This Week in Washington: White House Releases National Drug Control Strategy
Congress
House
Reps. Rodgers, Guthrie and Griffith Call on Secretary Becerra to Investigate Cause of Overdose Deaths
On April 20, Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Morgan Griffith (R-VA) wrote to Health and Human Services Department (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra calling for the Department to investigate the cause of overdose deaths in the U.S.
Reps. Porter, DeLauro and Schakowsky and Sen. Warren Call on CMS to Address Medicare Advantage Program Overpayments
On April 20, Reps. Katie Porter (D-CA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) along with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) wrote to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure expressing their concern about overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans. The letter calls on CMS to mitigate payment increases to keep them in line with Medicare and increase transparency within Medicare Advantage.
Rep. Kelly Calls for Action on Medicaid Priorities
On April 18, Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), on behalf of the Congressional Tri-Caucus, wrote to President Biden and congressional leadership calling for the inclusion of four Medicaid provisions in the next economic reconciliation agreement. The four policies Rep. Kelly is pursuing include: 12 months of continuous Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility, 12 months of Medicaid and CHIP postpartum coverage and a solution to close the Medicaid coverage gap in states that have not expanded coverage.
Reps. Buchanan, Kelly and Wenstrup Reintroduce the American Innovation Act
On April 18, Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) reintroduced the American Innovation Act. The bill, which passed the House in 2018 with bipartisan support, aims to facilitate the creation of American drug companies by providing special tax treatment.
Senate
Sens. Whitehouse and Markey Ask NIH About Slow Pace of Long COVID Research
On April 20, Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Edward Markey (D-MA) wrote to the Acting Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Lawrence Tabak requesting information on why research into post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, or “long COVID,” is taking such a slow pace. In the letter, the senators note that Congress requested that the NIH study the long-term effects of COVID-19 over two years ago.
Read more on healthcare policy in McGuireWoods Consulting’s Washington Healthcare Update.