This week (April 27-May 1)

Both the House and Senate are in session this week.

House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing with "Health System CEOs."

• Date: Tuesday, April 28 at 10AM ET
• More information available here.

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee will hold a hearing to "Consider Pending Legislation"

• Date: Wednesday, April 29 at 4PM ET
• More information available here.

House Appropriations Committee will hold a markup of "FY 2027 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill."

• Date: Wednesday, April 29 at 10AM ET
• More information available here.

Last week (April 20-24)

Congressional Highlights

Senate approves budget resolution. The Senate early April 23 approved by a 50-48 vote the Republican-authored FY 2026 budget resolution that instructs the House and Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees to write legislation that funds the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agencies of the Department of Homeland Security. A vote-a-rama process of unlimited amendment votes preceded the final vote and featured several health-related amendments that did not garner the needed votes to pass:

• Not agreed to, 50-48: Motion to waive the Budget Act with respect to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) amendment to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to extending the prohibition on Medicaid payments to abortion providers.
• Not agreed to, 49-49: Motion to waive the Budget Act with respect to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) amendment to reduce the price of prescription drugs in the US by more than 50% by adopting Most Favored Nation drug pricing so that the American people pay no more for prescription drugs than Europeans or Canadians.
• Not agreed to, 48-50: Motion to waive the Budget Act with respect to Sen Ron Wyden (D-OR) Amendment requiring the Comptroller General of the US to conduct a study on economic consequences of private or confidential drug pricing agreements struck by any Federal office with any pharmaceutical manufacturer.
• Not agreed to, 47-51: Motion to waive the Budget Act with respect to Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) amendment to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to increasing funding for childcare for families.
• Not agreed to, 49-49: Motion to waive the Budget Act with respect to Sen. Jon Ossoff (R-GA) amendment to create a point of order against reconciliation legislation that fails to address the practice of insurance companies stepping between patients and their doctors to delay or deny access to care.
• Not agreed to, 48-50: Motion to waive the budget point of order with respect to the Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) amendment to create a point of order against reconciliation legislation that does not lower out-of-pocket health care costs while Americans struggle to make ends meet.

House passes bipartisan health care bills. On Tuesday (April 21), the House voted to pass several health care-related bills:

• The Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 2493), passed in a 406 to 4 vote;
• A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs (H.R. 3419), passed by voice vote; and
• The Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2025 (H.R. 2319), passed by voice vote.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Republican leadership introduces data privacy bill. On Wednesday (April 22), Rep. John Joyce (R-PA), the Leader of the Data Privacy Working Group and Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair, introduced the SECURE Data Act (H.R. 8413), which would establish a national privacy and data security standard that would pre-empt state laws. The bill exempts Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) covered entities, federal governments, nonprofits, and more.

Senate Democrats release report, legislation on MFN deal transparency. On Tuesday (April 21), Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden (D-OR) and 17 other Senate Democrats released a report that details concerns about the White House's Most Favored Nation deals. The lawmakers also unveiled a bill, the Drug Deal Disclosure Act, that would require HHS to publicly release all documentation associated with the agreements and direct the Congressional Budget Office and the Government Accountability Office to conduct an independent analysis of their impacts on U.S. patients and taxpayers.

Administrative Highlights

Trump Admin reaches MFN deal with Regeneron. On Thursday (April 23), the White House announced it signed a Most Favored Nation agreement with Regeneron, bringing the total number of MFN deals to 17. The deal reflects those announced with other drug manufacturers. The White House said Regeneron will sell certain drugs, including Praluent and Otarmeni, on TrumpRx at no-cost or reduced prices; sell drugs to state Medicaid programs at MFN prices; offer newly launched medicines at MFN pricing; and repatriate increased foreign revenue on existing products that are gained "as a result of the President's strong America First US trade policies for the benefit of American patients." As part of the agreement, Regeneron also committed to investing $27 billion in U.S. R&D and manufacturing by 2029 in exchange for three years of tariff relief.

CMS Medicare Director Chris Klomp said the 17 agreements signed to date represent 86% of the brand-name drug market in the U.S. and said the administration is "negotiating with the many hundreds of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies representing that other 14 percent."

AHRQ seeks nominations for USPSTF. On Tuesday (April 21), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) issued a request for nominations for individuals to serve on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The request seeks nominees from a range of specialties, including preventive medicine and health economics. Nominations are due May 23 for appointments that would begin in June 2026.

CMS to require states to reverify providers. On Thursday (April 23), CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz sent a letter to all 50 Governors calling upon their Medicaid programs to "undertake a swift revalidation of Medicaid providers of services at high risk of waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption." The letter gives governors 10 business days (until May 7) to inform CMS whether the state intends to carry out the revalidation and if so, on what timetable. The letter warns "that failure to carry out swift revalidation" will be considered as CMS evaluates the likelihood of fraud moving forward.

CMS delays BALANCE model implementation. This week, CMS announced that it will delay the voluntary BALANCE model due to low insurer participation. The model, which aims to increase access to GLP-1 medications, was scheduled to launch in Medicare Part D in 2027. Instead, CMS said it will extend the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Section 402 demonstration that begins on July 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027, to give insurers more time to collect data and provide eligible Medicare Part D beneficiaries with access to certain GLP-1 drugs paid for by the federal government. The Medicaid version of the model is still expected to launch in May, with applications open to states through July 31.

