Legislative Activity

House Energy and Commerce Committee to Hold Concussion Roundtable

Last December, House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) announced that the committee would commence a broad review of concussions and their implications. His initiative officially begins this week, with a roundtable titled “Broad Review of Concussions: Initial Roundtable.” The committee has stated that the goal of the roundtable is “to advance the conversation beyond the attention-grabbing headlines to make a real difference for individuals across the country by bringing together experts on head trauma including the public health, military, athletic, and research communities.” Participants in the roundtable discussion will include representatives from the federal government, academia, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and the National Football League.

Senate HELP Committee to Mark Up Substance Abuse and Mental Health Bills

Following the Senate’s overwhelming passage of S. 524, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, last week, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) is set to mark up five bills that focus on behavioral health on Wednesday. The committee has announced that it will consider the following legislation: S. ____, Mental Health Reform Act of 2016; S. 1455, The Recovery Enhancement for Addiction Treatment (TREAT) Act; S. 2256, Co-Prescribing Saves Lives Act of 2015; S. 480, National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting; and S. ____, Plan of Safe Care Improvement Act. The bills are expected to be part of a wide-ranging behavioral health package from Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA).

This Week’s Hearings:

• Monday, March 14: The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a roundtable titled “Broad Review of Concussions: Initial Roundtable.”

• Monday, March 14: The House Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold a markup of H.R. 2666, No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act, and H.R. 4725, Common Sense Savings Act of 2016.

• Tuesday, March 15: The House Committee on Education and the Workforce will hold a hearing titled “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.”

• Tuesday, March 15: The House Committee on the Judiciary will hold a hearing titled “Executive Overreach Task Force of 2016 Hearing on Executive Overreach in Domestic Affairs Part I – Health Care and Immigration.”

• Tuesday, March 15: The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold a hearing titled “Examining Federal Administration of the Safe Drinking Water Act in Flint, Michigan, Part II.”

• Tuesday, March 15: The House Committee on Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs (DAMA) will hold a joint hearing titled “Twenty Five Years After the Persian Gulf War: An Assessment of VA’s Disability Claim Process with Respect to Gulf War Illness.”

• Tuesday, March 15: The Senate Committee on the Judiciary will hold a hearing titled “Late-Term Abortion: Protecting Babies Born Alive and Capable of Feeling Pain.”

• Tuesday, March 15: The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs will hold a hearing on pending legislation: S. 2646, Veterans Choice Improvement Act of 2016; S. 2633, Improving Veterans Access to Care in the Community Act; S. 2473, Express Appeals Act of 2016; and discussion draft of title 38, United States Code, appointment, compensation, performance management, and accountability system for senior executive leaders in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

• Wednesday, March 16: The House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing titled “Preserving and Strengthening Medicare.”

• Wednesday, March 16: The House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies will hold a hearing titled “National Institute of Health Budget.”

• Wednesday, March 16: The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) will hold a markup, as described above.

• Wednesday, March 16: The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity and Subcommittee on Health will hold a joint hearing titled “Legislative Hearing on draft legislation to improve the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire and retain physicians and other employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

• Thursday, March 17: The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold a hearing titled “Examining Federal Administration of the Safe Drinking Water Act in Flint, Michigan, Part III.”

• Thursday, March 17: The House Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold a hearing titled “Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015: Examining Implementation of Medicare Payment Reforms.”

• Thursday, March 17: The Senate Committee on Finance will hold a hearing titled “HealthCare.gov: A Review of Operations and Enrollment.”

• Thursday, March 17: The Senate Special Committee on Aging will hold a hearing titled “Senate Special Committee on Aging to hold the second hearing in a series on sudden price spikes in decades-old Rx drugs.”

Regulatory Activity

CMS Releases Proposed Rule on Part B Drug Payment Model

On Tuesday, March 8, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule titled “Medicare Program; Part B Drug Payment Model.” The proposed rule addresses the implementation of a new Medicare payment model through CMS’ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. The two-phase model would test alternative Part B drug payment designs. The two phases would include: (1) changing the 6 percent add-on Average Sales Price (ASP) to 2.5 percent plus a flat fee, and (2) implementing value-based purchasing tools.

The proposed rule is open for a 60-day comment period; CMS will be accepting comments through May 9, 2016.