CONGRESS AWAY, ADMINISTRATION STILL IN PLAY

Congress is mostly in recess this week, with the exception of the Senate returning on Tuesday, April 23, to consider the House-passed foreign aid package. Thus there are no hearings this week, healthcare related or otherwise.

On the executive side of government, however, the Administration has signaled that several regulations will be released this week. The Congressional Review Act allows Congress to overturn certain rules issued during the last 60 legislative days of an administration (for more on this topic, read our +Insight). Accordingly, it is in the Administration’s best interest to issue rules (especially controversial ones) soon.

This morning, the White House released a Fact Sheet: Vice President Harris Announces Historic Advancements in Long-Term Care to Support the Care Economy, and this afternoon, Vice President Harris and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Brooks-LaSure will attend a discussion with nursing home care workers in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The fact sheet indicates that the Nursing Home Minimum Staffing Rule and the Medicaid Access Rule will be released today and that it is possible that the Medicaid Managed Care Rule will be released. The fact sheet also notes that a new rule was released this morning to expand reproductive healthcare privacy.

The long-term care fact sheet implies that there are some changes from what was proposed regarding nursing homes and home- and community-based providers. We will be reading the regulations closely and providing updates as we’ve digested them.

TODAY’S PODCAST

Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Julia Grabo to discuss the House of Representatives’ weekend passage of a foreign aid package and this week’s expected flurry of proposed rules from the Biden Administration.