The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a proposed rule that would eliminate the up-to-60-day grace period currently available to certain employment-based nonimmigrants after their employment ends. The change would apply to individuals in E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B, H-1B1, L-1, O-1, and TN status, as well as their dependents. Under current regulations, these individuals generally may remain in an authorized… (Colocho, September 11, 2026) #Immigration, #Workforce

In our latest artificial intelligence (AI) policy roundup, we cover recent federal developments across health care AI, agentic AI, cybersecurity, liability, congressional oversight, and technical standards. Health care remains an increasingly prominent area of federal AI activity, with ARPA-H launching a major effort to develop FDA-authorized agentic AI for cardiovascular care, FDA creating its first agency-wide technology and AI leadership… (Colocho, September 11, 2026) #Artificial Intelligence, #Food and Drug Administration, #Grants

Today, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rescinded its 2021 Policy Statement on Breaches by Health Apps and Other Connected Devices, which addressed applying the Health Breach Notification Rule to health apps and connected devices that collect consumers’ health information (press release). The FTC determined that the policy statement had been superseded by rulemaking and provided “minimal benefit” following the FTC’s… (Eisen, September 9, 2026) #Health Information Technology, #Privacy

The Department of Labor (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued a new Field Assistance Bulletin to provide additional information on how DOL will enforce the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) nonquantitative treatment limitation (NQTL) requirements. MHPAEA established that group health plans and health insurers generally cannot offer health coverage that contains more restrictive requirements on behavioral… (Marceno, September 9, 2026) #Coverage Decisions, #Insurance Coverage, #Mental and Behavioral Health

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has recently awarded over $380 million in grants to support behavioral health prevent, treatment and national crisis response systems. The largest portion of this grant funding, over $250 million, is dedicated to supporting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Additional information… (Marceno, September 8, 2026) #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Opioids, #Prevention

The Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC) convened a session on a new workplan on ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs). MedPAC staff presented on the volume of services, payment, recent regulatory changes, and ASC ownership. Commissioners responded positively to the proposed workplan, and Chair Amol Navathe, University of Pennsylvania, stated he intends to revisit this topic in January as part of the ASC status… (Marceno, September 4, 2026) #Ambulatory Surgical Centers, #Costs

The Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC) convened a session to describe preliminary analysis of the use of post-acute care (PAC) services by beneficiaries in fee-for-service (FFS) and Medicare Advantage (MA). Staff presented the initial findings of descriptive analyses of MA and FFS PAC utilization, lengths of stay, and PAC “pathways” linking different settings. The findings presented today were not adjusted for beneficiary… (McClurg, September 4, 2026) #Home Health, #Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities, #Medicare Advantage, #Post-Acute Care, #Skilled Nursing Facilities

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) convened a session to examine emerging challenges in the Medicare Part D program and potential policy directions for addressing recent spending growth. Staff emphasized that Part D continues to perform well on several measures, including high enrollment and beneficiary satisfaction, broad plan choice, and high generic utilization. At the same time, the Inflation Reduction… (Colocho, September 3, 2026) #Biosimilars, #Medicare Part D, #Prescription Drugs

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) convened a session to discuss a draft of its annual context chapter on Medicare payment policy, planned for inclusion in the March 2027 Report to Congress. The presentation focused on health care spending trends, beneficiaries’ ability to afford care, and provider consolidation. Staff highlighted rapid growth in national health care and Medicare spending; the shift from Part… (Testa, September 3, 2026) #Cost-Sharing, #Costs, #Hospitals, #Medicare Advantage, #Medicare Part D, #Medigap, #Physicians, #Post-Acute Care, #Quality