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Families First Coronavirus Response Act
Legislative Progress
Momentum (last 30 days)
0
score
0 actions · 0 new cosponsors · 0 votes
Speed vs cohort
66pct
8d open
vs 9,062 other HR bills in the 116th — cohort avg 39d
Families First Coronavirus Response Act This bill responds to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak by providing paid sick leave, tax credits, and free COVID-19 testing; expanding food assistance and unemployment benefits; and increasing Medicaid funding. DIVISION A--SECOND CORONAVIRUS PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020 Second Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 This division provides FY2020 supplemental appropriations for federal agencies to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. The supplemental appropriations are designated as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits. TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE This title provides appropriations to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). (Sec. 1101) This section allows USDA to approve state plans to provide emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) benefits to households with children who would otherwise receive free or reduced-price school meals if their schools were not closed due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The child's school must be closed for at least five consecutive days for the household to be eligible for benefits. States may provide the benefits using the Electronic Benefit Transfer system. (Sec. 1102) This section provides appropriations to USDA for grants to the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa for nutrition assistance in response to a COVID-19 public health emergency. TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE This title provides appropriations to the Defense Health Program for COVID-19 diagnostic testing and services. TITLE III--DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY This title provides appropriations to the Internal Revenue Service to implement the tax credits included in this bill. TITLE IV--DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES This title provides appropriations to the Indian Health Service for COVID-19 diagnostic testing and services. TITLE V--DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES This title provides appropriations to the Administration for Community Living for nutrition programs that assist the elderly. The title also provides appropriations to the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund. The funds are provided for the National Disaster Medical System to reimburse the costs of providing COVID-19 diagnostic testing and services to individuals without health insurance. TITLE VI--DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS This title provides appropriations to the Veterans Health Administration for COVID-19 diagnostic testing and services. TITLE VII--GENERAL PROVISIONS--THIS ACT (Sec. 1701) This section requires agencies that receive funding in this division to report to Congress regarding the anticipated uses of the funds. (Sec. 1702) This section requires state and local governments that receive funding or assistance in this division to ensure that (1) the respective State Emergency Operations Center receives regular and real-time reporting on aggregated data on testing and results from state and local public health departments, and (2) the data is transmitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Sec. 1703) This section specifies that the funds provided by this division are in addition to funds otherwise appropriated for the fiscal year involved. (Sec. 1704) Funds provided by this division may not remain available beyond the current fiscal year, unless this division provides otherwise. (Sec. 1705) Unless otherwise specified by this division, the funds provided by this division are subject to the authorities and conditions that apply to the applicable appropriations account for FY2020. (Sec. 1706) This section provides that amounts designated by this division as emergency requirements are only available (or rescinded, if applicable) if the President subsequently designates the amounts and transmits the designations to Congress. (Sec. 1707) This section specifies that the emergency funds that are transferred pursuant to this division retain the emergency designation. DIVISION B--NUTRITION WAIVERS This division expands food and nutrition programs of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) due to COVID-19. TITLE I--MAINTAINING ESSENTIAL ACCESS TO LUNCH FOR STUDENTS ACT Maintaining Essential Access to Lunch for Students Act or the MEALS Act (Sec. 2102) This title modifies USDA food and nutrition programs to allow certain waivers of requirements for the school meal programs, including waivers that increase federal costs during a COVID-19-related school closure. Such waivers must be requested by a state or service provider and be for purposes of providing meals and snacks during such a closure. TITLE II--COVID-19 CHILD NUTRITION RESPONSE ACT COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response Act (Sec. 2202) This section authorizes USDA to issue a single waiver of child nutrition program requirements to all states under the National School Lunch Program for purposes of providing meals and snacks with appropriate safety measures with respect to COVID-19, grant waivers of requirements to allow non-congregate feeding in the Child and Adult Care Food Program for purposes of providing meals and snacks with appropriate safety measures with respect to COVID-19, and grant waivers related to the nutritional content of meals served in child nutrition programs if it determines the waiver is necessary to provide meals and snacks and there is a food supply chain disruption due to COVID-19. (Sec. 2203) USDA may grant waivers allowing participants under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to get certified or recertified without being physically present at a WIC clinic, and defer anthropometric and bloodwork requirements necessary to determine nutritional risk. State agencies must submit waiver requests to USDA. (Sec. 2204) USDA may also grant waivers from administrative requirements for WIC if it determines that (1) the requirement cannot be met by a state due to COVID-19, and (2) the waiver is necessary to provide assistance under WIC. TITLE III--SNAP WAIVERS (Sec. 2301) This section temporarily suspends work requirements under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) during a public health emergency declaration due to COVID-19, allowing participants who would have lost eligibility due to such requirements to continue to receive SNAP benefits. (Sec. 2302) This section provides for emergency SNAP benefits during a public health emergency declaration due to COVID-19. States may request waivers from USDA to provide emergency allotments to households participating in SNAP to address temporary food needs not greater than the applicable maximum monthly allotment for the household size. State requests must be supported with sufficient data. USDA may adjust (through guidance or based on states' requests) administrative requirements such as issuance methods and reporting requirements to be consistent with what is practicable under actual conditions in affected areas. DIVISION C--EMERGENCY FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE EXPANSION ACT Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (Sec. 3102) This section permits employees to take public health emergency leave through December 31, 2020, to care for the employee's child during a COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public-health emergency. Specifically, employers of fewer than 500 workers must provide up to 12 weeks paid leave for an employee who cannot work because the school or child-care provider of that employee's child is closed as a result of a public-health emergency. Employers are not required to pay employees for the first 10 days of such public health emergency leave. However, an employee may use accrued paid leave during such time. After the first 10 days, employers must pay not less than two-thirds of an employee's regular pay for the number of hours per week the employee normally works. The maximum amount of compensation for such leave is $200 per day and $10,000 in aggregate. Further, employers are generally required to restore an employee's former position following the use of public health emergency leave unless, the employer (1) has fewer than 25 workers and (2) has made reasonable efforts to retain the employee's position but such position no longer exists due to economic conditions caused by such public health emergency. With a finding of good cause, the Department of Labor may (1) exclude certain health care providers and emergency responders from eligibility for public health emergency leave, and (2) exempt employers with fewer than 50 employees if the requirements of this section would place the viability of that business at risk. (Sec. 3103) Employers subject to multiemployer bargaining agreements may make contributions to a multiemployer fund to fulfill the employer's obligations under this division and employees may secure compensation from such fund for leave taken subject to this division. (Sec. 3104) Employers with fewer than 50 employees for each working day during each of at least 20 workweeks during the preceding year are not subject to civil liability for a violation of this division. (Sec. 3105) Employers of health care providers or emergency responders may exclude employees from the requirements of this division. (Sec. 3106) This division takes effect not later than 15 days after enactment. DIVISION D--EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE STABILIZATION AND ACCESS ACT OF 2020 Emergency Unemployment Insurance Stabilization and Access Act of 2020 (Sec. 4102) This section funds emergency grants for FY2020 to administer unemployment programs in states meeting certain requirements. The amount of available funds for each state is based on the Department of Labor's determination of the proportion of the total taxable wages attributable to a state during the preceding year. Each state receives 50% of such determined amount if the state requires employers to notify employees about the availability of unemployment compensation at the time the employee separates from an employer; ensures that unemployment applications are available through at least two of three methods: in-person, by phone, or online; and provides assistance with processing unemployment applications. Additionally, a state receives the remaining 50% of such funds if, among other requirements the number of unemployment claims in the state has increased by at least 10% compared with the same quarter during the previous year; and the state demonstrates policies to increase access to unemployment compensation such as waiving the requirement to search for work and the one-week waiting period to receive benefits, among others. (Sec. 4103) This section suspends the accrual of interest through December 31, 2020, on federal payments made to states for assistance with unemployment compensation. (Sec. 4104) Labor must assist states in raising public awareness about available short-time compensation programs and provide technical assistance and guidance for such programs. (Sec. 4105) This section increases to 100% the federal share of payments to states for extended and regular unemployment compensation through December 31, 2020. DIVISION E--EMERGENCY PAID SICK LEAVE ACT Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (Sec. 5102) This section requires employers to provide paid sick time to employees who are unable to work due to the effects of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, full-time employees are entitled to 80 hours of paid sick time, which is available immediately, for use if the employee is subject to a governmental quarantine or isolation order, has been advised by a health-care provider to self-quarantine, is caring for an individual who is subject to governmental or self-quarantine, is caring for the employee's child because the child's school or child-care provider is closed, or is experiencing a substantially similar circumstance related to COVID-19 as specified by the Department of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Department of Labor. Paid sick time under this section may be used before other paid leave that may be available to an employee. Part-time employees are entitled to such paid sick time for the average number of hours the part-time employee works during an average two-week period. Paid sick time under this section may not carry over from one year to the next. (Sec. 5103) Employers must provide conspicuous notice in the workplace of the emergency paid sick time requirements under this division and Labor must provide publicly-available models of such notice not later than seven days after the enactment of this division. (Sec. 5104) Employers are prohibited from taking adverse actions against employees who take leave under this division or take actions to enforce the requirements of this division. (Sec. 5105) Employers who violate the emergency paid sick time requirements are subject to fines and imprisonment pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. (Sec. 5106) Employers subject to multiemployer bargaining agreements may make contributions to a multiemployer fund to fulfill the employer's obligations under this division and employees may secure compensation from such fund for emergency paid sick time used subject to this division. (Sec. 5107) This division does not affect employer rights or benefits under any other law, collective bargaining agreement, or existing employer policy. Employers are not required to pay employees for unused emergency paid sick time if an employee resigns, retires, or is terminated. (Sec. 5108) The emergency paid sick time requirements take effect not later than 15 days after the enactment of this division. (Sec. 5109) The emergency paid sick time requirements expire on December 31, 2020. (Sec. 5110) Employers with fewer than 500 employees and federal, state, and local public agencies are subject to the requirements of this division. Employers must pay the regular rate of pay up to $511 per day, and $5,110 in aggregate, for paid sick time used by an employee who experiences symptoms of COVID-19 or is required or advised to self-quarantine; or $200 per day, and $2,000 in aggregate, for paid sick time used by an employee to care for the employee's child or other impacted person. (Sec. 5111) With a finding of good cause, Labor may (1) exclude certain health care providers and emergency responders from eligibility for emergency paid sick leave, and (2) exempt employers with fewer than 50 employees if the requirements of this division would place the viability of that business at risk. DIVISION F--HEALTH PROVISIONS (Sec. 6001) This section requires private health insurance to cover testing for COVID-19 without imposing cost-sharing (e.g., deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments) for the duration of the public health emergency declared on January 31, 2020. This coverage includes the cost of administering such approved tests and related visits to health care providers. (Sec. 6002) This section requires Medicare to cover, without cost-sharing, visits to health care providers that relate to COVID-19 testing during the public health emergency. (Sec. 6003) Medicare Advantage (MA) plans must also cover COVID-19 testing and related visits without cost-sharing during the public health emergency. MA plans are also prohibited from instituting prior authorization or other utilization management requirements with respect to coverage of such services. (Sec. 6004) Additionally, COVID-19 testing and related visits must be covered without cost-sharing under the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid during the public health emergency. State Medicaid programs may also cover COVID-19 testing and related visits for uninsured individuals during this period. The section applies a 100% Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) to such coverage. (Sec. 6005) This section extends targeted liability protection to certain manufacturers, distributors, prescribers, and users of approved respiratory protective devices that are (1) subject to specified emergency use authorizations; and (2) used during the period beginning on January 27, 2020, and ending on October 1, 2024. (Emergency use authorizations allow for the use of unapproved drugs, biological products, or devices, or for the unapproved use of such products, to respond to a declared emergency.) (Sec. 6006) During the emergency period, the Department of Defense (i.e., TRICARE) and Department of Veterans Affairs are also prohibited from requiring cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing and related visits. Additionally, individuals in civil service (i.e., all appointive positions in the executive, judicial, and legislative branches, excluding the uniformed services) who are enrolled in a health benefits plan shall not be subject to cost-sharing requirements for such services. (Sec. 6007) This section requires the Department of Health and Human Services to cover, during the public health emergency and without cost-sharing, COVID-19 testing and related visits for Native Americans, including Alaska Natives, who receive health services through the Indian Health Service (IHS), regardless of whether the COVID-19 services are covered under IHS. (Sec. 6008) This section increases the Medicaid FMAP for all states and U.S. territories during the public health emergency, in accordance with specified conditions. For example, in order to receive the increased FMAP, a state Medicaid program may not require standards for eligibility that are more restrictive than the standards that were in effect on January 1, 2020. (Sec. 6009) This section increases Medicaid funding for U.S. territories for FY2020-FY2021. DIVISION G--TAX CREDITS FOR PAID SICK AND PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE (Sec. 7001) This section allows a credit against payroll taxes for 100% of the employer-paid qualified sick leave wages paid each calendar quarter, subject to specified limitation. The amount of sick leave wages taken into account for purposes of the credit may not exceed $200 for any employee ($511 per day employees as defined under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act) and the aggregate number of days taken into account is limited to 10, over the number of days taken into account for preceding calendar quarters. Transfers from the general fund of the Treasury are authorized to cover reductions in revenue resulting from this credit. (Sec. 7002) This section allows a refundable income tax credit for 100% of sick leave amounts of self-employed individuals under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act. For other employees, the credit percentage is 67. Self-employed individuals must maintain documentation prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service to establish eligibility for the credit. (Sec. 7003) This section allows an employer a 100% payroll tax credit for qualified family leave wages paid by such employer for each calendar quarter. The amount of qualified family leave wages that may be taken into account for each employee is limited to $200 per day and $10,000 for all calendar quarters. Transfers from the general fund of the Treasury are authorized to cover reductions in revenue resulting from this credit. (Sec. 7004) This section allows a refundable income tax credit for 100% of the qualified family leave amounts of self-employed individuals, subject to a specified formula for determining the leave amounts. Self-employed individuals must maintain documentation prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service to establish eligibility for the credit. (Sec. 7005) This section provides that wages required to be paid to employees under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act shall not be considered wages for purposes of the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). Transfers to specified Social Security trust funds are authorized to cover reductions in revenues. DIVISION H--BUDGETARY EFFECTS (Sec. 8001) This section exempts the budgetary effects of division B and each succeeding division of this bill from (1) the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) Act of 2010, (2) the Senate PAYGO rule, and (3) certain budget scorekeeping rules.
Yes
90
No
8
Present
0
Not Voting
2
Party Breakdown
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Filing registrants (540)
Engrossment Correction
Became Public Law No: 116-127.
Became Public Law No: 116-127.
Signed by President.
Signed by President.
Presented to President.
Presented to President.
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Passed Senate, under the order of 3/18/20, having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 90 - 8. Record Vote Number: 76.
SenatePassed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate, under the order of 3/18/20, having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 90 - 8. Record Vote Number: 76.
SenateBills with similar content found using semantic analysis.
Sources: Congress.gov · House Clerk roll-call votes
| #76 | senate | On Passage of the Bill | Bill Passed (90-8, 3/5 majority required) | March 18, 2020 |
2024 · first_quarter · Agriculture
Supported efforts to swiftly and effectively implement the dairy provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill, including the Dairy Margin Coverage program and expanded access to the Livestock Gross Margin program. Supported tweaks to the Dairy Margin Coverage program's production history calculation. Supported incorporating the Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage program into the underlying Dairy Margin Coverage program. Child Nutrition - NMPF is monitoring and educating Congress on the effects of child nutrition legislation and programs for dairy farmers, cooperatives, and consumers. NMPF supports efforts to protect and increase kids' access to dairy through nutrition programs, including: *Making permanent 1% flavored milk in school breakfast and lunch programs for grades K-12 and preventing sodium limitations from inadvertently leading to the reduction/removal of cheese from school breakfast and lunch programs. These efforts on school meal standards include advocating for language in the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill (H.R. 4368, S. 2131, H.R. 4366) to protect 1% flavored milk and cheese in school meal programs. NMPF also advocated for a final FNS rule (for school years 2024-2025 and beyond) that will continue the allowance of 1% flavored milk in school breakfast and lunch programs for grades K-12 and weight natural occurring sodium and sodium used for functional and food safety purposes when imposing sodium limitations less than sodium used for taste purposes only, including meeting with congressional offices and USDA staff to raise concerns that provisions in FNS's proposed rule ("Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans" published February 7, 2023) that would likely reduce the ability of schools to continue to serve dairy in school meal programs due to added sugar limits, sodium limits, and the potential prohibition of flavored milk in lower grade levels. *Expanding the varieties of milk allowed in school meal programs, including the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 1147, S. 1957). *Continuing the requirement that dairy alternatives provided in nutrition programs be nutritionally equivalent. *Maintaining/increasing the amount of dairy WIC participants can access through the WIC program, including meeting with congressional offices and USDA staff to voice concern over provisions in FNS's proposed rule which will reduce dairy in WIC if retained in the final rule ("Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Revisions in the WIC Food Packages" published November 21,2022). NMPF also worked to include in the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill (H.R. 4368, S. 2131) language provisions that would maintain the amount of dairy provided in the WIC program. NMPF also supports the bipartisan GIVE MILK Act (H.R. 5383) -- which would allow fluid milk options for many WIC participants to also include 2% and whole milk, expanding beyond the current options of 1% and skim only -- and the WIC for Kids Act (H.R. 5757) -- which would make it easier for those eligible for WIC to enroll by eliminating or reducing enrollment barriers and easing rigid enrollment requirements. *Increasing access to universal school meals/make it easier for schools to meet requirements to qualify for Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). Additional Nutrition Policy Areas - Supported efforts to increase funding for SNAP and other nutrition programs as well as USDA's flexibility in implementing these programs to support food insecure households during the downturn caused by and the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Supported the Dairy Nutrition Incentives Program Act (S. 1474, H.R. 5099) and advocated for keeping nutrition in the next Farm Bill. Advocated for reallocating funds from the Milk Donation Reimbursement Program to the Dairy Donation Program, given the Dairy Donation Program was more widely used and supports the donation of a wider variety of dairy foods. Supported legislative and administrative efforts to improve and modify dairy policy, including providing relief to dairy farmers for uncompensated COVID-19-related losses. COVID-19 - Supported the continued implementation of agricultural provisions of the 2020 COVID relief packages [CARES Act (H.R. 748), Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), HEROES Act (H.R. 6800), and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (H.R. 133) as signed into law on December 27, 2020] as well as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) to provide relief to farmers and families from the COVID-19 pandemic. Also supported related administrative actions, including Coronavirus Food Assistance Program payments, product purchases, milk disposal compensation, and milk donation assistance. Also seeking language in the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill to require USDA to make pandemic assistance payments to producers in states whose milk is not pooled on a federal order. Supported efforts to ensure agricultural producers have access to the capital required to continue operating during and recover from a disaster. NMPF provides ongoing support for the WHIP-Milk Loss program and making dairy cooperatives eligible to make payments to producers. NMPF also supports similar efforts to extend government funding for disaster recovery as well as explore new ways to provide disaster aid to dairy farmers, including for farmers experiencing flood conditions. Supported efforts to enact legislation to require USDA to conduct mandatory plant cost studies. Supported efforts to revert back to the previous "higher of" Class I mover. Supported the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives grant program, including efforts to expand the program with the Dairy Business Innovation Act (S. 2267, H.R. 4894). Oppose efforts to limit, alter, or further regulate commodity checkoff programs, including opposing the OFF Act (S. 557, H.R. 1249) and opposing amendments to appropriations measures that would limit, alter, or further regulate commodity checkoff programs.
