Is Bipartisanship Alive?
While the One Big Beautiful Bill was ultra-partisan, Republicans and Democrats showed they could come together last week when they cleared a first-ever crypto bill. With the House in this week and the Senate in this week and next, Congress has only a handful of workdays before they head back to their districts and states to connect with constituents. Can health care policy be bipartisan too? Let’s find out – welcome to the Week Ahead!
The Administration
Things seem a little unsettled over at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointing Matt Buckham as acting chief of staff to replace Heather Flick Melanson, who lasted six months in the role. Buckham is currently Kennedy’s White House liaison for HHS, overseeing recruitment of political appointees with the agency.
Maybe it’s because there are so many pending lawsuits against HHS? The administration is appealing a federal court order that blocked the from cutting $11 billion in public health grants. In April, 23 states and DC sued HHS for arbitrarily freezing funds meant for vaccine access, emergency preparedness, mental health and substance abuse programs, and infectious disease tracking. A federal judge in Rhode Island issued a preliminary injunction in May, halting the funding freeze.
This case, Colorado v. Kennedy, is one of several challenges HHS is facing over federal health funding cuts. In Washington, DC, a separate court granted four municipalities a preliminary injunction over similar infectious disease grant cuts. Meanwhile, a federal judge in Massachusetts vacated Trump-era NIH funding reductions targeting research on gender and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The Senate
Could MilCon-VA be a bellwether of a September shutdown? The Senate is set to take a critical appropriations vote to fund military construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs, a vote which could offer important insight into the likelihood of a government shutdown at the end of September. Although the bill advanced unanimously out of committee, a lack of support from Senate Democrats on the floor may indicate broader resistance to cooperating on appropriations. Prior to passage of President Trump’s recissions request, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) warned that it would “poison” any bipartisan goodwill needed to negotiate the 12 annual spending bills, which need 60 votes to pass the Senate. Given the backlash Democrats faced from their political base for avoiding a shutdown earlier this year, they may be more willing to let it happen this time —especially in light of Sen. Schumer’s recent warnings.
The House
Medicare Advantage is back in the spotlight at a House Ways and Means joint subcommittee hearing on “lessons learned and future opportunities.” Citing rapid growth and possible need for “targeted improvements,” the hearing could bring out bipartisan interest in addressing coding intensity adjustments, prior authorization, and utilization management. The committee includes both strong supporters and vocal critics of MA.
Policymakers are eyeing MA as a possible funding source to pay for health care provisions that are set to expire on September 30 such as telehealth flexibilities and community health center funding. Given the potentially significant savings involved, physician groups have been hinting at using MA changes to offset the costs of a longer-term “doc fix” or broader physician payment reforms.
CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz will meet with House Ways and Means Democrats and Republicans on July 23 to discuss agency priorities that fall within the Committee’s jurisdiction. Certain to come up is the pending $50B rural health transformation fund which states are scrambling to understand how to use to offset expected payment cuts to health care providers from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Other House Health Care Hearings
July 22: House Energy and Commerce Oversight Subcommittee hearing on organ procurement
There You Have It
The annual Perseid meteor shower starts this week and will last through August 23. Caused by Earth passing through the debris of the Swift-Tuttle comet, these meteors are particularly bright and quick. Did you watch the Perseids when you were a kid? Aren’t we all still kids at heart? Let us know! Make it a great week!
