 

H.R.2484 — Sponsor: Harshbarger, Diana [Rep.-R-TN-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2487 — To improve access to evidence-based, lifesaving health care for transgender people, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Balint, Becca [Rep.-D-VT-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2491 — To require the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Commissioner of Social Security to review and simplify the processes, procedures, forms, and communications for family caregivers to assist individuals in establishing eligibility for, enrolling in, and maintaining and utilizing coverage and benefits under the Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and Social Security programs respectively, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cammack, Kat [Rep.-R-FL-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2493 — To reauthorize certain programs regarding rural health care; Sponsor: Carter, Earl L. “Buddy” [Rep.-R-GA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2495 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage of medical nutrition therapy services for individuals with eating disorders under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Chu, Judy [Rep.-D-CA-28]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2497 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a public health education, awareness, and outreach campaign to enhance access to abortion and related health services; Sponsor: Crockett, Jasmine [Rep.-D-TX-30]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2509 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide incentives for behavioral health integration; Sponsor: Malliotakis, Nicole [Rep.-R-NY-11]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2527 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to improve children’s vision and eye health through grants to States, territories, and Tribal organizations, and the provision of technical assistance to support those efforts; Sponsor: Veasey, Marc A. [Rep.-D-TX-33]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2528 — To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to clarify the treatment of certain association health plans as employers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Walberg, Tim [Rep.-R-MI-5]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.2529 — To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to require group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage to permit enrollees to obtain a 365-day supply of contraceptives; Sponsor: Underwood, Lauren [Rep.-D-IL-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.2531 — To direct the Secretary of Labor to issue an occupational safety and health standard that requires covered employers within the health care and social service industries to develop and implement a comprehensive workplace violence prevention plan, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Courtney, Joe [Rep.-D-CT-2]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2532 — To prohibit certain removals of employees of the Department of Health and Human Services and sub-agencies and operating divisions thereof, and for other purposes; Sponsor: McClellan, Jennifer L. [Rep.-D-VA-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce; Ways and Means; Natural Resources

 

H.R.2533 — To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to require the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test a model to improve access to specialty health services for certain Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries; Sponsor: Arrington, Jodey C. [Rep.-R-TX-19]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2538 — To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to require the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test a comprehensive alternative response for emergencies model under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Carey, Mike [Rep.-R-OH-15]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2541 — To require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to revise its regulations to protect patients from unintended exposure to radiation during nuclear medicine procedures, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Davis, Donald G. [Rep.-D-NC-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2542 — To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to provide that priority research drugs shall not be treated as line extensions of existing drugs for purposes of calculating manufacturer rebates under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Davis, Donald G. [Rep.-D-NC-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2553 — To limit cost-sharing for prescription drugs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Horsford, Steven [Rep.-D-NV-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2554 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to apply prescription drug inflation rebates to drugs furnished in the commercial market and to change the base year for rebate calculations; Sponsor: Horsford, Steven [Rep.-D-NV-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2557 — To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide fertility treatment under the TRICARE Program; Sponsor: Jacobs, Sara [Rep.-D-CA-51]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.2560 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize lifespan respite care programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Langworthy, Nicholas A. [Rep.-R-NY-23]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2571 — To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to exclude from the definition of health insurance coverage certain medical stop-loss insurance obtained by certain plan sponsors of group health plans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Onder, Robert [Rep.-R-MO-3]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.2576 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand health care and benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs for military sexual trauma, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Pingree, Chellie [Rep.-D-ME-1]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2586 — To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to allow States to make medical assistance available to inmates during the 30-day period preceding their release; Sponsor: Tonko, Paul [Rep.-D-NY-20]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2587 — To establish a Youth Mental Health Research Initiative in the National Institutes of Health for purposes of encouraging collaborative research to improve youth mental health; Sponsor: Watson Coleman, Bonnie [Rep.-D-NJ-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

S.1248 — A bill to amend title XI of the Social Security Act to require the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test a model to improve access to specialty health services for certain Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries; Sponsor: Mullin, Markwayne [Sen.-R-OK]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1256 — A bill to authorize the Pines Foundation to establish the Fire Island AIDS Memorial, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [Sen.-D-NY]; Committees: Senate – Energy and Natural Resources

 

S.1258 — A bill to prohibit the sale of food that is, or contains, unsafe poppy seeds; Sponsor: Cotton, Tom [Sen.-R-AR]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1261 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand access to telehealth services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Schatz, Brian [Sen.-D-HI]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1264 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a demonstration program to promote collaborative treatment of mental and physical health comorbidities under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Bennet, Michael F. [Sen.-D-CO]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1266 — A bill to establish a Youth Mental Health Research Initiative in the National Institutes of Health for purposes of encouraging collaborative research to improve youth mental health; Sponsor: Klobuchar, Amy [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1269 — A bill to promote United States leadership in technical standards by directing the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Department of State to take certain actions to encourage and enable United States participation in developing standards and specifications for artificial intelligence and other critical and emerging technologies, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Blackburn, Marsha [Sen.-R-TN]; Committees: Senate – Commerce, Science, and Transportation

 

S.1290 — A bill to expand the functions of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to include workforce frameworks for critical and emerging technologies, to require the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop an artificial intelligence workforce framework, and periodically review and update the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Peters, Gary C. [Sen.-D-MI]; Committees: Senate – Commerce, Science, and Transportation

 

S.1302 — A bill to provide for increased transparency in generic drug applications; Sponsor: Hassan, Margaret Wood [Sen.-D-NH]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.R.2589 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to ensure the consensual donation and respectful disposition of human bodies and human body parts donated or transferred for education, research, or the advancement of medical, dental, or mortuary science and not for use in human transplantation, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bilirakis, Gus M. [Rep.-R-FL-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2590 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a demonstration program to promote collaborative treatment of mental and physical health comorbidities under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Boyle, Brendan F. [Rep.-D-PA-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R. 2610— To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to address significant under projection of MA local area growth due to wage index reclassification; Sponsor: Tenney, Claudia [Rep.-R-NY-24]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2615 — To prohibit the sale of food that is, or contains, unsafe poppy seeds; Sponsor: Womack, Steve [Rep.-R-AR-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2623 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs as innovative therapies centers of excellence, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Correa, J. Luis [Rep.-D-CA-46]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2630 — To amend the Advancing Research to Prevent Suicide Act to expand the areas of focus regarding childhood suicide, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Gillen, Laura [Rep.-D-NY-4]; Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology

 

H.R.2636 — To provide for appropriate cost-sharing for individuals 26 years of age or younger for insulin products covered under private health plans; Sponsor: Landsman, Greg [Rep.-D-OH-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.2639 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make permanent certain telehealth flexibilities under the Medicare program for telehealth services furnished by Indian health programs; Sponsor: Leger Fernandez, Teresa [Rep.-D-NM-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2640 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that certain health care contractors of the Department of Veterans Affairs are subject to Federal tort claims laws, to improve the accountability of physicians of the Department, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Luttrell, Morgan [Rep.-R-TX-8]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

HHS to Undergo Restructuring, Cutting 10,000 Employees – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a plan for major restructuring last week that will result in $1.8 billion in savings and 10,000 job cuts across the department. The restructuring is in keeping with President Donald Trump’s executive order Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Workforce Optimization Initiative. The plan will consolidate the 28 current HHS divisions into 15 new divisions, including a new Administration for a Healthy America (AHA), which will combine the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response will transfer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The  Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation will be merged with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to create the new Office of Strategy. HHS regional offices will be reduced from 10 to 5. Workforce reductions will include the elimination of:

• 3,500 full time employees from the Food and Drug Administration, which HHS has said will not impact drug, medical device, or food reviewers or inspectors;
• 2,400 employees from the CDC;
• 1,200 employees from the National Institutes of Health; and
• 300 employees from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, mostly from the Office of Minority Health and the Office of Program Operations and Local Engagement according to the latest reports.

When combined with other efforts to reduce the size of the federal government made by the Trump administration earlier this year – including early retirement incentives and the “Fork in the Road” buyouts – the HHS workforce will be reduced from 82,000 to 62,000 full-time employees, a level the department has not seen since 2002. The reorganization is expected to take effect at the end of May. An administration fact sheet on the restructuring can be found here.

 

Senate Confirms, Advances Health Nominees – The Senate confirmed several of President Trump’s health nominees upon returning from its week-long recess last week. Jay Bhattacharya, MD was confirmed as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Marty Makary, MD was confirmed as commissioner of Food and Drugs. Dr.  Bhattacharya was confirmed in a party line vote of 53-47, while Dr. Makary was confirmed in a 56-44 vote with the support of Democrats Maggie Hassan (N.H.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), and Dick Durbin (Ill.). The chamber also confirmed Michael Kratsios to serve as director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy in a 74-25 vote. The Senate Finance Committee advanced the nomination of Mehmet Oz, MD to serve as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Tuesday. His nomination was advanced in a 14-13 party line vote and the Senate is expected to take up the nomination soon.

 

White House Taps Acting CDC Director to Lead Agency – The White House has nominated Susan Monarez, PhD to serve as the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Monarez is currently acting director at the agency, a position she has held since January 23. Prior to joining CDC, she worked as the deputy director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, the biomedical innovation agency created during the Biden administration. Monarez has also held positions at the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the Biomedical Advanced Research Projects Authority during her career. The Trump administration recently withdrew the nomination of former congressman Dave Weldon, MD to lead the CDC when it became clear that Weldon did not have the votes to be confirmed by the Senate. Several Republican senators had raised concerns about Weldon’s views on vaccine safety and effectiveness. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended Monarez’s nomination, stating in a social media post “I handpicked Susan for this job because she is a longtime champion of MAHA [Make America Healthy Again] values, and a caring, compassionate and brilliant microbiologist and a tech wizard who will reorient CDC towards public health and gold-standard science.” Other health nominations recently announced by the administration include Thomas March Bell, general counsel for House Republicans, to serve as HHS Inspector General; Brian Christine, MD, a urologist, to serve as HHS Assistant Secretary for Health; and Alex Adams, director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, to serve as HHS Assistant Secretary for Family Support.

 

Fox News Contributor Selected to Lead Office of National Drug Control Policy – President Trump announced on Friday that Sara Carter, a journalist and Fox News contributor, will be nominated to lead the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). If confirmed by the Senate, Carter will be the first woman to lead ONDCP, the office responsible for coordinating public health and law enforcement efforts to address opioid and substance use issues. Carter has never served in government but has written about and discussed illegal immigration and drug trafficking issues extensively.

 

U.S. Expected to Reach Debt Limit in August or September – The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the nation will reach the debt limit in August or September 2025, a date known as the “X date” when the U.S. would default on its national debt. The 2023 suspension of the debt limit expired on January 1, but the Treasury Department is using so-called extraordinary measures to temporarily keep the government from defaulting on its debt. Congressional Republicans are expected to include a debt limit increase in a forthcoming budget reconciliation package. In response to CBO’s latest projection, House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) highlighted that the House budget resolution raised the debt limit while “responsibly pairing it with meaningful fiscal reforms that will rein-in spending, reignite economic growth, and reduce our debt to GDP.” He urged the Senate to “move with urgency” to pass a budget resolution that aligns with the House version so that Congress can move forward with the reconciliation process. Reportedly, Senate Republicans hope to act on a budget resolution this week.

