Final Week of Biden Administration

During the Biden Administration’s final week, congressional Republicans are moving full steam ahead with Senate confirmation hearings for Trump-nominated officials and with ongoing budget reconciliation discussions. Nomination hearings this week include Doug Collins for secretary of Veterans’ Affairs and Russell Vought for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director. Hearings have yet to be scheduled for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominated for Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, and other HHS agencies.

We are waiting to see if certain Biden Administration proposed rules, some of which have cleared OMB review, will be finalized this week, before President-elect Trump is inaugurated on January 20, 2025. These proposed regulations include the Marketplace Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters, a regulation that would require coverage of over-the-counter contraception without cost-sharing or a prescription, and a rule on telemedicine prescribing of controlled substances, among others. Other proposed regulations with comment periods still open, including the 2026 Medicare Advantage policy and technical rule, could be substantially changed when Trump takes office.

Looking ahead to the new Administration, congressional Republicans are eyeing healthcare policies as potential savers for their forthcoming budget reconciliation, which is expected to target significant cuts in federal spending. At a December 2024 Republican conference meeting, $2.5 trillion in mandatory spending cuts were put on the table in exchange for a $1.5 trillion increase in the debt limit. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently released options for reducing the deficit; CBO periodically releases such options, providing legislators with price tags for various policies. Healthcare options outlined by CBO include a version of Medicare site neutral payment reforms, Medicaid per capita caps, and a reduction in payment rates for 340B entities. The House Budget Committee also circulated a spending reform options document late last week detailing up to $5.7 trillion in savings. Healthcare is a primary target for savings as it makes up almost $3.5 trillion of the total figure, with $2.3 trillion coming solely from Medicaid savings.

The key House and Senate healthcare committees (Senate Finance; Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; House Energy and Commerce; and House Ways and Means) are officially formed for the 119th Congress, with new members on both sides of the aisle for all four committees. The House Rules Committee is still without a chair, however, and other committees, including the House Education and Workforce Committee, are not yet formed.

Today’s Podcast

In this week’s Healthcare Preview podcast, Debbie Curtis joins Maddie News to discuss the final week of the Biden administration and the week ahead in the 119th Congress, with the Senate focused on confirmation hearings for Trump-nominated officials, and Congressional Republicans eyeing healthcare policies as potential savers for upcoming legislation.