Week in Brief
Insurance: CMS and the Department of the Treasury Issue New Guidance on Section 1332 State Waivers for Private Health Insurance Coverage.
- Statement from Senate HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
- Statement from Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA)
- Statement from Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR)
- Statement from Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Ways and Means Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA), and Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA)
- Guidance for State Waivers
Insurance: The Department of the Treasury, HHS, and the Department of Labor Issue a Proposal on the Expansion of Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA).
- Statement from HHS Secretary Alex Azar
Opioids: President Donald Trump Signs Opioid Legislation Package into Law.
- Statement from President Donald Trump
- Statement form Senate HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
- Statement from Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA)
- Statement from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-SC), and Subcommittee Chairman Mark Meadows (R-NC)
- Statement form House Energy and Commerce Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and Subcommittee on Health Chairman Michael Burgess (R-TX)
- Statement from House Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
- Statement from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
- Statement from House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX)
- Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb
- Statement from White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Deputy Director James Carroll
- Fact Sheet on Administration’s Initiatives to Combat the Opioid Crisis
- List of Private-Sector and Non-Profit Partners Working to Combat the Opioid Crisis
WHITE HOUSE
Opioids: The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Releases “The Truth About Opioids” Drug Prevention Ads.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Monday, October 22
Medicare and Medicaid: Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) Comments on Proposed Changes to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.
Tuesday, October 23
Opioids: Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) Issue Statements on Recent GAO Report Detailing Public Health Emergency Authorities in the Opioid Crisis.
- Report from the GAO on the Status of Public Health Emergency Authorities
Children’s Health: Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) Remarks on the Extension and Passage of Legislation Surrounding Children’s Health.
Wednesday, October 24
Prescriptions: Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) Seeks Information to Prevent the Sale of Counterfeit Drugs Online.
Insurance: House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) ReleasesReport on the Administration’s Decision to Not Defend Federal Protections for Preexisting Conditions.
Thursday, October 25
Opioids: House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Gregg Harper (R-MS) Release Statement on New Opioid Strike Force.
REGULATORY UPDATE
Monday, October 22
Substance Abuse: FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb Discusses Ongoing Commitment to Tobacco and Nicotine Regulations.
Mental Health: NIH Study Demonstrates Ineffectiveness of Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Intensive Care Patients with Delirium.
Tuesday, October 23
Opioids: The GAO Reviews HHS Decision to Declare the Opioid Crisis a Public Health Emergency.
Opioids: FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb Announces Meeting Regarding Access to Naloxone to Counter the Effects of Opioids.
Opioids: FDA Launches International Crackdown on Websites Selling Illegal Drugs, Including Opioids.
Opioids: CMS Announces Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) Model.
Thursday, October 25
Prescription Pricing: HHS and CMS Proposes New International Drug Pricing Index.
- Statement from President Donald Trump
- Statement from Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR)
- Statement from House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX)
- Statement from Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
- Statement from House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
- Fact Sheet from the White House
- Fact Sheet from CMS
Opioids: HHS’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) Launches Campaign to Increase Non-Discrimination in Access to Treatment and Recovery Services.
EVENTS
National Institute of Health
Director’s Seminar Series: Blood-Based Biomarkers that Shape Recovery from Traumatic Brain Injuries.
November 16, 12:00-1:00 PM
Building 1, Wilson Hall
Senate HELP Committee
Full Committee Hearing: Reducing Health Care Costs: Improving Affordability through Innovation.
November 28, 2018 10:00 AM
430 Dirksen Senate Office Building