 

CBER Director Peter Marks to Resign – Peter Marks, MD, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), announced his resignation last week. Marks cited U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “misinformation and lies” about the safety of vaccines as the reason for his departure. Marks was reportedly offered the choice of resigning or being fired by Kennedy. “It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies,” Marks wrote in his letter of resignation. Marks first joined the FDA in 2012 and has served as head of CBER since 2016. He was a key figure in the establishment of Operation Warp Speed to develop a COVID-19 vaccine.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee legislative hearing to review S. 222, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, and Improving Children’s Health;” 10:00 a.m.; April 1

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing “Harnessing Biomedical Innovation: Modernizing VA Healthcare for the Future;” 10:15 a.m.; April 1

 

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing “Examining the FDA’s Regulation of Over-the-Counter Monograph Drugs;” 10:15 a.m.; April 1

 

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing “Aging Technology, Emerging Threats: Examining Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Legacy Medical Devices;” 10:30 a.m.; April 1

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing “Answering the Call: Examining VA’s Mental Health Policies;” 2:00 p.m.; April 2

 

House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions hearing “A Healthy Workforce: Expanding Access and Affordability in Employer-Sponsored Health Care;” 2:00 p.m.; April 2

 

Senate Judiciary Committee markup to consider S. 527, Prescription Pricing for the People Act; S. 1040, A bill to amend the Federal Trade Commission Act to prohibit product hopping; S. 1041, A bill to amend title 35, United States Code, to address the infringement of patents that claim biological products; S. 1097, Interagency Patent Coordination and Improvement Act; S. 1095, Stop STALLING Act; and S. 1096, Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars; 10:15 a.m. April 3

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.R.2268 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to recognize nurse registries for purposes of the Veterans Community Care Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Mast, Brian J. [Rep.-R-FL-21]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2264 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to automatically pay dependency and indemnity compensation to a survivor of a veteran with a service-connected mental disorder who dies by suicide; Sponsor: Lawler, Michael [Rep.-R-NY-17]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2263 — Telehealth Coverage Act – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make permanent certain telehealth flexibilities under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Khanna, Ro [Rep.-D-CA-17]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2251 — To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit discrimination by abortion against an unborn child on the basis of Down syndrome; Sponsor: Estes, Ron [Rep.-R-KS-4]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.2245 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans for improvements and structural alterations furnished as part of home health services; Sponsor: Bacon, Don [Rep.-R-NE-2]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2244 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish presumptions of service connection for diseases associated with firefighting; Sponsor: Bacon, Don [Rep.-R-NE-2]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.Res.239 — Raising awareness of the racial disparities in the impact of colorectal cancer on the Black community; Sponsor: Watson Coleman, Bonnie [Rep.-D-NJ-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.238 — Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that every person has the basic right to emergency health care, including abortion care; Sponsor: Sykes, Emilia Strong [Rep.-D-OH-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.236 — Expressing support for the goals of a “NICU Baby’s Bill of Rights”; Sponsor: Houchin, Erin [Rep.-R-IN-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.235 — Recognizing the importance of sleep health and expressing support for the designation of the week of March 9 through March 15, 2025, as “Sleep Awareness Week”; Sponsor: Dean, Madeleine [Rep.-D-PA-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

S.1095 — A bill to enable the Federal Trade Commission to deter filing of sham citizen petitions to cover an attempt to interfere with approval of a competing generic drug or biosimilar, to foster competition, and facilitate the efficient review of petitions filed in good faith to raise legitimate public health concerns, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Klobuchar, Amy [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1096 — A bill to prohibit brand name drug companies from compensating generic drug companies to delay the entry of a generic drug into the market, and to prohibit biological product manufacturers from compensating biosimilar and interchangeable companies to delay the entry of biosimilar biological products and interchangeable biological products; Sponsor: Klobuchar, Amy [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1097 — A bill to amend title 35, United States Code, to establish an interagency task force between the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Food and Drug Administration for purposes of sharing information and providing technical assistance with respect to patents, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Durbin, Richard J. [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1098 — A bill to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to enhance the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Grant Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cantwell, Maria [Sen.-D-WA]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

H.Res.245 — Recognizing the significance of Sjögren’s disease as a serious and systemic autoimmune disease and expressing support for the designation of April 2025 as “Sjögren’s Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Morelle, Joseph D. [Rep.-D-NY-25]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2283 — To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to provide grants to outpatient mental health facilities for the provision of culturally competent, evidence-based mental health care for veterans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bost, Mike [Rep.-R-IL-12]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2309 — To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require certain additional provider screening under the Medicaid program; Sponsor: Peters, Scott H. [Rep.-D-CA-50]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

S.Res.138 — A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of “Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Grassley, Chuck [Sen.-R-IA]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

 

S.1104 — A bill to amend section 495 of the Public Health Service Act to require inspections of foreign laboratories conducting biomedical and behavioral research to ensure compliance with applicable animal welfare requirements, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Schmitt, Eric [Sen.-R-MO]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1105 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve risk adjustment under Medicare Advantage; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1129 — Dietary Guidelines Reform Act of 2025 – A bill to amend the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act of 1990 to improve the dietary guidelines, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Marshall, Roger [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

 

H.Res.253 — Expressing support for the designation of May 15, 2025, as “Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Day” to raise awareness of and promote research on the disorder; Sponsor: Tonko, Paul [Rep.-D-NY-20]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2314 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require hospitals with approved medical residency training programs to submit to the Secretary of Health and Human Services certain information regarding osteopathic and allopathic candidates for such programs; Sponsor: Harshbarger, Diana [Rep.-R-TN-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2319 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a review to evaluate the status of research on lung cancer in women and underserved populations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Boyle, Brendan F. [Rep.-D-PA-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2320 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish a refundable credit for expenses incurred for mobility devices; Sponsor: Cohen, Steve [Rep.-D-TN-9]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2326 — To amend the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act of 1990 to improve the dietary guidelines, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Jackson, Ronny [Rep.-R-TX-13]; Committees: House – Agriculture

 

H.R.2339 — To require the Office of Children’s Health Protection to be maintained within the Environmental Protection Agency, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Nadler, Jerrold [Rep.-D-NY-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2340 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the automatic qualification of certain Medicaid beneficiaries for premium and cost-sharing subsidies under part D of the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Pappas, Chris [Rep.-D-NH-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2343 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage and payment of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Disorder treatment under part B of such title, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Salazar, Maria Elvira [Rep.-R-FL-27]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

S.Res.143 — A resolution supporting the designation of May 29, 2025, as “Mental Health Awareness in Agriculture Day” to raise awareness around mental health in the agricultural industry and workforce and to continue to reduce stigma associated with mental illness; Sponsor: Fischer, Deb [Sen.-R-NE]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1132 — A bill to amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to include peer supports as a supportive service within the National Family Caregiver Support Program, to require States to consider the unique needs of caregivers whose families have been impacted by substance use disorder, including opioid use disorder, in providing services under such program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Budd, Ted [Sen.-R-NC]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1134 — A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the Office of Patient Advocacy of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Sponsor: Cramer, Kevin [Sen.-R-ND]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1139 — A bill to amend the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019 to modify and reauthorize the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Moran, Jerry [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1140 — A bill to amend title XI of the Social Security Act to lower barriers to increase patient access to health care; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1144 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat certain amounts paid for physical activity, fitness, and exercise as amounts paid for medical care; Sponsor: Thune, John [Sen.-R-SD]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1147 — A bill to establish clear and consistent biological definitions of male and female; Sponsor: Marshall, Roger [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1157 — A bill to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a review to evaluate the status of research on lung cancer in women and underserved populations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Smith, Tina [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.Res.256 — Supporting the designation of March 2025 as Endometriosis Awareness Month; Sponsor: Scott, David [Rep.-D-GA-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2363 — To prohibit the authorization of certain individuals to access certain systems containing individually identifiable health information; Sponsor: DeGette, Diana [Rep.-D-CO-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2369 — Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat certain amounts paid for physical activity, fitness, and exercise as amounts paid for medical care; Sponsor: Kelly, Mike [Rep.-R-PA-16]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2372 — Disclosure; and Encouragement of Verification, Innovation, Cleaning, and Efficiency (DEVICE) Act – To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to enhance medical device communications and ensure device cleanliness; Sponsor: Lieu, Ted [Rep.-D-CA-36]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2378 — To establish clear and consistent biological definitions of male and female; Sponsor: Miller, Mary E. [Rep.-R-IL-15]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.2381 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize and improve the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program for fiscal years 2026 through 2030, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Morelle, Joseph D. [Rep.-D-NY-25]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2382 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that governmental pension plans may include certain firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and paramedics, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Murphy, Gregory F. [Rep.-R-NC-3]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2383 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the use of Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grants to purchase life-saving opioid antagonists for schools and to provide related training and education to students and teachers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Neguse, Joe [Rep.-D-CO-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2385 — To establish the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Obernolte, Jay [Rep.-R-CA-23]; Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology

 

H.R.2387 — To prohibit Federal funds from being used for sex-trait altering treatments for minors, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Onder, Robert [Rep.-R-MO-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary; Education and Workforce; Ways and Means

 

S.1164 — A bill to allow additional individuals to enroll in standalone dental plans offered through Federal Exchanges; Sponsor: Hassan, Margaret Wood [Sen.-D-NH]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1168 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage of portable ultrasound transportation and set up services under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Cornyn, John [Sen.-R-TX]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1173 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to clarify and preserve the breadth of the protections under the Medicare Secondary Payer Act; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1186 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to apply prescription drug inflation rebates to drugs furnished in the commercial market and to change the base year for rebate calculations; Sponsor: Cortez Masto, Catherine [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.R.2404 — To provide for a study on the effects of remote monitoring on individuals who are prescribed opioids; Sponsor: Balderson, Troy [Rep.-R-OH-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2414 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a military and civilian partnership for trauma readiness grant program; Sponsor: Castor, Kathy [Rep.-D-FL-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2419 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow all individuals to contribute to health savings accounts, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Davidson, Warren [Rep.-R-OH-8]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2426 — To require a study on the quality of care difference between mental health and addiction therapy care provided by health care providers of the Department of Veterans Affairs compared to non-Department providers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Fallon, Pat [Rep.-R-TX-4]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2433 — To ensure that prior authorization medical decisions under Medicare are determined by physicians; Sponsor: Green, Mark E. [Rep.-R-TN-7]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2436 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat distributions from health savings accounts for funeral expenses of the account beneficiary as qualified distributions; Sponsor: Hern, Kevin [Rep.-R-OK-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2437 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require hospitals to provide information on available hospice programs to certain individuals upon discharge under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Houchin, Erin [Rep.-R-IN-9]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2445 — To prohibit implementation of the rule entitled “Medicaid Program; Streamlining the Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Basic Health Program Application, Eligibility Determination, Enrollment, and Renewal Processes”, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kennedy, Mike [Rep.-R-UT-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2450 — To amend the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1984 to increase oversight of pharmacy benefit management services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: McDonald Rivet, Kristen [Rep.-D-MI-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2469 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to evaluate the benefits of abortion doula care and coverage; Sponsor: Strickland, Marilyn [Rep.-D-WA-10]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2471 — To update the National Action Plan for Adverse Drug Event Prevention to consider advances in pharmacogenomic research and testing, to improve electronic health records for pharmacogenomic information, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Swalwell, Eric [Rep.-D-CA-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2477 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage of portable ultrasound transportation and set up services under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Van Duyne, Beth [Rep.-R-TX-24]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

