THIS WEEK’S DOSE

• Congress Returns for Lame Duck Session. This week was primarily focused on organizing for the upcoming 119th Congress.
• House Oversight Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Holds Hearing on Lessons Learned. Members and witnesses focused on how to improve pandemic preparedness and reflected on the impacts of COVID-19 on the US public health system.
• GAO Releases Report on Healthcare Cybersecurity. The report highlights prior recommendations from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) that have not yet been fully implemented.
• Trump Transition Begins. The incoming president met with Biden and is starting to appoint key members of his administration.
• Biden-Harris Administration Approves Medicaid Continuous Eligibility Waivers in Five States. Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, New York, and Pennsylvania may provide additional years of continuous eligibility for children.
• CMS Announces 2025 Medicare Premiums, Deductibles. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will substantially increase Part B premiums and deductibles for 2025.

CONGRESS

Congress Returns for Lame Duck Session. The House and Senate returned this week, kicking off the post-election lame duck session. The focus this week was not on legislating, but on organizing for the upcoming 119th Congress, which will convene in January 2025 and be controlled by Republicans. Republicans held leadership elections in both the House and Senate this week, with House Republicans’ top leaders remaining largely the same. Across the Capitol, Republicans elected a new majority leader for the first time in 17 years, with Sen. Thune (R-SD) winning a much-discussed three-way race against Sens. Cornyn (R-TX) and Scott (R-FL). House Democrats are scheduled to hold their leadership elections on November 19, and Senate Democrats have not yet announced a date for their leadership elections.

House Oversight Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Holds Hearing on Lessons Learned. In the hearing, members discussed the rise of vaccine hesitancy and possible solutions. Witnesses emphasized that communication will be key in the response to the next pandemic and agreed that the US public health system has greater capacity to respond to a pandemic now than prior to COVID-19.

GAO Releases Report on Healthcare Cybersecurity. The report re-emphasizes prior recommendations for the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to strengthen cybersecurity in the healthcare sector. GAO’s recommendations include:

• HHS, in coordination with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), should assess the state of the sector’s adoption of leading cybersecurity practices.
• HHS and CISA should develop evaluation procedures to measure their effectiveness in reducing ransomware risk.
• HHS should include Internet of Things and operational technology devices as part of risk assessments.
• The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response should more fully lead collaboration efforts.
• CMS should solicit input on revisions to its security policy to ensure consistency with state agencies and maximize coordination with other federal agencies.

ADMINISTRATION

Trump Transition Begins. President-Elect Trump met with President Biden and House Republicans on Wednesday to begin his transition and started nominating key members of his cabinet, including Sen. Rubio (R-FL) for Secretary of State and Rep. Gaetz (R-FL) for Attorney General. Rep. Gaetz has since resigned from his House seat. On November 14, President-Elect Trump announced his nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of HHS. Trump also announced that prominent billionaire Elon Musk and biotechnology entrepreneur (and former Republican presidential candidate) Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the new “Department of Government Efficiency.” The new department (which is actually a commission) will be tasked with cutting wasteful expenditures and regulations. It is still unclear how the entity will be structure and funded, and what authorities it may have.

Biden-Harris Administration Approves Medicaid Continuous Eligibility Waivers in Five States. These waivers authorize Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, New York, and Pennsylvania to provide additional years of continuous eligibility for children beyond the minimum 12 months required by law. The waivers newly provide continuous eligibility to individuals leaving incarceration in Colorado and Pennsylvania as well. The press release can be viewed here.

CMS Announces 2025 Medicare Premiums, Deductibles. In 2025, the Medicare Part B premium will increase 6% ($10.30), and the annual deductible for all Part B beneficiaries will increase 7% ($17). The Medicare Part A deductible will see a smaller increase of 3% ($44). CMS stated that the relatively large increases in Part B premiums and deductibles are mainly due to projected price changes and assumed utilization increases. Read the press release here.

QUICK HITS

• AHRQ Holds Public Meeting on AI in Healthcare Safety Program. The Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ) meeting included presentations from agencies and stakeholders, as well as focus groups for participants.
• GAO Recommends Strategies for Maintaining FDA Inspection Workforce. A new GAO report addresses the US Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) need to improve drug manufacturer inspector turnover.
• VA Announces Telehealth Grant Program. The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released a proposed rule to eliminate copays for all VA telehealth services and establish the Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations (ATLAS) grant program to fund VA telehealth access points in rural and underserved communities. Read the press release here.
• HHS Releases Data on Uninsurance Rate. HHS released quarterly estimates from the National Health Interview Survey (2023 – June 2024), which found steady uninsurance rates around 7% – 8%.
• ACF Awards $42 Million in Grants for Wellbeing of Children and Families. The Administration for Children & Families (ACF) announced grantees for the Community Economic Development grants, Affordable Housing and Supportive Services Demonstration, Diaper Distribution Demonstration and Research pilot, and Next Generation Child Support Employment Services Demonstration. Read the press release here.
• CMS OMH Announces Health Equity Advisory Committee. In addition to announcing the committee’s establishment, the CMS Office of Minority Health (OMH) requested nominations, which are due by December 12, 2024. More information can be found on the webpage.
• CMS Innovation Center Publishes Rural Healthcare Report. The report describes lessons learned from previous Innovation Center models focused on rural health and their applications to recent model development, as well as potential areas the Innovation Center might explore to support rural communities. CMS also stated that it intends to issue a Request for Application to fill the 10 open spots for the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration, which is scheduled to end on June 30, 2028.
• House Energy & Commerce Republicans Request Examination of Lab Safety Programs. House Energy & Commerce Chair Rodgers (R-WA), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Griffith (R-VA), and Health Subcommittee Chair Guthrie (R-KY) sent a letter to GAO requesting an examination of lab safety programs at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, FDA, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and an examination of HHS’s role in the programs’ oversight.

NEXT WEEK’S DIAGNOSIS

Congress is in session next week with healthcare activity expected at the committee level. The House VA Technology Modernization Subcommittee will hold a hearing on cybersecurity, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a markup on patent reform, and NIH Director Bertagnolli will testify before the House Appropriations Labor-HHS Subcommittee.

We continue to monitor progress on an end-of-year package before the December 20 government funding deadline, although the size, scope, and duration of the package remains to be seen. It could be as little as a three-month continuing resolution moving the deadline to March 2025, after President Trump is in office, or it could incorporate a full-year spending package through fiscal year 2025. Healthcare extenders are likely to ride with this package, and additional health policies that have bipartisan support and low-price tags could also be in play for inclusion.