29 June 2026 This Week in Health Policy for June 29 The House is scheduled to be in session this week, while the Senate is in recess until July 13. This Week in Health Policy will not publish ahead of the July 4 holiday but will resume publishing when both the House and Senate return from recess. House Education and Workforce HELP Subcommittee will hold a hearing on "Direct Contracting: A Prescription for Lower Health Care Costs."
Cassidy unveils 340B reforms. On Thursday (June 25), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) released a discussion draft outlining several reforms to the 340B Drug Pricing Program. The discussion draft includes new reporting requirements for covered entities and would allow drug manufacturers to reimburse 340B drugs via a retrospective rebate and/or require claims data submission. The bill also would place limits on covered entities' use of contract pharmacy arrangements and child sites, as well as establish a new definition of a "340B patient." Comments on the proposal are due by August 28. Click here for a section-by-section. Click here for a one-pager. House Oversight Democrats publish report on Trump administration health policies. On Tuesday (June 23), Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released a report that argues the Trump administration's policies on medical research, public health programs, and vaccines are harming Americans' health and failing to deliver on the promises of the Make America Healthy Again movement. House Energy and Commerce Democrats raise concerns about OMB federal grantmaking rule. On Monday (June 22), House Energy and Commerce Democrats sent a letter to National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya raising concerns about the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed rule's impact on National Institutes of Health (NIH) grantmaking. The letter asks NIH Director Bhattacharya to ask OMB to rescind the proposed rule. Trump nominates Chris Klomp for deputy HHS secretary. On Thursday (June 25), President Trump announced his intention to nominate Chris Klomp to be deputy secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The position is subject to Senate confirmation. Klomp since February has been serving as chief counselor for the department and throughout his tenure at HHS has overseen the Medicare program and several actions within the department, including the nomination of a new director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Administration's Most Favored Nation's agreements with drug manufacturers. Judge temporarily blocks final rule on student loan policies. On Thursday (June 25), a federal judge temporarily blocked a Department of Education final rule's narrower definition of a "professional" degree that omits physician assistants/associates, nurses, physical therapists and others, subjecting them to the lower borrowing limits for graduate students. The rule was set to take effect on July 1. US District Court for the District of Columbia Judge Beryl Howell said the plaintiffs are "likely to succeed" in their arguments that the professional definition is against the law and would cause suffering if implemented. ONC takes actions to strengthen oversight of TEFCA. On Thursday (June 25), the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) announced it has awarded a new contract to strengthen oversight of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement™ (TEFCA®) and participating organizations. ONC said it also is conducting additional reviews of Qualified Health Information Networks® (QHINs™) and their participants to help ensure compliance with TEFCA's rules and operating requirements. CMS issues CY 2027 ESRD proposed rule. On Wednesday (June 24), CMS issued the CY 2027 proposed rule for the Medicare End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS), which includes a 1.1% payment increase to ESRD facilities bringing the base rate up to $299.55. The rule also proposes updates to the acute kidney injury dialysis payment rate for renal dialysis services furnished by ESRD facilities and proposes to update requirements for the ESRD Quality Incentive Program. Click here for the fact sheet. FDA takes new actions to accelerate clinical trials. On Monday (June 22), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unveiled a series of actions and draft guidance intended to accelerate drug research, from early-stage investigational studies to late-stage clinical trials. FDA said the efforts are part of a new initiative, called Operation TrialBlazer, which aims to accelerate US drug development and reviews and increase the number of clinical trials conducted in the US. The actions include a new pilot program and request for information intended to shorten the time from drug discovery to first in human (FIH) clinical trials, as all as new draft guidance aimed at improving dose selection for early clinical trials. In addition, the FDA issued two new revised draft guidance that aim to provide clarity regarding late-stage clinical trial actions, including criteria for relying on a single clinical trial plus confirmatory evidence for drug approvals and updates to master protocols. Click here for a press release. Click here for a fact sheet. Click here for the HHS' Roadmap. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on "State Medicaid Program Integrity: Examining Fraud Risks and Oversight Deficiencies." On Thursday (June 25), the Subcommittee heard testimony from the Medicaid directors of California, New York, Ohio, and Minnesota on their actions to ensure program integrity and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse. During the hearing, Republicans spoke of the need for stronger prevention and enforcement actions to combat fraud in Medicaid, while Democrats raised concerns about the Trump Administration's focus on Democrat-led states and related funding deferrals. House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee held a markup of legislation focused on health care transparency. On Thursday (June 25), the subcommittee advanced by voice votes 15 bills to the full committee that focus on health care transparency, controlled substances, prior authorization reform, and nutrition education.
Joint Economic Committee held a hearing on "Protecting Patients and Taxpayers: Combating Healthcare Fraud and Leakage to Strengthen Program Integrity." On Wednesday (June 24), the Committee heard from a panel of witnesses representing policy experts from think tanks and universities on ways to combat fraud in health care and the challenges related to program integrity in government programs. During the hearing, Republicans raised concerns about rising health care costs and the role that improper payments play in cost increases, calling for more oversight and enforcement, while Democrats spoke of the need to balance fraud prevention with health care access.
Document ID: 2026-1411 | |||