House Judiciary Subcommittee Opens Probe into U.S. Medical Residency System – The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust has launched an antitrust investigation into the nation’s medical residency system. Subcommittee Chairman Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wis.) has written to stakeholder organizations about antitrust exemptions for medical residency programs and accreditation associations. Fitzgerald asserts that the residency antitrust exemption “has distorted the American medical residency market, undermining free market principles to the detriment of the nation’s doctors and the patients who rely on them.”  The letters request information about complaints related to the matching process, resident compensation limits, resident working conditions, and the mobility of residents between residency positions. The panel is seeking responses from the American Medical Association, National Resident Matching Program, Duke University Health System, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Stanford University Medical Center, Association of American Medical Colleges, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, American Osteopathic Association, and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

 

Hawley Questions Dr. Oz About Past Statements Re: Gender Affirming Care, Abortion – Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is expressing reservations about the nomination of Mehmet Oz, MD to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In a social media post last week, Hawley raised questions about Dr. Oz’s past statements in support of gender affirming care for minors and opposition to pro-life state laws. Hawley suggests that Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, disavow his former views and confirm his alignment with President Donald Trump’s positions. The Senate Finance Committee will vote to advance Oz’s nomination to the full Senate for consideration on Tuesday. Sen. Hawley is not a member of the Finance Committee.

 

Trump Administration Postpones Telehealth Prescribing Rules – The White House has postponed the implementation of two Biden administration-era regulations – the first regarding access to buprenorphine treatment via telemedicine encounter, and the second dealing with continuity of care via telemedicine for Veterans Affairs patients. The rules, which were set to go into effect March 21, have been postponed until December 31. The Trump administration cites the need to review public feedback on the policies and “any questions of fact, law, and policy that the rules may raise” as the reason for postponement.

 

Trump Fires Two FTC Commissioners, Creating Uncertainty for PBM Lawsuit – The Trump administration dismissed two Democratic commissioners – Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter – from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last week. The move calls into question the future of the FTC’s work to investigate the business practices of the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) industry. Bedoya and Slaughter were overseeing a lawsuit against CVS Health Corp., Cigna Group, and UnitedHealth Group Inc. which alleged that the PBMs used illegal rebate programs to keep less expensive insulin products off of drug formularies. The FTC’s two GOP members had recused themselves from the case, which remains in active litigation.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization oversight hearing “Closing the Data Gap: Improving Interoperability Between VA and Community Providers;” 3:00 p.m.; March 24

 

Senate Finance Committee open executive session to consider favorably the nomination of Mehmet Oz, of Pennsylvania, to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; 9:30 a.m.; March 25

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health markup of pending legislation; 2:15 p.m.; March 25

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health oversight hearing “Breaking Down Barriers: Getting Veterans ACCESS to Lifesaving Care;” 2:30 p.m.; March 25

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.R.2168 —To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study and submit to Congress a report on the use of home cardiorespiratory monitors for infants, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Yakym, Rudy [Rep.-R-IN-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2161 —To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit certain types of human-animal chimeras; Sponsor: Smith, Christopher H. [Rep.-R-NJ-4]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.2149 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility for a presumption of service connection for diseases associated with exposure to certain herbicide agents for certain veterans who served in Guam; Sponsor: Moylan, James C. [Del.-R-GU-At Large]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2120 — To amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to create a Radiation Oncology Case Rate Value Based Payment Program exempt from budget neutrality adjustment requirements, and to amend section 1128A of title XI of the Social Security Act to create a new statutory exception for the provision of free or discounted transportation for radiation oncology patients to receive radiation therapy services; Sponsor: Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [Rep.-R-PA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2114 — To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act, title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act, and the National Organ Transplant Act to prohibit certain organ transplants with specified connections to the People’s Republic of China; Sponsor: Dunn, Neal P. [Rep.-R-FL-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2111 — To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to exempt the premium cigar industry from certain regulations; Sponsor: Donalds, Byron [Rep.-R-FL-19]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2107 —To amend title III of the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the program of payments to children’s hospitals that operate graduate medical education programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Crenshaw, Dan [Rep.-R-TX-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2106 —To establish a grant program to support schools of medicine and schools of osteopathic medicine in underserved areas; Sponsor: Costa, Jim [Rep.-D-CA-21]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2105 — To address the importation and proliferation of machinegun conversion devices; Sponsor: Casten, Sean [Rep.-D-IL-6]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Judiciary; Homeland Security

 

H.R.2092 — To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a task force to improve access to health care information technology for non-English speakers; Sponsor: De La Cruz, Monica [Rep.-R-TX-15]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.225 — Supporting the designation of March as “Autoimmune Awareness Month” and supporting efforts to increase awareness of autoimmune diseases and increase funding for autoimmune disease research; Sponsor: Stevens, Haley M. [Rep.-D-MI-11]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

S.1087 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to adjust allowable direct and indirect costs for nursing and allied health education programs; Sponsor: Klobuchar, Amy [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1085 — A bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement a pandemic preparedness and response program using artificial intelligence; Sponsor: Rounds, Mike [Sen.-R-SD]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1082 — A bill to apply the Medicaid asset verification program to all applicants for, and recipients of, medical assistance in all States and territories, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Barrasso, John [Sen.-R-WY]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1080 —A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude from gross income certain federally subsidized loan repayments for dental school faculty; Sponsor: Wicker, Roger F. [Sen.-R-MS]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1076 —A bill to address the importation and proliferation of machinegun conversion devices; Sponsor: Klobuchar, Amy [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1074 — A bill to provide for a study on the accessibility of substance use disorder treatment and mental health care providers and services for farmers and ranchers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bennet, Michael F. [Sen.-D-CO]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.Res.128 — A resolution recognizing March 14, 2025, as “Black Midwives Day” and the longstanding and invaluable contributions of Black midwives to maternal and infant health in the United States; Sponsor: Booker, Cory A. [Sen.-D-NJ]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.Res.231 — Recognizing the longstanding and invaluable contributions of Black midwives to maternal and infant health in the United States; Sponsor: Moore, Gwen [Rep.-D-WI-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Armed Services

 

H.R.2172 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to clarify congressional intent and preserve patient access to home infusion therapy under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Buchanan, Vern [Rep.-R-FL-16]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2178 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a program of research related to cerebral palsy, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cohen, Steve [Rep.-D-TN-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2185 — To protect public health and human safety by prohibiting the farming of mink for their fur, to compensate farmers as they transition out of the industry, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Espaillat, Adriano [Rep.-D-NY-13]; Committees: House – Agriculture; Budget

 

H.R.2191 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to revise certain physician self-referral exemptions relating to physician-owned hospitals; Sponsor: Griffith, H. Morgan [Rep.-R-VA-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2193 — To require the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to take certain actions with respect to the health insurance program carried out under chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Grothman, Glenn [Rep.-R-WI-6]; Committees: House – Oversight and Government Reform

 

H.R.2197 — To prevent 340B covered entities from using savings derived for sex reassignment surgeries, hormonal therapies, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Johnson, Dusty [Rep.-R-SD-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2199 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to clarify and preserve the breadth of the protections under the Medicare Secondary Payer Act; Sponsor: Kelly, Mike [Rep.-R-PA-16]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2202 — To prohibit taxpayer-funded gender transition procedures, and for other purposes; Sponsor: LaMalfa, Doug [Rep.-R-CA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2213 — To authorize the President to enter into trade agreements for the reciprocal elimination of duties or other import restrictions with respect to medical goods to contribute to the national security and public health of the United States, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Malliotakis, Nicole [Rep.-R-NY-11]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Rules

 

H.R.2214 — To improve services provided by pharmacy benefit managers; Sponsor: Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [Rep.-R-IA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.2220 – To preserve access to emergency medical services; Sponsor: Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp [Rep.-D-WA-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.2223 — To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make loans, loan guarantees, and grants for purchasing, planning, constructing, or renovating pediatric or adult mental health treatment facilities and pediatric or adult substance use disorder treatment facilities, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Salinas, Andrea [Rep.-D-OR-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2226 —To amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit discrimination against entities that do not participate in abortion and to strengthen implementation and enforcement of Federal conscience laws; Sponsor: Smith, Christopher H. [Rep.-R-NJ-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2229 — To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve the ability of veterans to make appointments for mental health care furnished by the Secretary; Sponsor: Steil, Bryan [Rep.-R-WI-1]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2232 — To amend title XVIII to protect patient access to ground ambulance services under part B of the Medicare program; Sponsor: Tenney, Claudia [Rep.-R-NY-24]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2234 — To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to update certain standards regarding anesthesia and pain management services in the Veterans Health Administration; Sponsor: Underwood, Lauren [Rep.-D-IL-14]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

Congress Passes Stopgap Spending Bill – Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) last week ahead of Friday’s deadline for avoiding a federal government shutdown. The Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 mostly funds the federal government at current discretionary spending levels through the end of fiscal year 2025 on September 30. It also extends the health provisions, including telehealth flexibilities, that were included in the December 2024 CR until September 30/October 1, 2025. It does not include any additional health provisions such as an update to Medicare physician fee schedule payments. The House of Representatives passed the seven-month funding patch on Tuesday in a 217-213 vote. Democrat Jared Golden (ME) voted yes, while Republican Thomas Massie (KY) voted no. The bill was passed by the Senate on Friday in a 54-46 vote. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Angus King (I-Maine) voted yes, while Sen. Rand Paul, MD (R-Ky.) voted no.

 

In the days leading up to the vote, Senate Democrats had weighed the potential consequences of forcing a government shutdown, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) eventually concluding that a shutdown was not worth the risk of empowering the Trump administration and Department of Government Efficiency to make further cuts to government agencies. Eight Democratic votes were necessary to meet the 60-vote procedural threshold prior to final bill passage. Ten Democrats – Sens. Schumer, John Fetterman (Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), Dick Durbin (Ill.), Brian Schatz (Hawaii), Gary Peters (Mich.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), and Angus King (I-Maine) — ultimately joined Republicans in voting to advance the bill, setting up final passage later that day.

