Bulletin Board
Bulletin Board
Federal Health Policy Update for April 10
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for April 4-10. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress The House today passed the budget resolution passed by the Senate last week. Passage of the same budget resolution by both chambers now enables Congress to begin work on a reconciliation bill to enact President Trump’s priorities on tax cuts, border security, and energy policies. Until this morning, more than a dozen Republican House members had opposed the Senate-passed budget resolution because [...]
Filling an $880 Billion Medicaid Hole
With the House of Representatives proposing to set a target of reducing Medicaid spending by $880 billion over the next ten years, a reasonable question is “How would states do that?” In a new report, KFF, a non-profit health policy research, polling, and news organization, evaluates the options for how states might respond to such cuts. In its analysis, KFF evaluates how significantly $880 billion in Medicaid cuts might affect states’ budgets and then turns to the question of how states might offset those lost federal funds. Among the options [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for April 3
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for March 28 through April 3. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress - Reconciliation Yesterday, Senate Republicans released their new budget resolution as they try to create a single budget resolution that can pass the House and Senate – a necessary step before the chambers can pass a reconciliation bill. The new resolution includes the following instructions: The Senate Finance Committee can increase the deficit no more than $1.5 trillion over [...]
New Task Force Targets Anti-Competitive Regs, Sets Sights on Health Care
The Justice Department has established an Anticompetitive Regulations Task Force “… to advocate for the elimination of anticompetitive state and federal laws and regulations that undermine free market competition and harm consumers, workers, and businesses.” The task force will seek information from the public “… about laws and regulations that make it more difficult for businesses to compete effectively, especially in markets that have the greatest impact on American households…” Among those markets is health care, which in its news release announcing the task force the Justice Department writes that [...]
Keeping Track of HHS Reorganization
Late last week, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a major reorganization and downsizing of its agencies and operations. Those efforts have already begun, and the following is a selection of news reports describing the changes that have taken place so far: Washington Post – “Major cuts are set to hit HHS. Here’s what’s affected” (March 27) (subscription required) Healthcare Dive – “Trump administration to shut down CMS, HHS minority health offices amid restructuring” (March 31) Fierce Healthcare – “Sweeping health agency cuts at FDA, CDC, CMS and [...]