The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform convened a full committee markup of nine bills aimed at expanding the power of the Trump Administration and authorizing the continuation of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) activities. Throughout the lengthy session, Democratic members pushed for amendments to strengthen checks and balances, defend federal agencies, and protect federal workers, while Republicans framed the bills as… (Eisen, March 25, 2025) #Workforce

The Senate Finance Committee voted to advance Dr. Mehmet Oz as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sending his nomination to the full Senate for confirmation. The markup follows his confirmation hearing with the Committee on March 14th (Impact summary). Dr. Oz was approved in a  14-13 party-line vote. With a GOP Senate majority,  Dr. Oz is expected to be… (McClurg, March 25, 2025) #Insurance Coverage, #Medicare Advantage

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a further 60-day delay in the implementation of the final rule on “Nonprescription Drug Product With an Additional Condition for Nonprescription Use” (ACNU). Originally published on December 26, 2024, with an effective date of January 27, 2025 (Impact Health summary), the rule was first postponed to March 21, 2025, following a Regulatory Freeze… (Colocho, March 21, 2025) #Food and Drug Administration

Today, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the Biden Administration’s final rule, the Expansion of Buprenorphine Treatment via Telemedicine Encounter, will now take effect December 31, 2025. The final rule was initially scheduled to take effect on February 18, 2025, and the Trump Administration delayed the effective date to March… (Marceno, March 20, 2025) #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Opioids, #Public Health

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new Chemical Contaminants Transparency Tool database. The tool will provide a consolidated list of contaminant levels, tolerances, action levels, and guidance levels in human foods. These contaminants include a broad range of chemical substances that may be present in food due to the growing and production processes and have the potential to cause harm. The FDA uses… (McClurg, March 20, 2025) #Nutrition

President Trump signed an executive order (EO) entitled, “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy.” The EO directs seven entities to reduce their functions and personnel to the minimum amount required by law. This includes the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), and the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Within seven days (by… (Colocho, March 19, 2025) #Grants, #Housing, #Public Health

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a report and datasets on the implementation of the Federal Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process during the first six months of 2024. CMS also released a list of certified IDR entities and their fees. Key Takeaways from the IDR Report In the report, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor,… (Llamas, March 19, 2025) #Costs, #Hospitals, #Physicians

Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take action on infant formula to ensure its quality, safety, and nutritional adequacy and keep the supply chain resilient. The planned actions include: Starting the nutrient review as required by law, and planning for a request for information (RFI) to start… (McClurg, March 18, 2025) #Nutrition, #Pediatrics

The Senate Finance Committee (SFC) convened a hearing to consider the nomination of Dr. Mehmet Oz to serve as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Democrats largely focused on the potential impact of Medicaid cuts through reconciliation. Dr. Oz admitted that he is not familiar with the details of the proposal and avoided taking a stance on Medicaid aside… (McClurg, March 17, 2025) #Drug Pricing, #Health Information Technology, #Medicare Advantage, #Program Integrity, #Rural Health, #Telehealth

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) released its March 2025 Report to Congress. The first nine chapters review Medicare payment policy, payment adequacy indicators, and the Commission’s recommendations for updating 2026 payments across sectors of fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare. MedPAC recommends higher-than-current-law payment updates for acute care hospitals and physicians, and an update equal to current law for outpatient dialysis facilities…. (Testa, March 13, 2025) #Ambulatory Surgical Centers, #Cost-Sharing, #Costs, #Coverage Decisions, #Home Health, #Hospice, #Hospitals, #Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities, #Medicare Advantage, #Medicare Part D, #Physicians, #Primary Care, #Quality, #Readmissions, #Risk Adjustment, #Skilled Nursing Facilities