 

Murphy, Carter Secure Assurances on Reconciliation Package – Republican leadership of the House of Representatives reportedly have agreed to address cuts to Medicare physician payments in the forthcoming reconciliation bill to advance President Donald Trump’s domestic policy agenda. Rep. Greg Murphy, MD (R-N.C.) announced in a social media post last week that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) will eliminate the 2.8% physician payment cut that took effect in January via the budget reconciliation process. Murphy, who co-chairs the GOP Doctors Caucus, had originally pushed for inclusion of the doc-fix in the December 2024 year-end package, and again in the continuing resolution passed last week. Congress is also under pressure from physician organizations to address the cut: more than 100 groups wrote to lawmakers asking them to take a stand to protect Medicare patient access and insist that language on the 2025 Medicare physician payment cut be added to the government funding package before the vote.

 

Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) told reporters last week that he too had received a commitment from GOP leadership to include measures to overhaul the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) industry in the Republican reconciliation bill. Carter chairs the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health and is a champion of PBM reform. He recently acknowledged that PBM regulations for the commercial market are unlikely to qualify under the Senate’s Byrd rule, which dictates what provisions can be included in a budget reconciliation package. Carter believes PBM proposals impacting Medicare and Medicaid, however, would qualify.

 

Democratic Physician Lawmakers Form New Caucus – The Congressional Doctors Caucus has officially been included in the 119^th Congressional Member and Staff Organizations (Caucuses) list.  The co-chairs include all six Democratic physicians in the House of Representatives: Ami Bera (CA), Raul Ruiz (CA), Kim Schrier (WA), Maxine Dexter (OR), Kelly Morrison (MN), and Herb Conaway (NJ). Upon passage of the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 last week, the group released a statement criticizing Republicans’ failure to include a fix to the physician fee schedule cuts that went into effect at the start of 2025. “The Trump Administration and Republican leadership has once again turned its back on physicians and patients across the country…These reimbursement cuts will only worsen the physician workforce shortage, increase consolidation in the health care industry, close rural practices, and further drive up costs for seniors,” the lawmakers stated.

 

Trump Administration Health Personnel Update – The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee advanced the nominations of Martin Makary, MD to serve as Commissioner of Food and Drugs, and Jay Bhattacharya, MD to serve as Director of the National Institutes of Health. Democrats Maggie Hassan (N.H.) and John Hickenlooper (Colo.) joined Republicans in support of Makary’s nomination, which advanced in a 14-9 vote. Bhattacharya’s nomination was advanced in a 12-11 party-line vote. Both nominees are expected to be confirmed by the full Senate when they return from a scheduled recess.

 

The White House withdrew the nomination of Dave Weldon, MD to serve as Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday, the same day Dr. Weldon was scheduled to appear before the HELP Committee for the first ever CDC director confirmation hearing. HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) stated that the panel did not have the votes to advance Weldon’s nomination. According to reports, some Senate Republicans had raised concerns about the nominee’s views on vaccines, as well as his lack of strategic vision for the CDC and understanding of how the agency operates. During his time in Congress, the former Florida GOP representative repeatedly questioned the safety of vaccines and promoted the claim that vaccines cause autism. The White House has not yet announced a new nominee to lead the CDC.

 

Mehmet Oz, MD appeared before the Senate Finance Committee for his nomination hearing to serve as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. During his testimony, Dr. Oz – one of the nation’s best-known doctors and a former U.S. Senate candidate – highlighted the three big ideas he will pursue if confirmed by the Senate: empowering beneficiaries with better tools and more transparency so they can better manage their health and navigate the complex health care system; incentivizing health care providers to optimize their care with real time information within their workflow; and modernizing tools to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse. During the hearing, Oz faced questions about potential cuts to the Medicaid program as well as how to address Medicare Advantage’s (MA) use of prior authorization and improve the overall value of the MA program.

 

Cassidy Forms CDC Working Group – Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) announced the formation of a GOP working group to reform the CDC. In a press release to mark the launch of the working group, Cassidy cited his concerns with the weaknesses of the agency that were exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. “The public depends on CDC to deliver clear, unbiased health guidance, especially in times of crisis,” Cassidy stated. “While I’m encouraged the Trump administration is committed to improving health transparency, we need lasting legislative reforms to ensure CDC is able to meet Americans’ public health needs.”  The group is comprised of Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Roger Marshall, MD (R-Kan.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Rand Paul, MD (R-Ky.), and Tim Scott (R-S.C.).

 

Shaheen Announces Plans to Retire – Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) announced last week that she will not run for reelection next year. Shaheen was first elected to the Senate in 2008. She currently serves on the Appropriations Committee and is the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She is the third Senate Democrat to announce their retirement this year, alongside Sens. Gary Peters (Mich.) and Tina Smith (Minn.).

 

Arizona Democrat Raúl Grijalva Dies at 77 – Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) passed away on March 13 at the age of 77. The Arizona congressman was undergoing treatment for lung cancer. First elected to Congress in 2002, he served as a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, was Chair Emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. A special primary election will be held on July 15 and a special general election on September 23. Until his seat is filled, the GOP will hold a 218-213 majority, meaning they can lose two Republicans on any party-line vote.

 

Medical Groups Urge NIH to Reconsider Indirect Cost Cap – Over 40 of the nation’s leading medical organizations have sent a joint letter to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) expressing concerns over the agency’s proposal to impose a 15% cap on indirect cost rates for all NIH grants. The letter underscores the potential impact of this change on the long-term sustainability of the U.S. biomedical research enterprise. “The collateral damage of this policy, if implemented, will be profound and generational, reshaping the future of scientific progress in ways that cannot be easily undone,” the letter states. “Beyond its immediate financial strain, the policy introduces significant procedural and structural issues that undermine the integrity of federal research funding.”

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization oversight hearing “Closing the Data Gap: Improving Interoperability Between VA and Community Providers;” 3:00 p.m.; March 24

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health oversight hearing “Breaking Down Barriers: Getting Veterans ACCESS to Lifesaving Care;” 2:30 p.m.; March 25

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

S.921 — A bill to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance on whether hospital emergency departments should implement fentanyl testing as a routine procedure for patients experiencing an overdose, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Banks, Jim [Sen.-R-IN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.Res.209 — Expressing support for the designation of April 5, 2025, as “Barth Syndrome Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Tonko, Paul [Rep.-D-NY-20]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.210 — Supporting the goals and ideals of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day; Sponsor: Waters, Maxine [Rep.-D-CA-43]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Foreign Affairs

 

H.J.Res.76 — Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to “Updates to New Chemicals Regulations Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)”; Sponsor: Higgins, Clay [Rep.-R-LA-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1968 — Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025; Sponsor: Cole, Tom [Rep.-R-OK-4]; Committees: House – Appropriations; Budget

 

H.R.1969 — To amend and reauthorize the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Sponsor: Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [Rep.-R-IA-1]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.1970 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reimburse State homes for the cost of, or to furnish to State homes, certain costly medications provided to veterans who receive nursing home care in such State homes, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [Rep.-R-IA-1]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.1971 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to include adaptive prostheses and terminal devices for sports and other recreational activities in the medical services furnished to eligible veterans by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Sponsor: Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [Rep.-R-IA-1]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.1972 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the period during which the referral of a veteran, made by a health care provider of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to a non-Department provider, for care or services under the Community Care Program of such Department, remains valid; Sponsor: Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [Rep.-R-IA-1]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.1978 — To direct the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy to treat obesity as a disease and reduce the prevalence of obesity in certain Armed Forces, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Buchanan, Vern [Rep.-R-FL-16]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.1980 — To reauthorize and make improvements to the State medical stockpile pilot program administered by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response through fiscal year 2030; Sponsor: Carter, Earl L. “Buddy” [Rep.-R-GA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2001 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a grant program for addressing dental workforce needs; Sponsor: Kelly, Robin L. [Rep.-D-IL-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2002 —To amend title XXX of the Public Health Service Act to establish standards and protocols to improve patient matching; Sponsor: Kelly, Mike [Rep.-R-PA-16]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2004 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance on whether hospital emergency departments should implement fentanyl testing as a routine procedure for patients experiencing an overdose, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Lieu, Ted [Rep.-D-CA-36]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2005 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for certain adjustments to Medicare payment for items of durable medical equipment that were formerly included in round 2021 of the DMEPOS competitive bidding program; Sponsor: Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [Rep.-R-IA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2013 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for eligibility for coverage of home health services under the Medicare program on the basis of a need for occupational therapy; Sponsor: Smucker, Lloyd [Rep.-R-PA-11]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2015 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to prohibit hospitals from taking into account vaccination status in selecting organ recipients; Sponsor: Steube, W. Gregory [Rep.-R-FL-17]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

S.J.Res.36 — A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to “Prohibition on Creditors and Consumer Reporting Agencies Concerning Medical Information (Regulation V)”; Sponsor: Rounds, Mike [Sen.-R-SD]; Committees: Senate – Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

 

S.927 — A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to ensure accurate payments to pharmacies under Medicaid and to prevent the use of abusive spread pricing practices under Medicaid; Sponsor: Welch, Peter [Sen.-D-VT]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.931 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide incentives for behavioral health integration; Sponsor: Cortez Masto, Catherine [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.932 — A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to molecularly targeted pediatric cancer investigations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Mullin, Markwayne [Sen.-R-OK]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.939 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for dental and oral health care, hearing care, and vision care under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Sanders, Bernard [Sen.-I-VT]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.942 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for interest-free deferment on student loans for borrowers serving in a medical or dental internship or residency program; Sponsor: Rosen, Jacky [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.946 — A bill to clarify training requirements for prescribers of controlled substances; Sponsor: Bennet, Michael F. [Sen.-D-CO]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.957 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to eliminate consideration of the income of organ recipients in providing reimbursement of expenses to donating individuals, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Lujan, Ben Ray [Sen.-D-NM]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.958 — A bill to support the use of technology in maternal health care, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Lujan, Ben Ray [Sen.-D-NM]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.R.2028 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for interest-free deferment on student loans for borrowers serving in a medical or dental internship or residency program; Sponsor: Babin, Brian [Rep.-R-TX-36]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.2039 — To prohibit the President and the Secretary of Health and Human Services from declaring certain emergencies or disasters for the purpose of imposing gun control; Sponsor: Cloud, Michael [Rep.-R-TX-27]; Committees: House – Transportation and Infrastructure; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2040 — To authorize funding for the creation and implementation of infant mortality pilot programs in standard metropolitan statistical areas with high rates of infant mortality, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cohen, Steve [Rep.-D-TN-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2041 — To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to clarify and strengthen the application of certain employer-sponsored health plan disclosure requirements; Sponsor: Courtney, Joe [Rep.-D-CT-2]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.2044 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program to provide self-harm and suicide prevention services in primary care offices, and for other purposes; Sponsor: DeSaulnier, Mark [Rep.-D-CA-10]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2045 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of dental, vision, and hearing care under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Doggett, Lloyd [Rep.-D-TX-37]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2048 — To amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the waiting periods for disability insurance benefits and Medicare coverage for individuals with metastatic breast cancer, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Garbarino, Andrew R. [Rep.-R-NY-2]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2049 — To prohibit the limitation of access to assisted reproductive technology, and all medical care surrounding such technology; Sponsor: Gillen, Laura [Rep.-D-NY-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2062 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat membership in a health care sharing ministry as a medical expense, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kelly, Mike [Rep.-R-PA-16]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2068 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the assignment of patient advocates at medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Moolenaar, John R. [Rep.-R-MI-2]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2075 — To prohibit the Federal Government from conducting or supporting any research involving human fetal tissue that is obtained pursuant to an induced abortion, and to prohibit the solicitation or knowing acquisition, receipt, or acceptance of a donation of such tissue; Sponsor: Onder, Robert [Rep.-R-MO-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2079 — To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to reduce fraudulent enrollments in qualified health plans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Ross, Deborah K. [Rep.-D-NC-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2082 — To amend title II of the Social Security Act to provide for long-term care insurance benefits, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Suozzi, Thomas R. [Rep.-D-NY-3]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2085 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a credit against tax for expenses for translational research regarding neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric conditions; Sponsor: Thompson, Mike [Rep.-D-CA-4]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

