Health Care Checkup
July 16, 2021
THE BIG PICTURE
Late Tuesday, Senate Democratic leadership agreed to pursue a $3.5 trillion budget bill that would include measures such as Medicare expansion and investments in green energy. While the proposal is still being crafted and few details have been released, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) remarked that it would include dental, hearing, and vision benefits for Medicare beneficiaries.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the calendar year (CY) 2022 Medicare physician fee schedule (PFS) proposed rule.

CMS also released a new report, showing that more than two million people have signed up for health coverage during the marketplace Special Enrollment Period (SEP), which opened on February 15, 2021 and ends on August 15, 2021. Later in the week, it was announced that the Biden Administration is launching the "Summer Sprint to Coverage" campaign to get more Americans to sign up for health coverage in the final 30 days of the SEP.

On Thursday, the House Appropriations Committee cleared the HHS spending bill for fiscal year (FY) 2022. Provisions in the $120 billion spending bill include $400 million for the Health Resources and Services Administration’s rural health programs, $367 million in earmarks for the construction and renovation of healthcare facilities, $320 million for the Hospital Preparedness Program, $49 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), $10.6 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and $9 billion for the Substance and Mental Health Services Administration.

President Joe Biden has nominated Dr. Rahul Gupta to be the Director of National Drug Control Policy. Most recently, Gupta served as the Chief Medical and Health Officer and Senior Vice President at March of Dimes.
 
The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights held a hearing that delved into the anticompetitive nature of the current prescription drug market. MCRT’s summary of the hearing can be found here.
 
House Ways and Means Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Chairman Danny Davis (D-IL) and Representative Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR) reintroduced the Pathways to Health Careers Act, which would “modernize the Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program to better support low-income workers as they seek training and education for in-demand health care careers.”
What to Expect Next Week: On Tuesday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold a hearing titled, "The Path Forward: A Federal Perspective on the COVID-19 Response." On Wednesday, the Senate HELP Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security will hold a hearing titled, “Addressing Disparities in Life Expectancy.” On Thursday, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will convene to discuss the link between Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine and Guillain-Barré Syndrome. 
DEEP DIVE
Senate Democratic Leadership Agrees to $3.5 Trillion Price Tag for Budget Reconciliation Bill
Late Tuesday, Senate Democratic leadership agreed to pursue a $3.5 trillion budget bill that would include measures such as Medicare expansion and investments in green energy. While the proposal is still being crafted and few details have been released, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) remarked that it would include dental, hearing, and vision benefits for Medicare beneficiaries. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said that the proposal is “the most significant piece of legislation to be passed since the Great Depression.” It has been reported that Leader Schumer wants to send the budget resolution to the Senate floor this month, with votes to follow this fall.

CMS Issues CY 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the calendar year (CY) 2022 Medicare physician fee schedule (PFS) proposed rule. Provisions laid out in the proposal include an updated PFS conversion factor of $33.58, which is a decrease of $1.31 from the CY 2021 PFS conversion factor of $34.89. CMS said the adjustment is necessary to account for changes in relative value units (RVUs) and expenditures from CMS’s proposed policies. Additionally, the proposal would expand provider reimbursements for telehealth visits by paying providers for certain audio-only visits. Certain services were added to the Medicare telehealth list during the pandemic, and CMS now proposes to allow those services to remain on the list until December 31, 2023. The proposed rule would also expand the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) and allow physician assistants to bill Medicare directly for professional services. CMS is seeking stakeholder comment on the proposed rule until September 13, 2021. Fact sheets on the proposal can be found here and here.

More than Two Million People Have Signed Up for Health Coverage During Special Enrollment Period
On Wednesday, CMS released a new report, showing that more than two million people have signed up for health coverage during the marketplace Special Enrollment Period (SEP), which opened on February 15, 2021 and ends on August 15, 2021. The agency also reported that approximately 10.4 million individuals enrolled in Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) plans between February 2020 to February 2021. Later in the week, it was announced that the Biden Administration is launching the "Summer Sprint to Coverage" campaign to get more Americans to sign up for health coverage in the final 30 days of the SEP. The campaign will target high uninsured populations through media advertisements and educational resources. More information on the report can be found here.

