The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) held the 2025 Quality Conference in Baltimore, MD, July 1-2. The conference’s theme was “Make America Healthy: Improving Health Outcomes Through Prevention, Quality, and Safety,” and included a variety of panel discussions with administration officials and representatives from stakeholder organizations. Topics of discussion included: artificial intelligence (AI); interoperability; quality measurement; combating fraud,… (Testa, July 3, 2025) #Care Coordination, #Chronic Diseases, #Delivery Reform, #Demonstration Programs, #Health Information Technology, #Medical Devices, #Nutrition, #Prevention, #Program Integrity, #Quality, #Transparency, #Wellness

The House passed the Senate Amendment to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), by a vote of 218-214. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) joined Democrats in voting no on the bill. President Trump is expected to sign the FY 2025 budget reconciliation bill tomorrow.   The bill makes significant health policy changes, including: Medicaid: Work requirements no later than… (Llamas, July 1, 2025) #Hospitals, #Physicians, #Prescription Drugs

A group of Democratic senators, including Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Cory Booker (D-NJ), sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) urging them to reverse deep cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) included in the budget reconciliation bill (Sen. Warner letter). They… (Colocho, July 2, 2025) #Affordable Care Act, #Costs, #Insurance Coverage

In its final decisions of the 2024–2025 term, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a series of rulings with significant implications for health care access, civil rights, immigration policy, education, and more. The Court’s conservative majority continued to shape federal authority and individual rights across key areas, including Medicaid, gender-affirming care, preventive health coverage under the Affordable Care Act, and birthright… (Joyce, Eisen, July 1, 2025) #Affordable Care Act, #Social Determinants of Health, #Women’s Health

Today, the Senate advanced its version of the budget reconciliation package, the Senate Amendment to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), by a vote of 51-50, with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie. Republican Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Rand Paul (R-KY) joined Democrats in voting no on the bill.   The House Rules… (Llamas, July 1, 2025) #Hospitals, #Physicians, #Prescription Drugs

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its calendar year (CY) 2026 end-stage renal disease (ESRD) prospective payment system (PPS) proposed rule (fact sheet). Details follow. What it is. This proposed rule outlines ESRD PPS payment policies applying to dialysis facilities beginning on or after January 1, 2026. The rule also includes an update to the acute kidney… (Eisen, June 30, 2025) <span style="font-size:90%;