S.975 – A bill to establish a grant program to support schools of medicine and schools of osteopathic medicine in underserved areas; Sponsor: Kaine, Tim [Sen.-D-VA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.976 — A bill to amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to reduce fraudulent enrollments in qualified health plans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Wyden, Ron [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.977 — A bill to prohibit taxpayer-funded gender transition procedures, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Marshall, Roger [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.983 — A bill to direct the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to clarify that implanted active middle ear hearing devices are prosthetics and are not subject to the hearing aid coverage exclusion under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Klobuchar, Amy [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.987 — A bill to prohibit the Federal Government from conducting, funding, approving, or otherwise supporting any research involving human fetal tissue that is obtained pursuant to an induced abortion, and to prohibit the solicitation or knowing acquisition, receipt, or acceptance of a donation of such issue; Sponsor: Hyde-Smith, Cindy [Sen.-R-MS]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.992 — A bill to authorize funding for the creation and implementation of infant mortality pilot programs in standard metropolitan statistical areas with high rates of infant mortality, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Van Hollen, Chris [Sen.-D-MD]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.998 — A bill to authorize the President to enter into trade agreements for the reciprocal elimination of duties or other import restrictions with respect to medical goods to contribute to the national security and public health of the United States, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Tillis, Thomas [Sen.-R-NC]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.999 — A bill to reform the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, limit the scope of public health authorities, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Schmitt, Eric [Sen.-R-MO]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1004 — A bill to reauthorize the program to support residential treatment programs for pregnant and postpartum women, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Lujan, Ben Ray [Sen.-D-NM]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1007 — A bill to amend title V of the Public Health Service Act to secure the suicide prevention lifeline from cybersecurity incidents, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Mullin, Markwayne [Sen.-R-OK]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1022 — A bill to reauthorize the program for strengthening communities of recovery for individuals with substance use disorders; Sponsor: Lujan, Ben Ray [Sen.-D-NM]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1031 — A bill to amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to create a Radiation Oncology Case Rate Value Based Payment Program exempt from budget neutrality adjustment requirements, and to amend section 1128A of title XI of the Social Security Act to create a new statutory exception for the provision of free or discounted transportation for radiation oncology patients to receive radiation therapy services; Sponsor: Tillis, Thomas [Sen.-R-NC]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1036 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize fellowships under the Minority Fellowship Program to be awarded for training for professionals in the addiction medicine field; Sponsor: Cornyn, John [Sen.-R-TX]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1040 — A bill to amend the Federal Trade Commission Act to prohibit product hopping, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cornyn, John [Sen.-R-TX]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1041 — A bill to amend title 35, United States Code, to address the infringement of patents that claim biological products, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cornyn, John [Sen.-R-TX]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1044 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make improvements to the redistribution of residency slots under the Medicare program after a hospital closes; Sponsor: Rosen, Jacky [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1055 — A bill to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to modify the notification requirement for emergency contract health services for certain beneficiaries, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rounds, Mike [Sen.-R-SD]; Committees: Senate – Indian Affairs

 

S.1056 — A bill to establish a home-based telemental health care grant program for purposes of increasing mental health and substance use services in rural medically underserved populations and for individuals in farming, fishing, and forestry occupations; Sponsor: Rounds, Mike [Sen.-R-SD]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1058 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to clarify congressional intent and preserve patient access to home infusion therapy under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Warner, Mark R. [Sen.-D-VA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1062 — A bill to authorize a pilot program to expand and intensify surveillance of self-harm in partnership with State and local public health departments, to establish a grant program to provide self-harm and suicide prevention services in hospital emergency departments, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-D-RI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

House to Consider Clean CR Ahead of Friday’s Government Funding Deadline – The House of Representatives plans to consider a clean continuing resolution (CR) on the floor this week in advance of the March 14 government funding deadline. The Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, which was crafted by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in coordination with the White House, funds the federal government at current discretionary spending levels through the remainder of fiscal year 2025. It would also extend the health provisions that were included in the December 2024 CR until September 30/October 1, 2025. It does not include any additional health provisions such as an update to Medicare physician fee schedule payments. The path forward for the government funding bill remains unclear. Democratic support is needed to clear the 60-vote threshold to advance legislation in the Senate. In the House, Democrats stand united against a clean CR, leaving the House GOP with a narrow margin for passage. As we await congressional action to address Friday’s deadline, Hart Health Strategies Inc. has put together a document outlining the various health provisions included in the last CR that are slated to expire in the coming weeks. The document is included as an addendum to this newsletter.

 

 

House Passes Chronic Disease Coverage Bill – The House of Representatives passed the Chronic Disease Flexible Coverage Act (H.R. 919) last week. The legislation, which was passed by voice vote, would allow for pre-deductible coverage of certain health care services that treat common chronic illnesses under high-deductible health plans. These services include beta-blockers for patients with congestive heart failure, blood pressure monitors for patients with high blood pressure, glucometers for patients with diabetes, inhaled corticosteroids and peak flow meters for patients with asthma, and cholesterol drugs and testing for patients with heart disease. The bill codifies a Trump administration IRS policy first established in 2019.

 

Senate Democrats Introduce Standalone Health Package – Democratic leaders in the Senate have introduced standalone legislation featuring the bipartisan health care policies lawmakers had originally agreed to include in the 2024 year-end package. The Bipartisan Health Care Act (S. 891) includes the health provisions that were part of the December 17 government funding bill before it was narrowed prior to passage. These provisions include reforms to the pharmacy benefit manager industry, reauthorization of the SUPPORT Act and PAHPA, extension of telehealth flexibilities, and increases to Medicare bonuses for alternative payment model participation and Medicare physician payments. The effort is being led by Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who are pushing to pass the bill via unanimous consent. Under unanimous consent, a single senator can object and prevent passage.

 

State of the Union – President Donald Trump delivered the first address of his second term in office to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night. The theme of the speech was “Renewal of the American Dream.” During the nearly 100-minute address, which set a record for longest speech to a joint session of Congress, the President outlined his domestic policy agenda, centering on immigration, tariffs, tax cuts, and the restructuring of the federal government. While health care was not a focus of the speech, the President did mention the newly established Presidential Commission to Make America Healthy Again, promising to prioritize addressing the increasing rate of childhood cancer. “Our goal is to get toxins out of our environment, poisons out of the food supply, and keep our children healthy and strong,” the President stated. Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) was removed from the chamber by the House Sergeant at Arms, and later censured by the House of Representatives, for repeatedly interrupting the President’s address. Rep. Green later stated that he wished to make clear that the President “has no mandate to cut Medicaid,” in reference to the GOP’s recently passed budget resolution. Other Democrats in the chamber held paddles in protest during the address, which featured the message “Save Medicaid.”

 

CBO Provides Estimates of E&C Program Spending – In response to a request from congressional Democrats, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released a memo providing information on projections of mandatory spending for programs under the jurisdiction of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Democrats have asserted that the House-passed fiscal year 2025 budget resolution, which calls for $880 billion in savings over the next decade to come from the Energy and Commerce Committee, will necessitate cuts to the Medicaid program. CBO’s projections support this assertion, estimating that non-Medicaid programs in the committee’s jurisdiction only add up to $581 billion over the next 10 years, leaving at least $299 billion in savings to come from Medicaid. The House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee held the first in a series of hearings last week to hear from Americans who rely on Medicaid for their health care.

 

HELP Committee Holds Confirmation Hearings for NIH, FDA Nominees – The Senate HELP Committee held confirmation hearings last week for President Donald Trump’s nominees for director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and commissioner of Food and Drugs. Jay Bhattacharya, MD, the health economist and Stanford Medical School professor who has been nominated to lead the NIH, promised to establish a culture of scientific dissent at the agency during his prepared remarks. He also endorsed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again movement to prioritize the prevention and treatment of chronic disease, and he spoke at length on the need to address the public’s distrust of the scientific establishment. Dr. Bhattacharya pledged to conduct his own assessment of the personnel and resources necessary for the NIH in response to repeated questioning about recent agency terminations and grantmaking slowdown at the direction of the Department of Government Efficiency. When questioned about the administration’s proposed cap on indirect costs for NIH-funded research, Bhattacharya expressed support for the use of audits to increase transparency around the use of such funds.

 

Marty Makary, MD, a Johns Hopkins surgeon and the President’s nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), spoke about his mission of radical transparency to rebuild public trust in federal health agencies during his opening remarks. Dr. Makary was questioned multiple times about the cancelation of a meeting of the FDA’s vaccine advisory panel and other recent decisions made by the Trump administration impacting agency staffing; he told panel members that he has not been involved in any such decisions. In response to questions about whether he would maintain patient access to the abortion drug mifepristone, Makary stated that he would follow the law and requirements outlined in the drug’s Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies. When questioned about high drug costs, the nominee expressed support for addressing patent thickets, strengthening generic and biosimilar competition, and moving products over the counter to increase price transparency.

 

The HELP Committee will vote on both nominations on Thursday. Bhattacharya and Makary each appear to have the votes necessary to be confirmed by the Senate. Immediately following the HELP Committee votes, the panel will convene a confirmation hearing for former congressman Dave Weldon, MD, who has been nominated to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This will be the first ever CDC confirmation hearing; the pandemic preparedness PREVENTS Act passed in 2022 established a new requirement that the CDC director be subject to Senate confirmation. The Senate Finance Committee will meet on Friday to consider the nomination of Mehmet Oz, MD, to serve as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

 

Nationwide Preliminary Injunction Issued Against NIH in Response to Indirect Cost Rate Cuts – On Wednesday, March 5, Judge Angel Kelley of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking the implementation of NIH guidance aimed at capping NIH funding for indirect research costs. The court found that NIH failed to provide an adequate rationale for the policy change (rendering it “arbitrary and capricious”) and did not follow the required notice-and-comment process under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Additionally, the court agreed with the plaintiffs—which included 22 state attorneys general and major research institutions—that the NIH policy would cause irreparable financial harm to those affected.