Client expense: $525,357 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2023 · fourth_quarter · Agriculture
Supported efforts to swiftly and effectively implement the dairy provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill, including the Dairy Margin Coverage program and expanded access to the Livestock Gross Margin program. Supported tweaks to the Dairy Margin Coverage program's production history calculation. Supported incorporating the Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage program into the underlying Dairy Margin Coverage program. Child Nutrition - NMPF is monitoring and educating Congress on the effects of child nutrition legislation and programs for dairy farmers, cooperatives, and consumers. NMPF supports efforts to protect and increase kids' access to dairy through nutrition programs, including: *Making permanent 1% flavored milk in school breakfast and lunch programs for grades K-12 and preventing sodium limitations from inadvertently leading to the reduction/removal of cheese from school breakfast and lunch programs. These efforts on school meal standards include advocating for language in the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill (H.R. 4368, S. 2131) to protect 1% flavored milk and cheese in school meal programs. NMPF also advocated for a final FNS rule (for school years 2024-2025 and beyond) that will continue the allowance of 1% flavored milk in school breakfast and lunch programs for grades K-12 and weight natural occurring sodium and sodium used for functional and food safety purposes when imposing sodium limitations less than sodium used for taste purposes only, including meeting with congressional offices and USDA staff to raise concerns that provisions in FNS's proposed rule ("Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans" published February 7, 2023) that would likely reduce the ability of schools to continue to serve dairy in school meal programs due to added sugar limits, sodium limits, and the potential prohibition of flavored milk in lower grade levels. *Expanding the varieties of milk allowed in school meal programs, including the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 1147, S. 1957). *Continuing the requirement that dairy alternatives provided in nutrition programs be nutritionally equivalent. *Maintaining/increasing the amount of dairy WIC participants can access through the WIC program, including meeting with congressional offices and USDA staff to voice concern over provisions in FNS's proposed rule which will reduce dairy in WIC if retained in the final rule ("Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Revisions in the WIC Food Packages" published November 21,2022). NMPF also worked to include in the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill (H.R. 4368, S. 2131) language provisions that would maintain the amount of dairy provided in the WIC program. NMPF also supports the bipartisan GIVE MILK Act (H.R. 5383) -- which would allow fluid milk options for many WIC participants to also include 2% and whole milk, expanding beyond the current options of 1% and skim only -- and the WIC for Kids Act (H.R. 5757) -- which would make it easier for those eligible for WIC to enroll by eliminating or reducing enrollment barriers and easing rigid enrollment requirements. *Increasing access to universal school meals/make it easier for schools to meet requirements to qualify for Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). Additional Nutrition Policy Areas - Supported efforts to increase funding for SNAP and other nutrition programs as well as USDA's flexibility in implementing these programs to support food insecure households during the downturn caused by and the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Supported the Dairy Nutrition Incentives Program Act (S. 1474) and advocated for keeping nutrition in the next Farm Bill. Advocated for reallocating funds from the Milk Donation Reimbursement Program to the Dairy Donation Program, given the Dairy Donation Program was more widely used and supports the donation of a wider variety of dairy foods. Supported legislative and administrative efforts to improve and modify dairy policy, including providing relief to dairy farmers for uncompensated COVID-19-related losses. COVID-19 - Supported the continued implementation of agricultural provisions of the 2020 COVID relief packages [CARES Act (H.R. 748), Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), HEROES Act (H.R. 6800), and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (H.R. 133) as signed into law on December 27, 2020] as well as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) to provide relief to farmers and families from the COVID-19 pandemic. Also supported related administrative actions, including Coronavirus Food Assistance Program payments, product purchases, milk disposal compensation, and milk donation assistance. Also seeking language in the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill to require USDA to make pandemic assistance payments to producers in states whose milk is not pooled on a federal order. Supported efforts to ensure agricultural producers have access to the capital required to continue operating during and recover from a disaster. NMPF provides ongoing support for the WHIP-Milk Loss program and making dairy cooperatives eligible to make payments to producers. NMPF also supports similar efforts to extend government funding for disaster recovery as well as explore new ways to provide disaster aid to dairy farmers, including for farmers experiencing flood conditions. Supported efforts to enact legislation to require USDA to conduct mandatory plant cost studies. Supported efforts to revert back to the previous "higher of" Class I mover. Supported the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives grant program, including efforts to expand the program with the Dairy Business Innovation Act (S. 2267, H.R. 4894). Oppose efforts to limit, alter, or further regulate commodity checkoff programs, including opposing the OFF Act (S. 557, H.R. 1249) and opposing amendments to appropriations measures that would limit, alter, or further regulate commodity checkoff programs.
2023 · second_quarter · Health Issues
Monitor implementation of H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Public Law 116-127), and provisions related to clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19, including coverage and reimbursement of COVID-19 tests Monitor implementation of H.R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the CARES Act, (Public Law 116-136), and provisions related to clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19, including coverage and reimbursement of COVID-19 tests, laboratory data collection and reimbursement under PAMA, and laboratory data reporting H.R.1319 - American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law No: 117-2) and provisions related to clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19 H.R. 2369 - the Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act of 2023 Federal policy and programs ensuring an equitable pandemic response and recovery, including coverage of COVID-19 testing services for uninsured patients Federal policy and programs regarding oncology research and development related to cancer screening, diagnosis, and survivorship H.R. 4363 - The Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act Federal policy related to strengthening the clinical laboratory workforce Reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) H.R. 1770 - Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act H.R. 3248 - Diagnostic Lab Testing Transparency Act
Client expense: $530,000 · Firm income: Not reported
2023 · third_quarter · Agriculture
Supported efforts to swiftly and effectively implement the dairy provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill, including the Dairy Margin Coverage program and expanded access to the Livestock Gross Margin program. Supported tweaks to the Dairy Margin Coverage program's production history calculation. Child Nutrition - NMPF is monitoring and educating Congress on the effects of child nutrition legislation and programs for dairy farmers, cooperatives, and consumers. NMPF supports efforts to protect and increase kids' access to dairy through nutrition programs, including: *Making permanent 1% flavored milk in school breakfast and lunch programs for grades K-12 and preventing sodium limitations from inadvertently leading to the reduction/removal of cheese from school breakfast and lunch programs. These efforts on school meal standards include advocating for language in the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill (H.R. 4368, S. 2131) to protect 1% flavored milk and cheese in school meal programs. NMPF also advocated for a final FNS rule (for school years 2024-2025 and beyond) that will continue the allowance of 1% flavored milk in school breakfast and lunch programs for grades K-12 and weight natural occurring sodium and sodium used for functional and food safety purposes when imposing sodium limitations less than sodium used for taste purposes only, including meeting with congressional offices and USDA staff to raise concerns that provisions in FNS's proposed rule ("Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans" published February 7, 2023) that would likely reduce the ability of schools to continue to serve dairy in school meal programs due to added sugar limits, sodium limits, and the potential prohibition of flavored milk in lower grade levels. *Expanding the varieties of milk allowed in school meal programs, including the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 1147, S. 1957). *Continuing requirement that dairy alternatives provided in nutrition programs be nutritionally equivalent. *Maintaining/increasing the amount of dairy WIC participants can access through the WIC program, including meeting with congressional offices and USDA staff to voice concern over provisions in FNS's proposed rule which will reduce dairy in WIC if retained in the final rule ("Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Revisions in the WIC Food Packages" published November 21,2022). NMPF also worked to include in the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill (H.R. 4368, S. 2131) language provisions that would maintain the amount of dairy provided in the WIC program. NMPF also supports the bipartisan GIVE MILK Act (H.R. 5383) -- which would allow fluid milk options for many WIC participants to also include 2% and whole milk, expanding beyond the current options of 1% and skim only -- and the WIC for Kids Act (H.R. 5757) -- which would make it easier for those eligible for WIC to enroll by eliminating or reducing enrollment barriers and easing rigid enrollment requirements. *Increasing access to universal school meals/make it easier for schools to meet requirements to qualify for Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). Additional Nutrition Policy Areas - Supported efforts to increase funding for SNAP and other nutrition programs as well as USDA's flexibility in implementing these programs to support food insecure households during the downturn caused by and the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Supported the Dairy Nutrition Incentives Program Act (S. 1474) and advocated for keeping nutrition in the next Farm Bill. Supported legislative and administrative efforts to improve and modify dairy policy, including providing relief to dairy farmers for uncompensated COVID-19-related losses. COVID-19 - Supported the continued implementation of agricultural provisions of the 2020 COVID relief packages [CARES Act (H.R. 748), Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), HEROES Act (H.R. 6800), and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (H.R. 133) as signed into law on December 27, 2020] as well as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) to provide relief to farmers and families from the COVID-19 pandemic. Also supported related administrative actions, including Coronavirus Food Assistance Program payments, product purchases, milk disposal compensation, and milk donation assistance. Also seeking language in the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill to require USDA to make pandemic assistance payments to producers in states whose milk is not pooled on a federal order. Supported efforts to ensure agricultural producers have access to the capital required to continue operating during and recover from a disaster. NMPF provides ongoing support for the WHIP-Milk Loss program and making dairy cooperatives eligible to make payments to producers. NMPF also supports similar efforts to extend government funding for disaster recovery as well as explore new ways to provide disaster aid to dairy farmers, including for farmers experiencing flood conditions. Supported efforts to enact legislation to require USDA to conduct mandatory plant cost studies. Supported efforts to revert back to the previous "higher of" Class I mover. Supported the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives grant program, including efforts to expand the program with the Dairy Business Innovation Act (S. 2267, H.R. 4894). Oppose efforts to limit, alter, or further regulate commodity checkoff programs, including opposing the OFF Act (S. 557, H.R. 1249) and opposing amendments to appropriations measures that would limit, alter, or further regulate commodity checkoff programs.
2023 · second_quarter · Health Issues
Monitor implementation of H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Public Law 116-127), and provisions related to clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19, including coverage and reimbursement of COVID-19 tests Monitor implementation of H.R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the CARES Act, (Public Law 116-136), and provisions related to clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19, including coverage and reimbursement of COVID-19 tests, laboratory data collection and reimbursement under PAMA, and laboratory data reporting H.R.1319 - American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law No: 117-2) and provisions related to clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19 H.R. 2369 - the Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act of 2023 Federal policy and programs ensuring an equitable pandemic response and recovery, including coverage of COVID-19 testing services for uninsured patients Federal policy and programs regarding oncology research and development related to cancer screening, diagnosis, and survivorship H.R. 4363 - The Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act Federal policy related to strengthening the clinical laboratory workforce Reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) H.R. 1770 - Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act H.R. 3248 - Diagnostic Lab Testing Transparency Act
Client expense: $580,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S1790-1796)
Received in the Senate, read twice.
The Clerk was authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, and cross references, and to make other necessary technical and conforming corrections in the engrossment of H.R. 6201.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 363 - 40, 1 Present (Roll no. 102). (text: CR H1675-1687)
HousePassed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 363 - 40, 1 Present (Roll no. 102).
HouseDEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6201.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H1675-1691)
Mrs. Lowey moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Congress.gov source codes: 1000, Intro-H
| March 11, 2020 |
| Enrolled Bill | -- |
| Democratic |
| VA |
| Rosa L. DeLauro | Democratic | CT |
| Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. | Democratic | GA |
| HRES 904 |
116th |
| Related bill |
| HR 6298 | 116th | Related bill |
| HR 6273 | 116th | Related bill |
| HR 6263 | 116th | Related bill |
| HR 6261 | 116th | Related bill |
| HR 6244 | 116th | Related bill |
| HR 6232 | 116th | Related bill |
| HR 6220 | 116th | Related bill |
| HR 6214 | 116th | Related bill |
| HR 6213 | 116th | Related bill |
| HR 6203 | 116th | Related bill |
| HR 6200 | 116th | Related bill |
| HR 6199 | 116th | Related bill |
| HR 6198 | 116th | Related bill |
| HR 6187 | 116th | Related bill |
| HR 6150 | 116th | Related bill |
| HR 6139 | 116th | Related bill |
Client expense: $579,605 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
Client expense: $429,628 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2023 · second_quarter · Agriculture
Supported efforts to swiftly and effectively implement the dairy provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill, including the Dairy Margin Coverage program and expanded access to the Livestock Gross Margin program. Supported tweaks to the Dairy Margin Coverage program's production history calculation. Child Nutrition - NMPF is monitoring and educating Congress on the effects of child nutrition legislation and programs for dairy farmers, cooperatives, and consumers. NMPF supports efforts to protect and increase kids' access to dairy through nutrition programs, including: *Making permanent 1% flavored milk in school breakfast and lunch programs for grades K-12 and preventing sodium limitations from inadvertently leading to the reduction/removal of cheese from school breakfast and lunch programs. These efforts on school meal standards include advocating for language in the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill (H.R. 4368, S. 2131) to protect 1% flavored milk and cheese in school meal programs. NMPF also advocated for a final FNS rule (for school years 2024-2025 and beyond) that will continue the allowance of 1% flavored milk in school breakfast and lunch programs for grades K-12 and weight natural occurring sodium and sodium used for functional and food safety purposes when imposing sodium limitations less than sodium used for taste purposes only, including meeting with congressional offices and USDA staff to raise concerns that provisions in FNS's proposed rule ("Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans" published February 7, 2023) that would likely reduce the ability of schools to continue to serve dairy in school meal programs due to added sugar limits, sodium limits, and the potential prohibition of flavored milk in lower grade levels. *Expanding the varieties of milk allowed in school meal programs, including the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 1147, S. 1957). *Continuing requirement that dairy alternatives provided in nutrition programs be nutritionally equivalent. *Maintaining/increasing the amount of dairy WIC participants can access through the WIC program, including meeting with congressional offices and USDA staff to voice concern over provisions in FNS's proposed rule which will reduce dairy in WIC if retained in the final rule ("Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Revisions in the WIC Food Packages" published November 21,2022). NMPF also worked to include in the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill (H.R. 4368, S. 2131) language provisions that would maintain the amount of dairy provided in the WIC program. *Increasing access to universal school meals/make it easier for schools to meet requirements to qualify for Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). Additional Nutrition Policy Areas - Supported efforts to increase funding for SNAP and other nutrition programs as well as USDA's flexibility in implementing these programs to support food insecure households during the downturn caused by and the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Supported the Dairy Nutrition Incentives Program Act (S. 1474) and advocated for keeping nutrition in the next Farm Bill. Supported legislative and administrative efforts to improve and modify dairy policy, including providing relief to dairy farmers for uncompensated COVID-19-related losses. COVID-19 - Supported the continued implementation of agricultural provisions of the 2020 COVID relief packages [CARES Act (H.R. 748), Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), HEROES Act (H.R. 6800), and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (H.R. 133) as signed into law on December 27, 2020] as well as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) to provide relief to farmers and families from the COVID-19 pandemic. Also supported related administrative actions, including Coronavirus Food Assistance Program payments, product purchases, milk disposal compensation, and milk donation assistance. Also seeking language in the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill to require USDA to make pandemic assistance payments to producers in states whose milk is not pooled on a federal order. Supported efforts to ensure agricultural producers have access to the capital required to continue operating during and recover from a disaster. NMPF provides ongoing support for the WHIP-Milk Loss program and making dairy cooperatives eligible to make payments to producers. NMPF also supports similar efforts to extend government funding for disaster recovery as well as explore new ways to provide disaster aid to dairy farmers, including for farmers experiencing flood conditions. Supported efforts to enact legislation to require USDA to conduct mandatory plant cost studies. Supported efforts to revert back to the previous "higher of" Class I mover.
Client expense: $372,494 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2023 · first_quarter · Health Issues
Monitor implementation of H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Public Law 116-127), and provisions related to clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19, including coverage and reimbursement of COVID-19 tests Monitor implementation of H.R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the CARES Act, (Public Law 116-136), and provisions related to clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19, including coverage and reimbursement of COVID-19 tests, laboratory data collection and reimbursement under PAMA, and laboratory data reporting H.R.1319 - American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law No: 117-2) and provisions related to clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19 H.R. 2369 - the Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act of 2023 Federal policy and programs ensuring an equitable pandemic response and recovery, including coverage of COVID-19 testing services for uninsured patients Federal policy and programs regarding oncology research and development related to cancer screening, diagnosis, and survivorship Federal policy related to strengthening the clinical laboratory workforce Reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) H.R. 1770 - Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act
Client expense: $520,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2023 · first_quarter · Agriculture
Supported efforts to swiftly and effectively implement the dairy provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill, including the Dairy Margin Coverage program and expanded access to the Livestock Gross Margin program. Child Nutrition - NMPF is monitoring and educating Congress on the effects of child nutrition legislation and programs for dairy farmers, cooperatives, and consumers. NMPF supports efforts to increase kids' access to dairy through nutrition programs. This includes making permanent 1% flavored milk in school breakfast and lunch programs for grades K-12, including as part of the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill and the forthcoming FNS final rule on school meal standards for the 2024-25 school year and beyond. NMPF also supports efforts to expand the varities of milk allowed in school meal programs, including the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 1147). NMPF also advocates for the continued requirement that dairy alternatives provided in nutrition programs be nutritionally equivalent. Met with congressional offices and USDA staff to voice concern over two FNS rules which will reduce dairy in WIC ("Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Revisions in the WIC Food Packages" published November 21,2022) and which could reduce the ability of schools to continue to serve dairy in school meal programs ("Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans" published February 7, 2023). Also worked to include in the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill language provisions that would maintain the amount of dairy provided in the WIC program and would address concerns with changes to the school meal programs requirements that would make it difficult for schools to continue to serve dairy food as they currently do due to added sugar limits, sodium limits, and the potential prohibition of flavored milk in lower grade levels. Additional Nutrition Policy Areas - Supported efforts to increase funding for SNAP and other nutrition programs as well as USDA's flexibility in implementing these programs to support food insecure households during the downturn caused by and the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Also advocated for keeping nutrition in the next Farm Bill. Supported legislative and administrative efforts to improve and modify dairy policy, including providing relief to dairy farmers for uncompensated COVID-19-related losses. COVID-19 - Supported the continued implementation of agricultural provisions of the 2020 COVID relief packages [CARES Act (H.R. 748), Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), HEROES Act (H.R. 6800), and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (H.R. 133) as signed into law on December 27, 2020] as well as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) to provide relief to farmers and families from the COVID-19 pandemic. Also supported related administrative actions, including Coronavirus Food Assistance Program payments, product purchases, milk disposal compensation, and milk donation assistance. Also seeking language in the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill to require USDA to make pandemic assistance payments to producers in states whose milk is not pooled on a federal order. Supported efforts to ensure agricultural producers have access to the capital required to continue operating during and recover from a disaster. NMPF provides ongoing support for the WHIP-Milk Loss program and making dairy cooperatives eligible to make payments to producers. NMPF also supports similar efforts to extend government funding for disaster recovery as well as explore new ways to provide disaster aid to dairy farmers, including for farmers experiencing flood conditions.