CMS, FDA announce RAPID pathway. On Thursday, the Trump Administration announced a new Medicare coverage pathway for devices the FDA designates as breakthroughs. The Regulatory Alignment for Predictable and Immediate Device (RAPID) coverage pathway is designed to accelerate access to certain FDA-designated Class II and Class III breakthrough devices for Medicare beneficiaries. CMS said it will pause the Transitional Coverage for Emerging Technologies pathway for new candidates as the agency works to implement RAPID.

President Trump signs EO on accelerating mental illness treatments. On Saturday (April 18), President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the federal agencies to take steps to accelerate access to treatments for patients with serious mental illness. It directs the FDA to provide national priority vouchers to psychedelic drugs that meet the program's criteria and have received a breakthrough therapy designation and to establish, in coordination with the Drug Enforcement Agency, a pathway for patients to access psychedelic drugs under the Right to Try Act. The EO also directs HHS to allocate $50 million through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to support state programs that advance psychedelic drugs for serious mental illness and for HHS, FDA, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to collaborate with the private sector on increasing clinical trial participation and data sharing related to psychedelic drugs.

Since signing the EO, ARPA-H announced the Evidence-Based Validation & Innovation for Rapid Therapeutics in Behavioral Health (EVIDENT) initiative, which will fund up to $139.4 million to help spur new, effective therapies for behavioral health. The FDA also offered priority review of psychedelic drugs from three drug manufacturers.

Hearings, Markups, and Other Committee Activity

HHS FY 2027 budget request committee hearings. This week, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before four congressional committees. During his testimony, the Secretary provided an overview of the department's work to combat chronic disease, lower drug prices, and improve the health of Americans, with an emphasis on nutrition.

• House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee. On Tuesday (April 21), the Subcommittee held a hearing during which Republicans spoke in favor of the Administration's efforts to control fraud, waste, and abuse and the focus on nutrition and prevention, and Democrats spoke against the Administration's messaging and policies on vaccines and proposed cuts to public health programs and medical research.
• Senate Appropriations Committee. On Tuesday (April 21), the Committee held a hearing during which Republicans spoke in favor of HHS' promotion of unprocessed foods and raised concerns about the mental health impacts of social media on youth and 340B Drug Pricing Program growth. Democrats raised concerns about the Secretary's past comments on vaccines, abortion access, and cuts to research funding. Members from both parties expressed support for maintaining NIH funding.
• Senate Finance Committee. On Wednesday (April 22), the Committee held a hearing during which Republicans spoke favorably of investments in rural health and efforts to address waste, fraud, and abuse, while Democrats raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the Administration's MFN deals and the Secretary's vaccine messaging and the impact on public health. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle also raised questions on the impacts of proposed cuts to public health agencies.
• Senate HELP Committee. On Wednesday (April 22), the Committee held a hearing during which there was bipartisan support for the Administration's nutrition policies and bipartisan concern about rising prescription drug prices and reductions to the NIH and other public health agencies. Democrats and a few Republicans raised concerns with the Secretary's comments and policies related to vaccines, with Democrats also raising concerns about environmental health, including the executive order related to glyphosate.

House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on "Protecting Patients and Taxpayers: Cracking Down on Medicare Fraud." On Tuesday (April 21), the Committee held a hearing during which members heard testimony from a panel of witnesses representing victims of Medicare fraud, hospices, accountable care organizations, insurers, and consultants. During the hearing Democrats spoke about the importance of strong program oversight, raising concerns about funding and staffing cuts to inspectors general. Republicans spoke in favor of modernizing CMS' fraud capabilities to eliminate the pay-and-chase model and better leverage artificial intelligence.

House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing on "Profits Over Patients: The PBM Business Model Under Scrutiny." On Wednesday (April 22), the Subcommittee held a hearing during which they heard from a panel of witnesses representing employers, consultants, academics, and policy experts. During the hearing, there was bipartisan support for building on recently enacted PBM reforms to reduce the impact of hidden fees and kickbacks on patients' drug costs.

House Appropriations Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Subcommittee held a markup of "FY 2027 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill." On Thursday (April 23), the Subcommittee advanced a FY 2027 spending bill that would increase the FDA's spending by about $200 million. The bill now goes to the full committee.

Reports, Studies, and Journals

• Government Accountability Office: Medicare: CMS's Use of Data Analytics to Identify and Prevent Fraud. The report examines CMS's use of data analytics on claims in traditional Medicare to identify patterns indicative of fraud, noting that CMS did not begin sharing information about Medicare provider payment suspensions with supplemental payers until December 2025.
• Congressional Budget Office: How Changes in Economic Conditions Might Affect the Federal Budget: 2026 to 2036. The report provides budget projections for federal programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, under four scenarios: slower than projected productivity growth, slower than projected labor growth, higher interest rates than projected, and higher inflation and interest rates than projected.