Trump Endorses House GOP One-Bill Approach
President Donald Trump came out today in favor of the House GOP’s one-bill approach, surprising the Senate which felt he was taking a wait-and-see, go-slow approach on the issue. The one bill approach has steep spending reduction targets in it. Still, the fate of the House bill is uncertain. Speaker Mike Johnson can afford to lose no more than one vote on the reconciliation bill. Several moderates have expressed concerns on healthcare cuts. Some conservatives are complaining cuts are not deep enough.
While leaders claim healthcare cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will not disrupt coverage, the savings targets could make that promise difficult to keep. Some conservatives are arguing that reductions in state reimbursement or even how much the federal government contributes should occur, which undoubtedly would impact coverage. Reining in provider taxes could also impact state financing schemes and require them to cover funding with more state budget dollars.
Additional articles: https://www.modernhealthcare.com/providers/medicaid-cuts-home-care-kff and https://insidehealthpolicy.com/daily-news/senate-democrats-blast-trump-endorsing-house-budget-plan-continue-warning-medicaid-cuts and https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/republicans-medicaid-cuts-congress-state-federal-budgets-insurance-explainer/ and https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5154428-moderate-republicans-oppose-house-budget-resolution/ and https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5153342-senate-gop-leader-reacts-trump-budget/?tbref=hp and https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/medicaid/114286 and https://thehill.com/homenews/5153990-house-republicans-budget-resolution-trump-agenda/?tbref=hp
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#budgetreconciliation #congress #trump #healthcare #coverage #spending
https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/medicaid-faces-severe-cuts-new-budget-framework
New FTC Chairman Supports Rigorous Oversight
New Chairman Andrew Ferguson said that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will continue to use stricter guidelines implemented by the Biden administration in reviewing corporate mergers. This is a sign that the Trump administration takes seriously the negative costs and quality impacts of consolidations and mergers in healthcare.
#manda #mergers #acquisitions #ftc
https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/trump-ftc-retains-stricter-merger-guidelines/740307
Oz Will Divest If Approved As CMS Head
Dr. Mehmet Oz will divest stakes worth millions of dollars in numerous healthcare companies if he is confirmed as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
(Article may require a subscription.)
#oz #hhs #cms #healthcare
https://www.modernhealthcare.com/politics-policy/mehmet-oz-investments-cms-hearing
Humana’s CenterWell To Expand
Humana’s senior-focused primary care division CenterWell will expand throughout 2025. The expansion plans include centers in four new markets: Augusta and Savannah in Georgia, North Carolina’s Triad Region and Wichita, Kansas. Between CenterWell and Conviva, the team plans to open between 20 and 30 new centers in existing markets across 11 states.
In other news, Centene and one of its subsidiaries will pay $11 million to settle allegations the company falsely certified its compliance with cybersecurity requirements.
Further, the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) legal action against the three largest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) will move forward after a federal judge rejected the PBMs’ bid to halt the case.
Last, a good article on how fallout in the provider community continues after the Change Healthcare cyberattack. The federal response to the attack has been abysmal and federal regulators have done little to hold UnitedHealthcare accountable for its poor planning, security risks, and response.
Additional articles: https://www.beckerspayer.com/payer/centene-to-pay-11m-to-settle-cybersecurity-flaw-allegations.html and https://www.modernhealthcare.com/legal/cvs-caremark-express-scripts-optumrx-ftc-insulin and https://www.modernhealthcare.com/providers/change-healthcare-data-breach-anniversary
(Some articles may require a subscription.)
#humana #primarycare #providers #healthcare #pbms #drugpricing #cyberattacks #changehealthcare
https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/providers/humanas-centerwell-unit-plans-further-expansion-2025
Trump To Meet With Big Pharma
After bemoaning the costs of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, President Trump will meet with representatives of Big Pharma. On the agenda is to influence Trump’s approach on Medicare drug price negotiations and to gain additional drug exemptions.
In other news, Trump’s order to have all independent agencies submit proposed regulations to the White House could mean more White House input and intervention on healthcare antitrust, drug regulation, and pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) issues. In anticipation of the meeting, the drug manufacturer trade group released an innovation report.
Additional articles: https://insidehealthpolicy.com/inside-drug-pricing-daily-news/trump-may-steer-ftc-s-drug-pricing-agenda-he-takes-control and https://insidehealthpolicy.com/inside-drug-pricing-daily-news/phrma-releases-report-aligned-maha-ahead-meeting-trump
(Articles may require a subscription.)
#ira #drugpricing #pbms #branddrugmakers #ftc #antitrust
https://insidehealthpolicy.com/inside-drug-pricing-daily-news/phrma-meet-trump-week-first-talks
— Marc S. Ryan
