Week in Washington is brought to you by Michael Cohen, PhD. Tune in each week to read the latest on healthcare policy and get a glimpse of what’s on the horizon.
May 30, 2019: New and Notes of Note
Transparency: There are growing reports around the Trump Administration’s interest if increased price transparency is indeed serious. The Washington Post announced that an executive order, expected by mid-June, would require that the Executive branch create regulations that would require hospitals and insurers to release the discounted rates they negotiate for services.
HDHP and HSA: The IRS released the contribution limits for HSAs for 2020. For individuals the limits will be $3,550 under an HDHP. HDHP deductibles must fall between $1,400 and $6,900 for individuals.
Part D Cap Proposal: Politico reported that draft legislation was released in the House that would cap out-of-pocket costs for Medicare Part D beneficiaries. Under the proposed bill the cap would be set on the current catastrophic threshold. The sponsors are waiting for comments until June 6th before considering next steps.
CT Public Option in Trouble: After intense lobbying, it appears that the Connecticut plan to establish a public option will not pass. State officials noted that strong industry opposition resulted in the public option portion of the bill. Initially the state had proposed a government sponsored option that would be available to individual and small group consumers. It is unclear if the state will move ahead with its reinsurance proposal.
California HIV Proposal – California is seriously considering a bill that allow people to receive 30 days of PrEp (an HIV-prevention drug commonly known as Truvada) without a doctor’s prescription. The bill is designed to reduce the spread of HIV infection but faces opposition from the California Medical Association. The bill passed the California Senate and heads to the California House.
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Previous editions:
05/23/2019: Potential Healthcare Legislation Unveiled
05/17/2019: Surprise Billing-Proposed Laws
05/09/2019: Balanced Billing, New Regs & More
05/02/2019: Medicare for All, CBO Scores & More
04/25/2019: Demonstrations
4/11/2019: New Medicare Demo Announced
04/01/2019: Legislation Updates
03/29/2019: ACA Litigation, Work Requirements, & More
03/14/2019: President's Budget
03/07/2019: Regulations, Staff Changes, & News of Note
02/28/2019: Hearings, Hill Bills, and ACA Repair Plans
02/22/2019: Medicaid Expansion, MA Termination & More
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