House Appropriations Committee Clears HHS Spending Bill for FY 2022
On Thursday, the House Appropriations Committee cleared the HHS spending bill for fiscal year (FY) 2022. Provisions in the $120 billion spending bill include $400 million for the Health Resources and Services Administration’s rural health programs, $367 million in earmarks for the construction and renovation of healthcare facilities, $320 million for the Hospital Preparedness Program, $49 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), $10.6 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and $9 billion for the Substance and Mental Health Services Administration. The bill will next move to the Senate for final approval.

President Biden Picks Rahul Gupta to Lead the Office of National Drug Control Policy 
President Joe Biden has nominated Dr. Rahul Gupta to be the Director of National Drug Control Policy. If confirmed by the Senate, Gupta would be tasked with combatting the nation’s drug addiction crisis. According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drug overdose deaths reached a record high of 93,331 last year, up from 70,980 in the year prior. Gupta is a physician who has served as the Health Commissioner of West Virginia where he used a data-driven approach to fight the state’s opioid epidemic. Most recently, Gupta served as the Chief Medical and Health Officer and Senior Vice President at March of Dimes.
 
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Anticompetitive Conduct in Prescription Drug Markets
On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights held a hearing that delved into the anticompetitive nature of the current prescription drug market. The Chair of the Subcommittee, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said that “access to safe and affordable prescription drugs is nothing less than a matter of life or death,” and that “nearly 20% of older adults report not taking their medicines as prescribed because of costs.” The witnesses who testified at the hearing discussed some of the reasons why prescription drug prices are so high in America, including lack of competition, abuse of the patent system, and pay-for-delay settlements in which brand drug makers compensate generics for delaying their entry into the market. MCRT’s summary of the hearing can be found here.
 
Lawmakers Reintroduce Legislation to Modernize the Health Profession Opportunity Grant Program
House Ways and Means Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Chairman Danny Davis (D-IL) and Representative Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR) reintroduced the Pathways to Health Careers Act, which would “modernize the Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program to better support low-income workers as they seek training and education for in-demand health care careers.” The HPOG program assists individuals seeking jobs in the health care profession by providing resources such as career coaching and job placement services. The legislation would appropriate $15 million to the Secretary of HHS to provide technical assistance and cover administrative costs associated with the HPOG program. A section-by-section breakdown of the bill can be found here.

CDC’s Vaccine Committee to Meet to Discuss Nerve Syndrome Associated with J&J’s COVID-19 Vaccine
On Thursday, July 22, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is slated to meet to discuss the link between Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine and Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a disorder in which the immune system attacks the nerves. On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated a fact sheet on J&J’s COVID vaccine, advising that “some people” who have received J&J’s vaccine have developed this rare disorder. ACIP’s meeting can be viewed here, and the meeting agenda can be found here
SENATE HEARINGS AND EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee - Hearing
Full Committee Hearing: "The Path Forward: A Federal Perspective on the COVID-19 Response."
Tuesday, July 20 at 10:00 AM ET

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee - Hearing
Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security: “Addressing Disparities in Life Expectancy.”
Wednesday, July 21 at 10:00 AM ET
HOUSE HEARINGS AND EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
House Committee on Education and Labor - Hearing
Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (Committee on Education and Labor) and Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment (Committee on Education and Labor) Joint Hearing: Care for Our Communities: Investing in the Direct Care Workforce
Tuesday, July 20 at 10:15 AM ET

House Committee on Agriculture - Hearing
Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry Hearing: "The U.S. Wood Products Industry: Facilitating the Post COVID-19 Recovery"
Wednesday, July 21 at 10:00 AM ET

House Committee on Veterans' Affairs - Hearing
Subcommittee on Technology Modernization Hearing: Moving Forward: Evaluating Next Steps for the Department of Veterans Affairs Electronic Health Record Modernization Program
Wednesday, July 21 at 2:00 PM ET
ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
 
Food and Drug Administration
 
Guidance Documents from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institutes of Health
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