When is Congress in session? House 2024 Calendar Senate 2024 Calendar
What’s Ahead: This Week
Hearings and Markups – No notable hearings. Congress is not in session.
- Monday, October 21
- National Academy of Medicine (NAM), “Bridging Science, Practice, and Policy to Advance Mental Health (NAM Annual Meeting).” Paid, Hybrid. Additional Information
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), “Hospital Price Transparency: Encoding the January 2025 Requirements in the Machine-Readable File.” Free, Virtual. Additional Information
- Wednesday, October 23
- HHS Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (ASTP), “Health IT Certification Program Developer Roundtable.” Free, Virtual. Additional Information
- Brookings Institution, “Medicare’s Two Insurance Systems: Current Performance and Options for Reform.” Free, Hybrid. Additional Information
- CDC Office of Health Equity (OHE), “Health Equity in Emergency Preparedness and Response.” Free, Virtual. Additional Information
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), “Examining Critical Mental Health Issues Across the Reproductive Life Cycle.” Free, Virtual. Additional Information
- Thursday, October 24
- NASEM, “Multi-Sector, Community-Based Partnerships as an Intentional Strategy to Advance Health Equity: A Webinar.” Free, Virtual. Additional Information
- National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention, “Advancing Health Equity Throughout America: Novel Data-Driven Approaches for Cardiovascular Health.” Free, Virtual. Additional Information
Weekly Wrap-Up: Notable Health Care Developments from Last Week
Medicare & Medicaid –
- On October 15, Reps. Miller-Meeks (R-IA) and Panetta (D-CA) led 232 members in a letter urging House Speaker Johnson (R-LA) and Minority Leader Jeffries (D-NY) to address the scheduled 2.8 percent cut in reimbursement for physicians who participate in Medicare before the end of the 118th Congress. Letter Press Release
- On October 16, CMS approved section 1115 demonstration amendments in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Oregon that will provide Medicaid and CHIP coverage of traditional health care practices provided by Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities, tribal facilities, and urban Indian organizations (UIOs). Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal New Mexico Turquoise Care Oregon Health Plan Press Release
- On October 17, the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Investigations Majority Staff issued a report on the use of prior authorization in post-acute care by the three largest Medicare Advantage plans. Report
- On October 18, Senate Finance Committee Chair Wyden (D-OR) sent a letter to CMS urging the agency to expand the addiction medicine workforce for patients enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. Letter Press Release
Marketplaces – On October 17, CMS provided an update on its monitoring and oversight of Marketplace enrollment activity since implementing changes in July 2024 to address unauthorized agent and broker marketplace activity. Since July 2024, 99 percent of consumer complaints regarding unauthorized plan switching or enrollment have been resolved. Press Release
Public Health Prevention, Preparedness, Surveillance – On October 18, HHS announced that they, along with their subagencies, are continuing to take action to support access to intravenous (IV) fluids following storm damage from Hurricane Helene. Press Release
Health IT, Privacy, & Digital Health –
- On October 15, Sens. Whitehouse (D-RI), Murkowski (R-AK), Warner (D-VA) and Blackburn (R-TN) led a bipartisan group of 11 senators in a letter calling on the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to extend COVID-era telehealth flexibilities for the prescribing of controlled substances. Letter Press Release
- Also on October 15, Reps. Matsui (D-CA) and Carter (R-GA) led a bipartisan group of 18 colleagues in a letter urging the DEA to extend current flexibilities for telemedicine prescribing of controlled substances. Letter Press Release
- Also on October 15, Senate Finance Committee Chair Wyden (D-OR) sent a letter to UnitedHealth Group seeking responses to questions regarding the Change Healthcare cyberattack. The letter requests responses by November 8, 2024. Letter Press Release
- Also on October 15, the FDA published a special communication in JAMA detailing its perspective on the regulation of artificial intelligence in health care and biomedicine. Special Communication
- On October 17, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a request for information (RFI) on issues related to federal agency collection, processing, maintenance, use, sharing, dissemination, and disposition of commercially available information (CAI) containing personally identifiable information (PII). Responses are due December 16, 2024. Federal Register
- On October 15, National Institutes of Health (NIH) and FDA leaders published a commentary in the Annals of Internal Medicine detailing recommendations and opportunities for innovation in the development of smoking cessation treatments. Commentary News Release
- Also on October 15, the FDA released the annual Accelerating Rare disease Cures (ARC) program report. Annual Report ARC Program
- On October 18, House Energy & Commerce Committee Chair Rodgers (R-WA), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Griffith (R-VA) and Health Subcommittee Chair Guthrie (R-KY) sent a letter to HHS Inspector General Grimm requesting an assessment of the adequacy of the FDA’s support for the Office of Laboratory Safety (OLS). Letter Press Release
SDOH & Health Equity – On October 15, NIH announced the winners of a prize competition to improve postpartum maternal health and health equity through innovative diagnostics. Press Release Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Technology (RADx Tech) for Maternal Health Challenge
Legislative Activity. –
Introduced Legislation – On October 15, Rep. Yakym (R-IN) introduced the National Veterans’ Advocate Act (H.R. 9996), which would establish an independent body within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) charged with making quarterly reports to Congress containing policy recommendations about how to improve the VA. Bill Text One-Pager Press Release