RECENT ANALYSIS
Commissioners React to Draft Medicare Payment Adequacy and Update Recommendations for 2027
On December 4-5, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) held a public meeting at which it considered a series of draft 2027 payment update recommendations to Medicare payment systems for inclusion in its March 2027 Report to Congress. MedPAC will vote on the Chair’s recommendations at its January meeting. The recommendations are non-binding and Congress would have to pass legislation… (Testa, December 5, 2025) #Home Health, #Hospice, #Hospitals, #Long-Term Care, #Physicians, #Post-Acute Care, #Skilled Nursing Facilities
ACIP Votes to Change Hepatitis B Birth Dose Vaccine Recommendation
On December 5, 2025 the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) held a meeting and voted on two measures regarding hepatitis B vaccination for infants. The vote was postponed yesterday due to confusion surrounding last-minute changes to voting language. The committee voted “yes” to both measures, recommending that hepatitis B vaccination be left up to individual-based decision-making for infants who are born to HBsAg-negative women,… (McClurg, December 5, 2025) #Pediatrics, #Public Health
Committee Reintroduces PBM Package Focused on Medicare Part D and Medicaid Provisions, Support for PBM Reform Grows on Capitol Hill
The Senate Finance Committee formally introduced the Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) Price Transparency and Accountability Act (press release). Overall, the bill features many of the same provisions from its 2023 package, including the following: Limiting PBM reimbursement to a bona fide service fee in Part D; Establishing Part D transparency requirements related to prescription drug prices and rebates, use of PBM-affiliated… (Slifer, December 5, 2025) #Medicare Part D, #Pharmacy Benefit Managers, #Prescription Drugs