We barely had the chance to see the cherry blossoms with all the activity going on in DC! House Republican leaders are seeking to move quickly on the compromise budget resolution that the Senate passed over the weekend, so work can begin on reconciliation legislation. Meanwhile, the administration is making moves on Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D. So, with that, let’s get into it. Welcome to the Week Ahead!
The Administration
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released its contract year 2026 Medicare Advantage and Part D final rule within 24 hours of CMS Administrator Oz being confirmed. Ironically, the final rule removes a provision from the Biden administration to expand Medicare coverage of GLP-1s, the obesity drugs of which Administrator Oz has been a proponent.
Speaking of rules, we are still waiting on the 5 calendar year payment rules, still under review at the Office of Management and Budget.
And don’t forget that Federal agency heads have until April 19 to submit deregulation plans in accordance with a February 19 Executive Order. We could see several health care regulations rolled back as part of this effort, including the nursing home staffing mandate and the Medicaid Managed Care Access rule implemented by the Biden administration. But Congressional Republicans have their eye on repealing the nursing home staffing rule to count toward their budget reconciliation savings goals.
The Senate
Despite impassioned arguments that the resolution would cut Medicaid and Medicare, and several votes on the subject, the Senate passed the compromise budget with only two Republicans, Sens. Collins (R-ME) and Paul (R-KY), voting against the bill. Movin’ on.
A couple key takeaways: Republicans passed an amendment with language they say will keep President Trump’s promise for no cuts in “patient benefits” for those on Medicare and Medicaid. Senate Democrats countered that the language was too vague to be of value.
Sen. Collins (R-ME) consistently voted for Democratic amendments related to Medicaid and Medicare and voted against the final budget. Sens. Murkowski (R-AK) and Hawley (R-MO) joined her in supporting many of these amendments, but in the end, they came home and voted yes on the budget.
How should we interpret that Hawley cosponsored the Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) amendment to strike the $880B savings directive to the House Energy and Commerce Committee? He’s paying close attention to Medicaid and Medicare in this bill; that’s all we can say for sure for now.
Looking ahead: The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) plans to markup S.932, Give Kids a Chance Act, which would reauthorize the rare pediatric disease priority review voucher program at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and gives the agency more authorities regarding molecularly targeted drugs.
The House
House Republican leadership wasted no time after the Senate passed its amended version of the budget resolution, sending a letter to their caucus saying they plan to vote on the budget resolution the week of April 7.
However, a lot still needs to happen before President Trump can sign his “big beautiful bill.” First, House Republican leadership will need to pass the amended budget resolution through the narrowly divided House. Only then can the door be unlocked for Republicans to pass a reconciliation bill that President Trump can sign. And as arduous as passing a budget resolution can be, it pales in comparison to the work of getting a final reconciliation bill passed. Especially one that will satisfy deficit hawks looking for large spending cuts and members who are wary of how said cuts will impact their constituents. We are already hearing about dissatisfaction from a significant number of House Republicans about the Senate version of the budget resolution, which complicates an already complicated situation.
House Health Hearings
- April 8: Ways and Means Health Subcommittee hearing on the biosimilar market
- April 9: Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the FDA and rooting out illicit products
- April 9: Appropriations Labor-HHS, and Education Subcommittee public witness day hearing
There You Have It
We’ve reached the final night of “the big dance,” with two teams facing off tonight in Texas for the championship. Who are you rooting for? Let us know. Make it a great week!