Energy & Commerce Republicans Announce Sweeping Health Hearing

Lawmakers will consider a plethora of health care bills aimed at increasing patient access to care and reducing red tape for providers, House Energy & Commerce Republicans announced Thursday (Oct. 12). The hearing comes as the lower chamber continues to struggle with its speaker selection process, all amid the ticking clock of a dwindling continuing funding resolution set to expire in just one month and health care extenders to deal with. The hearing is set for the morning of Thursday...
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CMS Issue: 
Inside CMS - 10/19/2023
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Vol. 26, No. 42
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HHS Recommends Marijuana Scheduling Change Using FDA Data

HHS has recommended to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) that marijuana be moved from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), a move that would allow it to be made available via prescription and increase its availability in medical research, winning immediate praise from Democrats who favor decriminalization. Bloomberg reported Wednesday (Aug. 30) that the recommendation was based on an extensive review of evidence on the control status of marijuana by FDA,...
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FDA Issue: 
FDA Week - 09/01/2023
FDA Volume: 
Vol. 29, No. 35
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Labs Pleased CMS Opening Process For Revising Medicare Pay Rates

Laboratories are pleased that CMS is opening the process of setting reimbursement for laboratory services, just as it is doing for physician services, which will give labs more say over pay rates. The change, which is part of the annual Physician Fee Schedule rule unveiled late last week, adds to the run of positive developments for labs that started when Congress replaced CMS' plan to change clinical lab fees based on technological changes in the patch to the Sustainable Growth...
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Newsletter Volume: 
Vol. 17, No. 28
Newsletter Issue: 
Inside CMS - 07/10/2014
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Moran Report: Outpatient Chemo Costs Higher Than Clinics

Patients who receive chemotherapy in hospital outpatient departments cost Medicare more than those who receive the same care in cancer clinics, according to a Moran Company report for the US Oncology Network and Community Oncology Alliance. The oncologists are using the report to fight CMS' proposal to pay the same rates for cancer care in physician offices and outpatient departments. The Moran report finds that outpatient chemotherapy spending per beneficiary was 25 percent to 47 percent higher than physician clinic...
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CMS Pauses, Reassesses Special Focus Program, List Of Worst Hospice Performers

Hospice providers are celebrating CMS’ decision to cease implementing the Hospice Special Focus Program, which imposed increased oversight that led CMS to compile a list of poor-performing hospice providers that stakeholders say is based on a flawed rating formula, so the agency can evaluate the program further. CMS’ announcement on the SFP webpage follows a lawsuit that hospice providers in four states filed on Jan. 16 demanding the courts to force HHS to take down and abandon efforts to build...
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AMA Survey: More AI Oversight Would Hike Physician Trust, Adoption Of Tech

Physicians say increased oversight of artificial intelligence-enabled medical devices and AI tools not considered medical devices are the top two regulatory actions needed to increase their trust in and adoption of AI, according to a new survey from the American Medical Association. Physicians’ interest in stepped-up regulatory oversight of AI tools comes amid signals the Trump administration will seek to decrease instead of increase regulation of health AI in order to spur innovation. The Trump administration has released a broad...
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HELP Health Panel Chair To Work Closely With RFK Jr.

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) plans in his new role as chair of the Senate health committee’s panel on primary health and retirement security to work closely with recently confirmed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. President Donald Trump last week tapped Kennedy to lead a new MAHA commission focused on holistic ways to fight childhood chronic diseases as one of his first jobs at HHS. Marshall will lead the primary health subcommittee with...
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Bipartisan Bill Would Permanently Extend Rural Hospital Programs

The Medicare-Dependent Hospital (MDH) and Low-Volume Hospital programs that have supported rural hospitals for decades but will end March 31 unless Congress acts would be made permanent under legislation introduced by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Peter Welch (D-VT). Separately, Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (IL) and Sen. James Lankford introduced legislation that would help rural hospitals facing closure. Grassley and Welch’s Rural Hospital Support Act would also update the rebasing year for Sole Community Hospitals (SCH) and MDHs to...
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Federal Judge Punts To Saturday AGs’ Call To Restrain DOGE For Appointments Violation

A group of Democratic attorneys general will have to wait at least one more day for a decision on whether Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency will be temporarily restrained from accessing the data systems of federal agencies or making decisions on personnel. The AGs contend the sweeping authority President Donald Trump has given Musk and DOGE without congressional input runs afoul of the constitution’s separation of powers, and specifically allege they are violating Congress’ authority to establish...
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First ARPA-H Director Fired, Two Top NIH Officials Depart Amid HHS Layoffs

Renee Wegrzyn, the first head of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) established by former president Joe Biden, was dismissed Friday (Feb. 14) by President Donald Trump, she said in a LinkedIn post. The Trump administration has not announced a successor to lead the research agency, which was a crucial part of the Biden administration’s Cancer Moonshot effort and which some Republicans proposed eliminating. Wegrzyn made the announcement as the Trump administration lays off thousands of probationary employees...
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