 

The preliminary injunction prevents NIH from imposing the 15% cap on indirect costs across states and institutions nationwide until the case can be fully determined on the merits. While the administration contends that the cuts would allocate more money to direct research (including savings of approximately $4 billion annually), the plaintiffs have argued it would undermine critical infrastructure. Following the preliminary injunction, it’s not yet clear whether the federal government’s response will include a challenge to the injunction and/or a separate attempt to achieve the rate cuts through other administrative means (e.g., appeals to Congress to change the underlying administrative procedures).

 

Trump Administration Drops Lawsuit on Emergency Abortions – The Trump administration has dropped a lawsuit against the state of Idaho related to the right to emergency abortion care. The case, which was initiated by the Biden administration, argued that the state’s near-total abortion ban is subject to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act’s (EMTALA) requirements that abortion be offered when it constitutes the necessary stabilizing treatment for a pregnant patient experiencing a medical emergency. While the Department of Justice moved to dismiss the case on Wednesday, an Idaho health system secured a temporary restraining order that same day as a part of a separate lawsuit that bars the state attorney general from prosecuting medical providers who perform abortions to treat an emergency medical condition.

 

NIH to Centralize Peer Review – The NIH announced plans last week to centralize peer review of all applications for grants, cooperative agreements, and research and development contracts within the agency’s Center for Scientific Review (CSR). Under the proposed consolidation, CSR will conduct all first-level research proposals, eliminating reviews by Institutes’ and Centers’ study sections. NIH estimates that the proposed approach will save more than $65 million annually by eliminating duplicative efforts across the agency. The proposal is now under review with implementation pending external review by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Management and Budget, providing Congress with a 15-day notification period, and issuing a Federal Register notice.

 

CDC Plans for Study on Vaccines, Autism – The CDC is reportedly planning a study on the potential link between vaccines and autism. While the news follows the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has previously promoted anti-vaccine views, as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, it remains unclear if the Secretary is involved with the planned study. The U.S. is currently in the midst of one of the nation’s largest measles outbreaks of the past decade, with more than 200 cases in twelve states and two deaths in Texas and New Mexico. In response to the outbreak, Secretary Kennedy wrote an op-ed titled “Measles Outbreak is Call to action for All of Us” explaining that the “MMR vaccine is crucial to avoiding potentially deadly disease.”

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

Senate Armed Services Committee hearing to receive testimony on stabilizing the Military Health System to prepare for large-scale combat operations; 9:30 a.m.; March 11

 

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing to consider pending legislation; 10:30 a.m.; March 11

 

House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health hearing “After the Hospital: Ensuring Access to Quality Post-Acute Care;” 2:00 p.m.; March 11

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health legislative hearing; 2:15 p.m.; March 11

 

Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing “Breaking the Cycle of Senior Loneliness: Strengthening Family and Community Support;” 3:30 p.m.; March 12

 

Senate HELP Committee executive session to consider the nominations of Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya to serve as Director of the National Institutes of Health and Dr. Martin Makary to serve as Commissioner of Food and Drugs; 9:30 a.m.; March 13

 

Senate HELP Committee hearing on the nomination of Dr. David Weldon to Serve as Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 10:00 a.m.; March 13

 

Senate Finance Committee hearing to consider the nomination of Dr. Mehmet Oz to be Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator; 10:00 a.m.; March 14

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

S.812 — A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure veterans may obtain a physical copy of a form for reimbursement of certain travel expenses by mail or at medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Scott, Rick [Sen.-R-FL]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.817 — A bill to provide for the imposition of sanctions with respect to forced organ harvesting within the People’s Republic of China, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cruz, Ted [Sen.-R-TX]; Committees: Senate – Foreign Relations

 

S.819 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax rate parity among all tobacco products, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Durbin, Richard J. [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.822 — A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish a process for science-focused drug development meetings led by the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration with respect to drugs for rare diseases and conditions, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Klobuchar, Amy [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.Res.180 — Supporting the designation of March 2025 as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month; Sponsor: Green, Mark E. [Rep.-R-TN-7]; Committees: House – Oversight and Government Reform

 

H.Res.182 — Expressing support for the designation of March 3, 2025, as “National Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Day”; Sponsor: Morelle, Joseph D. [Rep.-D-NY-25]; Committees: House – Oversight and Government Reform

 

H.R.1775 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to modify the criteria for designation of rural emergency hospitals; Sponsor: Arrington, Jodey C. [Rep.-R-TX-19]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1776 — To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to establish a reinsurance program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Palmer, Gary J. [Rep.-R-AL-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.1784 — To amend titles XI and XVIII of the Social Security Act to strengthen health care waste, fraud, and abuse provisions; Sponsor: Doggett, Lloyd [Rep.-D-TX-37]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1785 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish requirements for the provision of certain high-cost durable medical equipment and laboratory testing, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Doggett, Lloyd [Rep.-D-TX-37]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1793 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for outreach requirements for Department of Veterans Affairs training and rehabilitation programs for veterans with service-connected disabilities, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hamadeh, Abraham [Rep.-R-AZ-8]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.1794 — To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish an Abraham Accords Office within Food and Drug Administration, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Harshbarger, Diana [Rep.-R-TN-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1796 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a sickle cell disease prevention and treatment demonstration program; Sponsor: James, John [Rep.-R-MI-10]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1798 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax rate parity among all tobacco products, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Krishnamoorthi, Raja [Rep.-D-IL-8]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.1802 – To prohibit the use of animals in federally funded research, promote the adoption of humane and scientifically advanced alternatives, and ensure the ethical rehoming of retired research animals, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Malliotakis, Nicole [Rep.-R-NY-11]; Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology; Energy and Commerce; Agriculture; Rules

 

H.R.1805 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend Medicare-dependent hospital and Medicare low-volume hospital payments, and to direct the Comptroller General of the United States to carry out a report on Medicare rural hospital classifications; Sponsor: Miller, Carol D. [Rep.-R-WV-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.1806 — To provide for research and education with respect to triple-negative breast cancer, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Morelle, Joseph D. [Rep.-D-NY-25]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1812 — To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to establish a grant program for multigenerational activities for long-term care facilities; Sponsor: Strickland, Marilyn [Rep.-D-WA-10]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

S.825 — A bill to require the Attorney General to propose a program for making treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder available to public safety officers, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Grassley, Chuck [Sen.-R-IA]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.830 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the program relating to lifespan respite care, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Collins, Susan M. [Sen.-R-ME]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.832 — A bill to amend title XI of the Social Security Act to equalize the negotiation period between small-molecule and biologic candidates under the Drug Price Negotiation Program; Sponsor: Tillis, Thomas [Sen.-R-NC]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.Res.185 — Recognizing the need of Congress to prevent, address, and treat obesity as a disease in the United States on this World Obesity Day, March 4, 2025; Sponsor: Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [Rep.-D-FL-20]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1842 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow certain veterinary expenses for pets and service animals to be treated as amounts paid for medical care for purposes of a health savings account or flexible savings account; Sponsor: Tenney, Claudia [Rep.-R-NY-24]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

S.851 — A bill to amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to disqualify any State that discriminates against parents or guardians who oppose medical, surgical, pharmacological, psychological treatment, or clothing and social changes related to affirming the subjective claims of gender identity expressed by any minor if such claimed identity is inconsistent with such minor’s biological sex from receiving funding under such Act; Sponsor: Banks, Jim [Sen.-R-IN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.854 — A bill to amend title 31, United States Code, to establish the Life Sciences Research Security Board, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Paul, Rand [Sen.-R-KY]; Committees: Senate – Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

 

S.862 — A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy to certain veterans with traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder; Sponsor: Tuberville, Tommy [Sen.-R-AL]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.863 — A bill to provide consumers with the right to delete their genomic data, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Commerce, Science, and Transportation

 

S.864 — A bill to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to apply financial assistance towards the cost-sharing requirements of health insurance plans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Marshall, Roger [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.R.1843 — To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to increase transparency in generic drug applications; Sponsor: Dunn, Neal P. [Rep.-R-FL-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1860 — To designate Regional Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Care Coordinators to expand the work of the Breast and Gynecologic Oncology System of Excellence at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Garcia, Sylvia R. [Rep.-D-TX-29]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.1864 — To amend title 31, United States Code, to establish the Life Sciences Research Security Board, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Griffith, H. Morgan [Rep.-R-VA-9]; Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1866 — GUARD Act – To amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to disqualify any State that discriminates against parents or guardians who oppose medical, surgical, pharmacological, psychological treatment, or clothing and social changes related to affirming the subjective claims of gender identity expressed by any minor if such claimed identity is inconsistent with such minor’s biological sex from receiving funding under such Act; Sponsor: Hageman, Harriet M. [Rep.-R-WY-At Large]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.1867 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to remove in-person requirements under Medicare for mental health services furnished through telehealth and telecommunications technology; Sponsor: Hern, Kevin [Rep.-R-OK-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1875 — To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require certain additional provider screening under the Medicaid program; Sponsor: Langworthy, Nicholas A. [Rep.-R-NY-23]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1878 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide an income tax credit for fertility treatments; Sponsor: Lawler, Michael [Rep.-R-NY-17]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

S.Res.119 — A resolution memorializing those lost to the COVID-19 pandemic; Sponsor: Warren, Elizabeth [Sen.-D-MA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.879 — A bill to expand medical, employment, and other benefits for individuals serving as family caregivers for certain veterans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Moran, Jerry [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.882 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to assure pharmacy access and choice for beneficiaries under prescription drug plans and MA-PD plans and to establish requirements of pharmacy benefit managers under Medicare part D; Sponsor: Blackburn, Marsha [Sen.-R-TN]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.891 — A bill to extend expiring health provisions and improve health care delivery; Sponsor: Wyden, Ron [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.906 — A bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a pilot program to support evidence-based mental health peer support activities for students; Sponsor: Hickenlooper, John W. [Sen.-D-CO]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.J.Res.74 — Disapproving the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to “Prohibition on Creditors and Consumer Reporting Agencies Concerning Medical Information (Regulation V)”; Sponsor: Norman, Ralph [Rep.-R-SC-5]; Committees: House – Financial Services

 

H.R.1899 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to allow for the furnishing of audio-only telehealth services; Sponsor: Feenstra, Randy [Rep.-R-IA-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1901 — To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to permanently extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Barragán, Nanette Diaz [Rep.-D-CA-44]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1902 — To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to improve the detection, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues among public safety officers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bera, Ami [Rep.-D-CA-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Science, Space, and Technology

 

H.R.1906 — To provide for the prioritization of projects that provide behavioral and mental health treatment services in selecting grantees under certain rural development programs, and extend the substance abuse disorder set-aside and priority under the programs; Sponsor: Budzinski, Nikki [Rep.-D-IL-13]; Committees: House – Agriculture

