Health Care

The Massachusetts Senate voted unanimously to pass its FY2017 state budget just before midnight on Thursday, May 26. The spending plan, which totals $39.558 billion, spends $60 million more than Governor Baker’s proposal and $50 million more than the House plan approved last month. 

The pharmacy industry is under increasing scrutiny from all angles. Whether at the legislative or agency level, Washington as well as many states seem intent on addressing perceived issues surrounding drug pricing, reimbursement, and program integrity.

Here in Washington, it seems everyone has an idea on a drug “fix”:  amendments to the provisions governing Medicare reimbursement, new rebate requirements, changes to price reporting measures, revisions to the 340B Drug Discount Program, etc. Proposals are interesting, but will Congress actually do anything?  If anything is actually going to pass, it has to get through the Senate.

Following our first panel discussing Drug Pricing Challenges and Opportunities, the second panel, which Theresa is moderating involves a subject near and dear to the heart of many of our clients: The New Wave of Value-Based Pricing and Contracting.

We are thrilled that our inaugural Pharmacy Industry Summit is now less than a week away.  The Summit is next Tuesday May 10th, 2016, here in our DC offices.  Since we started planning for the Summit many months ago, this hottest of topics that we chose to cover, drug pricing, has become even hotter.

In a unanimous vote of 156-0, the Massachusetts House of Representatives approved a $39.56 billion spending plan for FY2017 on April 27. Over three days, the House considered more than 1,300 amendments to pass a final budget that allocates approximately $10 million more than Governor Baker’s spending plan, but closely resembles his proposals.

The pharmacy industry is under increasing scrutiny from all angles. Whether at the legislative or agency level, Washington as well as many states seem intent on addressing perceived issues surrounding drug pricing, reimbursement, and program integrity.

This morning the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) will hold its third and final markup for its biomedical innovations package. This package is a compliment to the House-passed 21st Century Cures Act, which the House passed in July of 2015.

The next work period basically runs from April 4 to May 27, with both chambers adjourning for a week long recess the week of May 2. Following this work period, there will be five weeks left on the legislative calendar before Congress recesses for Summer.

This morning, the Senate HELP Committee will hold an executive session regarding the Mental Health Reform Act of 2016, a comprehensive mental health package negotiated in part by the Senate HELP Committee and the Administration.

Today, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed a bill that offers long-awaited measures aimed at tackling the state’s growing opioid abuse crisis. After receiving House and Senate approval last week and spending seven weeks in conference committee negotiations, the bill will now become law.

On March 10, the Senate voted unanimously to pass a bill that offers long-awaited measures aimed at tackling the state’s growing opioid abuse crisis. After House approval the previous day and seven weeks of conference committee negotiations, the bill is now on the governor’s desk, and is poised to become law.

The next Hill work period basically runs from February 22 to March 18. As Congress returns, here’s a brief look at the pending health care issues on the radar for this work period.

In late January, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released the much anticipated Covered Outpatient Drugs Final Rule with Comment (the “AMP Final Rule”).

Earlier today, my colleagues at ML Strategies published the Washington Outlook for 2016, offering their insights about what we might expect from Capitol Hill and the Administration in the coming year.

Welcome to 2016 and our annual look at what’s in store for the United States Congress in the coming year. Here you will find a preview of the US legislative agenda as well as a look at the Obama Administration’s regulatory plans.

This week’s ML Strategies Health Care Update highlights the recent Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) forum on prescription drug costs, which featured players from every corner of the industry, including top government officials.

On Tuesday, ML Strategies (MLS) posted its weekly Health Care Update, which provides information from the previous week on a variety of important health-care-related topics.

On November 12th and 13th, the Food and Drug Administration hosted genome scientists from across the nation at its campus in White Oak, Maryland.

On Monday November 2, 2015, ML Strategies released another edition of its Health Care Update. This publication provides timely information on implementation of the Affordable Care Act, Congressional initiatives affecting the health care industry, and federal and state health regulatory developments.