The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for January 24-30.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents.

Introduction

With the pause in external communication that the new administration imposed on HHS last week, including announcements, advisories, regular publications, and web site updates, there has been very little public communication from or activity involving HHS in the past week, including no new regulations or grant or meeting notices.

The Administration

Earlier in the week the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced a temporary pause on agency grant, loan, and other financial assistance programs.  After a federal court delayed implementation of that pause OMB rescinded its original memo but the White House press secretary has indicated that the review of federal programs the original memo called for will continue.  In addition, OMB has issued an FAQ explaining its original memo; find that FAQ here.

New Executive Orders

Congress

Senate Confirmation Hearings

Senate committees continue confirmation hearings for nominees to President Trump’s cabinet.  Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the President’s nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services, appeared before the Senate Finance Committee yesterday and before the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee today.  The Finance Committee expects to vote on the nomination next week and the HELP Committee will not vote on his nomination.

House Republicans’ Policy Retreat

House Republicans met this week in Doral, Florida to decide on how to advance President Trump’s priorities but the legislative pathway in the House for action on taxes, border policy, energy, and spending cuts remains undecided.  There are currently 218 Republicans in the House (with two vacancies) and every Republican representative will have to agree if they are to pass legislation without help from House Democrats.

Speaker Mike Johnson (LA) has set an ambitious timeline for passing a reconciliation package, which would enable the majority party to pass legislation solely along party lines.

  • Week of February 10:   budget resolution moves from committee and gets House floor vote
  • Week of February 17:    Senate “vote-a-rama” to adopt a budget resolution
  • A week to negotiate a bicameral compromise resolution
  • February 27:  final vote to adopt a concurrent budget resolution
  • By Easter:  pass a reconciliation package on the House floor
  • By Memorial Day:  final passage

Key Dates

Congress faces several legislative deadlines in addition to the majority party’s aspirational deadlines.

  • January 2 – the U.S. government’s debt limit was reinstated; the Treasury Department is now employing “extraordinary measures” to continue to pay the nation’s debts.  The X-date – the date by which the Treasury’s ability to use extraordinary measures ends – is expected by early June, though the X-date could be sooner.
  • March 14 – the continuing resolution currently funding the federal government expires.
  • March 31 – extensions expire for certain health care policies, including telehealth, the Acute Hospital Care at Home program, the delay in Medicaid DSH allotment cuts, and others.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

CMS has issued a statement expressing the new administration’s support for lowering prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries through the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program established by the Inflation Reduction Act.  The statement notes that “CMS is committed to incorporating lessons learned to date from the program and to considering opportunities to bring greater transparency in the Negotiation Program.  CMS intends to provide opportunities for stakeholders to provide specific ideas to improve the Negotiation Program, consistent with the goals of achieving greater value for beneficiaries and taxpayers and continuing to foster innovation.”  Find the CMS statement here.

Department of Health and Human Services
  • Acting HHS Secretary Dr. Dorothy Fink has issued a statement announcing that the agency “…will reevaluate its regulations and guidance pertaining to Federal laws on conscience and religious exercise” and “…will reevaluate all programs, regulations, and guidance to ensure Federal taxpayer dollars are not being used to pay for or promote elective abortion, consistent with the Hyde Amendment.”  Find the complete statement here.  The White House also issued an executive order addressing the administration’s intention to enforce the Hyde Amendment.  Find that executive order here.
  • The administration has fired HHS Inspector General Christi Grimm.  An email to Ms. Grimm stated that “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that due to changing priorities your position as Inspector General… is terminated, effective immediately.  Thank you for your service.”  Ms. Grimm was one of more than a dozen federal inspectors general terminated this week.
Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC)

MedPAC has written to CMS to comment on CMS’s proposed rule on policy and technical changes to the Medicare Advantage program and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit program for 2026.  The letter addresses network transparency for pharmacies; Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits; an analysis of utilization management policies and procedures; Medicare Advantage network adequacy; the format of Medicare Advantage organizations’ provider directories for the Medicare Plan Finder; and formulary inclusion and the placement of generics and biosimilars.  Learn more from MedPAC’s letter to CMS.

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

HHS and state and local jurisdictions have taken some steps to address challenging public health workforce gaps revealed and exacerbated by recent public health emergencies, the GAO concludes in a new report.  Learn more about what the states and the federal government are doing to identify and fill those gaps from this GAO report.