This Week in Washington: President Biden Releases Budget Request

Congress

House

House Passes the Affordable Insulin Now Act

On March 31, the House passed the Affordable Insulin Now Act with a vote of 232-193. The bill, introduced by Reps. Angie Craig (D-MN), Dan Kildee (D-MI) and Lucy McBath (D-GA), would cap insulin costs at $35 a month. The bill would also limit cost sharing in private plans to either $35 or 25 percent of the health plan’s negotiated price, whichever is lower.

The Congressional Budget Office published a cost estimate of the bill on March 30.

House Energy and Commerce Committee to Discuss 19 Mental Health Bills

On April 5, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing titled “Communities in Need: Legislation to Support Mental Health and Well-Being.” The hearing will discuss the following bills:

  • R. 2376, the “Excellence in Recovery Housing Act”
  • R. 2929, the “Virtual Peer Support Act”
  • R. 4251, “Native Behavioral Health Access Improvement Act of 2021”
  • R. 4944, “Helping Kids Cope Act of 2021”
  • R. 5218, the “Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner”
  • R. 7073, the “Into the Light for Maternal Mental Health Act”
  • R. 7076, the “Supporting Children’s Mental Health Care Access Act of 2022”
  • R. 7232, the“9–8–8 and Parity Assistance Act of 2022”
  • R. 7233, the “Keeping Incarceration Discharges Streamlined for Children and Accommodating Resources in Education (KIDS CARES) Act”
  • R. 7234, the “Summer Barrow Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Act”
  • R. 7235, the “Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant Act of 2022” 
  • R. 7236, the “Strengthen Kids’ Mental Health Now Act of 2022”
  • R. 7237, the “Reauthorizing Evidence-based and Crisis Help Initiatives Needed to Generate (REACHING) Improved Mental Health Outcomes for Patients Act of 2022”
  • R. 7238, the “Timely Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Act of 2022” 
  • R. 7241, the “Community Mental Health Services Block Grant Reauthorization Act”
  • R. 7248, the “Continuing Systems of Care for Children Act”
  • R. 7249, the “Anna Westin Legacy Act of 2022”
  • R. 7254, the “Mental Health Justice and Parity Act of 2022” 
  • R. 7255, the “Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Reauthorization Act”

Senate

Sens. Baldwin and Cassidy Introduce Bill to Address Healthcare Cyber Infrastructure

On April 1, Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced the Protecting and Transforming Cyber Health Care (PATCH) Act. The bill would require manufacturers seeking premarket approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to meet cybersecurity requirements. The bill would also require that a plan be developed to monitor and address threats to postmarket cybersecurity.

Senate Advances Alvaro Bedoya’s Nomination to the Federal Trade Commission

On March 30, the Senate voted 50-50 to advance the nomination of Alvaro Bedoya as Federal Trade Commissioner. Vice President Kamala Harris cast the tiebreaking vote, and Bedoya’s nomination will face a final confirmation vote this week. If Bedoya is confirmed, he would break the current 2-2 partisan split of Federal Trade Commissioners and give the Commission a Democratic majority.

Members of the New Jersey Delegation Express Concern with the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Stability

On March 29, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Reps. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) wrote a letter to President Biden expressing their concern about the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain stability. Specifically, the letter raises concern with the exclusion of critical packaging components from the recent report on the supply chain prepared by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.

Read more on healthcare policy in McGuireWoods Consulting’s Washington Healthcare Update.