Client expense: $295,785 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Banking
CFPB Small Dollar Lending Rule Fintech Charter True Lender Legislation Valid When Made Legislation S. 2808 - Emergency Assistance in Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic H.R. 6074: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 H.R. 6201: Families First Coronavirus Response Act H.R. 748: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act H.R. 266: Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $30,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
S. 2574 Protects Act H.R. 3398 Pathways to Health Careers Act H.R.4468- Nursing Home Workforce Quality Act Outreach to Hill on GAO Report "Federal Requirements for Oversight in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities Differ" Outreach to CMS: PDPM Implementation Observation Stays Issue Outreach to HHS/CMS/Administration Skilled Nursing Facility Requirements of Participation, RIN 0938-AR61 Survey Relief/Civil Monetary Penalties Payroll Based Journal - Section 6106 of the Affordable Care Act Allow Secretarial discretion of CNA Training termination pertaining to Sec. 1819 (f)(2)(B)(iii)(l)(c). S 2943/HR 5216 Quality Care for Nursing Home Residents Act of 2019 HR 5326 Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act H.R.5897/S.3297 - Preventing Abuse and Neglect of Vulnerable Americans Act of 2020 Public Law 116-136, CARES Act Public Law 116-127 (H.R. 6201) Families First Coronavirus Response Act HR 6800 HEROES Act S. 3768/H.R. 6972 Nursing Home COVID-19 Protection and Prevention Act of 2020. S. 4108 A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to increase Federal support to State Medicaid programs during economic downturns, and for other purposes. S.3644 Quality Care for Nursing Home Residents and Workers During COVID-19 Act of 2020. H.R. 7048 Nursing Home Pandemic Protection Act H.R.6872 - SOS Act of 2020 H.R. 6849 Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Act of 2020 H.R. 6847 COHORT Act of 2020 Public Health Fund Distribution to HHS as agency CMS on Public Health Waiver and other waivers RUSH Act H.R. 6209/S.3447 H.R. 8574 amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to increase enforcement under Medicare and Medicaid for skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities during the COVID-19 emergency period and other infectious disease outbreak periods, and for other purposes. S. 4666 National Coronavirus Commission Act of 2020 AHCA response to Ways and Means Committee report Under-Enforced and Over Prescribed: The Antipsychotic Drug Epidemic Ravings Americas Nursing Homes. BENES Act (S 1280/HR 2477) H.R.331 - Nurses CARE Act of 2021 S.368 and H.R.1332 Telehealth Modernization Act Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act (S.1988) Support for Provider Relief Funds (PRF) for long term care providers and outreach to HRSA and the Hill on PRF Rep. Terri Sewell Provider Relief Fund letter Re-introduction work of the Preventing Abuse and Neglect of Vulnerable Americans Act Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act (H.R. 3650/S. 2048) SNF Payment Rule OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards Care For Our Seniors Act Infrastructure Proposal Long Term Care Advocacy AHCA monitoring Ways and Means Investigative and Oversight Subcommittee hearing on the role private equity plays in the skilled nursing facility sector. Medicare Advantage S.4862 - Supporting Our Seniors Act H.R.8832 - To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to ensure nursing facilities report information on medical directors of such facilities. CDC/COVID Safety Guidance
Client expense: $1,160,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Budget/Appropriations
Monitor legislative and administrative action related to COVID-19 including the implementation of HR 6074, Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act 2020 (PL 116-123); HR 6201, Families First Coronavirus Response Act (PL 116-127); HR 748, CARES Act (PL 116-136); H.R. 6800, The HEROES Act and H.R. 1319, American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-2), and H.R. 3684, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 119-58). H.R. 8294, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2023. H.R. 6833, Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023. H.R. 2617 Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $10,000
2022 · fourth_quarter · Health Issues
Monitor implementation of H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Public Law 116-127), and provisions related to clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19, including coverage and reimbursement of COVID-19 tests Monitor implementation of H.R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the CARES Act, (Public Law 116-136), and provisions related to clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19, including coverage and reimbursement of COVID-19 tests, laboratory data collection and reimbursement under PAMA, and laboratory data reporting H.R.1319 - American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law No: 117-2) and provisions related to clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19 H.R. 4128/S. 2209 - the Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act of 2021 S. 4348, the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Landmark Advancements (FDASLA) Act and the Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act of 2022 Federal policy and programs ensuring an equitable pandemic response and recovery, including coverage of COVID-19 testing services for uninsured patients H.R. 8152 - American Data Privacy and Protection Act, provisions related to health data privacy Issues related to validation, deployment, and reimbursement for testing to address 2022 Monkeypox outbreak Federal policy and programs regarding oncology research and development related to cancer screening, diagnosis, and survivorship
Client expense: $320,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Health Issues
The Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148, P.L. 111-152): Continued advocacy with Congress in support of expanding coverage and improving Medicare benefits; Providing needed protections to guard against insurance practices that unfairly limit, deny or rescind coverage based on health status; public and private health insurers should encourage preventive health care by providing full coverage, with no cost-sharing, for preventive services recommended by an expert advisory group, such as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force; Ensuring access to primary care physicians; and beginning to bend the cost curve; Prohibiting insurers from excluding or charging excessive rates to children based on pre-existing conditions, which later will be expanded to all persons; Covering young adults on their parents' plans; Eliminating lifetime and annual limits on health insurance coverage; Requiring that health insurers spend more on patient care and less on administration; Eliminating patient cost-sharing for preventive services offered by Medicare or private insurers; Increasing Medicare and Medicaid payments to primary care physicians; Supporting the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to help physicians and patients make care decisions based on the best available evidence; Supporting the Center on Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to fund pilots of delivery models to improve outcomes and reduce costs, including patient-centered medical homes; Advocated against a December 2018 ruling by a federal judge in Texas that the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional. Access to Primary Care (H.R. 3962/H.R. 3590/H.R. 4872): Provide sliding scale subsidies based on income to buy coverage from qualified plans; Qualified plans should: provide evidence-based benefits, including preventive services; and be prohibited from excluding persons with pre-existing conditions, charging them more, cherry-picking enrollees, or cancelling or failing to renew coverage; Expand Medicaid to cover all persons below the Federal Poverty Level and ensure fair payments to participating physicians; As coverage becomes affordable, all persons should participate and coverage should be guaranteed; Responsibility for financing should be shared by individuals, employers and government. Medicare Payments to Physicians: Urged that Congress provide incentives to physicians who transform their practices into Advanced Alternative Payment Models and continue to provide stability for physicians in the MIPS program. Specifically, Congress should extend the five percent Qualified Alternative Payment Model participant bonus beyond the 2022 performance year, replace the zero percent baseline payment updates under Medicare with positive updates. Urged congressional committees with jurisdiction over Medicare to exercise their oversight authority and urge CMS to expedite approval of more Advanced APMS, particularly those that work for small and specialty practices and to simplify the scoring structure and reporting requirements under the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in order to fulfill Congress intent of a more streamlined program that reduces burdens on physicians; Supported S.2648, the Rural ACO Improvement Act, amends title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the benchmarking process for the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) to ensure that all ACOs have an equal opportunity to share in savings regardless of their geographic location; Provided recommendations to CMS on the Merit-based Incentive Payment System Value Pathway (MVP), which aims to reduce reporting burden and complexity within MIPS while improving the accuracy and effectiveness of performance measurement. The College noted specifically that a robust, multi-year transition period will be critical to the success of the MVP, that it does not support making the MVP mandatory, that CMS should continue to support numerous reporting mechanisms, including qualified registries and clinical data registries, which have been instrumental in developing specialty-specific performance measures, among other things. Regarding CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program (QPP) rules, expressed support for extending some of the services and increased flexibility for telehealth through the end of 2024, namely some audio-only services that were allowed during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), support for collecting additional data on health equity issues to analyze disparities that occur across their programs, support for including chronic care management as one of the seven MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) for 2023. Urged CMS to discontinue its split/shared visits policy and not move forward with the transition set to take effect in 2023. Urged Congress to support inclusion in must-pass legislation this year provisions to provide financial stability through a baseline positive annual update to the physician fee schedule reflecting inflation in practice costs, and eliminate, revise budget neutrality requirements to allow for appropriate changes in spending growth and prevent a 4.42 percent Medicare payment cut as contained in H.R. 8800, the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022; Extend the moratoriums on sequester and PAYGO cuts that were approved by Congress at the end of last year. Recommended modifications to Medicare law to establish a mechanism for savings to be calculated across all aspects of the program-that is, increased investment in relative and absolute payments for primary care and preventive health care services (Part B) results in savings due to reduced emergency department visits and hospitalizations (Part A)-and to allow these savings to be reinvested back into primary and preventive care, as well as into social and public health services. With regard to Medicares Quality Payment Program, advocated with Congress to provide flexibility to CMS to set performance thresholds, improve the cost performance category, provide scoring flexibility to CMS to allow for multi-category credit, provide CMS flexibility to score and benchmark measures as appropriate and to test and incentivize new measures and MVPs to ensure successful implementation, update the Promoting Interoperability performance category, Extend the $500 million exceptional performance bonus for an additional six years , align comparisons in the MIPS Quality performance category and Physician Compare. FY2023 Appropriations: Urged Congress to support funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions programs in the FY 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill as well as funding shared evenly between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention. Advocated for funding for the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA); Title VII, Section 747, Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); National Health Service Corps (NHSC); Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health (OSH). COVID-19: Urged congressional appropriators to provide the highest possible funding level for research, prevention, control, and treatment of illnesses associated with the virus that is commensurate with the public health emergency that the virus represents. Expressed support to Congress and the administration for a variety of COVID-related bills from the 116th Congress as follows: the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, H.R. 6201, and other stimulus reforms related to COVID-19 including: Emergency paid leave benefits, paid sick days for public health emergencies, coverage of testing for COVID-19, waiving of cost sharing under Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and CHIP, increasing the federal FMAP under Medicaid, providing reimbursement for CPT codes 99441 - 99443, which are telephone evaluation and management services, expediting entrance of international medical graduates who are citizens of other nations (non-US IMGs) into the country and ensuring that lawfully present non-U.S. IMGs are not negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, funding for physician practices under the Public Health and Social Service Emergency Fund (PHSSEF), providing tax relief, grants, and loans to small and medium size practices impacted by COVID-19, increasing funding for personal protective equipment (PPE), ensuring Medicaid pay parity with Medicare for primary care services; Urged support for H.R. 7059, the Coronavirus Provider Protection Act, which extend liability protections to those who provide care in good faith during the COVID-19 public health emergency (plus a reasonable time, such as 60 days, after the emergency declaration ends), and not in situations of gross negligence or willful misconduct. The College also urged that pay parity between telephone claims and in-person visits and between all telehealth and in-person visits be maintained after the PHE is lifted. Urged congress to mitigate the impact of covid across racial and ethnic minority populations by collect covid-19 and racial disparity data, equitably distribute covid-19 vaccines and treatments, protect essential workers, permanently expand access to family and medical leave, address environmental and social drivers of health, integrate primary care and behavioral health, improve mental health parity with increased federal oversight and enforcement, make naloxone more available to prevent overdose, expand medication-assisted treatment (mat) for physicians, establish a national prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP); urged support for administering COVID-19 vaccinations to all eligible immigrants in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. Urged CMS to support increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake by ensuring clinicians are appropriately paid for vaccine counseling for beneficiaries of Medicaid and Medicare. Urged that telehealth services should remain in place for at least two years after the end of the PHE to ensure that our physicians are able to continue to use this modality to enhance patient care. Urged Congress to support the concept of a congressionally-mandated bipartisan commission to examine the U.S. preparations for and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to inform future public policy and health systems preparedness. Urged that any uses of technology in the U.S. in the context of the pandemic should be demonstrated to be effective, be temporary, and ensure that safeguards for privacy and confidentiality are in place. Womens Health: Urged HHS to support Title X funding and ensure unencumbered access to affordable, comprehensive, evidence-based reproductive health care; eliminate medically unnecessary restrictions and inappropriate political interference in the patient-physician relationship; and protect funding for and ensures consistent treatment of qualified service sites. Urged support for mandatory, permanent extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage, from 60 days to 12 months after delivery. Urged support for the Womens Health Protection Act of 2021 and 2022 (H.R. 3755/S. 1975), bills that would protect a persons ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy and to protect the health care clinicians ability to provide abortion services free from medically unnecessary restrictions such as waiting periods, biased counselling and admitting privilege requirements for clinicians. Access to Care: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 340, the Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021, to expand federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid, regardless of when such expansion takes place: Cosponsor and pass H.R. 369, the Health Care Affordability Act of 2021, to permanently expand eligibility for higher premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. Primary Care and the Physician Workforce: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 2256/S. 834, the Resident Physician Reduction Shortage Act of 2021, to increase the number of GME slots to 14,000 over seven years for specialties facing shortages, including internal medicine; Cosponsor and pass S. 1024, the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, to recapture 40,000 unused visas and use them to provide additional green cards to 15,000 physicians and 25,000 professional nurses; Cosponsor and pass H.R. 3541/S. 1810, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act, to allow states to sponsor foreign-trained physicians to work in medically underserved areas in exchange for a waiver of the physicians' two-year foreign residence requirement; Cosponsor and pass H.R.4122/S.3658, the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act, to make it possible for residents to defer interest on their loans; Support inclusion in FY2023 appropriations legislation funding for Title VII Primary Care and Training Enhancement (PCTE) at $71 million to support and expand the pipeline for individuals training in primary care. Public Health and Pandemic Preparedness: Urged members of Congress to support funding in FY2023 appropriations - $11 billion total for the CDC, $35 million for the CDCs Injury Prevention and Control, Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research; $49 billion in total for the NIH, $25 million for the Office of the Director, Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research; Cosponsor and pass the COVID Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022, H.R. 7007, or a similar supplemental funding package, to provide $15.6 billion in additional funding for COVID relief; Cosponsor and pass the CONNECT for Health Act (H.R. 2903/S. 1512) and the Telehealth Extension Act of 2021 (H.R. 6202/S. 3593), to remove arbitrary restrictions on where a patient must be located to utilize telehealth services; enable patients to continue to receive telehealth services in their homes; ensure federally-qualified health centers and rural health centers can furnish telehealth services and improve data collection and analysis for at least two years. Prescription Drug Reform: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass S. 898, the Fair Drug Pricing Act, to require drug companies to disclose and provide more information about imminent drug-price increases, including data about research and development costs; Cosponsor and pass S. 833, the Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act of 2021, to help to reduce drug prices and out-of-pocket costs by allowing the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries; Cosponsor and pass S. 464/H.R. 2163, the Safe Step Act, to ensure patient access to appropriate treatments based on clinical decision-making and medical necessity rather than arbitrary step therapy protocols. Telehealth Services: Urged Congress to support H.R. 2903/S. 1512, the CONNECT for Health Act, to remove arbitrary barriers to telehealth services such as geographic and site of service restrictions; S. 168/H.R. 708, the Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act or the TREAT Act, to ensure that telehealth services can be provided across states lines after the public health emergency ends; H.R. 8487, the Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act that would help protect patients from unnecessary delays in care and reduce administrative burdens on physicians by standardizing and streamlining the prior authorization approval process in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. Advocated with Congress for passage of H.R. 4040, the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2021, to extend coverage for critical telehealth services beyond the public health emergency. Mental and Behavioral Health: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 5218, the Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner Act, to provide grants through the Department of Health and Human Services to primary care physicians who choose to deliver behavioral health care through the Collaborate Care Model (CoCM); Support enhanced reimbursement for CoCM payment codes under Medicare to more appropriately reflect the value of services provided to patients with mental health and substance use disorder needs. Scope of Practice: Urged Congress to oppose the Improving Care and Access to Nurses Act, or the I CAN Act, H.R. 8812, which allows non-physician clinicians to deliver care that is not commensurate with their training, skills, and demonstrated competencies in accord with national standards
Client expense: $69,651 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), President of the U.S., SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA)
2022 · fourth_quarter · Health Issues
The Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148, P.L. 111-152): Continued advocacy with Congress in support of expanding coverage and improving Medicare benefits; Providing needed protections to guard against insurance practices that unfairly limit, deny or rescind coverage based on health status; public and private health insurers should encourage preventive health care by providing full coverage, with no cost-sharing, for preventive services recommended by an expert advisory group, such as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force; Ensuring access to primary care physicians; and beginning to bend the cost curve; Prohibiting insurers from excluding or charging excessive rates to children based on pre-existing conditions, which later will be expanded to all persons; Covering young adults on their parents' plans; Eliminating lifetime and annual limits on health insurance coverage; Requiring that health insurers spend more on patient care and less on administration; Eliminating patient cost-sharing for preventive services offered by Medicare or private insurers; Increasing Medicare and Medicaid payments to primary care physicians; Supporting the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to help physicians and patients make care decisions based on the best available evidence; Supporting the Center on Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to fund pilots of delivery models to improve outcomes and reduce costs, including patient-centered medical homes; Advocated against a December 2018 ruling by a federal judge in Texas that the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional. Access to Primary Care (H.R. 3962/H.R. 3590/H.R. 4872): Provide sliding scale subsidies based on income to buy coverage from qualified plans; Qualified plans should: provide evidence-based benefits, including preventive services; and be prohibited from excluding persons with pre-existing conditions, charging them more, cherry-picking enrollees, or cancelling or failing to renew coverage; Expand Medicaid to cover all persons below the Federal Poverty Level and ensure fair payments to participating physicians; As coverage becomes affordable, all persons should participate and coverage should be guaranteed; Responsibility for financing should be shared by individuals, employers and government. Medicare Payments to Physicians: Urged that Congress provide incentives to physicians who transform their practices into Advanced Alternative Payment Models and continue to provide stability for physicians in the MIPS program. Specifically, Congress should extend the five percent Qualified Alternative Payment Model participant bonus beyond the 2022 performance year, replace the zero percent baseline payment updates under Medicare with positive updates. Urged congressional committees with jurisdiction over Medicare to exercise their oversight authority and urge CMS to expedite approval of more Advanced APMS, particularly those that work for small and specialty practices and to simplify the scoring structure and reporting requirements under the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in order to fulfill Congress intent of a more streamlined program that reduces burdens on physicians; Supported S.2648, the Rural ACO Improvement Act, amends title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the benchmarking process for the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) to ensure that all ACOs have an equal opportunity to share in savings regardless of their geographic location; Provided recommendations to CMS on the Merit-based Incentive Payment System Value Pathway (MVP), which aims to reduce reporting burden and complexity within MIPS while improving the accuracy and effectiveness of performance measurement. The College noted specifically that a robust, multi-year transition period will be critical to the success of the MVP, that it does not support making the MVP mandatory, that CMS should continue to support numerous reporting mechanisms, including qualified registries and clinical data registries, which have been instrumental in developing specialty-specific performance measures, among other things. Regarding CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program (QPP) rules, expressed support for extending some of the services and increased flexibility for telehealth through the end of 2024, namely some audio-only services that were allowed during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), support for collecting additional data on health equity issues to analyze disparities that occur across their programs, support for including chronic care management as one of the seven MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) for 2023. Urged CMS to discontinue its split/shared visits policy and not move forward with the transition set to take effect in 2023. Urged Congress to support inclusion in must-pass legislation this year provisions to provide financial stability through a baseline positive annual update to the physician fee schedule reflecting inflation in practice costs, and eliminate, revise budget neutrality requirements to allow for appropriate changes in spending growth and prevent a 4.42 percent Medicare payment cut as contained in H.R. 8800, the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022; Extend the moratoriums on sequester and PAYGO cuts that were approved by Congress at the end of last year. Recommended modifications to Medicare law to establish a mechanism for savings to be calculated across all aspects of the program-that is, increased investment in relative and absolute payments for primary care and preventive health care services (Part B) results in savings due to reduced emergency department visits and hospitalizations (Part A)-and to allow these savings to be reinvested back into primary and preventive care, as well as into social and public health services. With regard to Medicares Quality Payment Program, advocated with Congress to provide flexibility to CMS to set performance thresholds, improve the cost performance category, provide scoring flexibility to CMS to allow for multi-category credit, provide CMS flexibility to score and benchmark measures as appropriate and to test and incentivize new measures and MVPs to ensure successful implementation, update the Promoting Interoperability performance category, Extend the $500 million exceptional performance bonus for an additional six years , align comparisons in the MIPS Quality performance category and Physician Compare. FY2023 Appropriations: Urged Congress to support funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions programs in the FY 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill as well as funding shared evenly between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention. Advocated for funding for the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA); Title VII, Section 747, Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); National Health Service Corps (NHSC); Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health (OSH). COVID-19: Urged congressional appropriators to provide the highest possible funding level for research, prevention, control, and treatment of illnesses associated with the virus that is commensurate with the public health emergency that the virus represents. Expressed support to Congress and the administration for a variety of COVID-related bills from the 116th Congress as follows: the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, H.R. 6201, and other stimulus reforms related to COVID-19 including: Emergency paid leave benefits, paid sick days for public health emergencies, coverage of testing for COVID-19, waiving of cost sharing under Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and CHIP, increasing the federal FMAP under Medicaid, providing reimbursement for CPT codes 99441 - 99443, which are telephone evaluation and management services, expediting entrance of international medical graduates who are citizens of other nations (non-US IMGs) into the country and ensuring that lawfully present non-U.S. IMGs are not negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, funding for physician practices under the Public Health and Social Service Emergency Fund (PHSSEF), providing tax relief, grants, and loans to small and medium size practices impacted by COVID-19, increasing funding for personal protective equipment (PPE), ensuring Medicaid pay parity with Medicare for primary care services; Urged support for H.R. 7059, the Coronavirus Provider Protection Act, which extend liability protections to those who provide care in good faith during the COVID-19 public health emergency (plus a reasonable time, such as 60 days, after the emergency declaration ends), and not in situations of gross negligence or willful misconduct. The College also urged that pay parity between telephone claims and in-person visits and between all telehealth and in-person visits be maintained after the PHE is lifted. Urged congress to mitigate the impact of covid across racial and ethnic minority populations by collect covid-19 and racial disparity data, equitably distribute covid-19 vaccines and treatments, protect essential workers, permanently expand access to family and medical leave, address environmental and social drivers of health, integrate primary care and behavioral health, improve mental health parity with increased federal oversight and enforcement, make naloxone more available to prevent overdose, expand medication-assisted treatment (mat) for physicians, establish a national prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP); urged support for administering COVID-19 vaccinations to all eligible immigrants in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. Urged CMS to support increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake by ensuring clinicians are appropriately paid for vaccine counseling for beneficiaries of Medicaid and Medicare. Urged that telehealth services should remain in place for at least two years after the end of the PHE to ensure that our physicians are able to continue to use this modality to enhance patient care. Urged Congress to support the concept of a congressionally-mandated bipartisan commission to examine the U.S. preparations for and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to inform future public policy and health systems preparedness. Urged that any uses of technology in the U.S. in the context of the pandemic should be demonstrated to be effective, be temporary, and ensure that safeguards for privacy and confidentiality are in place. Womens Health: Urged HHS to support Title X funding and ensure unencumbered access to affordable, comprehensive, evidence-based reproductive health care; eliminate medically unnecessary restrictions and inappropriate political interference in the patient-physician relationship; and protect funding for and ensures consistent treatment of qualified service sites. Urged support for mandatory, permanent extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage, from 60 days to 12 months after delivery. Urged support for the Womens Health Protection Act of 2021 and 2022 (H.R. 3755/S. 1975), bills that would protect a persons ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy and to protect the health care clinicians ability to provide abortion services free from medically unnecessary restrictions such as waiting periods, biased counselling and admitting privilege requirements for clinicians. Access to Care: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 340, the Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021, to expand federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid, regardless of when such expansion takes place: Cosponsor and pass H.R. 369, the Health Care Affordability Act of 2021, to permanently expand eligibility for higher premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. Primary Care and the Physician Workforce: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 2256/S. 834, the Resident Physician Reduction Shortage Act of 2021, to increase the number of GME slots to 14,000 over seven years for specialties facing shortages, including internal medicine; Cosponsor and pass S. 1024, the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, to recapture 40,000 unused visas and use them to provide additional green cards to 15,000 physicians and 25,000 professional nurses; Cosponsor and pass H.R. 3541/S. 1810, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act, to allow states to sponsor foreign-trained physicians to work in medically underserved areas in exchange for a waiver of the physicians' two-year foreign residence requirement; Cosponsor and pass H.R.4122/S.3658, the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act, to make it possible for residents to defer interest on their loans; Support inclusion in FY2023 appropriations legislation funding for Title VII Primary Care and Training Enhancement (PCTE) at $71 million to support and expand the pipeline for individuals training in primary care. Public Health and Pandemic Preparedness: Urged members of Congress to support funding in FY2023 appropriations - $11 billion total for the CDC, $35 million for the CDCs Injury Prevention and Control, Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research; $49 billion in total for the NIH, $25 million for the Office of the Director, Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research; Cosponsor and pass the COVID Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022, H.R. 7007, or a similar supplemental funding package, to provide $15.6 billion in additional funding for COVID relief; Cosponsor and pass the CONNECT for Health Act (H.R. 2903/S. 1512) and the Telehealth Extension Act of 2021 (H.R. 6202/S. 3593), to remove arbitrary restrictions on where a patient must be located to utilize telehealth services; enable patients to continue to receive telehealth services in their homes; ensure federally-qualified health centers and rural health centers can furnish telehealth services and improve data collection and analysis for at least two years. Prescription Drug Reform: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass S. 898, the Fair Drug Pricing Act, to require drug companies to disclose and provide more information about imminent drug-price increases, including data about research and development costs; Cosponsor and pass S. 833, the Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act of 2021, to help to reduce drug prices and out-of-pocket costs by allowing the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries; Cosponsor and pass S. 464/H.R. 2163, the Safe Step Act, to ensure patient access to appropriate treatments based on clinical decision-making and medical necessity rather than arbitrary step therapy protocols. Telehealth Services: Urged Congress to support H.R. 2903/S. 1512, the CONNECT for Health Act, to remove arbitrary barriers to telehealth services such as geographic and site of service restrictions; S. 168/H.R. 708, the Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act or the TREAT Act, to ensure that telehealth services can be provided across states lines after the public health emergency ends; H.R. 8487, the Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act that would help protect patients from unnecessary delays in care and reduce administrative burdens on physicians by standardizing and streamlining the prior authorization approval process in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. Advocated with Congress for passage of H.R. 4040, the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2021, to extend coverage for critical telehealth services beyond the public health emergency. Mental and Behavioral Health: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 5218, the Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner Act, to provide grants through the Department of Health and Human Services to primary care physicians who choose to deliver behavioral health care through the Collaborate Care Model (CoCM); Support enhanced reimbursement for CoCM payment codes under Medicare to more appropriately reflect the value of services provided to patients with mental health and substance use disorder needs. Scope of Practice: Urged Congress to oppose the Improving Care and Access to Nurses Act, or the I CAN Act, H.R. 8812, which allows non-physician clinicians to deliver care that is not commensurate with their training, skills, and demonstrated competencies in accord with national standards.
