The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report examining physician consolidation in the United States, a trend that has raised concerns about reduced competition and higher costs for patients, employers, insurers, and federal health programs. This study, requested in House Report 117-403, reviews existing research on the extent of physician consolidation and its potential effects on health care spending, prices,… (Eisen, September 23, 2025) #Costs, #Physicians, #Quality

On September 19, 2025, President Trump signed a proclamation restricting the entry of certain H-1B nonimmigrant workers by imposing a $100,000 fee on all new H-1B visa petitions, citing systemic abuse of the visa program (fact sheet). The administration’s reasoning centered on evidence that H-1B visas, initially designed to fill labor shortages with highly skilled foreign workers, have increasingly been used by IT… (Testa, Colocho, September 23, 2025) #Workforce

A group of 18 Senate Democrats, led by Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR), Special Committee on Aging Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), sent a letter requesting that the Trump Administration halt the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation’s (CMMI’s) WISeR model will… (McClurg, September 23, 2025) #Demonstration Programs, #Program Integrity

President Trump and senior officials at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a set of updates related to autism. Autism is a major priority of Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. Secretary Kennedy originally promised to have an announcement about the cause of by September, which many members… (McClurg, September 22, 2025) #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Public Health

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet held a hearing titled “AI at a Crossroads: A Nationwide Strategy or Californication?” to examine whether federal action should set a uniform baseline for AI or whether states should continue to experiment with their own rules. Witnesses and members agreed that some federal framework is needed, but… (Colocho, September 22, 2025) #Health Information Technology, #Privacy, #Transparency

The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) convened a session focused on Medicaid’s role in supporting health care transitions for justice-involved youth (JIY). MACPAC has been conducting work to better understand the unique needs and challenges of youth involved in the juvenile justice system and to examine how Medicaid policies can better support their transition from incarceration back… (Colocho, September 19, 2025) #Demonstration Programs, #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Wellness

The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) held a session to provide a background of behavioral health in Medicaid and the state Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), setting the stage for a forthcoming claims data analysis. The session highlighted the prevalence of behavioral health conditions among Medicaid and CHIP enrollees, reviewed the policy and delivery frameworks governing service… (Eisen, September 18, 2025) #Costs, #Mental and Behavioral Health

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a second Contract Year (CY) 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA) program and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program (Part D), Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) final rule to finalize the format of provider directories for Medicare Plan Finder. Additional… (Slifer, September 18, 2025) #Health Information Technology, #Insurance Reform, #Medicare Advantage

Today, the Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee convened a hearing to consider policies to enhance seniors’ access to breakthrough medical technologies. Overall, there was bipartisan support for the bills examined, with most of the discussion focused on the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act and the Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act of 2025…. (Slifer, September 18, 2025) #Coverage Decisions, #Medical Devices, #Prevention, #Public Health

The House Ways and Means (W&M) Subcommittee on Oversight convened a hearing to discuss the tax-exempt status of hospitals. Lawmakers and witnesses discussed concerns about whether current IRS requirements and reporting mechanisms sufficiently ensure that hospitals deliver meaningful services to their communities, especially in rural and underserved areas. Democrats also highlighted the impact of proposed federal health care policy changes… (Eisen, September 16, 2025) #Hospitals, #Rural Health