Several lawmakers voiced support for obesity coverage legislation floating on Capitol Hill at a House Energy & Commerce health subcommittee hearing Tuesday (Sept. 19), with some lawmakers and a CMS official agreeing the high initial cost of Medicare potentially covering the drugs should factor in the long-term savings from preventing obesity-related diseases. The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act would require Medicare to cover obesity drugs. Competing studies have shown covering obesity drugs would either be more expensive than the entire...

The Senate health committee advanced sweeping primary care legislation on Thursday (Sep. 21), but uncertainties persist over how the bill will be fully paid for, with committee chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT) continuing talks with Finance Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) over additional offsets, and the Judiciary Committee also getting involved. When asked by Inside Health Policy at a meeting with reporters Tuesday (Sep. 19) whether other pay-for bills would be combined with the primary care package before it goes to...

The Senate health committee on Thursday (Sept. 21) passed out of committee a broad package of reauthorizations and reforms for the sector, but drew ire from ranking Republican Bill Cassidy (LA) and several Democrats for its payfors. The Primary Care and Workforce Act, a sweeping bipartisan community health center funding, nursing workforce and hospital reform package, passed 14-7, with Marshall and Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) voting with the majority. The committee voted on set amendments introduced by several senators, including...

CMS is requiring 29 states and the District of Columbia to pause Medicaid terminations and reinstate coverage to nearly half-a-million Medicaid enrollees after the states found their automatic Medicaid renewal process has an error that results in still-eligible beneficiaries, especially children, losing Medicaid or CHIP coverage. D.C., Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia found the so-called ex parte glitch only affected children enrolled in their Medicaid and CHIP programs while seven other states found it was only affecting households with beneficiaries...