Client expense: $300,406 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), President of the U.S., SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA)
2022 · fourth_quarter · Health Issues
Advocate for several Medicare & Medicaid provisions in the CARES Act (H.R. 748), including a delay of Medicare sequestration cuts, a delay of the Medicare Fiscal Accountability Rule and Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) cut relief. Support increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) and FMAP flexibility at the state level in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) and the CARES Act (H.R. 748). Advocate for federal childcare benefits for members of the health care workforce. Advocate for increasing borrowing limits on SBA loans and ensuring health care providers are eligible. Support direct funding for health care providers treating COVID-19 patients, including funding through the Hospital Preparedness Program. Support funding and efforts to ensure health care providers have access to essential materials, such as PPE, for COVID-19 response and readiness. Advocate for changes to indirect medical education payments to account for COVID-19 response efforts. Advocate for direct Federal funding for state and local governments during the COVID-19 crisis. Discuss the distribution methodology for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund with the White House, HHS, CMS, and Congressional staff. Discuss issues related to Medicare accelerated payments with White House, HHS, CMS, and Congressional staff. Discuss Medicare and Medicaid issues with the CMS Administrator. Discuss COVID-19 response with White House staff and HHS leadership, including the HHS Secretary. Discuss GNYHA's legislative priorities with Congressional staff: a delay of cuts to Medicaid DSH funding (support), site-neutral policies (oppose), 340B drug discount program (support), expanding federal graduate medical education programs (support), funding to address the opioid crisis (support), funding for hospital infrastructure (support), the Affordable Care Act (support), and liver allocation reforms (support). Educate Congressional staff and lawmakers on Medicare for All. Support graduate medical education funding through the Medicare program, including support for the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act (S. 834/H.R. 2256), the Opioid Workforce Act (S. 1438), the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act (H.R. 3441) the Training Psychiatrist for the Future Act, and President Biden's FY 2024 Budget. Discuss technical assistance regarding graduate medical education legislation with committee staff. Discuss the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2021 (S. 909) with Congressional staff and committee staff. Support surprise billing legislation reform and work with committee and Congressional staff on a range of issues. Discussed several bills, including the No Surprises Act (P.L. 116-260). Discuss New York State's Partnership for Patients initiative with CMS contract officers. Discuss GME rural training tracks and possible reforms with Congressional staff. Discuss the ET3 model with staff from CMMI. Discuss the Medicare GME program, including issues related to oversight and transparency, with congressional staff. Spoke with CMS to review Medicare DGME policy (42 CFR 413.75) on residency counting issues Discuss provisions in the CARES Act (H.R. 748) related to health care provider liability and immunity with Congressional and committee staff. Attend cybersecurity briefing related to foreign threats with FBI. Discuss issues concerning DSH hospitals with the Executive Branch. Discuss Medicare and Medicaid issues with the CMS Administrator. Discuss Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R.3) with Congressional staff. Discuss issues related to telehealth and HIT with staff from CMS, the White House and Congressional staff. Discuss drug shortages related to the COVID-19 crisis with Congressional and Administration staff. Coordinate with ASPR, the Department of Defense, FEMA and the FDA on COVID-19 response efforts. Discuss disbursements from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund with HHS, the White House, and Congressional staff and lawmakers. Discuss hospital infrastructure spending with the White House and Congressional staff, including the LIFT America Act (H.R. 1848) and INVEST in America Act (H.R. 3684). Discuss Medicare Advance Payment forgiveness with HHS and Congressional staff, advocated for H.R. 1349 (support). Discuss supply chain issues, including PPE and ventilators, with Congressional staff, HHS and White House. Discuss a range of other COVID-19 priorities with Congressional staff including ensuring Medicare advantage plans comply with increased COVID-19 Medicare payments (support), an add-on payment for COVID-19 care (support), and crisis pay for health care workers (support). Support a delay of Medicaid DSH reimbursement cuts in COVID-19 response package and a delay or repeal of the Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Regulation. Discuss insurance companies transactions and policies affecting health care providers with Congressional staff and support for the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 3173). Discuss surprise billing legislation with White House staff. Discuss Medicare Rule on Physician Time Studies (42 CFR 415.60) with CMS. Discuss disclosure of patient information to the media with HHS. Discuss Medicare Rules regarding new teaching hospitals with CMS. Discuss alternate care site billing with CMS. Discuss the regulation of laboratory developed tests and the VALID Act with Congressional and committee staff. Discuss family planning funding with staff at HHS. Discuss federal climate pledge with staff at HHS. Discuss monkeypox therapeutics, FDA Commissioner Discuss support for the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act (H.R. 7053) with congressional staff. Discuss FEMA reimbursement with FEMA and congressional staff. Discuss hospital and health care provisions included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. Discuss support for legislation to reduce proposed reimbursement cuts to home health providers.
Client expense: $370,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Executive Office of the President (EOP), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), President of the U.S., SENATE, Small Business Administration (SBA), Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), White House Office
2022 · fourth_quarter · Budget/Appropriations
Support the inclusion of funding for hospital infrastructure and workforce programs in appropriations legislation. Support for the inclusion of provisions to delay the Medicaid DSH cuts in appropriations legislation. Advocate for several Medicare & Medicaid provisions in the CARES Act (H.R. 748), including a delay of Medicare sequestration cuts, a delay of the Medicare Fiscal Accountability Rule and Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (n) cut relief. Support increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) and FMAP flexibility at the state level in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) and the CARES Act (H.R. 748). Advocate for federal childcare benefits for members of the health care workforce. Support direct funding for health care providers treating COVID-19 patients, including funding through the Hospital Preparedness Program. Support funding and efforts to ensure health care providers have access to essential materials, such as PPE, for COVID-19 response and readiness. Advocate for direct Federal funding for state and local governments during the COVID-19 crisis. Support graduate medical education funding through the Medicare program, including the inclusion of the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act (S. 834/H.R. 2256), the Opioid Workforce Act (S. 1438), and the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act (H.R. 3441) in appropriations legislation.
Client expense: $370,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Advocate for several Medicare & Medicaid provisions in the CARES Act (H.R. 748), including a delay of Medicare sequestration cuts, a delay of the Medicare Fiscal Accountability Rule and Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) cut relief. Support increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) and FMAP flexibility at the state level in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) and the CARES Act (H.R. 748). Advocate for changes to indirect medical education payments to account for COVID-19 response efforts. Discuss issues related to Medicare accelerated payments with White House, HHS, CMS, and Congressional staff. Discuss Medicare and Medicaid issues with the CMS Administrator. Discuss COVID-19 response with White House staff and HHS leadership, including the HHS Secretary. Discuss GNYHA's legislative priorities with Congressional staff: a delay of cuts Medicaid DSH funding (support), site-neutral policies (oppose), 340B drug discount program (support), expanding federal graduate medical education programs (support), funding to address the opioid crisis (support), and the Affordable Care Act (support). Support graduate medical education funding through the Medicare program, including support for the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act (S. 834/H.R. 2256), the Opioid Workforce Act (S. 1438), the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act (H.R. 3441), the Training Psychiatrist for The Future Act, and President Biden's FY 2024 Budget request. graduate medical education legislation Discuss the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2021 (S. 909) with Congressional staff and committee staff. Discuss New York State's Partnership for Patients initiative with CMS contract officers. Discuss GME rural training tracks and possible reforms with Congressional staff. Discuss the ET3 model with staff from CMMI. Discuss the Medicare GME program, including issues related to oversight and transparency, with congressional staff. Spoke with CMS to review Medicare DGME policy (42 CFR 413.75) on residency counting issues. Discuss issues concerning DSH hospitals with the Executive Branch. Discuss Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R.3) with Congressional staff. Discuss issues related to telehealth and HIT with staff from CMS, the White House, and Congressional staff. Discuss disbursements from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund with HHS, the White House, and Congressional staff and lawmakers. Discuss Medicare Advance Payment forgiveness with HHS and Congressional staff, advocated for H.R. 1349 (support). Discuss a range of other COVID-19 priorities with Congressional staff including ensuring Medicare advantage plans comply with increased COVID-19 Medicare payments (support), an add-on payment for COVID-19 care (support), and crisis pay for health care workers (support). Support a delay of Medicaid DSH reimbursement cuts in COVID-19 response package and a delay or repeal of the Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Regulation. Discuss Medicare Rule on Physician Time Studies (42 CFR 415.60) with CMS. Discuss disclosure of patient information to the media with HHS. Discuss Medicare Rules regarding new teaching hospitals with CMS. Discuss alternate care site billing with CMS. Discuss opposition to Medicare statutory PAYGO cuts with congressional staff. Discuss Medicaid waiver proposal with CMS staff. Discuss visitation issues with HHS staff. Discuss support for the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2021. Discuss support for the Acute Hospital Care at Home program. Support legislation to provide support for safety-net hospitals.
Client expense: $370,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), President of the U.S., SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Agriculture
Supported efforts to swiftly and effectively implement the dairy provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill, including the Dairy Margin Coverage program and expanded access to the Livestock Gross Margin program. Child Nutrition - NMPF is monitoring and educating Congress on the effects of child nutrition legislation and programs for dairy farmers, cooperatives, and consumers. NMPF supports efforts to increase kids' access to dairy through nutrition programs. This includes reinstating 1% flavored milk in school breakfast and lunch programs, including as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 Agriculture-FDA Appropriations Act (H.R. 4356, S. 2599), the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 1861), the School Milk Nutrition Act (H.R. 4635), the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 8450), and the forthcoming FNS rule on school meal standards for the 2024-25 school year and beyond. Also worked to include nutritional equivalency requirement for milk alternatives in school meal programs in the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 8450). Met with congressional offices and USDA staff to voice concern on FNS's proposed rule which reduces the amount of dairy in WIC food packages, among other things ("Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Revisions in the WIC Food Packages" published November 21,2022). Additional Nutrition Policy Areas - Supported efforts to increase funding for SNAP and other nutrition programs as well as USDA's flexibility in implementing these programs to support food insecure households during the downturn caused by and the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Supported the GIVE MILK Act (H.R. 818) to increase milk consumption under the WIC program. Urged White House to prioritize increasing food access and protecting choice at its White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Supported legislative and administrative efforts to improve and modify dairy policy, including providing relief to dairy farmers for uncompensated COVID-19-related losses. COVID-19 - Supported the continued implementation of agricultural provisions of the 2020 COVID relief packages [CARES Act (H.R. 748), Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), HEROES Act (H.R. 6800), and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (H.R. 133) as signed into law on December 27, 2020] as well as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) to provide relief to farmers and families from the COVID-19 pandemic. Also supported related administrative actions, including Coronavirus Food Assistance Program payments, product purchases, milk disposal compensation, and milk donation assistance. Supported efforts to ensure agricultural producers have access to the capital required to continue operating during and recover from a disaster, including the Paycheck Protection Clarification for Producers Act (H.R. 1246). Supported the Feed Emergency Enhancement During Disasters Act (H.R. 1240, S. 359) to provide farmers with additional flexibility relating to prevented planting requirements due to shortages in feed, as well as related administrative actions. Supported the Broadband for Rural America Act (H.R. 3369), which increases funding for and streamlines broadband development programs, including bringing programs together under the single roof of USDA. Supported the Broadband Internet Connections for Rural America Act (H.R. 4374). Supported the 2020 WHIP+ Reauthorization Act (H.R. 267) as passed by the House Agriculture Committee. Measure reauthorizes the WHIP-Milk Loss program and makes dairy cooperatives eligible to make payments to producers. Supported similar provisions of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (H.R. 5305).
Client expense: $306,540 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE, White House Office
2022 · fourth_quarter · Banking
CFPB Small Dollar Lending Rule Operation Chokepoint Fintech Charter True Lender Legislation Valid When Made Legislation S. 2808 - Emergency Assistance in Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic H.R. 6074: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 H.R. 6201: Families First Coronavirus Response Act H.R. 748: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act H.R. 266: Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $50,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Banking
Banking issues in the Appropriations Act Community Reinvestment Act Bank Secrecy Act Anti-Money Laundering Cannabis Banking SAFE Banking Act S.2833 Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act H.R.5050 - Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act S. 2808 - Emergency Assistance in Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic H.R. 6074: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 H.R. 6201: Families First Coronavirus Response Act H.R. 748: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act H.R. 266: Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Indian/Native American Affairs
Indian Lands Held In trust Gaming/Gambling Legislation to Amend Indian Gaming Reorganization Act S.3548 To Provide Emergency Assistance in Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic H.R. 6074: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 H.R. 6201: Families First Coronavirus Response Act H.R. 748: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act H.R. 266: Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act H.R. 133: FY 2021 Omnibus Appropriations Bill S. Con. Res. 5 FY 2021 Budget Resolution HR 1319 American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 S. 1901 To amend the Act of June 18, 1934, to reaffirm the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian Tribes, and for other purposes. HR 4352 To amend the Act of June 18, 1934, to reaffirm the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian Tribes, and for other purposes. S.3443 MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians Recognition Act to extend federal recognition to the MOWA Choctaw HR 4350 National Defense Authorization Act S. 4543, the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (NDAA).
