It sounds like the Senate could experience their shortest August recess in decades
—an unusual situation considering a third of the senators are preparing for November's elections. The House, on the other hand, currently has no plans to shorten their recess. With this in mind, TWIW will not return to it's usual publication schedule until after Labor Day (Friday, September 7). If there are any breaking updates in August, we will be sure to alert you through a special bulletin. Don't forget you can always check in with us through our
website and
Twitter!
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On this day in 1974...
The House Judiciary Committee passed the first article of impeachment against President Nixon due to a series of political scandals that came to be collectively known as Watergate.
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The Latest from Congress...
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APHSA Releases Analysis and Response to the JOBS for Success Act
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House of Representatives:
On Monday, July 23, APHSA delivered its
section-by-section analysis and response
to the
Jobs and Opportunity with Benefits and Services (JOBS) for Success Act of 2018
(
H.R. 5861
) t
o members of the House of Representatives.
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On Tuesday, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources held a hearing entitled, “
Implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act
(FFPSA)
.”
Jerry Milner, Associate Commissioner of the Children’s Bureau and Acting Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, testified on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
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As of July 11, the Labor-HHS-Education spending bills passed through both chambers’ appropriations committees. The bills are awaiting consideration by their full chambers.
Check out
APHSA’s overview of both the House and Senate spending bills.
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House of Representatives:
This week, the House of Representatives voted on bills which would impact various provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Specifically, the bills would permanently repeal the medical device tax and expand the allowable uses of health savings accounts (HSA).
In a vote of 242-176, House members voted to permanently repeal the 2.3% medical device tax beyond 2019. Also, in a 277-142 vote, the House voted to allow consumers to use HSAs to pay for over-the-counter medications and other health products, gym and fitness fees, and primary care provided by doctors who provide additional services for an annual fee. Even with bipartisan support in the House, it is unlikely the Senate will bring these controversial bills to the floor for a vote.
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House of Representatives:
As previously reported
, the Administration seeks a second round of tax cuts following the enactment of last December’s tax reform bill (
Pub. L. No. 115-97
). On Tuesday, the Committee on Ways and Means released a framework for what is now called
Tax Reform 2.0
.
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Senate:
Last week, in response to the growing lack of affordable housing in the United States, a group of bipartisan Senators introduced the
Task Force on the Impact of Affordable Housing Crisis Act
. The bill would establish a task force responsible for analyzing the impact of affordable housing on other government programs.
In addition, Senator Kamala Harris—joined by Senators Dianne Feinstein, Richard Blumenthal, and Maggie Hassan—introduced legislation in response to rapidly rising housing costs and evictions. The
Rent Relief Act
would establish a new, refundable tax credit for families who currently rent housing to assist families in achieving economic stability.
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The Latest from the Administration...
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Last week, in response to a shortage of skilled workers, the President signed an executive order regarding workforce development that establishes the
National Council for the American Worker
. The Council, co-chaired by the Secretaries of Commerce and Labor, is responsible for informing the public of the current “skills crisis” and developing new job training initiatives (among other things).
Check out
APHSA’s overview of the President’s executive order.
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Medicaid Work Requirements
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Following a decision by a federal judge to block the implementation of Medicaid work requirements, Kentucky Governor Bevin cut dental and vision coverage for nearly 500,000 Medicaid recipients. However, after learning that CMS will reopen a
30-day comment period
regarding work requirements, Governor Bevin has decided to
reverse
this decision and says Medicaid beneficiaries will have access to these benefits as of August 1.
As a result of the federal court ruling prohibiting the implementation of the proposed Kentucky work requirements, many states have begun to make changes to their proposed Medicaid waivers that include work requirements.
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ACA Risk Adjustment Payments
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On July 7, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
officially confirmed
its intention to stop $10.4 billion in Affordable Care Act (ACA) risk adjustment payments to insurers for 2017. Under the ACA’s risk adjustment program—a program intended to incentivize insurers to provide coverage to individuals with chronic diseases and pre-existing conditions—the federal government would transfer funds from health plans with healthier consumers to plans with sicker consumers to “level the playing field.”
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Produced with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities will be releasing four videos over the coming weeks focused on advancing equity. The first installment,
released yesterday,
showcases
UCAN
, one of Chicago’s oldest, yet most innovative, social service agencies.
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Check out the
Urban Institute's report
highlighting the impact of the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) program by county.
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The American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) released a report detailing opioid prescription rates by congressional district. Find out which district took the top spot
here
.
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APHSA's National Collaborative
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Check out
the latest newsletter brought to you by the National Collaborative for Integration of Health and Human Services!
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APHSA was featured in the National Human Services Assembly's Reframing Newsletter this week.
Check out
how we're building framing into our organizational culture!
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On August 9, 2018, the Self-Sufficiency Research Clearinghouse (
SSRC
) will sponsor a webinar titled,
Understanding the Minimum Wage: Implications for Workers, Employers, and Communities
. The webinar will focus on the US economy. Specifically, economists and research experts will discuss how changes in the minimum wage affects individuals, families, employers, and the economy. Registrants are encouraged to
submit questions
in advance. Register
here
!
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ISM Conference Registration Open
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Join us at this year's IT Solutions Management for Human Services (ISM) Annual Conference being held September 16-19 in Seattle! Don't miss your chance to attend THE premiere con
ference for heal
th and human services IT leaders. Early bird pricing is available until August 25.
Learn more
and
register
now!
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on their intention to collect information from the public on health equity. Comments must be submitted
by August 15, 2018
. Learn more and submit your comment(s)
here
.
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The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is seeking comments to assess the impact of participation in the Family Unification Program (FUP) on child welfare involvement and child maltreatment. Find out how to submit your comment(s)
here
.
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