 

H.R.1909 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize support for State-based maternal mortality review committees, to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to disseminate best practices on maternal mortality prevention to hospitals, State-based professional societies, and perinatal quality collaboratives, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Carter, Earl L. “Buddy” [Rep.-R-GA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1921 — To direct the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to clarify that fully implanted active middle ear hearing devices are prosthetics and are not subject to the hearing aid coverage exclusion under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Fischbach, Michelle [Rep.-R-MN-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1922 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to exempt certain drugs from the part D manufacturer discount program under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Garbarino, Andrew R. [Rep.-R-NY-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1924 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a new criterion for the nonapplication of site-neutral payments to long-term care hospitals under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Hern, Kevin [Rep.-R-OK-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.1931 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to facilitate patient access to certain pediatric technologies; Sponsor: Joyce, John [Rep.-R-PA-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1937 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to recognize nurse registries for purposes of the Veterans Community Care Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Mast, Brian J. [Rep.-R-FL-21]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.1947 — To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense to furnish stellate ganglion block to veterans and members of the Armed Forces with post-traumatic stress disorder, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Perry, Scott [Rep.-R-PA-10]; Committees: House – Armed Services; Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.1950 — To protect benefits provided under Social Security, Medicare, and any other program of benefits administered by the Social Security Administration or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Sponsor: Pocan, Mark [Rep.-D-WI-2]; Committees: House – Rules

 

H.R.1961 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish and implement a department-wide after-action program and a risk communication strategy, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Torres, Ritchie [Rep.-D-NY-15]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1966 — To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to award grants to expand and improve maternal health care services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Waters, Maxine [Rep.-D-CA-43]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

House Adopts Trump-Backed Budget Resolution – The House of Representatives passed its fiscal year 2025 budget resolution (H.Con.Res. 14) last week in a 217-215 vote. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) was the only Republican to join Democrats in opposition to the measure. The House proposal, which President Donald Trump endorsed and refers to as “one big, beautiful bill,” paves the way for a budget reconciliation bill that includes at least $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and $1.5 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade.

 

The House fiscal blueprint calls for $880 billion in savings over the next decade to come from the Energy and Commerce Committee, which many Democrats have asserted will necessitate cuts to the Medicaid program. GOP leadership have repeatedly offered assurances that any reductions in spending will be aimed at waste, fraud, and abuse, and will not impact Medicaid benefits or cut federal payments to the program. Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) specifically stated that “massive cuts in the program just aren’t going to happen” while House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) confirmed that the GOP is not considering per-capita caps or changes to the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage. Johnson recently suggested the possibility of Medicaid work requirements, while Guthrie has discussed reducing or eliminating the taxes levied by states on physicians and hospitals to support state Medicaid expenditures instead of general funds.  The Congressional Research Service estimates that such a change could generate $612 billion in savings over 10 years.

 

The House and the Senate must now align on a unified resolution to continue advancing the budget reconciliation process. The budget framework passed by the Senate last month does not include tax policy, setting up a two-bill approach to the budget reconciliation process and the President’s domestic policy agenda, in contrast to the House’s proposal to address border security, energy provisions, and extension of the 2017 tax cuts in a single reconciliation package. While Speaker Johnson stated in an interview that he does not expect the Senate to make changes to the House’s budget resolution, it remains unclear whether the measure has enough support amongst the Senate GOP for passage. Some Senate Republicans have expressed concerns about various aspects of the House resolution, including language that would raise the debt ceiling.

 

FY 2025 Government Funding Update – Separate from the budget reconciliation process, Congress has until March 14 when the current continuing resolution expires to reach an agreement on government funding for fiscal year 2025. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has acknowledged that Congress will likely resort to another stopgap spending bill instead of individual appropriations measures to avoid a federal government shutdown. Congressional negotiations are currently stalled, with Democrats demanding that Republicans rein in recent actions by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency in exchange for their support of government funding legislation.

 

Lawmakers Consider Path Forward for PBM Reform – The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing last week on pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform. During the hearing, members from both sides of the aisle expressed support for reviving the package of PBM reforms that was included as a part of the bipartisan end-of-year spending deal before it was narrowed prior to passage. Democrats strongly support moving the proposals as a standalone bill rather than including them in an eventual reconciliation package. While Health Subcommittee Chair Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) admitted that his party remains uncertain of how to proceed, he acknowledged in an interview last week that new PBM regulations for the commercial market are unlikely to qualify under the Senate’s Byrd rule, which dictates what provisions can be included in a budget reconciliation package. Carter believes PBM proposals impacting Medicare and Medicaid, however, would qualify.

 

Grassley Probes UnitedHealth’s Medicare Advantage Billing Practices – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has sent a letter to United Health Group requesting information about the company’s Medicare Advantage billing practices. The letter cites reports of fraud, waste, and abuse at the company, including instances of utilizing obscure patient diagnoses that were irrelevant or inaccurate to generate revenue, resulting in inappropriate payments totaling $8.7 billion in 2021. Grassley requests that UnitedHealth provide its training manuals, guidance documents, compliance program details, audit results, and other documents.

 

HHS Secretary Issues Policy Restricting Regulatory Transparency – On February 28, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a Policy on Adhering to the Text of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) that will allow the Department to pursue certain regulatory changes without public comment periods, unless otherwise required by law.  Under the APA, federal agencies are generally required to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register and give the public an opportunity to engage in rulemaking through the submission of comments.  The APA exempts from these requirements “matter(s) relating to agency management or personnel or to public property, loans, grants, benefits, or contracts.”  It also permits an agency to forgo these requirements for “good cause” when the agency finds that the procedures are “impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest.”  However, in 1971, the Department adopted a policy known as the Richardson Waiver, which waived these APA exemptions, thus requiring the APA to use notice and comment rulemaking procedures for these types of matters and to use the good cause exception “sparingly.”

 

The policy issued last week rescinds the Richardson Waiver, thus reinstating the APA exemption for these types of matters.  It states that “Agencies and offices of the Department have discretion to apply notice and comment procedures to these matters, but are not required to do so, except as otherwise required by law.”  The policy also clarifies that the “good cause” exception should be used in appropriate circumstances in accordance with the requirements of the APA and that the Department will continue to follow notice and comment rulemaking procedures in all instances in which it is required to do so by the statutory text of the APA.

 

Although the policy does not specify which rules will no longer be subject to notice and comment rulemaking, it could have broad implications—particularly on the ability of the public to comment on HHS’ decisions on grants, contracts, and agency personnel.  At the same time, it is unlikely that this policy will impact Medicare payment rules, as statute generally requires those policies to be updated through regulations or Federal Register notices.

 

OMB, OPM Issue Reductions in Force Memo – The Trump administration issued a memo last week instructing federal agencies, including HHS, to submit reorganization plans for “large-scale reductions in force” by March 13. The memo issued by the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management directs agencies to “focus on the maximum elimination of functions that are not statutorily mandated while driving the highest-quality, most efficient delivery of their statutorily required functions.” While recent layoffs by the Trump administration and Department of Government Efficiency have focused on probationary employees, the reductions in force described in the recent memo could impact a broader swath of the federal workforce.

 

Presidents Signs E.O. on Health Price Transparency – President Donald Trump signed an executive order (E.O.) related to health care price transparency last week. The order directs the Departments of HHS, Labor, and Treasury to update their enforcement policies to increase compliance with price transparency regulations finalized during the first Trump administration in 2019. The policies require hospitals and health plans to make detailed pricing data publicly available online. The order specifically directs the departments to:

• Ensure hospitals and insurers disclose actual prices, not estimates, and take action to make prices comparable across hospitals and insurers, including prescription drug prices; and
• Update their enforcement policies to ensure hospitals and insurers are in compliance with requirements to make prices transparent.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on the nomination of Jayanta Bhattacharya to serve as Director of the National Institutes of Health; 10:00 a.m.; March 5

 

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Members Day hearing; 10:30 a.m.; March 5

 

Senate HELP Committee hearing on the nomination of Martin Makary to serve as Commissioner of Food and Drugs; 10:00 a.m.; March 6

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.R.1510 — To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Turner, Sylvester [Rep.-D-TX-18]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1509 —To amend titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act to streamline the enrollment process for eligible out-of-state providers under Medicaid and CHIP; Sponsor: Trahan, Lori [Rep.-D-MA-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1506 —To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat qualified water competency and water safety lesson expenses as medical expenses; Sponsor: Steube, W. Gregory [Rep.-R-FL-17]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.1503 —To combat forced organ harvesting and trafficking in persons for purposes of the removal of organs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Smith, Christopher H. [Rep.-R-NJ-4]; Committees: House – Foreign Affairs; Judiciary

 

H.R.1497 — To replace the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases with 3 separate national research institutes; Sponsor: Roy, Chip [Rep.-R-TX-21]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1493 — To reauthorize and make improvements to Federal programs relating to the prevention, detection, and treatment of traumatic brain injuries, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Pallone, Frank [Rep.-D-NJ-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; press release

 

H.R.1492 — To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to equalize the negotiation period between small-molecule and biologic candidates under the Drug Price Negotiation Program; Sponsor: Murphy, Gregory F. [Rep.-R-NC-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1484 — To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to enter into appropriate arrangements with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide for a report on the health impacts of air traffic noise and pollution, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Lynch, Stephen F. [Rep.-D-MA-8]; Committees: House – Transportation and Infrastructure

 

H.R.1480 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a rural health center innovation awards program and a rural health department enhancement program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kustoff, David [Rep.-R-TN-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1476 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide a phase-in for plasma-derived products under the manufacturer discount program; Sponsor: Hudson, Richard [Rep.-R-NC-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1466 —To amend the Public Health Service Act to clarify liability protections regarding emergency use of automated external defibrillators; Sponsor: Franklin, Scott [Rep.-R-FL-18]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1465 — To restrict the availability of Federal funds to organizations associated with the abortion industry; Sponsor: Foxx, Virginia [Rep.-R-NC-5]; Committees: House – Foreign Affairs

 

H.R.1463 —To prohibit the use of Federal funds to implement, administer, or enforce a final rule of the Food and Drug Administration relating to “Medical Devices; Laboratory Developed Tests”, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Finstad, Brad [Rep.-R-MN-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1452 — To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 relating to work requirements; to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to establish work requirements under the Medicaid program; Sponsor: Burlison, Eric [Rep.-R-MO-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Agriculture

 

H.R.1448 —To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to award grants for peer mental health first aid, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Balint, Becca [Rep.-D-VT-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1447 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to maintain the prohibition on allowing any deduction or credit associated with a trade or business involved in trafficking marijuana; Sponsor: Arrington, Jodey C. [Rep.-R-TX-19]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

