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Week in Brief

Prescriptions: President Donald Trump Signs into Law Two Pharmaceutical Price Transparency Bills. 

  • Statement from President Donald Trump and White House Fact Sheet
  • Statement from Senate HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
  • Statement from House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Chairman Michael Burgess (R-TX)
  • Statement from House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
  • Statement from Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar

WHITE HOUSE

Friday, October 12

Insurance: President Donald Trump Signs Executive Order Regarding Association Health Plans, Short-Term Limited-Duration Plans, and Health Reimbursement Arrangements.


LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Tuesday, October 9

Veterans: House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY) and House Budget Committee Ranking Member John Yarmuth (D-KY) Urge the Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney to Raise Discretionary Spending, Assisting Veterans’ Health.

Wednesday, October 10

Short-Term Insurance: Senate Rejects Measure to Address Short-Term Health Plans.

  • Statement from HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
  • Statement from Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA)
  • Statement from Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Insurance: Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) Requests that the Federal Trade Commission Conducts an Assessment of Potentially Anticompetitive Practices between Insurers and Hospital Systems.


REGULATORY UPDATE

Tuesday, October 9

Medicare: CMS Announces New Participants in Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI Advanced) Model.

Generic Prescriptions: FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb Releases Statement on Efforts to Advance the Development of Generic Prescriptions.

Wednesday, October 10

Substance Abuse: The Administration for Children and Families Children’s Bureau (CB) Seeks Cross-Site Evaluation for Children Affected by Substance Abuse Grants.

Substance Abuse: FDA Seeks Information Concerning Abuse, Medical Usefulness, and Trafficking of 16 Substances.

Research Study: NIH Study Discovers Bacillus Bacteria Can Eliminate Staphylococcus Aureus.

Medicare: CMS Release Star Ratings for 2019 Medicare Advantage and Part D Prescription Drug Plans.

Health Security: HHS Expands Corporate Partnerships to Combat Potentially Deadly Health Effects, Including Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Resistant Infections.

Thursday, October 11

Insurance Marketplace:  CMS Releases Data on 2019 Individual Health Plan Premiums, with Predicted Reductions in Cost.

  • Fact Sheet from the White House on Federally-Facilitated Exchange Premiums
  • Press Release on Federally-Facilitated Exchange Premiums

Transfusions: The Food and Drug Administration Approves New DNA-Based Blood Transfusion Compatibility Test.

Friday, October 12

Medicare: CMS Releases 2019 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles.

Substance Abuse: FDA Launches Investigation into Legality of More Than 40 E-Cigarette Products.


 EVENTS

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

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