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $30,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
S. 2574 Protects Act H.R. 3398 Pathways to Health Careers Act H.R.4468- Nursing Home Workforce Quality Act Outreach to Hill on GAO Report "Federal Requirements for Oversight in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities Differ" Outreach to CMS: PDPM Implementation Observation Stays Issue Outreach to HHS/CMS/Administration Skilled Nursing Facility Requirements of Participation, RIN 0938-AR61 Survey Relief/Civil Monetary Penalties Payroll Based Journal - Section 6106 of the Affordable Care Act Allow Secretarial discretion of CNA Training termination pertaining to Sec. 1819 (f)(2)(B)(iii)(l)(c). S 2943/HR 5216 Quality Care for Nursing Home Residents Act of 2019 HR 5326 Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act H.R.5897/S.3297 - Preventing Abuse and Neglect of Vulnerable Americans Act of 2020 Public Law 116-136, CARES Act Public Law 116-127 (H.R. 6201) Families First Coronavirus Response Act HR 6800 HEROES Act S. 3768/H.R. 6972 Nursing Home COVID-19 Protection and Prevention Act of 2020. S. 4108 A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to increase Federal support to State Medicaid programs during economic downturns, and for other purposes. S.3644 Quality Care for Nursing Home Residents and Workers During COVID-19 Act of 2020. H.R. 7048 Nursing Home Pandemic Protection Act H.R.6872 - SOS Act of 2020 H.R. 6849 Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Act of 2020 H.R. 6847 COHORT Act of 2020 Public Health Fund Distribution to HHS as agency CMS on Public Health Waiver and other waivers RUSH Act H.R. 6209/S.3447 H.R. 8574 amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to increase enforcement under Medicare and Medicaid for skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities during the COVID-19 emergency period and other infectious disease outbreak periods, and for other purposes. S. 4666 National Coronavirus Commission Act of 2020 AHCA response to Ways and Means Committee report Under-Enforced and Over Prescribed: The Antipsychotic Drug Epidemic Ravings Americas Nursing Homes. BENES Act (S 1280/HR 2477) H.R.331 - Nurses CARE Act of 2021 S.368 and H.R.1332 Telehealth Modernization Act Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act (S.1988) Support for Provider Relief Funds (PRF) for long term care providers and outreach to HRSA and the Hill on PRF Rep. Terri Sewell Provider Relief Fund letter Re-introduction work of the Preventing Abuse and Neglect of Vulnerable Americans Act Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act (H.R. 3650/S. 2048) SNF Payment Rule OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards Care For Our Seniors Act Infrastructure Proposal Long Term Care Advocacy AHCA monitoring Ways and Means Investigative and Oversight Subcommittee hearing on the role private equity plays in the skilled nursing facility sector. Medicare Advantage S.4862 - Supporting Our Seniors Act H.R.8832 - To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to ensure nursing facilities report information on medical directors of such facilities. CDC/COVID Safety Guidance
Client expense: $980,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Health Issues
Monitor implementation of H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Public Law 116-127), and provisions related to clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19, including coverage and reimbursement of COVID-19 tests Monitor implementation of H.R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the CARES Act, (Public Law 116-136), and provisions related to clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19, including coverage and reimbursement of COVID-19 tests, laboratory data collection and reimbursement under PAMA, and laboratory data reporting H.R.1319 - American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law No: 117-2) and provisions related to clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19 H.R. 4128/S. 2209 - the Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act of 2021 S. 4348, the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Landmark Advancements (FDASLA) Act and the Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act of 2022 Federal policy and programs ensuring an equitable pandemic response and recovery, including coverage of COVID-19 testing services for uninsured patients H.R. 8152 - American Data Privacy and Protection Act, provisions related to health data privacy Issues related to validation, deployment, and reimbursement for testing to address 2022 Monkeypox outbreak Federal policy and programs regarding oncology research and development related to cancer screening, diagnosis, and survivorship
Client expense: $320,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Executive Office of the President (EOP), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Budget/Appropriations
Monitor legislative and administrative action related to COVID-19 including the implementation of HR 6074, Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act 2020 (PL 116-123); HR 6201, Families First Coronavirus Response Act (PL 116-127); HR 748, CARES Act (PL 116-136); H.R. 6800, The HEROES Act and H.R. 1319, American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-2), and H.R. 3684, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 119-58). H.R. 8294, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2023. H.R. 6833, Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $10,000
2022 · third_quarter · Health Issues
The Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148, P.L. 111-152): Continued advocacy with Congress in support of expanding coverage and improving Medicare benefits; Providing needed protections to guard against insurance practices that unfairly limit, deny or rescind coverage based on health status; public and private health insurers should encourage preventive health care by providing full coverage, with no cost-sharing, for preventive services recommended by an expert advisory group, such as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force; Ensuring access to primary care physicians; and beginning to bend the cost curve; Prohibiting insurers from excluding or charging excessive rates to children based on pre-existing conditions, which later will be expanded to all persons; Covering young adults on their parents' plans; Eliminating lifetime and annual limits on health insurance coverage; Requiring that health insurers spend more on patient care and less on administration; Eliminating patient cost-sharing for preventive services offered by Medicare or private insurers; Increasing Medicare and Medicaid payments to primary care physicians; Supporting the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to help physicians and patients make care decisions based on the best available evidence; Supporting the Center on Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to fund pilots of delivery models to improve outcomes and reduce costs, including patient-centered medical homes; Advocated against a December 2018 ruling by a federal judge in Texas that the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional. Access to Primary Care (H.R. 3962/H.R. 3590/H.R. 4872): Provide sliding scale subsidies based on income to buy coverage from qualified plans; Qualified plans should: provide evidence-based benefits, including preventive services; and be prohibited from excluding persons with pre-existing conditions, charging them more, cherry-picking enrollees, or cancelling or failing to renew coverage; Expand Medicaid to cover all persons below the Federal Poverty Level and ensure fair payments to participating physicians; As coverage becomes affordable, all persons should participate and coverage should be guaranteed; Responsibility for financing should be shared by individuals, employers and government. Medicare Payments to Physicians: Urged that Congress provide incentives to physicians who transform their practices into Advanced Alternative Payment Models and continue to provide stability for physicians in the MIPS program. Specifically, Congress should extend the five percent Qualified Alternative Payment Model participant bonus beyond the 2022 performance year, replace the zero percent baseline payment updates under Medicare with positive updates. Urged congressional committees with jurisdiction over Medicare to exercise their oversight authority and urge CMS to expedite approval of more Advanced APMS, particularly those that work for small and specialty practices and to simplify the scoring structure and reporting requirements under the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in order to fulfill Congress intent of a more streamlined program that reduces burdens on physicians; Supported S.2648, the Rural ACO Improvement Act, amends title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the benchmarking process for the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) to ensure that all ACOs have an equal opportunity to share in savings regardless of their geographic location; Provided recommendations to CMS on the Merit-based Incentive Payment System Value Pathway (MVP), which aims to reduce reporting burden and complexity within MIPS while improving the accuracy and effectiveness of performance measurement. The College noted specifically that a robust, multi-year transition period will be critical to the success of the MVP, that it does not support making the MVP mandatory, that CMS should continue to support numerous reporting mechanisms, including qualified registries and clinical data registries, which have been instrumental in developing specialty-specific performance measures, among other things. Urged that any legislation to hold some Medicare physician payment codes harmless from budget neutrality do so for just one year and to allow evaluation and management increases. Regarding CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program (QPP) rules, expressed support for extending some of the services and increased flexibility for telehealth through the end of 2023, namely some audio-only services that were allowed during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), support for collecting additional data on health equity issues to analyze disparities that occur across their programs, support for including chronic care management as one of the seven MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) for 2023. Urged CMS to discontinue its split/shared visits policy and not move forward with the transition set to take effect in 2023. Urged Congress to support inclusion in must-pass legislation this year provisions to provide financial stability through a baseline positive annual update to the physician fee schedule reflecting inflation in practice costs, and eliminate, replace or revise budget neutrality requirements to allow for appropriate changes in spending growth; Extend the moratoriums on sequester and PAYGO cuts that were approved by Congress at the end of last year. FY2023 Appropriations: Urged Congress to support funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions programs in the FY 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill as well as funding shared evenly between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention. Advocated for funding for the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA); Title VII, Section 747, Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); National Health Service Corps (NHSC); Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). COVID-19: Urged congressional appropriators to provide the highest possible funding level for research, prevention, control, and treatment of illnesses associated with the virus that is commensurate with the public health emergency that the virus represents. Expressed support to Congress and the administration for a variety of COVID-related bills from the 116th Congress as follows: the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, H.R. 6201, and other stimulus reforms related to COVID-19 including: Emergency paid leave benefits, paid sick days for public health emergencies, coverage of testing for COVID-19, waiving of cost sharing under Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and CHIP, increasing the federal FMAP under Medicaid, providing reimbursement for CPT codes 99441 - 99443, which are telephone evaluation and management services, expediting entrance of international medical graduates who are citizens of other nations (non-US IMGs) into the country and ensuring that lawfully present non-U.S. IMGs are not negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, funding for physician practices under the Public Health and Social Service Emergency Fund (PHSSEF), providing tax relief, grants, and loans to small and medium size practices impacted by COVID-19, increasing funding for personal protective equipment (PPE), ensuring Medicaid pay parity with Medicare for primary care services; Urged support for H.R. 7059, the Coronavirus Provider Protection Act, which extend liability protections to those who provide care in good faith during the COVID-19 public health emergency (plus a reasonable time, such as 60 days, after the emergency declaration ends), and not in situations of gross negligence or willful misconduct. The College also urged that pay parity between telephone claims and in-person visits and between all telehealth and in-person visits be maintained after the PHE is lifted. Urged congress to mitigate the impact of covid across racial and ethnic minority populations by collect covid-19 and racial disparity data, equitably distribute covid-19 vaccines and treatments, protect essential workers, permanently expand access to family and medical leave, address environmental and social drivers of health, integrate primary care and behavioral health, improve mental health parity with increased federal oversight and enforcement, make naloxone more available to prevent overdose, expand medication-assisted treatment (mat) for physicians, establish a national prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP); urged support for administering COVID-19 vaccinations to all eligible immigrants in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. Urged CMS to support increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake by ensuring clinicians are appropriately paid for vaccine counseling for beneficiaries of Medicaid and Medicare. Urged that telehealth services should remain in place for at least two years after the end of the PHE to ensure that our physicians are able to continue to use this modality to enhance patient care. Urged Congress to support the concept of a congressionally-mandated bipartisan commission to examine the U.S. preparations for and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to inform future public policy and health systems preparedness. Urged that any uses of technology in the U.S. in the context of the pandemic should be demonstrated to be effective, be temporary, and ensure that safeguards for privacy and confidentiality are in place. Womens Health: Urged HHS to support Title X funding and ensure unencumbered access to affordable, comprehensive, evidence-based reproductive health care; eliminate medically unnecessary restrictions and inappropriate political interference in the patient-physician relationship; and protect funding for and ensures consistent treatment of qualified service sites. Urged support for mandatory, permanent extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage, from 60 days to 12 months after delivery. Urged support for the Womens Health Protection Act of 2021 and 2022 (H.R. 3755/S. 1975), bills that would protect a persons ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy and to protect the health care clinicians ability to provide abortion services free from medically unnecessary restrictions such as waiting periods, biased counselling and admitting privilege requirements for clinicians. Access to Care: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 340, the Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021, to expand federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid, regardless of when such expansion takes place: Cosponsor and pass H.R. 369, the Health Care Affordability Act of 2021, to permanently expand eligibility for higher premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. Primary Care and the Physician Workforce: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 2256/S. 834, the Resident Physician Reduction Shortage Act of 2021, to increase the number of GME slots to 14,000 over seven years for specialties facing shortages, including internal medicine; Cosponsor and pass S. 1024, the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, to recapture 40,000 unused visas and use them to provide additional green cards to 15,000 physicians and 25,000 professional nurses; Cosponsor and pass H.R. 3541/S. 1810, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act, to allow states to sponsor foreign-trained physicians to work in medically underserved areas in exchange for a waiver of the physicians' two-year foreign residence requirement; Cosponsor and pass H.R.4122/S.3658, the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act, to make it possible for residents to defer interest on their loans; Support inclusion in FY2023 appropriations legislation funding for Title VII Primary Care and Training Enhancement (PCTE) at $71 million to support and expand the pipeline for individuals training in primary care. Public Health and Pandemic Preparedness: Urged members of Congress to support funding in FY2023 appropriations - $11 billion total for the CDC, $35 million for the CDCs Injury Prevention and Control, Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research; $49 billion in total for the NIH, $25 million for the Office of the Director, Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research; Cosponsor and pass the COVID Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022, H.R. 7007, or a similar supplemental funding package, to provide $15.6 billion in additional funding for COVID relief; Cosponsor and pass the CONNECT for Health Act (H.R. 2903/S. 1512) and the Telehealth Extension Act of 2021 (H.R. 6202/S. 3593), to remove arbitrary restrictions on where a patient must be located to utilize telehealth services; enable patients to continue to receive telehealth services in their homes; ensure federally-qualified health centers and rural health centers can furnish telehealth services and improve data collection and analysis for at least two years. Prescription Drug Reform: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass S. 898, the Fair Drug Pricing Act, to require drug companies to disclose and provide more information about imminent drug-price increases, including data about research and development costs; Cosponsor and pass S. 833, the Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act of 2021, to help to reduce drug prices and out-of-pocket costs by allowing the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries; Cosponsor and pass S. 464/H.R. 2163, the Safe Step Act, to ensure patient access to appropriate treatments based on clinical decision-making and medical necessity rather than arbitrary step therapy protocols. Telehealth Services: Urged Congress to support H.R. 2903/S. 1512, the CONNECT for Health Act, to remove arbitrary barriers to telehealth services such as geographic and site of service restrictions; S. 168/H.R. 708, the Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act or the TREAT Act, to ensure that telehealth services can be provided across states lines after the public health emergency ends; H.R. 8487, the Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act that would help protect patients from unnecessary delays in care and reduce administrative burdens on physicians by standardizing and streamlining the prior authorization approval process in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. Mental and Behavioral Health: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 5218, the Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner Act, to provide grants through the Department of Health and Human Services to primary care physicians who choose to deliver behavioral health care through the Collaborate Care Model (CoCM); Support enhanced reimbursement for CoCM payment codes under Medicare to more appropriately reflect the value of services provided to patients with mental health and substance use disorder needs.
Client expense: $302,378 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), President of the U.S., SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA)
2022 · third_quarter · Health Issues
The Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148, P.L. 111-152): Continued advocacy with Congress in support of expanding coverage and improving Medicare benefits; Providing needed protections to guard against insurance practices that unfairly limit, deny or rescind coverage based on health status; public and private health insurers should encourage preventive health care by providing full coverage, with no cost-sharing, for preventive services recommended by an expert advisory group, such as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force; Ensuring access to primary care physicians; and beginning to bend the cost curve; Prohibiting insurers from excluding or charging excessive rates to children based on pre-existing conditions, which later will be expanded to all persons; Covering young adults on their parents' plans; Eliminating lifetime and annual limits on health insurance coverage; Requiring that health insurers spend more on patient care and less on administration; Eliminating patient cost-sharing for preventive services offered by Medicare or private insurers; Increasing Medicare and Medicaid payments to primary care physicians; Supporting the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to help physicians and patients make care decisions based on the best available evidence; Supporting the Center on Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to fund pilots of delivery models to improve outcomes and reduce costs, including patient-centered medical homes; Advocated against a December 2018 ruling by a federal judge in Texas that the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional. Access to Primary Care (H.R. 3962/H.R. 3590/H.R. 4872): Provide sliding scale subsidies based on income to buy coverage from qualified plans; Qualified plans should: provide evidence-based benefits, including preventive services; and be prohibited from excluding persons with pre-existing conditions, charging them more, cherry-picking enrollees, or cancelling or failing to renew coverage; Expand Medicaid to cover all persons below the Federal Poverty Level and ensure fair payments to participating physicians; As coverage becomes affordable, all persons should participate and coverage should be guaranteed; Responsibility for financing should be shared by individuals, employers and government. Medicare Payments to Physicians: Urged that Congress provide incentives to physicians who transform their practices into Advanced Alternative Payment Models and continue to provide stability for physicians in the MIPS program. Specifically, Congress should extend the five percent Qualified Alternative Payment Model participant bonus beyond the 2022 performance year, replace the zero percent baseline payment updates under Medicare with positive updates. Urged congressional committees with jurisdiction over Medicare to exercise their oversight authority and urge CMS to expedite approval of more Advanced APMS, particularly those that work for small and specialty practices and to simplify the scoring structure and reporting requirements under the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in order to fulfill Congress intent of a more streamlined program that reduces burdens on physicians; Supported S.2648, the Rural ACO Improvement Act, amends title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the benchmarking process for the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) to ensure that all ACOs have an equal opportunity to share in savings regardless of their geographic location; Provided recommendations to CMS on the Merit-based Incentive Payment System Value Pathway (MVP), which aims to reduce reporting burden and complexity within MIPS while improving the accuracy and effectiveness of performance measurement. The College noted specifically that a robust, multi-year transition period will be critical to the success of the MVP, that it does not support making the MVP mandatory, that CMS should continue to support numerous reporting mechanisms, including qualified registries and clinical data registries, which have been instrumental in developing specialty-specific performance measures, among other things. Urged that any legislation to hold some Medicare physician payment codes harmless from budget neutrality do so for just one year and to allow evaluation and management increases. Regarding CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program (QPP) rules, expressed support for extending some of the services and increased flexibility for telehealth through the end of 2023, namely some audio-only services that were allowed during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), support for collecting additional data on health equity issues to analyze disparities that occur across their programs, support for including chronic care management as one of the seven MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) for 2023. Urged CMS to discontinue its split/shared visits policy and not move forward with the transition set to take effect in 2023. Urged Congress to support inclusion in must-pass legislation this year provisions to provide financial stability through a baseline positive annual update to the physician fee schedule reflecting inflation in practice costs, and eliminate, replace or revise budget neutrality requirements to allow for appropriate changes in spending growth; Extend the moratoriums on sequester and PAYGO cuts that were approved by Congress at the end of last year. FY2023 Appropriations: Urged Congress to support funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions programs in the FY 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill as well as funding shared evenly between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention. Advocated for funding for the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA); Title VII, Section 747, Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); National Health Service Corps (NHSC); Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). COVID-19: Urged congressional appropriators to provide the highest possible funding level for research, prevention, control, and treatment of illnesses associated with the virus that is commensurate with the public health emergency that the virus represents. Expressed support to Congress and the administration for a variety of COVID-related bills from the 116th Congress as follows: the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, H.R. 6201, and other stimulus reforms related to COVID-19 including: Emergency paid leave benefits, paid sick days for public health emergencies, coverage of testing for COVID-19, waiving of cost sharing under Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and CHIP, increasing the federal FMAP under Medicaid, providing reimbursement for CPT codes 99441 - 99443, which are telephone evaluation and management services, expediting entrance of international medical graduates who are citizens of other nations (non-US IMGs) into the country and ensuring that lawfully present non-U.S. IMGs are not negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, funding for physician practices under the Public Health and Social Service Emergency Fund (PHSSEF), providing tax relief, grants, and loans to small and medium size practices impacted by COVID-19, increasing funding for personal protective equipment (PPE), ensuring Medicaid pay parity with Medicare for primary care services; Urged support for H.R. 7059, the Coronavirus Provider Protection Act, which extend liability protections to those who provide care in good faith during the COVID-19 public health emergency (plus a reasonable time, such as 60 days, after the emergency declaration ends), and not in situations of gross negligence or willful misconduct. The College also urged that pay parity between telephone claims and in-person visits and between all telehealth and in-person visits be maintained after the PHE is lifted. Urged congress to mitigate the impact of covid across racial and ethnic minority populations by collect covid-19 and racial disparity data, equitably distribute covid-19 vaccines and treatments, protect essential workers, permanently expand access to family and medical leave, address environmental and social drivers of health, integrate primary care and behavioral health, improve mental health parity with increased federal oversight and enforcement, make naloxone more available to prevent overdose, expand medication-assisted treatment (mat) for physicians, establish a national prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP); urged support for administering COVID-19 vaccinations to all eligible immigrants in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. Urged CMS to support increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake by ensuring clinicians are appropriately paid for vaccine counseling for beneficiaries of Medicaid and Medicare. Urged that telehealth services should remain in place for at least two years after the end of the PHE to ensure that our physicians are able to continue to use this modality to enhance patient care. Urged Congress to support the concept of a congressionally-mandated bipartisan commission to examine the U.S. preparations for and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to inform future public policy and health systems preparedness. Urged that any uses of technology in the U.S. in the context of the pandemic should be demonstrated to be effective, be temporary, and ensure that safeguards for privacy and confidentiality are in place. Womens Health: Urged HHS to support Title X funding and ensure unencumbered access to affordable, comprehensive, evidence-based reproductive health care; eliminate medically unnecessary restrictions and inappropriate political interference in the patient-physician relationship; and protect funding for and ensures consistent treatment of qualified service sites. Urged support for mandatory, permanent extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage, from 60 days to 12 months after delivery. Urged support for the Womens Health Protection Act of 2021 and 2022 (H.R. 3755/S. 1975), bills that would protect a persons ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy and to protect the health care clinicians ability to provide abortion services free from medically unnecessary restrictions such as waiting periods, biased counselling and admitting privilege requirements for clinicians. Access to Care: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 340, the Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021, to expand federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid, regardless of when such expansion takes place: Cosponsor and pass H.R. 369, the Health Care Affordability Act of 2021, to permanently expand eligibility for higher premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. Primary Care and the Physician Workforce: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 2256/S. 834, the Resident Physician Reduction Shortage Act of 2021, to increase the number of GME slots to 14,000 over seven years for specialties facing shortages, including internal medicine; Cosponsor and pass S. 1024, the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, to recapture 40,000 unused visas and use them to provide additional green cards to 15,000 physicians and 25,000 professional nurses; Cosponsor and pass H.R. 3541/S. 1810, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act, to allow states to sponsor foreign-trained physicians to work in medically underserved areas in exchange for a waiver of the physicians' two-year foreign residence requirement; Cosponsor and pass H.R.4122/S.3658, the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act, to make it possible for residents to defer interest on their loans; Support inclusion in FY2023 appropriations legislation funding for Title VII Primary Care and Training Enhancement (PCTE) at $71 million to support and expand the pipeline for individuals training in primary care. Public Health and Pandemic Preparedness: Urged members of Congress to support funding in FY2023 appropriations - $11 billion total for the CDC, $35 million for the CDCs Injury Prevention and Control, Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research; $49 billion in total for the NIH, $25 million for the Office of the Director, Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research; Cosponsor and pass the COVID Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022, H.R. 7007, or a similar supplemental funding package, to provide $15.6 billion in additional funding for COVID relief; Cosponsor and pass the CONNECT for Health Act (H.R. 2903/S. 1512) and the Telehealth Extension Act of 2021 (H.R. 6202/S. 3593), to remove arbitrary restrictions on where a patient must be located to utilize telehealth services; enable patients to continue to receive telehealth services in their homes; ensure federally-qualified health centers and rural health centers can furnish telehealth services and improve data collection and analysis for at least two years. Prescription Drug Reform: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass S. 898, the Fair Drug Pricing Act, to require drug companies to disclose and provide more information about imminent drug-price increases, including data about research and development costs; Cosponsor and pass S. 833, the Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act of 2021, to help to reduce drug prices and out-of-pocket costs by allowing the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries; Cosponsor and pass S. 464/H.R. 2163, the Safe Step Act, to ensure patient access to appropriate treatments based on clinical decision-making and medical necessity rather than arbitrary step therapy protocols. Telehealth Services: Urged Congress to support H.R. 2903/S. 1512, the CONNECT for Health Act, to remove arbitrary barriers to telehealth services such as geographic and site of service restrictions; S. 168/H.R. 708, the Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act or the TREAT Act, to ensure that telehealth services can be provided across states lines after the public health emergency ends; H.R. 8487, the Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act that would help protect patients from unnecessary delays in care and reduce administrative burdens on physicians by standardizing and streamlining the prior authorization approval process in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. Mental and Behavioral Health: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 5218, the Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner Act, to provide grants through the Department of Health and Human Services to primary care physicians who choose to deliver behavioral health care through the Collaborate Care Model (CoCM); Support enhanced reimbursement for CoCM payment codes under Medicare to more appropriately reflect the value of services provided to patients with mental health and substance use disorder needs.
