On June 3, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Azar v. Allina Health Services, stating that the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) improperly changed Medicare payment rates without notice.
Robert L. Fortson, a McGuireWoods partner and McGuireWoods Consulting senior vice president in Atlanta, was recently selected as a Distinguished Leader in the Daily Report’s 2019 Georgia Legal Awards.
In a June 18 opinion piece for Market Watch, McGuireWoods Consulting senior vice president, Ryan Bernstein, and research associate, Mariam Eatedali, reviewed the current state of the new USMCA trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada, and what is needed for ratification in these countries.
On May 23, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee released a discussion draft of the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019, which addresses pervasive, longtime issues within the U.S. health care system.
McGuireWoods Consulting senior vice president Michele Satterlund was elected president of the Metro Richmond Women’s Bar Association at the organization’s May 29 meeting. Satterlund, also a partner with McGuireWoods LLP, will focus on growing the association’s membership during her yearlong term.
On May 30, McGuireWoods Consulting vice president Danica Thompson presented the Marsy's Law for Georgia Award to U.S. Sen. David Perdue for his advocacy and support for expanding constitutional rights for victims of violent crimes.
This week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) neglected its statutory notice and comment obligations when it implemented a change to the Medicare disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payment formula.
McGuireWoods Consulting senior vice president, Stephanie Kennan, commented on the U.S. Supreme Court decision in a recent Medicare reimbursement case in a June 3 article for Inside Health Policy.
Time is of the essence these days at the North Carolina General Assembly. As the end of session draws closer and closer, legislators have been working diligently to put together some sort of compromise proposal on the state budget, while also pushing through any bills still waiting to have their day in committee. This was the second week of meetings for members of the budget conference committee.
This Week: Senate Commerce Subcommittee convenes drone security hearing, Hawley introduces plan to amend Section 230, Senate Commerce Committee discusses surface transportation reauthorization, USTR holds hearings on proposed tariffs on Chinese products, Congressman Collins appointed Co-Chair of Congressional Internet Caucus, FCC to vote on 2.5GHz spectrum at its July open meeting.
In his first legislative session, Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker ushered in a sharp reversal from the previous four years of austerity under Republican Governor Bruce Rauner with a bipartisan budget that included over $1 billion in new appropriations.
This week in Washington: The Senate continues to hold hearings on the cost of health care, the House will hold hearings on the federal approach to opioid treatment and strengthening health care in the U.S. territories.
Your weekly North Carolina political news report.
The House brought its first FY20 appropriations bills to the floor in a “minibus” that included the Labor-Health and Human Services-Education, Defense, State-Foreign Operations, Energy-Water, and Legislative Branch bills last week and is expected to vote on the package early this week.
North Carolina lawmakers met this week to discuss a wide range of bills, taking on some of the more controversial issues of the session, and to compete in their annual milk-chugging competition. Meanwhile, other members and the public await a joint state budget proposal currently being discussed in conference committee. Both the House and the Senate will reconvene next week on Monday, June 17, with the House meeting at 7:30PM and the Senate at 2:00PM.
This Week: House Judiciary Subcommittee convenes first hearing on online platforms and market power, FCC commissioners appear before Senate Commerce Committee, G20 Finance Ministers agree on path forward for digital tax, FTC hosts final competition and consumer protection hearing.
Congressional leaders will continue to negotiate towards a budget agreement, House will resume consideration of its second FY20 minibus and Senate will consider the National Defense Authorization Act.
The federal government's decision to include Medicare Part C enrollees with Medicare Part A enrollees when calculating disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments is the impetus behind this case. The policy of combining beneficiaries reduced DSH payments to hospitals because Medicare Advantage patients tend to have higher incomes. Thus, if a hospital is deemed to be treating wealthier patients, the hospital will receive fewer DSH dollars.
The Food and Drug Administration launched a pilot program to strengthen the security of the supply and distribution chains of prescription drugs, with the following companies selected to work a joint blockchain network that tracks the movement of pharmaceutical products in real time.
Senate Appropriations Committee will markup a supplemental funding bill on securing the border, Leader McConnell is expected to bring the NDAA to the floor and the House will vote on its first FY20 minibus.
The House will start bringing FY20 appropriations bills to the floor, the Senate will continue to consider pending nominations and the House continues to mark up the FY20 National Defense Authorization Act.
Senate leadership continues to negotiate an aid package to deliver supplemental funding to disaster-stricken areas around the country, the House will take up legislation that packages together a number of bills aimed at lowering prescription drug prices, the Senate may expedite the consideration of bipartisan legislation aimed at curbing abusive robocalls and the Senate continues to process pending judicial and executive branch nominations.
House Appropriations Committee continues to consider FY20 spending bills, Senate continues to confirm as many of over 100 pending nominations as possible and McConnell and Pelosi to hold debt ceiling negotiations.
Appropriations and authorizing committees continue to hear from department and agency heads on the President's FY20 budget proposal, additional hearings on drug pricing, discussions around infrastructure and Attorney General Barr to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.