S.683 —  A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand eligibility for incentives under the Medicare health professional shortage area bonus program to practitioners furnishing mental health and substance use disorder services; Sponsor: Peters, Gary C. [Sen.-D-MI]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.690 — A bill to combat the fentanyl crisis; Sponsor: Scott, Rick [Sen.-R-FL]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.694 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide a phase-in for plasma-derived products under the manufacturer discount program; Sponsor: Tillis, Thomas [Sen.-R-NC]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.699 —A bill to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to address liability for payment of charges or costs associated with the provision of purchased/referred care services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rounds, Mike [Sen.-R-SD]; Committees: Senate – Indian Affairs

 

H.R.1517 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to add physical therapists to the list of providers allowed to utilize locum tenens arrangements under Medicare; Sponsor: Bilirakis, Gus M. [Rep.-R-FL-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1518 — To amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to preventing end-stage kidney disease, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bilirakis, Gus M. [Rep.-R-FL-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1520 —To prohibit discrimination on the basis of mental or physical disability in cases of organ transplants; Sponsor: Cammack, Kat [Rep.-R-FL-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1521 — To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to improve health care coverage under vision and dental plans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Carter, Earl L. “Buddy” [Rep.-R-GA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1523 — To provide for the inclusion of virtual diabetes prevention program suppliers in the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Expanded Model, and for other purposes; Sponsor: DeGette, Diana [Rep.-D-CO-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1525 — To prohibit the use or declaration of a public health emergency with respect to abortion, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hern, Kevin [Rep.-R-OK-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1532 — To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish a process for externally led, science-focused drug development meetings, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Matsui, Doris O. [Rep.-D-CA-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1539 — To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to expand the types of devices for which required labeling may be made available solely by electronic means, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Obernolte, Jay [Rep.-R-CA-23]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1540 — To provide for the imposition of sanctions with respect to forced organ harvesting within the People’s Republic of China, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Perry, Scott [Rep.-R-PA-10]; Committees: House – Foreign Affairs; Judiciary

 

S.Res.93 — A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the operations of the National Institutes of Health should not experience any interruption, delay, or funding disruption in violation of the law and that the workforce of the National Institutes of Health is essential to sustaining medical progress; Sponsor: Durbin, Richard J. [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.Res.95 — A resolution expressing support for the designation of February 23, 2025, to March 1, 2025, as “National Fentanyl Awareness Week” and raising awareness of the negative impacts of fentanyl in the United States; Sponsor: Scott, Rick [Sen.-R-FL]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.702 —A bill to require a study on the quality of care difference between mental health and addiction therapy care provided by health care providers of the Department of Veterans Affairs compared to non-Department providers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cornyn, John [Sen.-R-TX]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.705 —A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to molecularly targeted pediatric cancer investigations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-D-RI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.709 — A bill to provide incentives to physicians to practice in rural and medically underserved communities, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Klobuchar, Amy [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.717 —A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand and expedite access to cardiac rehabilitation programs and pulmonary rehabilitation programs under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Capito, Shelley Moore [Sen.-R-WV]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.721 —A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to establish a demonstration project to improve outpatient clinical care for individuals with sickle cell disease; Sponsor: Booker, Cory A. [Sen.-D-NJ]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.724 — A bill to extend the temporary scheduling order for fentanyl-related substances for 6 months; Sponsor: Booker, Cory A. [Sen.-D-NJ]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.729 —A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to enhance compliance with hospital price transparency requirements, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kennedy, John [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.R.1561 — To require research with respect to fentanyl and xylazine test strips, to authorize the use of grant funds for such test strips, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Crockett, Jasmine [Rep.-D-TX-30]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1562 — To amend the 21st Century Cures Act to expressly authorize the use of certain grants to implement substance use disorder and overdose prevention activities with respect to fentanyl and xylazine test strips; Sponsor: Crockett, Jasmine [Rep.-D-TX-30]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1563 — To amend the Controlled Substances Act to clarify that the possession, sale, purchase, importation, exportation, or transportation of drug testing equipment that tests for the presence of fentanyl or xylazine is not unlawful; Sponsor: Crockett, Jasmine [Rep.-D-TX-30]; Committees: House – Judiciary; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1585 —To provide incentives to physicians to practice in rural and medically underserved communities, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Valadao, David G. [Rep.-R-CA-22]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

S.735 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a sickle cell disease prevention and treatment demonstration program; Sponsor: Scott, Tim [Sen.-R-SC]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.738 — A bill to provide a moratorium on all Federal research grants provided to any institution of higher education or other research institute that is conducting dangerous gain-of-function research; Sponsor: Marshall, Roger [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.739 — A bill to amend title XXXIII of the Public Health Service Act with respect to flexibility and funding for the World Trade Center Health Program; Sponsor: Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [Sen.-D-NY]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.750 — A bill to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from implementing, enforcing, or otherwise giving effect to a final rule regarding minimum staffing for nursing facilities, and to establish an advisory panel on the nursing home workforce; Sponsor: Fischer, Deb [Sen.-R-NE]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.752 — A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to streamline enrollment under the Medicaid program of certain providers across State lines; Sponsor: Grassley, Chuck [Sen.-R-IA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.755 — A bill to facilitate the development of treatments for cancers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Wicker, Roger F. [Sen.-R-MS]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.760 — A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to renew the application of the Medicare payment rate floor to primary care services furnished under the Medicaid program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Murray, Patty [Sen.-D-WA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.R.1598 — To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove certain age restrictions on Medicaid eligibility for working adults with disabilities; Sponsor: Ciscomani, Juan [Rep.-R-AZ-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1610 — To amend the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to make available under the assistance to firefighters grant program the establishment of cancer prevention programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Gottheimer, Josh [Rep.-D-NJ-5]; Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology

 

H.R.1614 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand practitioners eligible to furnish telehealth services under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Kelly, Mike [Rep.-R-PA-16]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1616 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit nurse practitioners and physician assistants to satisfy the documentation requirement under the Medicare program for coverage of certain shoes for individuals with diabetes; Sponsor: LaHood, Darin [Rep.-R-IL-16]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1620 — To facilitate the development of treatments for cancer, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Matsui, Doris O. [Rep.-D-CA-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1627 — To amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Norcross, Donald [Rep.-D-NJ-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary

 

H.R.1632 — To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for reciprocal marketing approval of certain drugs, biological products, and devices that are authorized to be lawfully marketed abroad, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Roy, Chip [Rep.-R-TX-21]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Rules

 

S.Res.104 — A resolution designating February 27, 2025, as “Rare Disease Day”; Sponsor: Barrasso, John [Sen.-R-WY]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

 

S.763 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend the exemption for telehealth services from certain high deductible health plan rules; Sponsor: Daines, Steve [Sen.-R-MT]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.767 — A bill to amend the Office of National Drug Control Prevention Act of 1998 to include new requirements for assessments and reports, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kelly, Mark [Sen.-D-AZ]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.774 — A bill to prohibit the use of funds to seek membership in the World Health Organization or to provide assessed or voluntary contributions to the World Health Organization until certain conditions have been met; Sponsor: Blackburn, Marsha [Sen.-R-TN]; Committees: Senate – Foreign Relations

 

S.779 — A bill to amend title XIX of the Public Health Service Act to provide for prevention and early intervention services under the Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Padilla, Alex [Sen.-D-CA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.786 — A bill to fully fund the Prevention and Public Health Fund and reaffirm the importance of prevention in the United States healthcare system; Sponsor: Blumenthal, Richard [Sen.-D-CT]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.787 — A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a commission to review operations at the Veterans Health Administration and submit to Congress reports with respect to that review, and for other programs; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.793 — A bill to amend the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019 to modify and reauthorize the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Sponsor: Warner, Mark R. [Sen.-D-VA]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.797 — A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to protect and expand access to fertility treatment under the health insurance program carried out under chapter 89 of that title, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Duckworth, Tammy [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

 

S.800 — A bill to modify the Precision Medicine for Veterans Initiative of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Sponsor: Moran, Jerry [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.Res.172 — Raising awareness for the sarcoma cancer chordoma; Sponsor: Johnson, Henry C. “Hank” [Rep.-D-GA-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.175 — Recognizing the seriousness of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and expressing support for the designation of the month of September as “PCOS Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Scott, David [Rep.-D-GA-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1644 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to eliminate copayments by the Department of Veterans Affairs for medicines relating to preventive health services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Underwood, Lauren [Rep.-D-IL-14]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.1645 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the continued implementation of the Climate and Health program by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Sponsor: Underwood, Lauren [Rep.-D-IL-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1646 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to require a lactation space in each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Sponsor: Underwood, Lauren [Rep.-D-IL-14]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.1647 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to implement the Climate Ready Tribes Initiative; Sponsor: Underwood, Lauren [Rep.-D-IL-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1649 — To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to improve mental health services for students, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Allen, Rick W. [Rep.-R-GA-12]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.1650 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend the exemption for telehealth services from certain high deductible health plan rules; Sponsor: Arrington, Jodey C. [Rep.-R-TX-19]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.1657 — To substantially restrict the use of animal testing for cosmetics, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Beyer, Donald S. [Rep.-D-VA-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1667 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for acupuncturist services under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Chu, Judy [Rep.-D-CA-28]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1669 —To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training Program; Sponsor: Cohen, Steve [Rep.-D-TN-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1670 —To require Federal employee health benefit plans to include assisted reproductive treatment benefits, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Connolly, Gerald E. [Rep.-D-VA-11]; Committees: House – Oversight and Government Reform

 

H.R.1671 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a presumption of service-connection under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for certain diseases associated with the COVID-19 vaccine that become manifest during the one-year period following the receipt of the vaccine, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Davidson, Warren [Rep.-R-OH-8]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs; Armed Services

 

H.R.1672 — To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to protect access to genetically targeted technologies; Sponsor: Davis, Donald G. [Rep.-D-NC-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1683 — To prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from implementing, enforcing, or otherwise giving effect to a final rule regarding minimum staffing for nursing facilities, and to establish an advisory panel on the nursing home workforce; Sponsor: Fischbach, Michelle [Rep.-R-MN-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1699 — To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program under which a TRICARE Prime beneficiary may access obstetrical and gynecological care without a referral, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Horsford, Steven [Rep.-D-NV-4]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.1703 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to clarify payment rules for manual wheelchairs under part B of the Medicare program; Sponsor: Joyce, John [Rep.-R-PA-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1708 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to adjust allowable direct and indirect costs for nursing and allied health education programs; Sponsor: LaHood, Darin [Rep.-R-IL-16]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.1715 —To fully fund the Prevention and Public Health Fund and reaffirm the importance of prevention in the United States healthcare system; Sponsor: Matsui, Doris O. [Rep.-D-CA-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1720 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend certain telehealth flexibilities with respect to hospice care under the Medicare program, and to establish a modifier for recertifications of hospice care eligibility conducted through telehealth; Sponsor: Miller, Carol D. [Rep.-R-WV-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.1735 — To amend title XIX of the Public Health Service Act to provide for prevention and early intervention services under the Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Pfluger, August [Rep.-R-TX-11]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1750 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for greater investments in research on rare diseases and conditions disproportionately affecting minority populations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Strickland, Marilyn [Rep.-D-WA-10]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Natural Resources