Client expense: $68,579 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), President of the U.S., SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA)
2022 · third_quarter · Health Issues
Health care reform issues; legislative issues related to Title X family planning funding; Coronavirus response efforts, including related provisions in: (1) H.R. 6074, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 116-123); (2) H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L. 116-127); (3) H.R. 748 - Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136); (4) H.R.133 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260); and (5) H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act (P.L. 117-2).
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $90,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Agriculture
Supported efforts to swiftly and effectively implement the dairy provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill, including the Dairy Margin Coverage program and expanded access to the Livestock Gross Margin program. Child Nutrition - NMPF is monitoring and educating Congress on the effects of child nutrition legislation and programs for dairy farmers, cooperatives, and consumers. NMPF supports efforts to increase kids' access to dairy through nutrition programs. This includes reinstating 1% flavored milk in school breakfast and lunch programs, including as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 Agriculture-FDA Appropriations Act (H.R. 4356, S. 2599), the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 1861), the School Milk Nutrition Act (H.R. 4635), the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 8450), and the forthcoming FNS rule on school meal standards for the 2024-25 school year and beyond. Also worked to include nutritional equivalency requirement for milk alternatives in school meal programs in the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 8450). Additional Nutrition Policy Areas - Supported efforts to increase funding for SNAP and other nutrition programs as well as USDA's flexibility in implementing these programs to support food insecure households during the downturn caused by and the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Supported the GIVE MILK Act (H.R. 818) to increase milk consumption under the WIC program. Urged White House to prioritize increasing food access and protecting choice at its White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Supported legislative and administrative efforts to improve and modify dairy policy, including providing relief to dairy farmers for uncompensated COVID-19-related losses. COVID-19 - Supported the continued implementation of agricultural provisions of the 2020 COVID relief packages [CARES Act (H.R. 748), Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), HEROES Act (H.R. 6800), and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (H.R. 133) as signed into law on December 27, 2020] as well as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) to provide relief to farmers and families from the COVID-19 pandemic. Also supported related administrative actions, including Coronavirus Food Assistance Program payments, product purchases, milk disposal compensation, and milk donation assistance. Supported efforts to ensure agricultural producers have access to the capital required to continue operating during and recover from a disaster, including the Paycheck Protection Clarification for Producers Act (H.R. 1246). Supported the Feed Emergency Enhancement During Disasters Act (H.R. 1240, S. 359) to provide farmers with additional flexibility relating to prevented planting requirements due to shortages in feed, as well as related administrative actions. Supported the Broadband for Rural America Act (H.R. 3369), which increases funding for and streamlines broadband development programs, including bringing programs together under the single roof of USDA. Supported the Broadband Internet Connections for Rural America Act (H.R. 4374). Supported the 2020 WHIP+ Reauthorization Act (H.R. 267) as passed by the House Agriculture Committee. Measure reauthorizes the WHIP-Milk Loss program and makes dairy cooperatives eligible to make payments to producers. Supported similar provisions of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (H.R. 5305).
Client expense: $241,100 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE, White House Office
2022 · third_quarter · Banking
CFPB Small Dollar Lending Rule Operation Chokepoint Fintech Charter True Lender Legislation Valid When Made Legislation S. 2808 - Emergency Assistance in Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic H.R. 6074: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 H.R. 6201: Families First Coronavirus Response Act H.R. 748: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act H.R. 266: Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $50,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Banking
Banking issues in the Appropriations Act Community Reinvestment Act Bank Secrecy Act Anti-Money Laundering Cannabis Banking SAFE Banking Act S.2833 Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act H.R.5050 - Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act S. 2808 - Emergency Assistance in Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic H.R. 6074: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 H.R. 6201: Families First Coronavirus Response Act H.R. 748: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act H.R. 266: Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Banking
CFPB Small Dollar Lending Rule Fintech Charter True Lender Legislation Valid When Made Legislation S. 2808 - Emergency Assistance in Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic H.R. 6074: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 H.R. 6201: Families First Coronavirus Response Act H.R. 748: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act H.R. 266: Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $30,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Indian/Native American Affairs
Indian Lands Held In trust Gaming/Gambling Legislation to Amend Indian Gaming Reorganization Act S.3548 To Provide Emergency Assistance in Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic H.R. 6074: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 H.R. 6201: Families First Coronavirus Response Act H.R. 748: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act H.R. 266: Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act H.R. 133: FY 2021 Omnibus Appropriations Bill S. Con. Res. 5 FY 2021 Budget Resolution HR 1319 American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 S. 1901 To amend the Act of June 18, 1934, to reaffirm the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian Tribes, and for other purposes. HR 4352 To amend the Act of June 18, 1934, to reaffirm the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian Tribes, and for other purposes. S.3443 MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians Recognition Act to extend federal recognition to the MOWA Choctaw HR 4350 National Defense Authorization Act S. 4543, the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (NDAA).
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $30,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Advocate for several Medicare & Medicaid provisions in the CARES Act (H.R. 748), including a delay of Medicare sequestration cuts, a delay of the Medicare Fiscal Accountability Rule and Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) cut relief. Support increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) and FMAP flexibility at the state level in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) and the CARES Act (H.R. 748). Advocate for changes to indirect medical education payments to account for COVID-19 response efforts. Discuss issues related to Medicare accelerated payments with White House, HHS, CMS, and Congressional staff. Discuss Medicare and Medicaid issues with the CMS Administrator. Discuss COVID-19 response with White House staff and HHS leadership, including the HHS Secretary. Discuss GNYHA's legislative priorities with Congressional staff: a delay of cuts Medicaid DSH funding (support), site-neutral policies (oppose), 340B drug discount program (support), expanding federal graduate medical education programs (support), funding to address the opioid crisis (support), and the Affordable Care Act (support). Support graduate medical education funding through the Medicare program, including support for the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act (S. 834/H.R. 2256), the Opioid Workforce Act (S. 1438), the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act (H.R. 3441), the Training Psychiatrist for The Future Act, and President Biden's FY 2024 Budget request. graduate medical education legislation Discuss the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2021 (S. 909) with Congressional staff and committee staff. Discuss New York State's Partnership for Patients initiative with CMS contract officers. Discuss GME rural training tracks and possible reforms with Congressional staff. Discuss the ET3 model with staff from CMMI. Discuss the Medicare GME program, including issues related to oversight and transparency, with congressional staff. Spoke with CMS to review Medicare DGME policy (42 CFR 413.75) on residency counting issues. Discuss issues concerning DSH hospitals with the Executive Branch. Discuss Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R.3) with Congressional staff. Discuss issues related to telehealth and HIT with staff from CMS, the White House, and Congressional staff. Discuss disbursements from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund with HHS, the White House, and Congressional staff and lawmakers. Discuss Medicare Advance Payment forgiveness with HHS and Congressional staff, advocated for H.R. 1349 (support). Discuss a range of other COVID-19 priorities with Congressional staff including ensuring Medicare advantage plans comply with increased COVID-19 Medicare payments (support), an add-on payment for COVID-19 care (support), and crisis pay for health care workers (support). Support a delay of Medicaid DSH reimbursement cuts in COVID-19 response package and a delay or repeal of the Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Regulation. Discuss Medicare Rule on Physician Time Studies (42 CFR 415.60) with CMS. Discuss disclosure of patient information to the media with HHS. Discuss Medicare Rules regarding new teaching hospitals with CMS. Discuss alternate care site billing with CMS. Discuss opposition to Medicare statutory PAYGO cuts with congressional staff.
Client expense: $330,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), President of the U.S., SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Health Issues
Advocate for several Medicare & Medicaid provisions in the CARES Act (H.R. 748), including a delay of Medicare sequestration cuts, a delay of the Medicare Fiscal Accountability Rule and Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) cut relief. Support increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) and FMAP flexibility at the state level in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) and the CARES Act (H.R. 748). Advocate for federal childcare benefits for members of the health care workforce. Advocate for increasing borrowing limits on SBA loans and ensuring health care providers are eligible. Support direct funding for health care providers treating COVID-19 patients, including funding through the Hospital Preparedness Program. Support funding and efforts to ensure health care providers have access to essential materials, such as PPE, for COVID-19 response and readiness. Advocate for changes to indirect medical education payments to account for COVID-19 response efforts. Advocate for direct Federal funding for state and local governments during the COVID-19 crisis. Discuss the distribution methodology for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund with the White House, HHS, CMS, and Congressional staff. Discuss issues related to Medicare accelerated payments with White House, HHS, CMS, and Congressional staff. Discuss Medicare and Medicaid issues with the CMS Administrator. Discuss COVID-19 response with White House staff and HHS leadership, including the HHS Secretary. Discuss GNYHA's legislative priorities with Congressional staff: a delay of cuts to Medicaid DSH funding (support), site-neutral policies (oppose), 340B drug discount program (support), expanding federal graduate medical education programs (support), funding to address the opioid crisis (support), funding for hospital infrastructure (support), the Affordable Care Act (support), and liver allocation reforms (support). Educate Congressional staff and lawmakers on Medicare for All. Support graduate medical education funding through the Medicare program, including support for the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act (S. 834/H.R. 2256), the Opioid Workforce Act (S. 1438), the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act (H.R. 3441) the Training Psychiatrist for the Future Act, and President Biden's FY 2024 Budget. Discuss technical assistance regarding graduate medical education legislation with committee staff. Discuss the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2021 (S. 909) with Congressional staff and committee staff. Support surprise billing legislation reform and work with committee and Congressional staff on a range of issues. Discussed several bills, including the No Surprises Act (P.L. 116-260). Discuss New York State's Partnership for Patients initiative with CMS contract officers. Discuss GME rural training tracks and possible reforms with Congressional staff. Discuss the ET3 model with staff from CMMI. Discuss the Medicare GME program, including issues related to oversight and transparency, with congressional staff. Spoke with CMS to review Medicare DGME policy (42 CFR 413.75) on residency counting issues Discuss provisions in the CARES Act (H.R. 748) related to health care provider liability and immunity with Congressional and committee staff. Attend cybersecurity briefing related to foreign threats with FBI. Discuss issues concerning DSH hospitals with the Executive Branch. Discuss Medicare and Medicaid issues with the CMS Administrator. Discuss Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R.3) with Congressional staff. Discuss issues related to telehealth and HIT with staff from CMS, the White House and Congressional staff. Discuss drug shortages related to the COVID-19 crisis with Congressional and Administration staff. Coordinate with ASPR, the Department of Defense, FEMA and the FDA on COVID-19 response efforts. Discuss disbursements from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund with HHS, the White House, and Congressional staff and lawmakers. Discuss hospital infrastructure spending with the White House and Congressional staff, including the LIFT America Act (H.R. 1848) and INVEST in America Act (H.R. 3684). Discuss Medicare Advance Payment forgiveness with HHS and Congressional staff, advocated for H.R. 1349 (support). Discuss supply chain issues, including PPE and ventilators, with Congressional staff, HHS and White House. Discuss a range of other COVID-19 priorities with Congressional staff including ensuring Medicare advantage plans comply with increased COVID-19 Medicare payments (support), an add-on payment for COVID-19 care (support), and crisis pay for health care workers (support). Support a delay of Medicaid DSH reimbursement cuts in COVID-19 response package and a delay or repeal of the Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Regulation. Discuss insurance companies transactions and policies affecting health care providers with Congressional staff and support for the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 3173). Discuss surprise billing legislation with White House staff. Discuss Medicare Rule on Physician Time Studies (42 CFR 415.60) with CMS. Discuss disclosure of patient information to the media with HHS. Discuss Medicare Rules regarding new teaching hospitals with CMS. Discuss alternate care site billing with CMS. Discuss the regulation of laboratory developed tests and the VALID Act with Congressional and committee staff. Discuss family planning funding with staff at HHS. Discuss federal climate pledge with staff at HHS. Discuss monkeypox therapeutics, FDA Commissioner Discuss support for the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act (H.R. 7053) with congressional staff. Discuss FEMA reimbursement with FEMA and congressional staff.
Client expense: $330,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Executive Office of the President (EOP), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), President of the U.S., SENATE, Small Business Administration (SBA), Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), White House Office
2022 · third_quarter · Budget/Appropriations
Support the inclusion of funding for hospital infrastructure and workforce programs in appropriations legislation. Support for the inclusion of provisions to delay the Medicaid DSH cuts in appropriations legislation. Advocate for several Medicare & Medicaid provisions in the CARES Act (H.R. 748), including a delay of Medicare sequestration cuts, a delay of the Medicare Fiscal Accountability Rule and Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (n) cut relief. Support increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) and FMAP flexibility at the state level in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) and the CARES Act (H.R. 748). Advocate for federal childcare benefits for members of the health care workforce. Support direct funding for health care providers treating COVID-19 patients, including funding through the Hospital Preparedness Program. Support funding and efforts to ensure health care providers have access to essential materials, such as PPE, for COVID-19 response and readiness. Advocate for direct Federal funding for state and local governments during the COVID-19 crisis. Support graduate medical education funding through the Medicare program, including the inclusion of the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act (S. 834/H.R. 2256), the Opioid Workforce Act (S. 1438), and the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act (H.R. 3441) in appropriations legislation.
Client expense: $330,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · second_quarter · Agriculture
Supported efforts to swiftly and effectively implement the dairy provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill, including the Dairy Margin Coverage program and expanded access to the Livestock Gross Margin program. Child Nutrition - NMPF is monitoring and educating Congress on the effects of child nutrition legislation and programs for dairy farmers, cooperatives, and consumers. NMPF supports efforts to increase kids' access to dairy through nutrition programs. This includes reinstating 1% flavored milk in school breakfast and lunch programs, including as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 Agriculture-FDA Appropriations Act (H.R. 4356, S. 2599), the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 1861), the School Milk Nutrition Act (H.R. 4635), and the forthcoming FNS rule on school meal standards for the 2024-25 school year and beyond. Supported efforts to increase funding for SNAP and other nutrition programs as well as USDA's flexibility in implementing these programs to support food insecure households during the downturn caused by and the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Supported the GIVE MILK Act (H.R. 818) to increase milk consumption under the WIC program. Urged White House to prioritize increasing food access and protecting choice at its White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Supported legislative and administrative efforts to improve and modify dairy policy, including providing relief to dairy farmers for uncompensated COVID-19-related losses. COVID-19 - Supported the continued implementation of agricultural provisions of the 2020 COVID relief packages [CARES Act (H.R. 748), Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), HEROES Act (H.R. 6800), and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (H.R. 133) as signed into law on December 27, 2020] as well as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) to provide relief to farmers and families from the COVID-19 pandemic. Also supported related administrative actions, including Coronavirus Food Assistance Program payments, product purchases, milk disposal compensation, and milk donation assistance. Supported efforts to ensure agricultural producers have access to the capital required to continue operating during and recover from a disaster, including the Paycheck Protection Clarification for Producers Act (H.R. 1246). Supported the Feed Emergency Enhancement During Disasters Act (H.R. 1240, S. 359) to provide farmers with additional flexibility relating to prevented planting requirements due to shortages in feed, as well as related administrative actions. Supported the Broadband for Rural America Act (H.R. 3369), which increases funding for and streamlines broadband development programs, including bringing programs together under the single roof of USDA. Supported the Broadband Internet Connections for Rural America Act (H.R. 4374). Supported the 2020 WHIP+ Reauthorization Act (H.R. 267) as passed by the House Agriculture Committee. Measure reauthorizes the WHIP-Milk Loss program and makes dairy cooperatives eligible to make payments to producers. Supported similar provisions of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (H.R. 5305).
