When is Congress in session? House 2024 Calendar Senate 2024 Calendar
What’s Ahead: This Week
Hearings and Markups –
- Tuesday, July 9
- House Appropriations Committee, “Full Committee Markup of Fiscal Year 2025 Commerce, Justice, and Science, Interior and Environment, and Energy and Water Development Bills.” Additional Information
- Wednesday, July 10
- House Appropriations Committee, “Full Committee Markup of Fiscal Year 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration Bills and Revised Subcommittee Allocations.” Additional Information
- Thursday, July 11
- Senate Aging Committee, “Health Care Transparency: Lowering Costs and Empowering Patients.” Additional Information
- Senate Appropriations Committee, “Full Committee Markup of the MilCon-VA, Agriculture-FDA, and Legislative Branch Appropriations Acts and Fiscal Year 2025 Subcommittee Allocations.” Additional Information
- Senate HELP Committee, “What Can Congress Do to End the Medical Debt Crisis in America?” Additional Information
- Friday, July 12
- House Ways & Means Committee, “Field Hearing: Access to Health Care In America: Unleashing Medical Innovation and Economic Prosperity.” Additional Information
Notable Policy Events –
- Monday, July 8
- Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), “Annual Report Workgroup.” Free, Virtual. Additional Information
- Tuesday, July 9 to Thursday, July 11
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), “National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC) Public Briefing/Meeting.” Free, Virtual. Additional Information
- Wednesday, July 10 to Thursday, July 11
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), “Addressing Workforce Challenges Across the Behavioral Health Continuum of Care: A Workshop.” Free, Hybrid. Additional Information
- Wednesday, July 10
- American Enterprise Institute (AEI), “Health Policy and the 2024 Election.” Additional Information
- Thursday, July 11
- Center for Health Care Strategies, “Bolstering Primary Care Through Medicaid Population-Based Payments.” Additional Information
- CMS, “Innovation in Behavioral Health (IBH) Model Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Webinar.” Free, Virtual. Additional Information
- CMS, “2024 Cancer Cabinet Community Conversation on System Transformation and Continuing to Increase Access to Patient Navigation Services.” Free, Virtual. Additional Information
- Coalition for Government Procurement, “Don’t Mistake an AMP for a WAMP – Key Characteristics for 5 Key Federal Health Care Programs.” Free, Virtual. Additional Information
- Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), “Health IT Advisory Committee.” Free, Virtual. Additional Information
Weekly Wrap-Up: Notable Health Care Developments from Last Week
Medicare & Medicaid –
- On July 2, CMS released an information collection request on Negotiation Data Elements and Drug Price Negotiation Process for Initial Price Applicability Year 2027 of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. Comments are due September 3, 2024. Information Collection Request
- Also on July 2, CMS approved a Medicaid Section 1115 demonstration that will allow Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, Utah, and Vermont to increase the continuity of Medicaid and CHIP coverage for incarcerated people. Press Release
- Also on July 2, Senate Finance Committee Chair Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Warren (D-MA) wrote a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) urging the agency to update its 2019 report on state Medicaid programs’ coverage of mifepristone. Press Release
Marketplaces – On July 1, House Energy & Commerce Committee Chair McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), House Ways & Means Committee Chair Smith (R-MO), and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jordan (R-OH) sent letters to GAO and HHS Office of Inspector General requesting analyses of improper ACA enrollment. Letter to GAO Comptroller General Dodaro Letter to HHS Inspector General Grimm Press Release
Payment & Delivery System Models – On July 2, CMS announced Connecticut, Maryland and Vermont have been selected to participate in the first cohort of the States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) Model. Hawaii will also participate, pending satisfaction of certain requirements. Applications for the third and final cohort are due August 12, 2024. AHEAD Model Factsheet
Public Health Prevention, Preparedness, Surveillance – On July 2, HHS awarded $176 million in funding for development of an mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccine. Press Release
Health IT, Privacy, & Digital Health –
- On July 1, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) presented key factors it considers when assessing the budgetary effects of policies that would change Medicare’s coverage of telehealth. Presentation
- Also on July 1, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) issued a NOFO to evaluate, develop, and expand the use of collaborative learning and capacity building models for health care providers and other professionals in the Technology-Enabled Collaborative Learning Program (TCLP). Applications are due August 2, 2024. NOFO About TCLP
Prescription Drugs & Health Innovation –
- On July 1, FDA announced an expansion of the Total Product Life Cycle Advisory Program (TAP), which would expedite patient access to innovative medical devices. Press Release TAP
- On July 2, President Biden and Sen. Sanders (I-VT) published a joint opinion article urging pharmaceutical companies to lower the price of weight loss and diabetes drugs. Opinion Article Press Release
Health Systems & Health Care Workforce –
- On July 1, HHS announced $200 million in funding for HRSA’s Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program, which would train primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and other clinicians to provide care for older adults. Award Recipients Press Release
- On July 2, HHS Secretary Becerra and CMS Administrator Brooks-LaSure sent a letter to hospital and provider associations reminding them of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) requirement to offer stabilizing medical treatment to all patients in Medicare-participating hospitals with emergency medical conditions. CMS and HHS also announced the launch of a Spanish-language version of the EMTALA complaint form. Press Release Spanish Language Resources
Misc. –
- On July 1, Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Cassidy (R-LA) requested information from federal agencies under the HELP Committee’s jurisdiction on how they will comply with the Supreme Court’s overturning of Chevron deference. Letter to Employee Benefit Security Administration (EBSA) Letter to FDA Letter to HHS Press Release
- On July 3, CBO announced its Panel of Health Advisers for 2024. The panel allows the agency to gather information and insights from experts with diverse views in health policy and the health care sector. Announcement
Legislative Activity –
Votes and Committee Activity –
- On July 2, President Biden signed the Dr. Emmanuel Bilirakis and Honorable Jennifer Wexton National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act (H.R. 2365) into law. The bill would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a national project to prevent, diagnose, treat, and cure Parkinson’s, to be known as the National Parkinson’s Project. Bill Text Press Release