Client expense: $251,970 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE, White House Office
2022 · second_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
S. 2574 Protects Act H.R. 3398 Pathways to Health Careers Act H.R.4468- Nursing Home Workforce Quality Act Outreach to Hill on GAO Report "Federal Requirements for Oversight in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities Differ" Outreach to CMS: PDPM Implementation Observation Stays Issue Outreach to HHS/CMS/Administration Skilled Nursing Facility Requirements of Participation, RIN 0938-AR61 Survey Relief/Civil Monetary Penalties Payroll Based Journal - Section 6106 of the Affordable Care Act Allow Secretarial discretion of CNA Training termination pertaining to Sec. 1819 (f)(2)(B)(iii)(l)(c). S. 2993- Ensuring Seniors Access to Quality Care Act S 2943/HR 5216 Quality Care for Nursing Home Residents Act of 2019 HR 5326 Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act H.R.5897/S.3297 - Preventing Abuse and Neglect of Vulnerable Americans Act of 2020 Public Law 116-136, CARES Act Public Law 116-127 (H.R. 6201) Families First Coronavirus Response Act HR 6800 HEROES Act S. 3768/H.R. 6972 Nursing Home COVID-19 Protection and Prevention Act of 2020. S. 4108 A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to increase Federal support to State Medicaid programs during economic downturns, and for other purposes. S.3644 Quality Care for Nursing Home Residents and Workers During COVID-19 Act of 2020. H.R. 7048 Nursing Home Pandemic Protection Act H.R.6872 - SOS Act of 2020 H.R. 6849 Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Act of 2020 H.R. 6847 COHORT Act of 2020 Public Health Fund Distribution to HHS as agency CMS on Public Health Waiver and other waivers RUSH Act H.R. 6209/S.3447 H.R. 8574 amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to increase enforcement under Medicare and Medicaid for skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities during the COVID-19 emergency period and other infectious disease outbreak periods, and for other purposes. S. 4666 National Coronavirus Commission Act of 2020 AHCA response to Ways and Means Committee report Under-Enforced and Over Prescribed: The Antipsychotic Drug Epidemic Ravings Americas Nursing Homes. BENES Act (S 1280/HR 2477) H.R.331 - Nurses CARE Act of 2021 S.368 and H.R.1332 Telehealth Modernization Act Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act (S.1988) Support for Provider Relief Funds (PRF) for long term care providers and outreach to HRSA and the Hill on PRF Rep. Terri Sewell Provider Relief Fund letter Re-introduction work of the Preventing Abuse and Neglect of Vulnerable Americans Act Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act (H.R. 3650/S. 2048) SNF Payment Rule OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards Care For Our Seniors Act Infrastructure Proposal Long Term Care Advocacy AHCA monitoring Ways and Means Investigative and Oversight Subcommittee hearing on the role private equity plays in the skilled nursing facility sector. Medicare Advantage
Client expense: $940,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), SENATE
2022 · second_quarter · Health Issues
Monitor implementation of H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Public Law 116-127), and provisions related to clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19, including coverage and reimbursement of COVID-19 tests Monitor implementation of H.R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the CARES Act, (Public Law 116-136), and provisions related to clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19, including coverage and reimbursement of COVID-19 tests, laboratory data collection and reimbursement under PAMA, and laboratory data reporting H.R.1319 - American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law No: 117-2) and provisions related to clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19 H.R. 4128/S. 2209, the Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act of 2021 S. 4348, the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Landmark Advancements (FDASLA) Act and the Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act of 2022 Federal policy and programs ensuring an equitable pandemic response and recovery, including coverage of COVID-19 testing services for uninsured patients H.R. 8152 - American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA), provisions related to health data privacy Issues related to validation, deployment, and reimbursement for testing to address 2022 Monkeypox outbreak
Client expense: $250,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Executive Office of the President (EOP), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), SENATE
2022 · second_quarter · Budget/Appropriations
Monitor legislative and administrative action related to COVID-19 including the implementation of HR 6074, Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act 2020 (PL 116-123); HR 6201, Families First Coronavirus Response Act (PL 116-127); HR 748, CARES Act (PL 116-136); H.R. 6800, The HEROES Act and H.R. 1319, American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-2). Legislative monitoring regarding the implementation of H.R. 3684, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 119-58). H.R. 8294, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2023.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $10,000
2022 · second_quarter · Health Issues
The Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148, P.L. 111-152): Expanding coverage and improving Medicare benefits; Providing needed protections to guard against insurance practices that unfairly limit, deny or rescind coverage based on health status; public and private health insurers should encourage preventive health care by providing full coverage, with no cost-sharing, for preventive services recommended by an expert advisory group, such as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force; Ensuring access to primary care physicians; and beginning to bend the cost curve; Prohibiting insurers from excluding or charging excessive rates to children based on pre-existing conditions, which later will be expanded to all persons; Covering young adults on their parents' plans; Eliminating lifetime and annual limits on health insurance coverage; Requiring that health insurers spend more on patient care and less on administration; support enactment of S. 248, the Empowering States to Innovate Act, which amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) to: (1) allow states to apply for waivers of certain health insurance coverage requirements in such Act (including requirements for the establishment of qualified health plans and health insurance exchanges) for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2014 (currently, January 1, 2017), and (2) require the waiver application process to begin not later than 180 days after the enactment of this Act; Phasing out the Medicare Part D doughnut hole; Eliminating patient cost-sharing for preventive services offered by Medicare or private insurers; Increasing Medicare and Medicaid payments to primary care physicians; Supporting the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to help physicians and patients make care decisions based on the best available evidence; Supporting the Center on Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to fund pilots of delivery models to improve outcomes and reduce costs, including patient-centered medical homes; Advocated against a December 2018 ruling by a federal judge in Texas that the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional. Access to Primary Care in the Context of Comprehensive Healthcare Reform Legislation (H.R. 3962/H.R. 3590/H.R. 4872): Provide sliding scale subsidies based on income to buy coverage from qualified plans; Qualified plans should: provide evidence-based benefits, including preventive services; and be prohibited from excluding persons with pre-existing conditions, charging them more, cherry-picking enrollees, or cancelling or failing to renew coverage; Expand Medicaid to cover all persons below the Federal Poverty Level and ensure fair payments to participating physicians; As coverage becomes affordable, all persons should participate and coverage should be guaranteed; Responsibility for financing should be shared by individuals, employers and government. Medicare payment models that re-align incentives to support effective, efficient, patient-centered, coordinated care. Priority should be given to models designed to support the value of services provided by primary care physicians as well as to models that would create incentives, across physician specialties and sites of services, to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of care provided. Policy criteria for selecting the most promising models should be developed, in consultation with outside experts; The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) has demonstrated value in meeting the policy objectives suggested above. Medicare Payments to Physicians: Urged that Congress provide incentives to physicians who transform their practices into Advanced Alternative Payment Models and continue to provide stability for physicians in the MIPS program. Specifically, Congress should extend the five percent Qualified Alternative Payment Model participant bonus beyond the 2022 performance year, replace the zero percent baseline payment updates under Medicare with positive updates. Urged congressional committees with jurisdiction over Medicare to exercise their oversight authority and urge CMS to expedite approval of more Advanced APMS, particularly those that work for small and specialty practices and to simplify the scoring structure and reporting requirements under the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in order to fulfill Congress intent of a more streamlined program that reduces burdens on physicians; Supported S.2648, the Rural ACO Improvement Act, amends title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the benchmarking process for the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) to ensure that all ACOs have an equal opportunity to share in savings regardless of their geographic location; Provided recommendations to CMS on the Merit-based Incentive Payment System Value Pathway (MVP), which aims to reduce reporting burden and complexity within MIPS while improving the accuracy and effectiveness of performance measurement. The College noted specifically that a robust, multi-year transition period will be critical to the success of the MVP, that it does not support making the MVP mandatory, that CMS should continue to support numerous reporting mechanisms, including qualified registries and clinical data registries, which have been instrumental in developing specialty-specific performance measures, among other things. Urged that any legislation to hold some Medicare physician payment codes harmless from budget neutrality do so for just one year and to allow evaluation and management increases. Regarding CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program (QPP) rules, expressed support for extending some of the services and increased flexibility for telehealth through the end of 2023, namely some audio-only services that were allowed during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), support for collecting additional data on health equity issues to analyze disparities that occur across their programs, support for including chronic care management as one of the seven MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) for 2023. Urged CMS to discontinue its split/shared visits policy and not move forward with the transition set to take effect in 2023. FY2023 Appropriations: Urged Congress to support funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions programs in the FY 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill as well as funding shared evenly between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention. Advocated for funding for the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA); Title VII, Section 747, Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); National Health Service Corps (NHSC); Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). COVID-19: Urged congressional appropriators to provide the highest possible funding level for research, prevention, control, and treatment of illnesses associated with the virus that is commensurate with the public health emergency that the virus represents. Expressed support to Congress and the administration for a variety of COVID-related bills from the 116th Congress as follows: the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, H.R. 6201, and other stimulus reforms related to COVID-19 including: Emergency paid leave benefits, paid sick days for public health emergencies, coverage of testing for COVID-19, waiving of cost sharing under Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and CHIP, increasing the federal FMAP under Medicaid, providing reimbursement for CPT codes 99441 - 99443, which are telephone evaluation and management services, expediting entrance of international medical graduates who are citizens of other nations (non-US IMGs) into the country and ensuring that lawfully present non-U.S. IMGs are not negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, funding for physician practices under the Public Health and Social Service Emergency Fund (PHSSEF), providing tax relief, grants, and loans to small and medium size practices impacted by COVID-19, increasing funding for personal protective equipment (PPE), ensuring Medicaid pay parity with Medicare for primary care services; Urged support for H.R. 7059, the Coronavirus Provider Protection Act, which extend liability protections to those who provide care in good faith during the COVID-19 public health emergency (plus a reasonable time, such as 60 days, after the emergency declaration ends), and not in situations of gross negligence or willful misconduct. The College also urged that pay parity between telephone claims and in-person visits and between all telehealth and in-person visits be maintained after the PHE is lifted. Urged congress to mitigate the impact of covid across racial and ethnic minority populations by collect covid-19 and racial disparity data, equitably distribute covid-19 vaccines and treatments, protect essential workers, permanently expand access to family and medical leave, address environmental and social drivers of health, integrate primary care and behavioral health, improve mental health parity with increased federal oversight and enforcement, make naloxone more available to prevent overdose, expand medication-assisted treatment (mat) for physicians, establish a national prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP); urged support for administering COVID-19 vaccinations to all eligible immigrants in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. Urged CMS to support increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake by ensuring clinicians are appropriately paid for vaccine counseling for beneficiaries of Medicaid and Medicare. Urged that telehealth services should remain in place for at least two years after the end of the PHE to ensure that our physicians are able to continue to use this modality to enhance patient care. Urged Congress to support the concept of a congressionally-mandated bipartisan commission to examine the U.S. preparations for and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to inform future public policy and health systems preparedness. Urged that any uses of technology in the U.S. in the context of the pandemic should be demonstrated to be effective, be temporary, and ensure that safeguards for privacy and confidentiality are in place. American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act (H.R. 1319): Urged support for various provisions within the ARP to provide incentives for states to expand Medicaid by temporarily increasing the states base FMAP by five percentage points for two years for states that newly expand Medicaid. Urged support for allowing states, for five years, to extend Medicaid eligibility (and CHIP eligibility) to women for 12 months postpartum. Urged support to require Medicaid coverage of COVID-19 vaccines and treatment without beneficiary cost sharing with vaccines matched at a 100 percent federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) through one year after the end of the PHE. Urged support for $46 billion to HHS to detect, diagnose, trace, and monitor COVID-19 infections, and for other activities necessary to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Urged support to subsidize the health coverage of people earning up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) under the ACA and those on unemployment insurance for a period of two years. Womens Health: Urged HHS to support Title X funding and ensure unencumbered access to affordable, comprehensive, evidence-based reproductive health care; eliminate medically unnecessary restrictions and inappropriate political interference in the patient-physician relationship; and protect funding for and ensures consistent treatment of qualified service sites. Urged support for mandatory, permanent extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage, from 60 days to 12 months after delivery. Urged support for the Womens Health Protection Act of 2021 and 2022 (H.R. 3755/S. 1975), bills that would protect a persons ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy and to protect the health care clinicians ability to provide abortion services free from medically unnecessary restrictions such as waiting periods, biased counselling and admitting privilege requirements for clinicians. Expand Health Coverage and Affordability: Urged Congress to support H.R. 340, the Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021, to expand federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid, regardless of when such expansion takes place. Introduce and pass the companion bill in the Senate and H.R. 369, the Health Care Affordability Act of 2021, to permanently expand eligibility for higher premium tax credits under the ACA. Urged Congress to support H.R. 3173, the Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act of 2021, which would help protect patients from unnecessary delays in care and reduce administrative burdens on physicians by standardizing and streamlining the prior authorization approval process in the Medicare Advantage program. Urged passage of H.R. 3563, the Chronic Disease Management Act, which will allow high deductible health plans (HDHPs) to provide patients with access to certain chronic care services and treatments with no cost sharing before meeting their deductible; H.R. 5541, the Primary and Virtual Care Affordability Act, which gives employers and health plan sponsors the flexibility to waive the deductible for primary care and telehealth services through December 31, 2023, for patients covered by HDHPs. Support the Physician Workforce: Urged Congress to support H.R. 2256/S. 834, the Resident Physician Reduction Shortage Act of 2021, to increase the number of GME slots by at least 2,000 per year over seven years (14,000 slots) for specialties facing shortages, including internal medicine; H.R. 1554 (116th Congress), the Resident Education Deferred Interest Act, to allow borrowers to qualify for interest-free deferment on their student loans while serving in a medical or dental internship or residency program; Urged support for the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3541, S. 1810), which would extend the authorization for the program for three years and would simplify the process for obtaining a visa, enhance important workplace protections for physicians, and increase the number of waivers available to states beyond the current allotment of thirty waivers, if certain requirements are met. Support the Value of Primary and Comprehensive Care: Urged Congress to continue to fund the 3.00 percent increase to all physicians services that was approved by Congress at the end of last year to prevent CY2023 budget neutrality cuts for physician services, including primary care visits and other evaluation and management services; Ensure that any legislation that addresses budget neutrality treats all services fairly and equitably; Pass H.R. 1025, the Kids Access to Primary Care Act, to increase access to health coverage for Medicaid patients by achieving payment parity for primary care services under Medicaid and Medicare; Extend the five percent bonus that physicians receive if they meet performance expectations in Advanced APMs that is set to expire at the end of 2022; Urged support to prevent scheduled cuts for physician services, including primary care, resulting from budget sequestration and pay-as-you go budget rules. Improve Access to Prescription Drugs and Reduce Costs: Urged Congress to support S. 898, the Fair Drug Pricing Act, to require drug companies to disclose and provide more information about imminent drug-price increases, including data about research and development costs; S. 833, the Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act of 2021, to help to reduce drug prices and out-of-pocket costs by allowing the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries; S. 141, the End Taxpayer Subsidies for Drug Ads Act, to end the federal tax deduction that pharmaceutical companies use to pay for drug advertising; S. 464/H.R. 2163, the Safe Step Act, to ensure patient access to appropriate treatments based on clinical decision-making and medical necessity rather than arbitrary step therapy protocols. Urged support for the reauthorization of prescription drug user fee agreements. Promote Health Equity, Social Justice, and Eliminate Disparities: Urged Congress to support H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021, to overhaul qualified immunity for law enforcement, prohibit racial profiling on the part of law enforcement and ban no-knock warrants in federal drug cases and chokeholds and carotid holds at the federal level; H.R. 5, the Equality Act, to prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identity in public accommodations and facilities, education, federal housing credit and the jury system; H.R. 666/S. 162, the Anti-Racism in Public Health Act of 2021, to establish within the CDC a National Center on Anti-racism and Health for data collection and research and a law enforcement violence prevention program. Expand Access to Telehealth Services and Promote Patient Safety/Privacy; Urged Congress to support H.R. 2903/S. 1512, the CONNECT for Health Act, to remove arbitrary barriers to telehealth services such as geographic and site of service restrictions; S. 168/H.R. 708, the Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act or the TREAT Act, to ensure that telehealth services can be provided across states lines after the public health emergency ends. Substance Use Disorders: Urged Congress to support for the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act in the 117th Congress, which offers increased access to treatment and will improve care for individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs), specifically $1 billion per year to expand access to overdose reversal drugs (Naloxone) and provide this life-saving medicine to states to distribute to first responders, public health departments, and the public. The Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376): Urged support in Congress for the following provisions: provide temporary enhanced ACA Marketplace cost-sharing reduction assistance to individuals with household incomes below 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) for calendar years (CY) 2022 through 2025 and specify that individuals with household incomes below 138 percent of the FPL with access to employer-sponsored coverage or a qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangement can still receive credits; the 400 percent federal poverty level premium tax credit eligibility cap should be eliminated, and the amount of premium tax credits for all income levels should be enhanced; establish a health insurance affordability fund, with $10 billion made available annually for states to establish a state reinsurance program or use the funds to provide financial assistance to reduce out-of-pocket costs; permanently reauthorize CHIP and provide states the option to increase Medicaid and CHIP eligibility levels for children up to 300 percent of FPL without receiving a waiver. Mental and Behavioral Health: Urged Congress to support H.R. 5218, the Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner Act (CoCM) that would provide grants through the Department of Health and Human Services to primary care physicians that choose to deliver behavioral health care through the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM). CoCM involves a primary care physician working collaboratively with a psychiatric consultant and a care manager to manage the clinical care of behavioral health patient caseloads. Urged support for retaining all services added to the Medicare telehealth services list on a temporary, Category 3 basis until the end of CY23. CMS should maintain coverage of audio-only mental health visits even after the PHE is lifted. This extension should last at least through the end of 2023 with an option to extend it even further or consider making it permanent, based on the experience and learnings of patients and physicians who utilize these visits. Urged support for expanding access to mental and behavioral health services, including allowing beneficiaries to access services from home, or if the technology is not available at home, from a rural health clinic or hospital. Regulate Tobacco: Urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use its authority under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA) to issue product standards ending the manufacture and sale of flavored tobacco products; Urged the FDA to fulfill its commitment to issue a rule prohibiting characterizing flavors in cigars and to prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes.
Client expense: $407,792 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), President of the U.S., SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA)
2022 · second_quarter · Health Issues
The Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148, P.L. 111-152): Expanding coverage and improving Medicare benefits; Providing needed protections to guard against insurance practices that unfairly limit, deny or rescind coverage based on health status; public and private health insurers should encourage preventive health care by providing full coverage, with no cost-sharing, for preventive services recommended by an expert advisory group, such as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force; Ensuring access to primary care physicians; and beginning to bend the cost curve; Prohibiting insurers from excluding or charging excessive rates to children based on pre-existing conditions, which later will be expanded to all persons; Covering young adults on their parents' plans; Eliminating lifetime and annual limits on health insurance coverage; Requiring that health insurers spend more on patient care and less on administration; support enactment of S. 248, the Empowering States to Innovate Act, which amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) to: (1) allow states to apply for waivers of certain health insurance coverage requirements in such Act (including requirements for the establishment of qualified health plans and health insurance exchanges) for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2014 (currently, January 1, 2017), and (2) require the waiver application process to begin not later than 180 days after the enactment of this Act; Phasing out the Medicare Part D doughnut hole; Eliminating patient cost-sharing for preventive services offered by Medicare or private insurers; Increasing Medicare and Medicaid payments to primary care physicians; Supporting the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to help physicians and patients make care decisions based on the best available evidence; Supporting the Center on Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to fund pilots of delivery models to improve outcomes and reduce costs, including patient-centered medical homes; Advocated against a December 2018 ruling by a federal judge in Texas that the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional. Access to Primary Care in the Context of Comprehensive Healthcare Reform Legislation (H.R. 3962/H.R. 3590/H.R. 4872): Provide sliding scale subsidies based on income to buy coverage from qualified plans; Qualified plans should: provide evidence-based benefits, including preventive services; and be prohibited from excluding persons with pre-existing conditions, charging them more, cherry-picking enrollees, or cancelling or failing to renew coverage; Expand Medicaid to cover all persons below the Federal Poverty Level and ensure fair payments to participating physicians; As coverage becomes affordable, all persons should participate and coverage should be guaranteed; Responsibility for financing should be shared by individuals, employers and government. Medicare payment models that re-align incentives to support effective, efficient, patient-centered, coordinated care. Priority should be given to models designed to support the value of services provided by primary care physicians as well as to models that would create incentives, across physician specialties and sites of services, to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of care provided. Policy criteria for selecting the most promising models should be developed, in consultation with outside experts; The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) has demonstrated value in meeting the policy objectives suggested above. Medicare Payments to Physicians: Urged that Congress provide incentives to physicians who transform their practices into Advanced Alternative Payment Models and continue to provide stability for physicians in the MIPS program. Specifically, Congress should extend the five percent Qualified Alternative Payment Model participant bonus beyond the 2022 performance year, replace the zero percent baseline payment updates under Medicare with positive updates. Urged congressional committees with jurisdiction over Medicare to exercise their oversight authority and urge CMS to expedite approval of more Advanced APMS, particularly those that work for small and specialty practices and to simplify the scoring structure and reporting requirements under the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in order to fulfill Congress intent of a more streamlined program that reduces burdens on physicians; Supported S.2648, the Rural ACO Improvement Act, amends title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the benchmarking process for the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) to ensure that all ACOs have an equal opportunity to share in savings regardless of their geographic location; Provided recommendations to CMS on the Merit-based Incentive Payment System Value Pathway (MVP), which aims to reduce reporting burden and complexity within MIPS while improving the accuracy and effectiveness of performance measurement. The College noted specifically that a robust, multi-year transition period will be critical to the success of the MVP, that it does not support making the MVP mandatory, that CMS should continue to support numerous reporting mechanisms, including qualified registries and clinical data registries, which have been instrumental in developing specialty-specific performance measures, among other things. Urged that any legislation to hold some Medicare physician payment codes harmless from budget neutrality do so for just one year and to allow evaluation and management increases. Regarding CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program (QPP) rules, expressed support for extending some of the services and increased flexibility for telehealth through the end of 2023, namely some audio-only services that were allowed during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), support for collecting additional data on health equity issues to analyze disparities that occur across their programs, support for including chronic care management as one of the seven MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) for 2023. Urged CMS to discontinue its split/shared visits policy and not move forward with the transition set to take effect in 2023. FY2023 Appropriations: Urged Congress to support funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions programs in the FY 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill as well as funding shared evenly between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention. Advocated for funding for the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA); Title VII, Section 747, Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); National Health Service Corps (NHSC); Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). COVID-19: Urged congressional appropriators to provide the highest possible funding level for research, prevention, control, and treatment of illnesses associated with the virus that is commensurate with the public health emergency that the virus represents. Expressed support to Congress and the administration for a variety of COVID-related bills from the 116th Congress as follows: the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, H.R. 6201, and other stimulus reforms related to COVID-19 including: Emergency paid leave benefits, paid sick days for public health emergencies, coverage of testing for COVID-19, waiving of cost sharing under Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and CHIP, increasing the federal FMAP under Medicaid, providing reimbursement for CPT codes 99441 - 99443, which are telephone evaluation and management services, expediting entrance of international medical graduates who are citizens of other nations (non-US IMGs) into the country and ensuring that lawfully present non-U.S. IMGs are not negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, funding for physician practices under the Public Health and Social Service Emergency Fund (PHSSEF), providing tax relief, grants, and loans to small and medium size practices impacted by COVID-19, increasing funding for personal protective equipment (PPE), ensuring Medicaid pay parity with Medicare for primary care services; Urged support for H.R. 7059, the Coronavirus Provider Protection Act, which extend liability protections to those who provide care in good faith during the COVID-19 public health emergency (plus a reasonable time, such as 60 days, after the emergency declaration ends), and not in situations of gross negligence or willful misconduct. The College also urged that pay parity between telephone claims and in-person visits and between all telehealth and in-person visits be maintained after the PHE is lifted. Urged congress to mitigate the impact of covid across racial and ethnic minority populations by collect covid-19 and racial disparity data, equitably distribute covid-19 vaccines and treatments, protect essential workers, permanently expand access to family and medical leave, address environmental and social drivers of health, integrate primary care and behavioral health, improve mental health parity with increased federal oversight and enforcement, make naloxone more available to prevent overdose, expand medication-assisted treatment (mat) for physicians, establish a national prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP); urged support for administering COVID-19 vaccinations to all eligible immigrants in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. Urged CMS to support increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake by ensuring clinicians are appropriately paid for vaccine counseling for beneficiaries of Medicaid and Medicare. Urged that telehealth services should remain in place for at least two years after the end of the PHE to ensure that our physicians are able to continue to use this modality to enhance patient care. Urged Congress to support the concept of a congressionally-mandated bipartisan commission to examine the U.S. preparations for and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to inform future public policy and health systems preparedness. Urged that any uses of technology in the U.S. in the context of the pandemic should be demonstrated to be effective, be temporary, and ensure that safeguards for privacy and confidentiality are in place. American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act (H.R. 1319): Urged support for various provisions within the ARP to provide incentives for states to expand Medicaid by temporarily increasing the states base FMAP by five percentage points for two years for states that newly expand Medicaid. Urged support for allowing states, for five years, to extend Medicaid eligibility (and CHIP eligibility) to women for 12 months postpartum. Urged support to require Medicaid coverage of COVID-19 vaccines and treatment without beneficiary cost sharing with vaccines matched at a 100 percent federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) through one year after the end of the PHE. Urged support for $46 billion to HHS to detect, diagnose, trace, and monitor COVID-19 infections, and for other activities necessary to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Urged support to subsidize the health coverage of people earning up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) under the ACA and those on unemployment insurance for a period of two years. Womens Health: Urged HHS to support Title X funding and ensure unencumbered access to affordable, comprehensive, evidence-based reproductive health care; eliminate medically unnecessary restrictions and inappropriate political interference in the patient-physician relationship; and protect funding for and ensures consistent treatment of qualified service sites. Urged support for mandatory, permanent extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage, from 60 days to 12 months after delivery. Urged support for the Womens Health Protection Act of 2021 and 2022 (H.R. 3755/S. 1975), bills that would protect a persons ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy and to protect the health care clinicians ability to provide abortion services free from medically unnecessary restrictions such as waiting periods, biased counselling and admitting privilege requirements for clinicians. Expand Health Coverage and Affordability: Urged Congress to support H.R. 340, the Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021, to expand federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid, regardless of when such expansion takes place. Introduce and pass the companion bill in the Senate and H.R. 369, the Health Care Affordability Act of 2021, to permanently expand eligibility for higher premium tax credits under the ACA. Urged Congress to support H.R. 3173, the Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act of 2021, which would help protect patients from unnecessary delays in care and reduce administrative burdens on physicians by standardizing and streamlining the prior authorization approval process in the Medicare Advantage program. Urged passage of H.R. 3563, the Chronic Disease Management Act, which will allow high deductible health plans (HDHPs) to provide patients with access to certain chronic care services and treatments with no cost sharing before meeting their deductible; H.R. 5541, the Primary and Virtual Care Affordability Act, which gives employers and health plan sponsors the flexibility to waive the deductible for primary care and telehealth services through December 31, 2023, for patients covered by HDHPs. Support the Physician Workforce: Urged Congress to support H.R. 2256/S. 834, the Resident Physician Reduction Shortage Act of 2021, to increase the number of GME slots by at least 2,000 per year over seven years (14,000 slots) for specialties facing shortages, including internal medicine; H.R. 1554 (116th Congress), the Resident Education Deferred Interest Act, to allow borrowers to qualify for interest-free deferment on their student loans while serving in a medical or dental internship or residency program; Urged support for the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3541, S. 1810), which would extend the authorization for the program for three years and would simplify the process for obtaining a visa, enhance important workplace protections for physicians, and increase the number of waivers available to states beyond the current allotment of thirty waivers, if certain requirements are met. Support the Value of Primary and Comprehensive Care: Urged Congress to continue to fund the 3.00 percent increase to all physicians services that was approved by Congress at the end of last year to prevent CY2023 budget neutrality cuts for physician services, including primary care visits and other evaluation and management services; Ensure that any legislation that addresses budget neutrality treats all services fairly and equitably; Pass H.R. 1025, the Kids Access to Primary Care Act, to increase access to health coverage for Medicaid patients by achieving payment parity for primary care services under Medicaid and Medicare; Extend the five percent bonus that physicians receive if they meet performance expectations in Advanced APMs that is set to expire at the end of 2022; Urged support to prevent scheduled cuts for physician services, including primary care, resulting from budget sequestration and pay-as-you go budget rules. Improve Access to Prescription Drugs and Reduce Costs: Urged Congress to support S. 898, the Fair Drug Pricing Act, to require drug companies to disclose and provide more information about imminent drug-price increases, including data about research and development costs; S. 833, the Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act of 2021, to help to reduce drug prices and out-of-pocket costs by allowing the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries; S. 141, the End Taxpayer Subsidies for Drug Ads Act, to end the federal tax deduction that pharmaceutical companies use to pay for drug advertising; S. 464/H.R. 2163, the Safe Step Act, to ensure patient access to appropriate treatments based on clinical decision-making and medical necessity rather than arbitrary step therapy protocols. Urged support for the reauthorization of prescription drug user fee agreements. Promote Health Equity, Social Justice, and Eliminate Disparities: Urged Congress to support H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021, to overhaul qualified immunity for law enforcement, prohibit racial profiling on the part of law enforcement and ban no-knock warrants in federal drug cases and chokeholds and carotid holds at the federal level; H.R. 5, the Equality Act, to prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identity in public accommodations and facilities, education, federal housing credit and the jury system; H.R. 666/S. 162, the Anti-Racism in Public Health Act of 2021, to establish within the CDC a National Center on Anti-racism and Health for data collection and research and a law enforcement violence prevention program. Expand Access to Telehealth Services and Promote Patient Safety/Privacy; Urged Congress to support H.R. 2903/S. 1512, the CONNECT for Health Act, to remove arbitrary barriers to telehealth services such as geographic and site of service restrictions; S. 168/H.R. 708, the Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act or the TREAT Act, to ensure that telehealth services can be provided across states lines after the public health emergency ends. Substance Use Disorders: Urged Congress to support for the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act in the 117th Congress, which offers increased access to treatment and will improve care for individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs), specifically $1 billion per year to expand access to overdose reversal drugs (Naloxone) and provide this life-saving medicine to states to distribute to first responders, public health departments, and the public. The Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376): Urged support in Congress for the following provisions: provide temporary enhanced ACA Marketplace cost-sharing reduction assistance to individuals with household incomes below 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) for calendar years (CY) 2022 through 2025 and specify that individuals with household incomes below 138 percent of the FPL with access to employer-sponsored coverage or a qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangement can still receive credits; the 400 percent federal poverty level premium tax credit eligibility cap should be eliminated, and the amount of premium tax credits for all income levels should be enhanced; establish a health insurance affordability fund, with $10 billion made available annually for states to establish a state reinsurance program or use the funds to provide financial assistance to reduce out-of-pocket costs; permanently reauthorize CHIP and provide states the option to increase Medicaid and CHIP eligibility levels for children up to 300 percent of FPL without receiving a waiver. Mental and Behavioral Health: Urged Congress to support H.R. 5218, the Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner Act (CoCM) that would provide grants through the Department of Health and Human Services to primary care physicians that choose to deliver behavioral health care through the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM). CoCM involves a primary care physician working collaboratively with a psychiatric consultant and a care manager to manage the clinical care of behavioral health patient caseloads. Urged support for retaining all services added to the Medicare telehealth services list on a temporary, Category 3 basis until the end of CY23. CMS should maintain coverage of audio-only mental health visits even after the PHE is lifted. This extension should last at least through the end of 2023 with an option to extend it even further or consider making it permanent, based on the experience and learnings of patients and physicians who utilize these visits. Urged support for expanding access to mental and behavioral health services, including allowing beneficiaries to access services from home, or if the technology is not available at home, from a rural health clinic or hospital. Regulate Tobacco: Urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use its authority under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA) to issue product standards ending the manufacture and sale of flavored tobacco products; Urged the FDA to fulfill its commitment to issue a rule prohibiting characterizing flavors in cigars and to prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes.
Client expense: $106,554 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), President of the U.S., SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA)
2022 · second_quarter · Health Issues
Advocate for several Medicare & Medicaid provisions in the CARES Act (H.R. 748), including a delay of Medicare sequestration cuts, a delay of the Medicare Fiscal Accountability Rule and Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) cut relief. Support increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) and FMAP flexibility at the state level in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) and the CARES Act (H.R. 748). Advocate for federal childcare benefits for members of the health care workforce. Advocate for increasing borrowing limits on SBA loans and ensuring health care providers are eligible. Support direct funding for health care providers treating COVID-19 patients, including funding through the Hospital Preparedness Program. Support funding and efforts to ensure health care providers have access to essential materials, such as PPE, for COVID-19 response and readiness. Advocate for changes to indirect medical education payments to account for COVID-19 response efforts. Advocate for direct Federal funding for state and local governments during the COVID-19 crisis. Discuss the distribution methodology for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund with the White House, HHS, CMS, and Congressional staff. Discuss issues related to Medicare accelerated payments with White House, HHS, CMS, and Congressional staff. Advocate for continued Federal funding for New York States DSRIP program. Discuss Medicare and Medicaid issues with the CMS Administrator. Discuss COVID-19 response with White House staff and HHS leadership, including the HHS Secretary. Discuss GNYHA's legislative priorities with Congressional staff: a delay of cuts to Medicaid DSH funding (support), site-neutral policies (oppose), 340B drug discount program (support), expanding federal graduate medical education programs (support), funding to address the opioid crisis (support), funding for hospital infrastructure (support), the Affordable Care Act (support), and liver allocation reforms (support). Discuss the need to reform the United States' liver allocation system with Congressional staff/members, HHS, HRSA, UNOS and OPTN. Educate Congressional staff and lawmakers on Medicare for All. Support graduate medical education funding through the Medicare program, including support for the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act (S. 834/H.R. 2256), the Opioid Workforce Act (S. 1438), and the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act (H.R. 3441). Discuss technical assistance regarding graduate medical education legislation with committee staff. Discuss the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2021 (S. 909) with Congressional staff and committee staff. Support surprise billing legislation reform and work with committee and Congressional staff on a range of issues. Discussed several bills, including the No Surprises Act (P.L. 116-260). Discuss New York State's Partnership for Patients initiative with CMS contract officers. Discuss GME rural training tracks and possible reforms with Congressional staff. Discuss the ET3 model with staff from CMMI. Discuss the Medicare GME program, including issues related to oversight and transparency, with congressional staff. Spoke with CMS to review Medicare DGME policy (42 CFR 413.75) on residency counting issues Discuss provisions in the CARES Act (H.R. 748) related to health care provider liability and immunity with Congressional and committee staff. Attend cybersecurity briefing related to foreign threats with FBI. Discuss issues concerning DSH hospitals with the Executive Branch. Discuss Medicare and Medicaid issues with the CMS Administrator. Discuss Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R.3) with Congressional staff. Discuss issues related to telehealth and HIT with staff from CMS, the White House and Congressional staff. Discuss drug shortages related to the COVID-19 crisis with Congressional and Administration staff. Coordinate with ASPR, the Department of Defense, FEMA and the FDA on COVID-19 response efforts. Discuss disbursements from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund with HHS, the White House, and Congressional staff and lawmakers. Discuss hospital infrastructure spending with the White House and Congressional staff, including the LIFT America Act (H.R. 1848) and INVEST in America Act (H.R. 3684). Discuss Medicare Advance Payment forgiveness with HHS and Congressional staff, advocated for H.R. 1349 (support). Discuss supply chain issues, including PPE and ventilators, with Congressional staff, HHS and White House. Discuss a range of other COVID-19 priorities with Congressional staff including ensuring Medicare advantage plans comply with increased COVID-19 Medicare payments (support), an add-on payment for COVID-19 care (support), and crisis pay for health care workers (support). Support a delay of Medicaid DSH reimbursement cuts in COVID-19 response package and a delay or repeal of the Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Regulation. Discuss increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (support) and increased funding for state and local governments (support) with Congressional staff. Discuss insurance companies transactions and policies affecting health care providers with Congressional staff. Discuss surprise billing legislation with White House staff. Discuss Medicare Rule on Physician Time Studies (42 CFR 415.60) with CMS. Discuss disclosure of patient information to the media with HHS. Discuss Medicare Rules regarding new teaching hospitals with CMS. Discuss alternate care site billing with CMS. Discuss the regulation of laboratory developed tests and the VALID Act with Congressional and committee staff.
Client expense: $360,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Executive Office of the President (EOP), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), President of the U.S., SENATE, Small Business Administration (SBA), Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), White House Office
2022 · second_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Advocate for several Medicare & Medicaid provisions in the CARES Act (H.R. 748), including a delay of Medicare sequestration cuts, a delay of the Medicare Fiscal Accountability Rule and Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) cut relief. Support increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) and FMAP flexibility at the state level in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) and the CARES Act (H.R. 748). Advocate for changes to indirect medical education payments to account for COVID-19 response efforts. Discuss issues related to Medicare accelerated payments with White House, HHS, CMS, and Congressional staff. Advocate for continued Federal funding for New York States DSRIP program. Discuss Medicare and Medicaid issues with the CMS Administrator. Discuss COVID-19 response with White House staff and HHS leadership, including the HHS Secretary. Discuss GNYHA's legislative priorities with Congressional staff: a delay of cuts Medicaid DSH funding (support), site-neutral policies (oppose), 340B drug discount program (support), expanding federal graduate medical education programs (support), funding to address the opioid crisis (support), and the Affordable Care Act (support). Educate Congressional staff and lawmakers on Medicare for All. Support graduate medical education funding through the Medicare program, including support for the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act (S. 834/H.R. 2256), the Opioid Workforce Act (S. 1438), and the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act (H.R. 3441). graduate medical education legislation Discuss the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2021 (S. 909) with Congressional staff and committee staff. Discuss New York State's Partnership for Patients initiative with CMS contract officers. Discuss GME rural training tracks and possible reforms with Congressional staff. Discuss the ET3 model with staff from CMMI. Discuss the Medicare GME program, including issues related to oversight and transparency, with congressional staff. Spoke with CMS to review Medicare DGME policy (42 CFR 413.75) on residency counting issues. Discuss issues concerning DSH hospitals with the Executive Branch. Discuss Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R.3) with Congressional staff. Discuss issues related to telehealth and HIT with staff from CMS, the White House, and Congressional staff. Discuss disbursements from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund with HHS, the White House, and Congressional staff and lawmakers. Discuss Medicare Advance Payment forgiveness with HHS and Congressional staff, advocated for H.R. 1349 (support). Discuss a range of other COVID-19 priorities with Congressional staff including ensuring Medicare advantage plans comply with increased COVID-19 Medicare payments (support), an add-on payment for COVID-19 care (support), and crisis pay for health care workers (support). Support a delay of Medicaid DSH reimbursement cuts in COVID-19 response package and a delay or repeal of the Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Regulation. Discuss increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (support) and increased funding for state and local governments (support) with Congressional staff. Discuss Medicare Rule on Physician Time Studies (42 CFR 415.60) with CMS. Discuss disclosure of patient information to the media with HHS. Discuss Medicare Rules regarding new teaching hospitals with CMS. Discuss alternate care site billing with CMS.
Client expense: $360,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), President of the U.S., SENATE
2022 · second_quarter · Budget/Appropriations
Discuss proposed appropriations language related to OPTN/UNOS liver allocation reforms with Congressional staff and lawmakers. Support the inclusion of funding for hospital infrastructure and workforce programs in appropriations legislation. Support for the inclusion of provisions to delay the Medicaid DSH cuts in appropriations legislation. Advocate for several Medicare & Medicaid provisions in the CARES Act (H.R. 748), including a delay of Medicare sequestration cuts, a delay of the Medicare Fiscal Accountability Rule and Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (n) cut relief. Support increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) and FMAP flexibility at the state level in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) and the CARES Act (H.R. 748). Advocate for federal childcare benefits for members of the health care workforce. Support direct funding for health care providers treating COVID-19 patients, including funding through the Hospital Preparedness Program. Support funding and efforts to ensure health care providers have access to essential materials, such as PPE, for COVID-19 response and readiness. Advocate for direct Federal funding for state and local governments during the COVID-19 crisis. Support graduate medical education funding through the Medicare program, including the inclusion of the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act (S. 834/H.R. 2256), the Opioid Workforce Act (S. 1438), and the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act (H.R. 3441) in appropriations legislation.
Client expense: $360,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, President of the U.S., SENATE
2022 · second_quarter · Health Issues
Health care reform issues; legislative issues related to Title X family planning funding; Coronavirus response efforts, including related provisions in: (1) H.R. 6074, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 116-123); (2) H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L. 116-127); (3) H.R. 748 - Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136); (4) H.R.133 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260); and (5) H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act (P.L. 117-2).
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $90,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · second_quarter · Agriculture
Supported efforts to swiftly and effectively implement the dairy provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill, including the Dairy Margin Coverage program and expanded access to the Livestock Gross Margin program. Child Nutrition - NMPF is monitoring and educating Congress on the effects of child nutrition legislation and programs for dairy farmers, cooperatives, and consumers. NMPF supports efforts to increase kids' access to dairy through nutrition programs. This includes reinstating 1% flavored milk in school breakfast and lunch programs, including as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 Agriculture-FDA Appropriations Act (H.R. 4356, S. 2599), the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 1861), the School Milk Nutrition Act (H.R. 4635), and the forthcoming FNS rule on school meal standards for the 2024-25 school year and beyond. Supported efforts to increase funding for SNAP and other nutrition programs as well as USDA's flexibility in implementing these programs to support food insecure households during the downturn caused by and the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Supported the GIVE MILK Act (H.R. 818) to increase milk consumption under the WIC program. Urged White House to prioritize increasing food access and protecting choice at its White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Supported legislative and administrative efforts to improve and modify dairy policy, including providing relief to dairy farmers for uncompensated COVID-19-related losses. COVID-19 - Supported the continued implementation of agricultural provisions of the 2020 COVID relief packages [CARES Act (H.R. 748), Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), HEROES Act (H.R. 6800), and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (H.R. 133) as signed into law on December 27, 2020] as well as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) to provide relief to farmers and families from the COVID-19 pandemic. Also supported related administrative actions, including Coronavirus Food Assistance Program payments, product purchases, milk disposal compensation, and milk donation assistance. Supported efforts to ensure agricultural producers have access to the capital required to continue operating during and recover from a disaster, including the Paycheck Protection Clarification for Producers Act (H.R. 1246). Supported the Feed Emergency Enhancement During Disasters Act (H.R. 1240, S. 359) to provide farmers with additional flexibility relating to prevented planting requirements due to shortages in feed, as well as related administrative actions. Supported the Broadband for Rural America Act (H.R. 3369), which increases funding for and streamlines broadband development programs, including bringing programs together under the single roof of USDA. Supported the Broadband Internet Connections for Rural America Act (H.R. 4374). Supported the 2020 WHIP+ Reauthorization Act (H.R. 267) as passed by the House Agriculture Committee. Measure reauthorizes the WHIP-Milk Loss program and makes dairy cooperatives eligible to make payments to producers. Supported similar provisions of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (H.R. 5305).
Client expense: $251,970 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE, White House Office
2022 · second_quarter · Health Issues
Provider Enrollment; Medicare and Medicaid; Medicare-Medicaid for Primary Care; Reimbursement including Out-of-Network Reimbursement; Insurance Transparency; Prudent Layperson Standard; ACA (coverage of essential health benefits); Health Insurance Issues; LHHS; S.1895; S.1531; HR 3502; Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act: H.R. 6074; Families First Coronavirus Response Act: H.R. 6201; CARES Act H.R. 748/S. 3548.; Surprise Billing
Client expense: $72,500 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA)
2022 · second_quarter · Banking
CFPB Small Dollar Lending Rule Operation Chokepoint Fintech Charter True Lender Legislation Valid When Made Legislation S. 2808 - Emergency Assistance in Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic H.R. 6074: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 H.R. 6201: Families First Coronavirus Response Act H.R. 748: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act H.R. 266: Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $50,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · second_quarter · Banking
Banking issues in the Appropriations Act Community Reinvestment Act Bank Secrecy Act Anti-Money Laundering Cannabis Banking SAFE Banking Act S.2833 Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act H.R.5050 - Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act S. 2808 - Emergency Assistance in Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic H.R. 6074: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 H.R. 6201: Families First Coronavirus Response Act H.R. 748: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act H.R. 266: Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · second_quarter · Banking
CFPB Small Dollar Lending Rule Fintech Charter True Lender Legislation Valid When Made Legislation S. 2808 - Emergency Assistance in Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic H.R. 6074: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 H.R. 6201: Families First Coronavirus Response Act H.R. 748: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act H.R. 266: Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $30,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE