Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021

Draft, Hospital Competition Act of 2021 (no bill number) - procedural changes around The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPEA) litigation H.R. 19 - Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2021- Rep. McMorris, Rodgers - prescription drug prices for Medicare and Medicaid H.R. 340 - Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021 - Rep. Veasey, Marc - Medicaid expansion H.R. 379 - Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2021 - Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz - Social Determinants of Health H.R. 432 - Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2021- Rep. Thompson, Mike - mental health services under Medicare H.R. 778 - Secure Data and Privacy for Contact Tracing Act of 2021 - Rep. Speier, Jackie - digital contact tracing for COVID-19 H.R. 908 - MORE Health Education Act - Rep. Blunt Rochester, Lisa - federally facilitated exchanges H.R. 909 - Moms Matter Act - Rep. Blunt Rochester, Lisa - maternal mental health conditions and SUD H.R. 943 - Social Determinants for Moms Act - Rep. McBath, Lucy -SDOH and maternal health H.R. 959 - Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021 - Rep. Underwood, Lauren - maternal health including in Medicaid and CHIP H.R. 1212 - Kira Johnson Act - Rep. Adams, Alma - maternal health outcomes H.R. 1218 - Data Mapping to Save Moms Lives Act - Rep. Butterfield, G. K. -maternal health data H.R. 1268 - Building COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Act of 2021 - Rep. Velazquez, Nydia - COVID-19 H.R. 1319 - American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 - Rep. Yarmuth, John - COVID-19 relief H.R. 1350 - Supporting Best Practices for Healthy Moms Act - Rep. Kelly, Robin - maternal health outcomes H.R. 1364 - Parity Enforcement Act of 2021 - Rep. Norcross, Donald - mental health and SUD H.R. 1400 - COVID-19 Health Disparities Action Act of 2021 - Rep. Cardenas, Tony -COVID-19 and health disparities H.R. 1406 - COVID-19 Emergency Telehealth Impact Reporting Act of 2021 - Rep. Curtis, John - telehealth and COVID-19 H.R. 1544 - Virtual Community Support Act of 2021 - Rep. Cardenas, Tony - mental health and SUD grants for community peer support H.R. 1647 - TREATS Act - Rep. McKinley, David - increase use of telehealth for SUD treatment H.R. 1721 - To amend the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 to authorize additional funds for the Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund, to provide grants to States and Tribal Entities to strengthen the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier, to provide for Federal coordination between the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier and the National Accuracy Clearinghouse - Rep. Veasey, Marc - Broadband H.R. 1835 - COVID Community Care Act - Rep. Lee, Barbara - COVID-19 response H.R. 1848 - LIFT America Act - Rep. Pallone, Frank, Jr. - broadband and public health infrastructure H.R. 1872 - MORE Health Education Act - Rep. Blunt Rochester, Lisa - Federal Exchange outreach and educational activities H.R. 1976 - Medicare for All Act of 2021 - Rep. Jayapal, Pramila - public option H.R. 1985 - Nursing Home Reform Modernization Act of 2021 - Rep. Pascrell, Bill, Jr. - quality and transparency H.R. 2010 - Public Option Deficit Reduction Act- Rep. DeFazio, Peter - public option H.R. 2163 - Safe Step Act - Rep. Ruiz, Raul - commercial plans and medication step-therapy requirements H.R. 3173 - Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act of 2021 - Rep. DelBene, Suzan - prior authorization in Medicare Advantage H.R. 3753 - Parity Implementation Assistance Act - Rep. Cardenas, Tony - mental health parity H.R. 4040 - Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2021- Rep. Cheney, Liz - telehealth H.R. 4595 - Medicaid Saves Lives Act - Rep. Bourdeaux, Carolyn - Medicaid expansion H.R. 7236 - Strengthen Kids Mental Health Now Act of 2022 - Rep. Eshoo, Anna - mental health and Medicaid H.R. 7427 - To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to require CMI testing of incentive payments for behavioral health providers and certain other providers for adoption and use of certified electronic health record technology, and for other purposes. - Rep. Matsui, Doris - behavioral health and electronic health records H.R. 7512 - Protecting Patients from Deceptive Health Plans Act - Rep. Hayes, Jahana - excepted benefits coverage H.R. 7666 - Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022 - Rep. Pallone, Frank - reauthorization of several behavioral health programs H.R. 7667 - Food and Drug Amendments of 2022 - Rep. Eshoo, Anna - reauthorization of user fee programs H.R. 7780 - Mental Health Matters Act - Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark - changes to the procedure around MHPEA litigation H.R. 8152 - American Data Privacy and Protection Act - Rep. Pallone, Frank, Jr. - data privacy H.R. 8594 - Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act - Rep. Clarke, Yvette - reform of the Medicare Secondary Payer act H.R. 8876 - The Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022 - Rep. Davis, Danny - funding for maternal and early childhood health programs H.R. 8878 - To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure adequate coverage of outpatient mental health services under the Medicare program. - Rep. Chu, Judy - mental health and Medicare H.R. 8879 - Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Improvement Act - Rep. Evans, Dwight - mental health and Medicare H.R. 8881 - To amend the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage to disclose the percentage of in-network participation for certain provider types, and for other purposes. - Rep. Horsford, Steven - commercial plans H.R. 8884 - To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide outreach and reporting on opioid use disorder treatment services furnished by opioid treatment programs under the Medicare program. - Rep. Kelly, Mike - mental health and Medicare H.R. 8885 - Better Health Care Directories Act - Rep. Kildee, Daniel - commercial plans H.R. 8886 - Promoting Clarity in Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment Act - Rep. Moore, Gwen - commercial plans H.R. 8889 - RICE Act - Rep. Plaskett, Stacey - commercial plans H.R. 8890 - Physician Wellness Program Act of 2022 - Rep. Ruiz, Raul - mental health and Medicare H.R. 8891 - No Surprises for Survivors Act of 2022 - Rep. Sanchez, Linda - requirements for group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage to provide coverage for forensic medical exams with no cost sharing H.R. 8892 - To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a public outreach campaign to inform individuals covered under a group health plan or group or individual health insurance coverage of Federal requirements relating to mental health and substance use disorder crisis services, and for other purposes. - Rep. Sewell, Terri - commercial plans H.R. 8908 - Fighting Stimulant and other Substance Use Disorders Act - Rep. Estes, Ron - mental health and Medicare H.R. 8910 - Behavioral Health Integration Awareness Act of 2022 - Rep. Smith, Jason - mental health and Medicare S. 24 - Protecting Personal Health Data Act - Sen. Klobuchar, Amy - privacy S. 104 - Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2021- Sen. Smith, Tina - health disparities S. 199 - Secure Data and Privacy for Contact Tracing Act of 2021 - Sen. Schatz, Brian - digital contact tracing for COVID-19 S. 201 - Improving Access to Health Care in Rural and Underserved Areas Act - Sen. Rosen, Jacky - rural health S. 334 - IMPACT to Save Moms Act - Sen. Casey, Robert - maternal health S. 340 - TREATS Act - Sen. Portman, Rob - telehealth, SUD and mental health S. 345 - Maternal Vaccinations Act - Sen. Kaine, Tim - maternal health S. 346 - Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021 - Sen. Booker, Cory - maternal health and health disparities S. 347 - Data to Save Moms Act - Sen. Smith, Tina - maternal health data S. 352 - Health Care Improvement Act of 2021 - Sen. Warner, Mark - health care costs and coverage S. 408 - Supporting Best Practices for Healthy Moms Act - Sen. Toomey, Pat - maternal health S. 411 - MOMMAs Act - Sen. Durbin, Richard - maternal health S. 464 - Safe Step Act - Sen. Murkowski, Lisa - commercial plans and medication step-therapy requirements S. 512 - Equitable Data Collection and Disclosure on COVID-19 Act of 2021- Sen. Warren, Elizabeth - COVID-19 Data Collection S. 586 - NOPAIN Act - Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore - non-opioid treatment S. 674 - Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act- Sen. Murray, Patty - public health infrastructure S. 708 - Preventing Mental Health and Substance Use Crises During Emergencies Act - Sen. Kelly, Mark - mental health and SUD national strategy S. 745 - Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act - Sen. Klobuchar, Amy - broadband S. 779 - Protecting Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions Act of 2021- Sen. Warner, Mark R. - state innovation waivers S. 782 - Nursing Home Reform Modernization Act of 2021- Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. - nursing home quality and transparency S. 783 - COVID Community Care Act - Sen. Warren, Elizabeth - COVID-19 response S. 851 - Social Determinants for Moms Act- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard - SDOH and maternal health S. 893 - Tech to Save Moms Act- Sen. Menendez, Robert - maternal health S. 983 - CHOICE Act - Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon - public option S. 987 - TREATS Act - Sen. Portman, Rob - SUD prevention and treatment S. 1010 - Turn the Tide Act - Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne - Substance Use Disorder S. 1042 - Kira Johnson Act - Sen. Warnock, Raphael - maternal health S. 1512 - CONNECT for Health Act of 2021 - Sen. Schatz, Brian - expansion of telehealth for Medicare S. 1873 - Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act of 2021 - Sen. Crapo, Mike - Cancer screening in Medicare S. 1962 - Parity Implementation Assistance Act - Sen. Murphy, Christopher - mental health parity S. 2164 - Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2021 - Sen. Crapo, Mike - prescription drug prices for Medicare and Medicaid S. 2315 - Medicaid Saves Lives Act - Sen. Warnock, Raphael - Medicaid expansion S. 2499 - SAFE DATA Act - Sen. Wicker, Roger - consumer data privacy and data transparency and security S. 3018 - Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act of 2021 - Sen. Marshall, Roger - prior authorization in Medicare Advantage S. 3195 - Consumer Online Privacy Rights Act - Sen. Cantwell, Maria - data privacy S. 3799 - Prevent Pandemics Act - Sen. Murray, Patty - pandemic preparedness S. 3983 - PATCH Act - Sen. Cassidy, Bill - data privacy S. 4264 - Advancing Integration in Medicare and Medicaid (AIM) Act - Sen. Scott, Tim - coordinating full-benefits for dual eligible individuals S. 4293 - Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency Act of 2022 - Sen. Cantwell, Maria and Sen. Grassley, Chuck - scope of PBM practices S. 4306 - Improving Access to Behavioral Health Integration Act - Sen. Smith, Tina - behavioral health S. 4750 - Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act - Sen. Menendez, Robert - reform of MSP Regulatory Issues: HIPAA administrative simplification issues, including standards for privacy, security, and electronic transactions and code sets (including ICD-10), identifiers, enforcement; cybersecurity; issues related to Medicare Secondary Payer requirements; issues related to health care price transparency; issues related to all payor claims databases; issues related to implementation of the National Health Information Infrastructure; electronic health records, personal health records, and similar technologies; issues relating to market consolidation; issues related to hospital and provider consolidation; issues related to medical management; issues relating to quality improvement; issues relating to the national health data stewardship; issues relating to hospital outpatient measurement and reporting; issues relating to COVID-19, including testing, vaccines and therapeutics; issues related to the end of the public health emergency; issues related to health equity; issues related to vaccination; issues related to addressing the social determinants of health, including housing, transportation, nutrition, and educational opportunities; prescription drug pricing; telehealth; issues related to the cost of insulin, including price, copays, rebates, and medical management tools; rural health; issues related to behavioral health benefits; issues related to Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS); issues related to the collection of race and ethnicity data; issues related to medical loss ratios; reference pricing; review of rates for reasonableness; preexisting condition insurance plans; issues relating to antitrust; issues relating to surprise medical bills; accountable care organizations; provider non-discrimination; coverage of preventive services; contraceptive coverage and reproductive health; pre-existing condition exclusions; lifetime and annual dollar limits on benefits; patient protections; grandfathered health plan provisions; issues related to health insurance tax; health plan automatic enrollment requirements; issues related to qualified health plans including certification and rate filing templates; health insurance market rules; reinsurance, risk corridors, and risk adjustment; dependent coverage; summary of benefits and coverage disclosures; benefit and payment parameters; essential health benefits, actuarial value, and accreditation; NQF reauthorization; issues related to fraud, waste, abuse, Stark/Anti-Kickback laws and regulations; issues related to supplemental products; issues related to HIPAA excepted benefits; issues related to short term limited duration products; issues related to the federally-facilitated marketplaces (i.e., Exchanges/formerly referred to as the web portal); issues related to business continuity in relation to pandemics or natural events (e.g., hurricane, tornado, etc.); issues related to association health plans; issues related to cost-sharing reductions (CSRs); issues related to the refundable credit for coverage under a qualified health plan and enhancements included in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA); issues related to Medicaid coverage gap; issues related to small employer group size; issues related to Certificate of Public Advantage; issues relating to veterans health care; issues relating to caregivers; and other issues relating to health care reform implementation.

Client expense: $3,230,000 · 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), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, White House Office

H.R. 66 - CARING for Kids Act - Rep. Buchanan, Vern - CHIP H.R. 265 - Insular Area Medicaid Parity Act - Rep. Sablan, Gregorio Kilili Camacho - Medicaid funding H.R. 315 - Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act - Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott - Medicare sequestration H.R. 340 - Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021 - Rep. Veasey, Marc - Medicaid expansion H.R. 432 - Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2021 - Rep. Thompson, Mike -Medicare coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor H.R. 502 - Medicare Dental Benefit Act of 2021 - Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz - Medicare coverage of dental and oral health services H.R. 525 - COVID HCBS Relief Act of 2021 - Rep. Dingell, Debbie - increased FMAP for HCBS H.R. 871 - Expand Medicaid Now Act - Rep. Fletcher, Lizzie - FMAP H.R. 918 - Stronger Medicaid Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Act - Rep. Cardenas, Tony - COVID-19 coverage for the uninsured via Medicaid H.R. 955 - Medicaid Reentry Act of 2021 - Rep. Tonko, Paul -Medicaid coverage for incarcerated individuals H.R. 1167 - Advancing Enrollment and Reducing Drug Costs Act of 2021 - Rep. Pappas, Chris - Medicaid eligibility for low-income subsidies H.R. 1227 - Medicare-X Choice Act of 2021 - Rep. Delgado, Antonio - Medicare public option H.R. 1332 - Telehealth Modernization Act - Rep. Carter, Earl - telehealth services under Medicare H.R. 1349 - The COVID-19 Hospital and Health Provider Loan Conversion Act of 2021- Rep. Kaptur, Marcy - advance payments under parts A and B of Medicare H.R. 1353 - Coronavirus Medicaid Response Act - Rep. Lee, Susie - FMAP H.R. 1390 - CHIPPER Act - Rep. Wild, Susan - CHIP funding H.R. 1397 - TIKES Act - Rep. Blunt Rochester, Lisa - telehealth under Medicaid and CHIP H.R. 1609 - Treatment in Place Act - Rep. Axne, Cynthia - Medicare coverage of ambulance services H.R. 1676 - Jack Reynolds Memory Medigap Expansion Act - Rep. Axne, Cynthia - Medigap coverage for ESRD H.R. 1677 - KEEP Telehealth Options Act of 2021 - Rep. Balderson, Troy - telehealth expansion H.R. 1717 - Protecting Married Seniors from Impoverishment Act of 2021 - Rep. Upton, Fred - permanent protections against spousal impoverishment H.R. 1722 - Puerto Rico Health Care Fairness, Accountability, and Beneficiary Access Act of 2021 - Rep. Velazquez, Nydia - Medicaid in Puerto Rico H.R. 1738 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act - Rep. Dingell, Debbie - Medicaid and CHIP continuous enrollment H.R. 1784 - Medicaid REACH Act - Rep. Doggett, Lloyd - requirements for non-expansion H.R. 1791 - CHIPP Act - Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz - extending CHIP H.R. 1792 - Ensuring Kids Have Access to Medically Necessary Dental Care Act - Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz - dental coverage under CHIP H.R. 1793 - Immediate Coverage for Former Foster Youth Act - Rep. Bass, Karen - Medicaid coverage for foster youth H.R. 1794 - Foster Youth Dental Act of 2021 - Rep. Bass, Karen - Medicaid dental coverage for foster youth H.R. 1823 - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the matching requirement for a territory to use specially allocated Federal funds for Medicare covered part D drugs for low-income individuals - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer - Medicare covered part D H.R. 1825 - Territories Medicare Prescription Drug Assistance Equality Act of 2021 - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer - Medicare Part D premium and cost-sharing subsidies H.R. 1826 - Fairness in Medicare Part B Enrollment Act of 2021 - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer - late enrollment penalties under part B of the Medicare program H.R. 1880 - To amend the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to make permanent the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration - Rep. Dingell, Debbie - Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration H.R. 1885 - RUSH Protection Act of 2021 - Rep. Kind, Ron - Medicare rural health clinic payments H.R. 1887 - Rural Hospital Support Act - Rep. Reed, Tom - Medicare payments for hospitals H.R. 1890 - Health Insurance Consumer Protection Act - Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. - network adequacy standards and premium rates H.R. 1914 - CAHOOTS Act - Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. - Medicaid mobile crisis intervention services H.R. 1969 - Medicare Advantage Integrity Act - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer - disparity in MA benchmark rates H.R. 2035 - Improving Access to Mental Health Act of 2021 - Rep. Lee, Barbara - mental health services under Medicare H.R. 2080 - SAVE Act - Rep. Bishop, Sanford D., Jr. - Medicare coverage of transportation services H.R. 2166 - Ensuring Parity in MA and PACE for Audio-Only Telehealth Act of 2021 - Rep. Sewell, Terri - Medicare Advantage payments for audio-only diagnoses H.R. 2168 - Expanded Telehealth Access Act - Rep. Sherrill, Mikie - Medicare payment for telehealth services H.R. 2170 - HAPI Act - Rep. Soto, Darren - access to vaccines and Medicaid H.R. 2179 - Affordable Insulin for the COVID-19 Emergency Act - Rep. Waters, Maxine - cost-sharing regarding insulin coverage H.R. 2217 - Territory Federal Matching Requirement Equity Act of 2021 - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer - Medicaid FMAP for Territories H.R. 2228 - Rural Behavioral Health Access Act of 2021 - Rep. Kildee, Daniel - Medicare coverage of outpatient telehealth services H.R. 4074 - Addressing Social Determinants in Medicare Advantage Act of 2021 - Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. - Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits H.R. 4640 - Close the Medigap Act of 2021 - Rep. Doggett, Lloyd - Medigap policies H.R. 6833 - Affordable Insulin Now Act - Rep. Craig, Angie - Insulin prices and cost sharing S. 150 - Ensuring Parity in MA for Audio-Only Telehealth Act of 2021 - Sen. Cortez-Masto, Catherine - coverage of audio-only telehealth services in MA S. 151 - COVID HCBS Relief Act of 2021 - Sen. Casey, Robert - FMAP and HCBS S. 245 - SAME Act of 2021 - Sen. Warner, Mark - Medicaid expansion S. 274 - Stronger Medicaid Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Act - Sen. Bennet, Michael - COVID-19 coverage for the uninsured via Medicaid S. 285 - Medicaid Reentry Act of 2021 - Sen. Baldwin, Tammy - Medicaid coverage for incarcerated individuals S. 368 - Telehealth Modernization Act - Sen. Scott, Tim - coverage of telehealth services under Medicare S. 386 - Medicare-X Choice Act of 2021 - Sen. Bennet, Michael - Medicare public option S. 439 - Coronavirus Medicaid Response Act - Sen. Casey, Robert - increases FMAP S. 440 - Continued Funding for Senior Services During COVID-19 Act - Sen. Casey, Robert - funding for services under the Older Americans Act of 1965 S. 453 - CHIPPER Act - Sen. Casey, Robert - CHIP funding S. 581 - HAPI Act -Sen. Brown, Sherrod - vaccines under Medicaid S. 620 - KEEP Telehealth Options Act of 2021 - Sen. Fischer, Deb - telehealth expansion S. 644 - Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act of 2021 - Sen. Durbin, Richard - Medicare coverage for critical access hospitals S. 646 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act of 2021 - Sen. Brown, Sherrod - Medicaid and CHIP enrollment S. 653 - COMP Act - Sen. Portman, Rob - Medicare secondary payer rules S. 712 - Dosha Joi Immediate Coverage for Former Foster Youth Act - Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. - Medicaid coverage for foster youth S. 748 - Medicare Sequester Relief Act - Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne - Medicare payment sequestration S. 764 - CAHOOTS Act - Sen. Wyden, Ron - Medicaid mobile crisis intervention services S. 826 - Medicare Patient Empowerment Act of 2021 - Sen. Paul, Rand - Medicaid payment options S. 870 - Improving Access to Mental Health Act of 2021 - Sen. Stabenow, Debbie - mental health services in Medicare S. 999 - Save Rural Hospitals Act of 2021 - Sen. Warner, Mark - Medicare hospital payments Regulatory Issues: Ongoing implementation issues for the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D prescription drug programs, including risk adjustment methodology, network adequacy and provider directories, encounter data and other data-related issues, and risk adjustment data validation (RADV) audit issues including proposed RADV regulation for MA; bidding and payment issues (including MA rate assumptions, MA coding intensity, MA Secondary Payer issues, Part D reinsurance, Part D low income subsidies, Part D direct and indirect remuneration (DIR), and audits); calendar year 2023 policy and technical regulation for MA and Part D; issues related to Medicare for All, Medicare buy-in, reduced Medicare eligibility age, and public option; issues relating to 2023 Rate Notice; issues related to coverage in non-Medicaid Expansion States (e.g., Gap Population); issues related to expanded Medicare fee for service benefits (dental, hearing and vision); issues related to Medicaid coverage gap; issues related to specialty infant formula; issues related to the Inflation Reduction Act passage and implementation; contraceptive coverage and reproductive health; Medicare NCD relating to monoclonal antibodies for treatment of Alzheimers disease; issues related to Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS); issues related to removal of safe harbor protection for rebates; issues relating to COVID-19, including testing, vaccines and therapeutics; issues related to the end of the public health emergency; telehealth; issues related to the cost of insulin, including price, copays, rebates, and medical management tools; issues related to health equity; issues related to vaccination; issues related to audio-only telehealth; issues related to addressing the social determinants of health, including housing, transportation, nutrition, educational opportunities, and MA supplemental benefits; issues related to Medicaid presumptive eligibility and continuous eligibility; issues relating to Medicaid best price; in-home health risk assessments; Medicare Medical Loss Ratio issues; issues related to changes to prior authorization regulations or legislation, electronic documentation, and related issues; issues relating to sequestration under the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs; implications of physician fee schedule on MA; application process, audits to evaluate compliance with MA and Part D program rules, benefit design rules, enrollment rules, requirements for notice and denial forms, marketing materials review and approval, marketing activities, including conduct and compensation of brokers and agents and plan sponsor marketing staff; measurement and oversight of plan performance including Special Needs Plans (SNPs); quality measures, grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance including training; contracting issues for Dual Eligible SNPs; Federal preemption of State authority under MA and Part D programs, Part D prescription drug event data reporting, Part D formulary rules, Part D pharmacy access standards, Part D coverage gap discount program, including employer group waiver plan (EGWP) issues, and other operational issues; issues raised by Part D coverage of new specialty drugs, the Part D non-interference policy and related issues (e.g., preferred pharmacy and any willing pharmacy requirements, standards for network pharmacy reimbursement, and policies regarding sponsor negotiation of pharmacy price concessions); issues related to the international price index; issues related to child and maternal health; issues related to Medicaid supplemental and disproportionate share hospital (DSH) funding; issues related to Medicaid funding for territories; issues related to medical management; issues relating to MA supplemental benefits; Medication Therapy Management Program requirements and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Demonstration; MA EGWP issues; CMMI's value based payment models; Part D requirements for offering basic and enhanced alternative plans; MA and Part D systems issues affecting enrollment and disenrollment processing and payment and other operational issues; issues relating to MA and Part D Star Rating system including measures, the methodology for calculating ratings, and the role of the ratings for payment purposes; functionality of the Medicare Personal Plan Finder and Drug Plan Finder; National Medicare Education Program; Medicare demonstration program on performance-based payments for physician groups; physician quality reporting initiative; issues relating to Medicare coverage policy and national coverage decisions; issues relating to MACRA, including implications for MA and Part D plans; Medicare/Medicaid integration for dual eligibles, including implementation of the Capitated Financial Alignment Demonstration and related issues (e.g., quality ratings); issues relating to potential Medicare mental health parity requirements; Medicaid managed care regulations and policies, including CMS's substantial revisions to the managed care regulations, mental health parity rules, the Medicaid managed care actuarial soundness standard, quality oversight, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance, beneficiary information requirements, treatment of Medicaid health plan member hospital days in the upper payment limit calculation; policies affecting State Medicaid funding, including block grants, the calculation of the federal medical assistance (federal matching) percentage (FMAP), and intergovernmental transfers (IGTs); coordination of benefits with state Medicaid programs; Medicaid prescription drug cost issues affecting Medicaid health plans including issues raised by Medicaid coverage of new specialty drugs; health plan-related Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) issues, including eligibility and outreach issues and CHIP reauthorization; implementation of Medicaid changes made in Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, including Medicaid managed care organization provider tax issues; standards for electronic prescribing; implementation of Medicaid changes of interest to Medicaid health plans made in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) including Medicaid expansion, the managed care organization (MCO) prescription drug rebate provisions, minimum payments to primary care providers (PCPs), interactions between the Medicaid program and health insurance exchanges, and Medicaid and CHIP maintenance of effort (MOE) requirements; issues related to Medicaid Managed long-term care including home and community-based waiver services (HCBS); expanding the availability of Medicare Advantage and Medicaid health plan telemedicine programs; implications of the new non-discrimination rules for health plans participating in public programs; issues related to Medigap coverage; issues related to business continuity in relation to pandemics or natural events (e.g., hurricane, tornado, etc.); cybersecurity; provider directories; value-based insurance design models; Part D prescriber enrollment requirements; Part D recovery audit contractor programs; issues relating to enrollment of beneficiaries with ESRD into MA plans; issues related to health homes for children with medically complex conditions; socioeconomic status impacts on star ratings related to MA and Part D programs; and other issues relating to health care reform implementation. *Add MACPAC to Agency List.

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.

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.

Issues related to implementation of legislative or regulatory changes to Medicare and Medicaid, including: Patient Navigation Assistance Act (Soon to be introduced), Rep. DeSaulnier The Build Back Better Act, HR 5376 & budget reconciliation discussions - Medicaid Coverage Gap fix, cap on out of pocket expenses for Medicare Part D HR 1946/S 1873, Multi Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act HR 2594, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate the coinsurance requirement for certain colorectal cancer screening tests furnished under the Medicare program. S. 245, SAME Act of 2021 HR 340, the Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act HR 66, the Comprehensive Access to Robust Insurance Now Guaranteed for Kids Act HR 1791, the Childrens Health Insurance Permanency Act Issues related to governance of state Medicaid programs, including work requirements and block grant proposals. Issues related to the waiting period for SSDI and Medicare. Home and Community Based Services Access Act Policy issues related to coverage for low-income populations in states that have not yet expanded their Medicaid programs (coverage gap) Cancer Care Planning and Communications Act, HR 4414 CONNECT Act (telehealth), S. 1512 Lymphedema Treatment Act, HR 3630, S. 1315 Bipartisan Seniors Prescription Drug Relief Act - Cassidy/Menendez Expanding Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices Act - Rosen Accelerating Kids Access to Care Act, S. 1544/H.R. 3089 Regulations related to the Public Charge Rule & Medicaid - DHS Docket No. USCIS-2021-0013, the notice of proposed rulemaking, Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility Public Health Emergency Extension Advocacy around cost sharing for follow on colonoscopy after a positive at home test with CMS, related to Medicare coverage

H.R. 66 - CARING for Kids Act - Rep. Buchanan, Vern - CHIP H.R. 265 - Insular Area Medicaid Parity Act - Rep. Sablan, Gregorio Kilili Camacho - Medicaid funding H.R. 315 - Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act - Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott - Medicare sequestration H.R. 340 - Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021 - Rep. Veasey, Marc - Medicaid expansion H.R. 432 - Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2021 - Rep. Thompson, Mike -Medicare coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor H.R. 502 - Medicare Dental Benefit Act of 2021 - Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz - Medicare coverage of dental and oral health services H.R. 525 - COVID HCBS Relief Act of 2021 - Rep. Dingell, Debbie - increased FMAP for HCBS H.R. 871 - Expand Medicaid Now Act - Rep. Fletcher, Lizzie - FMAP H.R. 918 - Stronger Medicaid Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Act - Rep. Cardenas, Tony - COVID-19 coverage for the uninsured via Medicaid H.R. 955 - Medicaid Reentry Act of 2021 - Rep. Tonko, Paul -Medicaid coverage for incarcerated individuals H.R. 1167 - Advancing Enrollment and Reducing Drug Costs Act of 2021 - Rep. Pappas, Chris - Medicaid eligibility for low-income subsidies H.R. 1227 - Medicare-X Choice Act of 2021 - Rep. Delgado, Antonio - Medicare public option H.R. 1332 - Telehealth Modernization Act - Rep. Carter, Earl - telehealth services under Medicare H.R. 1349 - The COVID-19 Hospital and Health Provider Loan Conversion Act of 2021- Rep. Kaptur, Marcy - advance payments under parts A and B of Medicare H.R. 1353 - Coronavirus Medicaid Response Act - Rep. Lee, Susie - FMAP H.R. 1390 - CHIPPER Act - Rep. Wild, Susan - CHIP funding H.R. 1397 - TIKES Act - Rep. Blunt Rochester, Lisa - telehealth under Medicaid and CHIP H.R. 1609 - Treatment in Place Act - Rep. Axne, Cynthia - Medicare coverage of ambulance services H.R. 1676 - Jack Reynolds Memory Medigap Expansion Act - Rep. Axne, Cynthia - Medigap coverage for ESRD H.R. 1677 - KEEP Telehealth Options Act of 2021 - Rep. Balderson, Troy - telehealth expansion H.R. 1717 - Protecting Married Seniors from Impoverishment Act of 2021 - Rep. Upton, Fred - permanent protections against spousal impoverishment H.R. 1722 - Puerto Rico Health Care Fairness, Accountability, and Beneficiary Access Act of 2021 - Rep. Velazquez, Nydia - Medicaid in Puerto Rico H.R. 1738 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act - Rep. Dingell, Debbie - Medicaid and CHIP continuous enrollment H.R. 1784 - Medicaid REACH Act - Rep. Doggett, Lloyd - requirements for non-expansion H.R. 1791 - CHIPP Act - Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz - extending CHIP H.R. 1792 - Ensuring Kids Have Access to Medically Necessary Dental Care Act - Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz - dental coverage under CHIP H.R. 1793 - Immediate Coverage for Former Foster Youth Act - Rep. Bass, Karen - Medicaid coverage for foster youth H.R. 1794 - Foster Youth Dental Act of 2021 - Rep. Bass, Karen - Medicaid dental coverage for foster youth H.R. 1823 - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the matching requirement for a territory to use specially allocated Federal funds for Medicare covered part D drugs for low-income individuals - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer - Medicare covered part D H.R. 1825 - Territories Medicare Prescription Drug Assistance Equality Act of 2021 - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer - Medicare Part D premium and cost-sharing subsidies H.R. 1826 - Fairness in Medicare Part B Enrollment Act of 2021 - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer - late enrollment penalties under part B of the Medicare program H.R. 1880 - To amend the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to make permanent the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration - Rep. Dingell, Debbie - Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration H.R. 1885 - RUSH Protection Act of 2021 - Rep. Kind, Ron - Medicare rural health clinic payments H.R. 1887 - Rural Hospital Support Act - Rep. Reed, Tom - Medicare payments for hospitals H.R. 1890 - Health Insurance Consumer Protection Act - Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. - network adequacy standards and premium rates H.R. 1914 - CAHOOTS Act - Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. - Medicaid mobile crisis intervention services H.R. 1969 - Medicare Advantage Integrity Act - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer - disparity in MA benchmark rates H.R. 2035 - Improving Access to Mental Health Act of 2021 - Rep. Lee, Barbara - mental health services under Medicare H.R. 2080 - SAVE Act - Rep. Bishop, Sanford D., Jr. - Medicare coverage of transportation services H.R. 2166 - Ensuring Parity in MA and PACE for Audio-Only Telehealth Act of 2021 - Rep. Sewell, Terri - Medicare Advantage payments for audio-only diagnoses H.R. 2168 - Expanded Telehealth Access Act - Rep. Sherrill, Mikie - Medicare payment for telehealth services H.R. 2170 - HAPI Act - Rep. Soto, Darren - access to vaccines and Medicaid H.R. 2179 - Affordable Insulin for the COVID-19 Emergency Act - Rep. Waters, Maxine - cost-sharing regarding insulin coverage H.R. 2217 - Territory Federal Matching Requirement Equity Act of 2021 - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer - Medicaid FMAP for Territories H.R. 2228 - Rural Behavioral Health Access Act of 2021 - Rep. Kildee, Daniel - Medicare coverage of outpatient telehealth services H.R. 4074 - Addressing Social Determinants in Medicare Advantage Act of 2021 - Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. - Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits H.R. 4640 - Close the Medigap Act of 2021 - Rep. Doggett, Lloyd - Medigap policies H.R. 6833 - Affordable Insulin Now Act - Rep. Craig, Angie - Insulin prices and cost sharing S. 150 - Ensuring Parity in MA for Audio-Only Telehealth Act of 2021 - Sen. Cortez-Masto, Catherine - coverage of audio-only telehealth services in MA S. 151 - COVID HCBS Relief Act of 2021 - Sen. Casey, Robert - FMAP and HCBS S. 245 - SAME Act of 2021 - Sen. Warner, Mark - Medicaid expansion S. 274 - Stronger Medicaid Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Act - Sen. Bennet, Michael - COVID-19 coverage for the uninsured via Medicaid S. 285 - Medicaid Reentry Act of 2021 - Sen. Baldwin, Tammy - Medicaid coverage for incarcerated individuals S. 368 - Telehealth Modernization Act - Sen. Scott, Tim - coverage of telehealth services under Medicare S. 386 - Medicare-X Choice Act of 2021 - Sen. Bennet, Michael - Medicare public option S. 439 - Coronavirus Medicaid Response Act - Sen. Casey, Robert - increases FMAP S. 440 - Continued Funding for Senior Services During COVID-19 Act - Sen. Casey, Robert - funding for services under the Older Americans Act of 1965 S. 453 - CHIPPER Act - Sen. Casey, Robert - CHIP funding S. 581 - HAPI Act -Sen. Brown, Sherrod - vaccines under Medicaid S. 620 - KEEP Telehealth Options Act of 2021 - Sen. Fischer, Deb - telehealth expansion S. 644 - Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act of 2021 - Sen. Durbin, Richard - Medicare coverage for critical access hospitals S. 646 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act of 2021 - Sen. Brown, Sherrod - Medicaid and CHIP enrollment S. 653 - COMP Act - Sen. Portman, Rob - Medicare secondary payer rules S. 712 - Dosha Joi Immediate Coverage for Former Foster Youth Act - Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. - Medicaid coverage for foster youth S. 748 - Medicare Sequester Relief Act - Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne - Medicare payment sequestration S. 764 - CAHOOTS Act - Sen. Wyden, Ron - Medicaid mobile crisis intervention services S. 826 - Medicare Patient Empowerment Act of 2021 - Sen. Paul, Rand - Medicaid payment options S. 870 - Improving Access to Mental Health Act of 2021 - Sen. Stabenow, Debbie - mental health services in Medicare S. 999 - Save Rural Hospitals Act of 2021 - Sen. Warner, Mark - Medicare hospital payments Regulatory Issues: Ongoing implementation issues for the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D prescription drug programs, including risk adjustment methodology, network adequacy and provider directories, encounter data and other data-related issues, and risk adjustment data validation (RADV) audit issues including proposed RADV regulation for MA; bidding and payment issues (including MA rate assumptions, MA coding intensity, MA Secondary Payer issues, Part D reinsurance, Part D low income subsidies, Part D direct and indirect remuneration (DIR), and audits); calendar year 2023 policy and technical regulation for MA and Part D; Part D reform, out of pocket limits; issues related to Medicare for All, Medicare buy-in, reduced Medicare eligibility age, and public option; issues relating to 2023 Rate Notice; issues related to coverage in non-Medicaid Expansion States (e.g., Gap Population); issues related to expanded Medicare fee for service benefits (dental, hearing and vision); issues related to Medicaid coverage gap; contraceptive coverage and reproductive health; Medicare NCD relating to monoclonal antibodies for treatment of Alzheimers disease; Executive Orders relating to international pricing, Part D rebates, insulin costs, and importation; issues related to MLTSS; issues related to removal of safe harbor protection for rebates; issues relating to COVID-19, including testing, vaccines and therapeutics; issues related to the end of the public health emergency; telehealth; issues related to the cost of insulin, including price, copays, rebates, and medical management tools; issues related to health equity; issues related to vaccination; issues related to audio-only telehealth; issues related to addressing the social determinants of health, including housing, transportation, nutrition, educational opportunities, and MA supplemental benefits; issues related to Medicaid presumptive eligibility and continuous eligibility; issues relating to Medicaid best price; in-home health risk assessments; Medicare Medical Loss Ratio issues; issues related to changes to prior authorization regulations or legislation, electronic documentation, and related issues; issues relating to sequestration under the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs; implications of physician fee schedule on MA; application process, audits to evaluate compliance with MA and Part D program rules, benefit design rules, enrollment rules, requirements for notice and denial forms, marketing materials review and approval, marketing activities, including conduct and compensation of brokers and agents and plan sponsor marketing staff; measurement and oversight of plan performance including Special Needs Plans (SNPs); quality measures, grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance including training; contracting issues for Dual Eligible SNPs; Federal preemption of State authority under MA and Part D programs, Part D prescription drug event data reporting, Part D formulary rules, Part D pharmacy access standards, Part D coverage gap discount program, including employer group waiver plan (EGWP) issues, and other operational issues; issues raised by Part D coverage of new specialty drugs, the Part D non-interference policy and related issues (e.g., preferred pharmacy and any willing pharmacy requirements, standards for network pharmacy reimbursement, and policies regarding sponsor negotiation of pharmacy price concessions); issues related to the international price index; issues related to child and maternal health; issues related to Medicaid supplemental and disproportionate share hospital (DSH) funding; issues related to Medicaid funding for territories; issues related to medical management; issues relating to MA supplemental benefits; Medication Therapy Management Program requirements and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Demonstration; MA EGWP issues; CMMI's value based payment models; Part D requirements for offering basic and enhanced alternative plans; MA and Part D systems issues affecting enrollment and disenrollment processing and payment and other operational issues; issues relating to MA and Part D Star Rating system including measures, the methodology for calculating ratings, and the role of the ratings for payment purposes; functionality of the Medicare Personal Plan Finder and Drug Plan Finder; National Medicare Education Program; Medicare demonstration program on performance-based payments for physician groups; physician quality reporting initiative; issues relating to Medicare coverage policy and national coverage decisions; issues relating to MACRA, including implications for MA and Part D plans; Medicare/Medicaid integration for dual eligibles, including implementation of the Capitated Financial Alignment Demonstration and related issues (e.g., quality ratings); issues relating to potential Medicare mental health parity requirements; Medicaid managed care regulations and policies, including CMS's substantial revisions to the managed care regulations, mental health parity rules, the Medicaid managed care actuarial soundness standard, quality oversight, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance, beneficiary information requirements, treatment of Medicaid health plan member hospital days in the upper payment limit calculation; policies affecting State Medicaid funding, including block grants, the calculation of the federal medical assistance (federal matching) percentage (FMAP), and intergovernmental transfers (IGTs); coordination of benefits with state Medicaid programs; Medicaid prescription drug cost issues affecting Medicaid health plans including issues raised by Medicaid coverage of new specialty drugs; health plan-related Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) issues, including eligibility and outreach issues and CHIP reauthorization; implementation of Medicaid changes made in Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, including Medicaid managed care organization provider tax issues; standards for electronic prescribing; implementation of Medicaid changes of interest to Medicaid health plans made in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) including Medicaid expansion, the managed care organization (MCO) prescription drug rebate provisions, minimum payments to primary care providers (PCPs), interactions between the Medicaid program and health insurance exchanges, and Medicaid and CHIP maintenance of effort (MOE) requirements; implications of the health insurer fee for Medicaid health plans; issues related to Medicaid Managed long-term care including home and community-based waiver services (HCBS); expanding the availability of Medicare Advantage and Medicaid health plan telemedicine programs; implications of the new non-discrimination rules for health plans participating in public programs; issues related to Medigap coverage; issues related to business continuity in relation to pandemics or natural events (e.g., hurricane, tornado, etc.); cybersecurity; provider directories; value-based insurance design models; Part D prescriber enrollment requirements; Part D recovery audit contractor programs; issues relating to enrollment of beneficiaries with ESRD into MA plans; issues related to health homes for children with medically complex conditions; socioeconomic status impacts on star ratings related to MA and Part D programs; and other issues relating to health care reform implementation.

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.

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.

H.R. 66 - CARING for Kids Act - Rep. Buchanan, Vern - CHIP H.R. 265 - Insular Area Medicaid Parity Act - Rep. Sablan, Gregorio Kilili Camacho - Medicaid funding H.R. 315 - Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act - Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott - Medicare sequestration H.R. 340 - Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021 - Rep. Veasey, Marc - Medicaid expansion H.R. 432 - Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2021 - Rep. Thompson, Mike -Medicare coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor H.R. 502 - Medicare Dental Benefit Act of 2021 - Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz - Medicare coverage of dental and oral health services H.R. 525 - COVID HCBS Relief Act of 2021 - Rep. Dingell, Debbie - increased FMAP for HCBS H.R. 871 - Expand Medicaid Now Act - Rep. Fletcher, Lizzie - FMAP H.R. 918 - Stronger Medicaid Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Act - Rep. Cardenas, Tony - COVID-19 coverage for the uninsured via Medicaid H.R. 955 - Medicaid Reentry Act of 2021 - Rep. Tonko, Paul -Medicaid coverage for incarcerated individuals H.R. 1167 - Advancing Enrollment and Reducing Drug Costs Act of 2021 - Rep. Pappas, Chris - Medicaid eligibility for low-income subsidies H.R. 1227 - Medicare-X Choice Act of 2021 - Rep. Delgado, Antonio - Medicare public option H.R. 1332 - Telehealth Modernization Act - Rep. Carter, Earl - telehealth services under Medicare H.R. 1349 - The COVID-19 Hospital and Health Provider Loan Conversion Act of 2021- Rep. Kaptur, Marcy - advance payments under parts A and B of Medicare H.R. 1353 - Coronavirus Medicaid Response Act - Rep. Lee, Susie - FMAP H.R. 1390 - CHIPPER Act - Rep. Wild, Susan - CHIP funding H.R. 1397 - TIKES Act - Rep. Blunt Rochester, Lisa - telehealth under Medicaid and CHIP H.R. 1609 - Treatment in Place Act - Rep. Axne, Cynthia - Medicare coverage of ambulance services H.R. 1676 - Jack Reynolds Memory Medigap Expansion Act - Rep. Axne, Cynthia - Medigap coverage for ESRD H.R. 1677 - KEEP Telehealth Options Act of 2021 - Rep. Balderson, Troy - telehealth expansion H.R. 1717 - Protecting Married Seniors from Impoverishment Act of 2021 - Rep. Upton, Fred - permanent protections against spousal impoverishment H.R. 1722 - Puerto Rico Health Care Fairness, Accountability, and Beneficiary Access Act of 2021 - Rep. Velazquez, Nydia - Medicaid in Puerto Rico H.R. 1738 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act - Rep. Dingell, Debbie - Medicaid and CHIP continuous enrollment H.R. 1784 - Medicaid REACH Act - Rep. Doggett, Lloyd - requirements for non-expansion H.R. 1791 - CHIPP Act - Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz - extending CHIP H.R. 1792 - Ensuring Kids Have Access to Medically Necessary Dental Care Act - Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz - dental coverage under CHIP H.R. 1793 - Immediate Coverage for Former Foster Youth Act - Rep. Bass, Karen - Medicaid coverage for foster youth H.R. 1794 - Foster Youth Dental Act of 2021 - Rep. Bass, Karen - Medicaid dental coverage for foster youth H.R. 1823 - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the matching requirement for a territory to use specially allocated Federal funds for Medicare covered part D drugs for low-income individuals - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer - Medicare covered part D H.R. 1825 - Territories Medicare Prescription Drug Assistance Equality Act of 2021 - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer - Medicare Part D premium and cost-sharing subsidies H.R. 1826 - Fairness in Medicare Part B Enrollment Act of 2021 - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer - late enrollment penalties under part B of the Medicare program H.R. 1880 - To amend the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to make permanent the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration - Rep. Dingell, Debbie - Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration H.R. 1885 - RUSH Protection Act of 2021 - Rep. Kind, Ron - Medicare rural health clinic payments H.R. 1887 - Rural Hospital Support Act - Rep. Reed, Tom - Medicare payments for hospitals H.R. 1890 - Health Insurance Consumer Protection Act - Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. - network adequacy standards and premium rates H.R. 1914 - CAHOOTS Act - Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. - Medicaid mobile crisis intervention services H.R. 1969 - Medicare Advantage Integrity Act - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer - disparity in MA benchmark rates H.R. 2035 - Improving Access to Mental Health Act of 2021 - Rep. Lee, Barbara - mental health services under Medicare H.R. 2080 - SAVE Act - Rep. Bishop, Sanford D., Jr. - Medicare coverage of transportation services H.R. 2166 - Ensuring Parity in MA and PACE for Audio-Only Telehealth Act of 2021 - Rep. Sewell, Terri - Medicare Advantage payments for audio-only diagnoses H.R. 2168 - Expanded Telehealth Access Act - Rep. Sherrill, Mikie - Medicare payment for telehealth services H.R. 2170 - HAPI Act - Rep. Soto, Darren - access to vaccines and Medicaid H.R. 2179 - Affordable Insulin for the COVID-19 Emergency Act - Rep. Waters, Maxine - cost-sharing regarding insulin coverage H.R. 2217 - Territory Federal Matching Requirement Equity Act of 2021 - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer - Medicaid FMAP for Territories H.R. 2228 - Rural Behavioral Health Access Act of 2021 - Rep. Kildee, Daniel - Medicare coverage of outpatient telehealth services H.R. 4074 - Addressing Social Determinants in Medicare Advantage Act of 2021 - Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. - Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits H.R. 4640 - Close the Medigap Act of 2021 - Rep. Doggett, Lloyd -- Medigap policies H.R. 6833 - Affordable Insulin Now Act - Rep. Craig, Angie - Insulin prices and cost sharing S. 150 - Ensuring Parity in MA for Audio-Only Telehealth Act of 2021 - Sen. Cortez-Masto, Catherine - coverage of audio-only telehealth services in MA S. 151 - COVID HCBS Relief Act of 2021 - Sen. Casey, Robert - FMAP and HCBS S. 245 - SAME Act of 2021 - Sen. Warner, Mark - Medicaid expansion S. 274 - Stronger Medicaid Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Act - Sen. Bennet, Michael - COVID-19 coverage for the uninsured via Medicaid S. 285 - Medicaid Reentry Act of 2021 - Sen. Baldwin, Tammy - Medicaid coverage for incarcerated individuals S. 368 - Telehealth Modernization Act - Sen. Scott, Tim - coverage of telehealth services under Medicare S. 386 - Medicare-X Choice Act of 2021 - Sen. Bennet, Michael - Medicare public option S. 439 - Coronavirus Medicaid Response Act - Sen. Casey, Robert - increases FMAP S. 440 - Continued Funding for Senior Services During COVID-19 Act - Sen. Casey, Robert - funding for services under the Older Americans Act of 1965 S. 453 - CHIPPER Act - Sen. Casey, Robert - CHIP funding S. 581 - HAPI Act -Sen. Brown, Sherrod - vaccines under Medicaid S. 620 - KEEP Telehealth Options Act of 2021 - Sen. Fischer, Deb - telehealth expansion S. 644 - Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act of 2021 - Sen. Durbin, Richard - Medicare coverage for critical access hospitals S. 646 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act of 2021 - Sen. Brown, Sherrod - Medicaid and CHIP enrollment S. 653 - COMP Act - Sen. Portman, Rob - Medicare secondary payer rules S. 712 - Dosha Joi Immediate Coverage for Former Foster Youth Act - Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. - Medicaid coverage for foster youth S. 748 - Medicare Sequester Relief Act - Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne - Medicare payment sequestration S. 764 - CAHOOTS Act - Sen. Wyden, Ron - Medicaid mobile crisis intervention services S. 826 - Medicare Patient Empowerment Act of 2021 - Sen. Paul, Rand - Medicaid payment options S. 870 - Improving Access to Mental Health Act of 2021 - Sen. Stabenow, Debbie - mental health services in Medicare S. 999 - Save Rural Hospitals Act of 2021 - Sen. Warner, Mark - Medicare hospital payments Regulatory Issues: Ongoing implementation issues for the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D prescription drug programs, including risk adjustment methodology, network adequacy and provider directories, encounter data and other data-related issues, and risk adjustment data validation (RADV) audit issues including proposed RADV regulation for MA; bidding and payment issues (including MA rate assumptions, MA coding intensity, MA Secondary Payer issues, Part D reinsurance, Part D low income subsidies, Part D direct and indirect remuneration (DIR), and audits); calendar year 2023 policy and technical regulation for MA and Part D; Part D reform, out of pocket limits; issues related to Medicare for All, Medicare buy-in, reduced Medicare eligibility age, and public option; issues relating to 2023 Rate Notice; issues related to coverage in non-Medicaid Expansion States (e.g., Gap Population); issues related to expanded Medicare fee for service benefits (dental, hearing and vision); issues related to Medicaid coverage gap; Medicare NCD relating to monoclonal antibodies for treatment of Alzheimers disease; Executive Orders relating to international pricing, Part D rebates, insulin costs, and importation; issues related to MLTSS; issues related to removal of safe harbor protection for rebates; issues relating to COVID-19, including testing, vaccines and therapeutics; issues related to the end of the public health emergency; telehealth; issues related to the cost of insulin, including price, copays, rebates, and medical management tools; issues related to health equity; issues related to vaccination; issues related to audio-only telehealth; issues related to addressing the social determinants of health, including housing, transportation, nutrition, educational opportunities, and MA supplemental benefits; issues related to Medicaid presumptive eligibility and continuous eligibility; issues relating to Medicaid best price; in-home health risk assessments; Medicare Medical Loss Ratio issues; issues related to changes to prior authorization regulations, electronic documentation, and related issues; issues relating to sequestration under the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs; implications of physician fee schedule on MA; application process, audits to evaluate compliance with MA and Part D program rules, benefit design rules, enrollment rules, requirements for notice and denial forms, marketing materials review and approval, marketing activities, including conduct and compensation of brokers and agents and plan sponsor marketing staff; measurement and oversight of plan performance including Special Needs Plans (SNPs); quality measures, grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance including training; contracting issues for Dual Eligible SNPs; Federal preemption of State authority under MA and Part D programs, Part D prescription drug event data reporting, Part D formulary rules, Part D pharmacy access standards, Part D coverage gap discount program, including employer group waiver plan (EGWP) issues, and other operational issues; issues raised by Part D coverage of new specialty drugs, the Part D non-interference policy and related issues (e.g., preferred pharmacy and any willing pharmacy requirements, standards for network pharmacy reimbursement, and policies regarding sponsor negotiation of pharmacy price concessions); issues related to the international price index; issues related to child and maternal health; issues related to Medicaid supplemental and disproportionate share hospital (DSH) funding; issues related to Medicaid funding for territories; issues related to medical management; issues relating to MA supplemental benefits; Medication Therapy Management Program requirements and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Demonstration; MA EGWP issues; CMMI's value based payment models; Part D requirements for offering basic and enhanced alternative plans; MA and Part D systems issues affecting enrollment and disenrollment processing and payment and other operational issues; issues relating to MA and Part D Star Rating system including measures, the methodology for calculating ratings, and the role of the ratings for payment purposes; functionality of the Medicare Personal Plan Finder and Drug Plan Finder; National Medicare Education Program; Medicare demonstration program on performance-based payments for physician groups; physician quality reporting initiative; issues relating to Medicare coverage policy and national coverage decisions; issues relating to MACRA, including implications for MA and Part D plans; Medicare/Medicaid integration for dual eligibles, including implementation of the Capitated Financial Alignment Demonstration and related issues (e.g., quality ratings); Medicaid managed care regulations and policies, including CMS's substantial revisions to the managed care regulations, mental health parity rules, the Medicaid managed care actuarial soundness standard, quality oversight, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance, beneficiary information requirements, treatment of Medicaid health plan member hospital days in the upper payment limit calculation; policies affecting State Medicaid funding, including block grants, the calculation of the federal medical assistance (federal matching) percentage (FMAP), and intergovernmental transfers (IGTs); coordination of benefits with state Medicaid programs; Medicaid prescription drug cost issues affecting Medicaid health plans including issues raised by Medicaid coverage of new specialty drugs; health plan-related Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) issues, including eligibility and outreach issues and CHIP reauthorization; implementation of Medicaid changes made in Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, including Medicaid managed care organization provider tax issues; standards for electronic prescribing; implementation of Medicaid changes of interest to Medicaid health plans made in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) including Medicaid expansion, the managed care organization (MCO) prescription drug rebate provisions, minimum payments to primary care providers (PCPs), interactions between the Medicaid program and health insurance exchanges, and Medicaid and CHIP maintenance of effort (MOE) requirements; implications of the health insurer fee for Medicaid health plans; issues related to Medicaid Managed long-term care including home and community-based waiver services (HCBS); expanding the availability of Medicare Advantage and Medicaid health plan telemedicine programs; implications of the new non-discrimination rules for health plans participating in public programs; issues related to Medigap coverage; issues related to business continuity in relation to pandemics or natural events (e.g., hurricane, tornado, etc.); cybersecurity; provider directories; value-based insurance design models; Part D prescriber enrollment requirements; Part D recovery audit contractor programs; issues relating to enrollment of beneficiaries with ESRD into MA plans; issues related to health homes for children with medically complex conditions; socioeconomic status impacts on star ratings related to MA and Part D programs; and other issues relating to health care reform implementation.

Issues related to implementation of legislative or regulatory changes to Medicare and Medicaid, including: The Build Back Better Act, HR 5376 & budget reconciliation discussions HR 1946, Multi Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act HR 2594, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate the coinsurance requirement for certain colorectal cancer screening tests furnished under the Medicare program. S. 245, SAME Act of 2021 HR 340, the Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act HR 66, the Comprehensive Access to Robust Insurance Now Guaranteed for Kids Act HR 1791, the Childrens Health Insurance Permanency Act Issues related to governance of state Medicaid programs, including work requirements and block grant proposals. Issues related to the waiting period for SSDI and Medicare. Home and Community Based Services Access Act Policy issues related to coverage for low-income populations in states that have not yet expanded their Medicaid programs (coverage gap) Cancer Care Planning and Communications Act, HR 4414 CONNECT Act (telehealth), S. 1512 Lymphedema Treatment Act, HR 3630, S. 1315 Bipartisan Seniors Prescription Drug Relief Act - Cassidy/Menendez Expanding Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices Act - Rosen Accelerating Kids Access to Care Act, S. 1544/H.R. 3089

Client expense: $730,000 · Firm income: Not reported

H.R.5376 - Build Back Better Act H.R.1791 - CHIPP Act/Childrens Health Insurance Program Permanency Act S.646, H.R.1738 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act of 2021 H.R.3345 - Helping MOMS Act of 2021 H.R.265 - Insular Area Medicaid Parity Act H.R.955, S.285 - Medicaid Reentry Act of 2021 S.245 - States Achieve Medicaid Expansion (SAME) Act H.R.340 - Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021 H.R.2471 - the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 redeterminations / end of the Public Health Emergency continuous eligibility and eFMAP/MOE telehealth behavioral health social determinants of health payment issues for drug treatments and curative therapies prescription drug coverage dually eligible Medicare/Medicaid population COVID-19 pandemic emergency department utilization

Client expense: $50,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE

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 support for H.R. 8505, a bill to provide for a one-year waiver of budget neutrality adjustments under the Medicare physician fee schedule; 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, along with GPC1X codes to go into effect. Regarding CMS 2022 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. FY2022 Appropriations: Urged Congress to support $10 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions programs in the FY 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill as well as $50 million in 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: Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), $9.2 billion; Title VII, Section 747, Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), $71 million; National Health Service Corps (NHSC), $860 million in total program funding; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), $500 million; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Program Operations for Federal Exchanges, $296.5 million. Also, urged support for the VA, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), $103.1 billion, which includes the following within the VHA -- VA, VHA, Medical Services, $66.2 billion, VA, VHA, Medical Community Care, $20.7 billion, VA, VHA, Medical and Prosthetic Research; $902 million. 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. Urged the administration to explore regulatory and other actions that would make COVID-19 testing free-of-charge to patients covered by both public and private insurance plans, including ACA-compliant plans offered through the insurance exchanges, and to waive co-pays and deductibles for patients seeing physicians for symptoms that may be indicative of COVID-19 or who are hospitalized for treatment. Urged CMS to utilize a national disaster recovery program that would pay doctors 110% of Medicare rates for caring for uninsured patients who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2. 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 the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act, H.R. 6720, introduced May 5, 2020 by Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) which would eliminate graduate school debt for healthcare workers, including physicians and medical students, who are providing direct patient care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; 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 Congress to support, H.R. 958, the Protecting Moms Who Served Act, which would provide critical support for maternity care coordination programs to address the clinical and nonclinical perinatal needs of veterans and ensure effective coordination between VA and non-VA facilities in the delivery of maternity care and other health care services. 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 (H.R. 3755 and 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. Train and Support Frontline Physicians during and after COVID-19: 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; S. 948, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act (116th Congress) and S. 3599 (116th Congress), the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, to support the COVID-19 response workforce by expediting visas for international medical graduates (IMGs) to enter the U.S. for training and patient care, permanently authorizing the Conrad 30 Program, and providing a pathway for IMGs and their families already in the U.S to obtain permanent residency status; H.R. 2418, the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act, to forgive student loans for physicians and other clinicians who are on the frontlines of providing care to COVID-19 patients or helping the health care system cope with the COVID-19 public health emergency; H.R. 1667/S. 610, the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, to address the behavioral health and well-being of physicians, including depression, suicides and burnout. 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; H.R. 959/S. 346, the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021, to reduce preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in the U.S. and close disparities in maternal health outcomes, particularly among pregnant minority women. 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; Urged appropriators to include adequate funding in FY2022 to support expansion of broadband capabilities nationwide, especially to rural and underserved communities, and to remove the ban on adoption of a national unique health identifier standard. Surprise Medical Billing: Voiced support for the decision of CMS to provide protections for patients from surprise bills in situations where they need an ambulance, especially in a perceived emergency; voiced support for CMS approach that emergency services provided by out-of-network emergency facilities and out-of-network provider organizations, and certain non-emergency services furnished by out-of-network provider organizations at certain in-network facilities, must be calculated based on a recognized amount which is generally the lesser of the Qualifying Payment Amount (QPA) - the plans median in-network rate for the item or service, or an all-payer model agreement between CMS and the state; urged CMS to include in the Independent Dispute Resolution process described in future sub-regulatory guidance that health plans have an affirmative obligation to pay fairly and appropriately for services provided in and out of network. 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.

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 support for H.R. 8505, a bill to provide for a one-year waiver of budget neutrality adjustments under the Medicare physician fee schedule; 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, along with GPC1X codes to go into effect. Regarding CMS 2022 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. FY2022 Appropriations: Urged Congress to support $10 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions programs in the FY 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill as well as $50 million in 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: Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), $9.2 billion; Title VII, Section 747, Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), $71 million; National Health Service Corps (NHSC), $860 million in total program funding; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), $500 million; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Program Operations for Federal Exchanges, $296.5 million. Also, urged support for the VA, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), $103.1 billion, which includes the following within the VHA -- VA, VHA, Medical Services, $66.2 billion, VA, VHA, Medical Community Care, $20.7 billion, VA, VHA, Medical and Prosthetic Research; $902 million. 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. Urged the administration to explore regulatory and other actions that would make COVID-19 testing free-of-charge to patients covered by both public and private insurance plans, including ACA-compliant plans offered through the insurance exchanges, and to waive co-pays and deductibles for patients seeing physicians for symptoms that may be indicative of COVID-19 or who are hospitalized for treatment. Urged CMS to utilize a national disaster recovery program that would pay doctors 110% of Medicare rates for caring for uninsured patients who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2. 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 the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act, H.R. 6720, introduced May 5, 2020 by Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) which would eliminate graduate school debt for healthcare workers, including physicians and medical students, who are providing direct patient care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; 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 Congress to support, H.R. 958, the Protecting Moms Who Served Act, which would provide critical support for maternity care coordination programs to address the clinical and nonclinical perinatal needs of veterans and ensure effective coordination between VA and non-VA facilities in the delivery of maternity care and other health care services. 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 (H.R. 3755 and 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. Train and Support Frontline Physicians during and after COVID-19: 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; S. 948, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act (116th Congress) and S. 3599 (116th Congress), the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, to support the COVID-19 response workforce by expediting visas for international medical graduates (IMGs) to enter the U.S. for training and patient care, permanently authorizing the Conrad 30 Program, and providing a pathway for IMGs and their families already in the U.S to obtain permanent residency status; H.R. 2418, the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act, to forgive student loans for physicians and other clinicians who are on the frontlines of providing care to COVID-19 patients or helping the health care system cope with the COVID-19 public health emergency; H.R. 1667/S. 610, the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, to address the behavioral health and well-being of physicians, including depression, suicides and burnout. 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; H.R. 959/S. 346, the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021, to reduce preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in the U.S. and close disparities in maternal health outcomes, particularly among pregnant minority women. 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; Urged appropriators to include adequate funding in FY2022 to support expansion of broadband capabilities nationwide, especially to rural and underserved communities, and to remove the ban on adoption of a national unique health identifier standard. Surprise Medical Billing: Voiced support for the decision of CMS to provide protections for patients from surprise bills in situations where they need an ambulance, especially in a perceived emergency; voiced support for CMS approach that emergency services provided by out-of-network emergency facilities and out-of-network provider organizations, and certain non-emergency services furnished by out-of-network provider organizations at certain in-network facilities, must be calculated based on a recognized amount which is generally the lesser of the Qualifying Payment Amount (QPA) - the plans median in-network rate for the item or service, or an all-payer model agreement between CMS and the state; urged CMS to include in the Independent Dispute Resolution process described in future sub-regulatory guidance that health plans have an affirmative obligation to pay fairly and appropriately for services provided in and out of network. 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.

Any COVID-19 stimulus bill(s), package(s), or provision(s) impacting hospitals and health systems, including but not limited to: Forgiveness for Medicare accelerated payments; Additional money and reporting requirements for the Provider Relief Fund; Support for front-line caregivers; Liability protections for front-line medical providers and facilities; and Maintaining health benefits for individuals and families and increasing coverage options for the uninsured. Expansion of resources for testing, tracing, and vaccine development. Expansion of resources for vaccine rollout and administration. Any bill(s) or provision(s) advocating for more PPE and supplies for healthcare workers, hospitals, and health systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Any requirement(s) for hospitals to collect and report COVID-19 data. Any bill(s) or provision(s) urging the delay of CMSs hospital transparency rule requiring hospitals to publicly disclose negotiated rates with commercial health plans. Any provision(s) on the CMS hospital inpatient prospective payment system proposed rule for fiscal year 2021. Any provision(s) on the CMS hospital outpatient prospective payment system/ ambulatory surgical center proposed rule reducing payment rates received by hospitals. Any bill(s), provision(s), or action(s) impacting the 340B Drug Discount Program and hospitals and health systems ability to provide access to these drugs for patients. Any bill(s) or provision(s) addressing high drug prices. Any bill(s) or provision(s) addressing surprise medical billing proposals harmful to patients and hospitals/health systems. Any bill(s) or provision(s) enabling or making it easier for providers to use telemedicine to increase access for patients. S. 4794 A BILL MAKING EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE COVID-19 TELEHEALTH PROGRAM OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2020. Any provision(s) expanding telehealth services and access. S. 368 THE TELEHEALTH MODERNIZATION ACT. Any provision(s) expanding telehealth services and access. Any provision(s) concerning CMSs Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Proposed Rule, with hospitals urging the proposed rule be withdrawn. Any issue(s) related to Medicare pass-through funding and other payment technicalities in relation to colleges of nursing and allied health professions. Any bill(s) or provision(s) addressing Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) cuts, namely having to do with a delay in cuts. H.R. 315, S. 748, or any other bill(s) or provision(s) addressing the elimination of Medicare sequester cuts during the COVID-19 public health emergency. H.R. 340. INCENTIVIZING MEDICAID EXPANSION ACT OF 2021, or any other bill(s) or provision(s) addressing the expansion of Medicaid and increasing the level of Federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid coverage. Any bill(s) or provision(s) relating to funding for the Atrium Health/Wake Forest Baptist Innovation Quarter and Innovation Corridor. H.R.959/S. 346- BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH MOMNIBUS ACT OF 2021. Any provision(s) to help close disparities in material health outcomes.

Any bill(s) or provision(s) urging the delay of CMSs hospital transparency rule requiring hospitals to publicly disclose negotiated rates with commercial health plans. Any provision(s) on the CMS hospital inpatient prospective payment system proposed rule for fiscal year 2021. Any provision(s) on the CMS hospital outpatient prospective payment system/ ambulatory surgical center proposed rule reducing payment rates received by hospitals. Any bill(s) or provision(s) enabling or making it easier for providers to use telemedicine to increase access for patients. Any provision(s) concerning CMSs Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Proposed Rule, with hospitals urging the proposed rule be withdrawn. Any issue(s) related to Medicare pass-through funding and other payment technicalities in relation to colleges of nursing and allied health professions. Any bill(s) or provision(s) addressing Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) cuts, namely having to do with a delay in cuts. H.R. 315, S. 748, or any other bill(s) or provision(s) addressing the elimination of Medicare sequester cuts during the COVID-19 public health emergency. H.R. 340. INCENTIVIZING MEDICAID EXPANSION ACT OF 2021, or any other bill(s) or provision(s) addressing the expansion of Medicaid and increasing the level of Federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid coverage.

Client expense: $269,660 · Firm income: Not reported

Any COVID-19 stimulus bill(s), package(s), or provision(s) impacting hospitals and health systems, including but not limited to: Forgiveness for Medicare accelerated payments; Additional money and reporting requirements for the Provider Relief Fund; Support for front-line caregivers; Liability protections for front-line medical providers and facilities; Maintaining health benefits for individuals and families and increasing coverage options for the uninsured; Expansion of resources for testing, tracing, and vaccine development; and Expansion of resources for vaccine rollout and administration. Any bill(s) or provision(s) advocating for more PPE and supplies for healthcare workers, hospitals, and health systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. H.R. 340. INCENTIVIZING MEDICAID EXPANSION ACT OF 2021, or any other bill(s) or provision(s) addressing the expansion of Medicaid and increasing the level of Federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid coverage. Any bill(s) or provision(s) relating to funding for the Atrium Health/Wake Forest Baptist Innovation Quarter and Innovation Corridor.

Client expense: $269,660 · Firm income: Not reported

CY 2022 Outpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule; FY 2022 Inpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule; Extension of Medicare Sequester Moratorium; "Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act" (TREAT); "Resident Shortage Reduction Act of 2021"; Drug Pricing; Surprise Billing interim final rule; "Telehealth Modernization Act, (S.368); "Protecting Rural Health Access Act, " (S.1998); Opioid Workforce Act of 2021; "Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021, " (HR. 340)

Client expense: $25,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE

CY 2022 Outpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule; FY 2022 Inpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule; Extension of Medicare Sequester Moratorium; "Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act" (TREAT); "Resident Shortage Reduction Act of 2021"; Drug Pricing; Surprise Billing interim final rule; "Telehealth Modernization Act, (S.368); "Protecting Rural Health Access Act, " (S.1998); Opioid Workforce Act of 2021; "Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021, " (HR. 340)

Client expense: $150,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE

HR 5376, the Build Back Better Act, in particular Medicare Part D benefit design reform, including out-of-pocket maximum with monthly smoothing, and provisions to expand Medicaid eligibility and access; S 2327, the Seniors Prescription Drug Relief Act; HR 3, the Elijah Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act; HR 19, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act; S 245, the States Achieve Medicaid Expansion Act (aka SAME Act); HR 1738, Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act; HR 340, Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act; S 2327, the Seniors Prescription Drug Relief Act; HR 3089/S 1544, the Accelerating Kids Access to Care Act; HR 4640, the Close the Medigap Act;

Client expense: $175,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE

H.R. 19 - Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2021 - Rep. McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [R-WA-5] - Medicare and Medicaid reforms H.R. 56 - Patient Access to Medical Foods Act - Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5] - coverage of medical foods H.R. 66 - CARING for Kids Act - Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16] - CHIP extension H.R. 315 - Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act - Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10] - Medicare Sequester H.R. 340 - Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021 - Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33] - Medicaid expansion H.R. 502 - Medicare Dental Benefit Act of 2021 - Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] - Medicare dental coverage H.R. 525 - COVID HCBS Relief Act of 2021 - Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-12] - HCBS H.R. 599 - Protecting Medicare Beneficiaries with Pre-Existing Conditions Act - Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10] - pre-existing conditions H.R. 722 - Ensuring Vaccination and Treatment Affordability Act - Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1] - cost-sharing for COVID-19 vaccines H.R. 918 - Stronger Medicaid Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Act - Rep. Cardenas, Tony [D-CA-29] - Medicaid & COVID-19 H.R. 955 - Medicaid Reentry Act of 2021 - Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] - Medicaid coverage H.R. 975 - Ensuring Seniors Access to COVID Treatments Act - Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6] - coverage of COVID-19 drugs H.R. 1227 - Medicare-X Choice Act of 2021 - Rep. Delgado, Antonio [D-NY-19] - Medicare-X H.R. 1495 - Jim Ramstad Legacy of Recovery Act - Rep. Emmer, Tom [R-MN-6] - Medicaid coverage for SUD H.R. 1717 - Protecting Married Seniors from Impoverishment Act of 2021 - Rep. Upton, Fred [R-MI-6] - HCBS and spousal impoverishment H.R. 1722 - Puerto Rico Health Care Fairness, Accountability, and Beneficiary Access Act of 2021 - Rep. Velazquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7] - Medicaid for territories H.R. 1791 - CHIPP Act - Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] - CHIP extension H.R. 1795 - Expanded Coverage for Former Foster Youth Act - Rep. Bass, Karen [D-CA-37] - coverage for foster youth H.R. 1880 - To amend the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to make permanent the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration - Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-12] - Money Follows the Person extension H.R. 1969 - Medicare Advantage Integrity Act - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large] - Medicare Advantage benchmark rates H.R. 1976 - Medicare for All Act of 2021 - Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] - Medicare for All H.R. 1978 - Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act of 2021 - Rep. Kuster, Ann M. [D-NH-2] - cost sharing for vaccines under Medicare part D H.R. 1999 - Protect Seniors and Cut Waste Act - Rep. Smith, Jason [R-MO-8] - sequester for Pay-As-You-Go H.R. 2166 - Ensuring Parity in MA and PACE for Audio-Only Telehealth Act of 2021 - Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7] - Medicare coverage of telehealth H.R. 2217 - Territory Federal Matching Requirement Equity Act of 2021 - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large] - FMAP for territories H.R. 2297 - MIND Act - Rep. Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-2] - Medicaid payment for services provided in institutions for mental diseases H.R. 2464 - More Help for Seniors Act of 2021 - Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2] - Medicare prescription drug benefit H.R. 2881 - Medicare Buy-In and Health Care Stabilization Act of 2021 - Rep. Higgins, Brian [D-NY-26] - Medicare public insurance H.R. 3108 - Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2021 - Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2] - coverage of medical foods H.R. 3173 - Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act of 2021 - Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1] - prior authorization H.R. 3447 - Permanency for Audio-Only Telehealth Act - Rep. Smith, Jason [R-MO-8] - Medicare telehealth coverage H.R. 3450 - Medicaid Bump Act - Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] - Medicaid funding and behavioral health H.R. 3894 - CARING for Social Determinants Act of 2021- Rep. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE-At Large] - Medicaid and SDOH H.R. 3961 - COVER Now Act - Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-35] - Medicaid expansion H.R. 4040 Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2021- Rep. Cheney, Liz [R-WY-At Large] - Medicare telehealth coverage H.R. 4043 - Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act of 2021 - Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1] - Medicare coverage of breakthrough devices H.R. 4074 - Addressing Social Determinants in Medicare Advantage Act of 2021 - Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12] - Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits H.R. 4158 - Insulin Access for All Act of 2021 - Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1] - cost sharing for insulin H.R. 4187 - Medicare Vision Act of 2021 - Rep. Schrier, Kim [D-WA - Medicare vision coverage H.R. 4263 - Patient Parity Protection Act of 2021 - Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5] - out-of-network services H.R. 4311 - Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2021 - Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-35] - Medicare dental, vision, and hearing benefits H.R. 4406 - Supporting Medicaid in the U.S. Territories Act of 2021 - Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9] - Medicaid support in U.S. territories H.R. 4439 - Medicaid Dental Benefit Act - Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] - Medicaid dental benefit H.R. 4640 - Close the Medigap Act of 2021 - Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-35] - Medicare supplemental health insurance policies H.R. 4650 - Medicare Dental Coverage Act of 2021 - Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2] - Medicare dental benefit H.R. 4941 - PACE Part D Choice Act of 2021 - Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3] - prescription drug plans in the Medicare-only PACE program H.R. 4942 - BETTER Kidney Care Act - Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3] - demonstration program for Medicare enrollees with ESRD H.R. 4974 - State Public Option Act - Rep. Schrier, Kim [D-WA-8] - Medicaid public option H.R. 5099 - Lowering Medicare Premiums and Prescription Drug Costs Act - Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10] - Medicare cost-sharing benefits H.R. 5110 - Medicare Medically Necessary Dental Care Act of 2021 - Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] - Medicare dental benefits H.R. 5165 - Improving Medicare Coverage Act - Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] - Medicare eligibility age H.R. 5414 - Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act of 2021 - Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12] - Medicaid coverage for children in foster care H.R. 5425 - Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act - Rep. O'Halleran, Tom [D-AZ-1] - Medicare telehealth services H.R. 5576 - Fair Drug Prices for Kids Act - Rep. Wild, Susan [D-PA-7] - Medicaid Drug Rebate Program under CHIP H.R. 5632 - Long-Term Care Pharmacy Definition Act of 2021 - Rep. Schrader, Kurt [D-OR-5] - Medicare long term care pharmacy H.R. 5674 - Medicare Mental Health Inpatient Equity Act of 2021 - Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] - inpatient psychiatric hospital services under Medicare H.R. 6101 - Drug Price Transparency in Medicaid Act of 2021 - Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1] - drug pricing in Medicaid S. 97 - Medicare Dental Benefit Act of 2021 - Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD] - Medicare dental coverage S. 150 - Ensuring Parity in MA for Audio-Only Telehealth Act of 2021 - Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV] - Medicaid telehealth coverage S. 151 - COVID HCBS Relief Act of 2021 - Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] - HCBS S. 274 - Stronger Medicaid Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Act - Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] - Medicaid & COVID-19 S. 340 - TREATS Act - Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH] - telehealth - Medicare telehealth coverage S. 386 - Medicare-X Choice Act of 2021 - Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] - Medicare-X S. 448 - Ensuring Kids Have Access to Medically Necessary Dental Care Act - Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD] - CHIP S. 653 - COMP Act - Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH] - Medicare secondary payer rules S. 748 - Medicare Sequester Relief Act - Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] - Medicare sequestration S. 1180 - Choose Medicare Act - Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] - Medicare public insurance S. 1536 - Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2021 - Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME] - coverage of medical foods S. 1727 - Medicaid Bump Act - Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] - Medicaid funding and behavioral health S. 1844 - Lowering Medicare Premiums and Prescription Drug Costs Act - Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] - Medicare premiums and drug costs S. 2111 - Audio-Only Telehealth for Emergencies Act - Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] - Medicare coverage of telehealth S. 2112 - EASE Behavioral Health Services Act - Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] - telehealth S. 2164 - Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2021 - Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID] - Medicare and Medicaid reforms S. 2197 - Rural and Frontier Telehealth Expansion Act - Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV] - FMAP & telehealth S. 2210 - Better Care Better Jobs Act - Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] - HCBS S. 2236 - Expanding Health Care Options for Early Retirees Act - Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] - Medicare buy-in S. 2315 - Medicaid Saves Lives Act - Sen. Warnock, Raphael [D-GA] - Medicaid expansion S. 2618 - Medicare and Medicaid Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2021 - Sen. Casey, Bob [D-PA] - Medicaid dental, vision, and hearing benefits S. 2639 - State Public Option Act - Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] - Medicaid public option S. 2689 - Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act of 2021 - Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC] - Medicaid-eligibility for children in foster care S. 3018 - Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act of 2021 - Sen. Marshall, Roger [R-KS] - prior authorization under MA S. 3061 - Medicare Mental Health Inpatient Equity Act of 2021 - Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME] - inpatient psychiatric hospital services under Medicare S. 3193 - Expanded Telehealth Access Act - Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT] - Medicare telehealth service providers S. 3332 - Let States Innovate Under Medicaid Act - Sen. Braun, Mike [R-IN] - Medicaid program promotion Regulatory Issues: Ongoing implementation issues for the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D prescription drug programs, including risk adjustment methodology, network adequacy and provider directories, encounter data and other data-related issues, and risk adjustment data validation (RADV) audit issues including proposed RADV regulation for MA; bidding and payment issues (including MA rate assumptions, MA coding intensity, MA Secondary Payer issues, Part D reinsurance, Part D low income subsidies, Part D direct and indirect remuneration (DIR), and audits); calendar year 2022 policy and technical regulation for MA and Part D; Part D reform, out of pocket limits; issues related to Medicare for All, Medicare buy-in, reduced Medicare eligibility age, and public option; issues relating to 2022 Rate Notice; issues related to coverage in non-Medicaid Expansion States (e.g., Gap Population); issues related to expanded Medicare fee for service benefits (dental, hearing and vision); issues related to Medicaid coverage gap; potential Medicare NCD relating to monoclonal antibodies for treatment of Alzheimers disease; Executive Orders relating to international pricing, Part D rebates, insulin costs, and importation; issues related to MLTSS; issues related to removal of safe harbor protection for rebates; issues relating to COVID-19, including testing and vaccines; issues related to health equity; issues related to vaccination; issues related to audio-only telehealth; issues related to addressing the social determinants of health, including housing, transportation, nutrition, educational opportunities, and MA supplemental benefits; issues related to Medicaid presumptive eligibility and continuous eligibility; issues relating to Medicaid best price; in-home health risk assessments; Medicare Medical Loss Ratio issues; issues related to changes to prior authorization regulations, electronic documentation, and related issues; issues relating to sequestration under the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs; implications of physician fee schedule on MA; application process, audits to evaluate compliance with MA and Part D program rules, benefit design rules, enrollment rules, requirements for notice and denial forms, marketing materials review and approval, marketing activities, including conduct and compensation of brokers and agents and plan sponsor marketing staff; measurement and oversight of plan performance including Special Needs Plans (SNPs); quality measures, grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance including training; contracting issues for Dual Eligible SNPs; Federal preemption of State authority under MA and Part D programs, Part D prescription drug event data reporting, Part D formulary rules, Part D pharmacy access standards, Part D coverage gap discount program, including employer group waiver plan (EGWP) issues, and other operational issues; issues raised by Part D coverage of new specialty drugs, the Part D non-interference policy and related issues (e.g., preferred pharmacy and any willing pharmacy requirements, standards for network pharmacy reimbursement, and policies regarding sponsor negotiation of pharmacy price concessions); issues related to the international price index; issues related to child and maternal health; issues related to Medicaid supplemental and disproportionate share hospital (DSH) funding; issues related to Medicaid funding for territories; issues related to medical management; issues relating to MA supplemental benefits; Medication Therapy Management Program requirements and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Demonstration; MA EGWP issues; CMMI's value based payment models; Part D requirements for offering basic and enhanced alternative plans; MA and Part D systems issues affecting enrollment and disenrollment processing and payment and other operational issues; issues relating to MA and Part D Star Rating system including measures, the methodology for calculating ratings, and the role of the ratings for payment purposes; functionality of the Medicare Personal Plan Finder and Drug Plan Finder; National Medicare Education Program; Medicare demonstration program on performance-based payments for physician groups; physician quality reporting initiative; issues relating to Medicare coverage policy and national coverage decisions; issues relating to MACRA, including implications for MA and Part D plans; Medicare/Medicaid integration for dual eligibles, including implementation of the Capitated Financial Alignment Demonstration and related issues (e.g., quality ratings); Medicaid managed care regulations and policies, including CMS's substantial revisions to the managed care regulations, mental health parity rules, the Medicaid managed care actuarial soundness standard, quality oversight, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance, beneficiary information requirements, treatment of Medicaid health plan member hospital days in the upper payment limit calculation; policies affecting State Medicaid funding, including block grants, the calculation of the federal medical assistance (federal matching) percentage (FMAP), and intergovernmental transfers (IGTs); coordination of benefits with state Medicaid programs; Medicaid prescription drug cost issues affecting Medicaid health plans including issues raised by Medicaid coverage of new specialty drugs; health plan-related Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) issues, including eligibility and outreach issues and CHIP reauthorization; implementation of Medicaid changes made in Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, including Medicaid managed care organization provider tax issues; standards for electronic prescribing; implementation of Medicaid changes of interest to Medicaid health plans made in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) including Medicaid expansion, the managed care organization (MCO) prescription drug rebate provisions, minimum payments to primary care providers (PCPs), interactions between the Medicaid program and health insurance exchanges, and Medicaid and CHIP maintenance of effort (MOE) requirements; implications of the health insurer fee for Medicaid health plans; issues related to Medicaid Managed long-term care including home and community-based waiver services (HCBS); expanding the availability of Medicare Advantage and Medicaid health plan telemedicine programs; implications of the new non-discrimination rules for health plans participating in public programs; issues related to Medigap coverage; issues related to business continuity in relation to pandemics or natural events (e.g., hurricane, tornado, etc.); cybersecurity; provider directories; value-based insurance design models; Part D prescriber enrollment requirements; Part D recovery audit contractor programs; issues relating to enrollment of beneficiaries with ESRD into MA plans; issues related to health homes for children with medically complex conditions; socioeconomic status impacts on star ratings related to MA and Part D programs; and other issues relating to health care reform implementation.

Issues related to implementation of legislative or regulatory changes to Medicare and Medicaid, including: The Build Back Better Act, HR 5376 & budget reconciliation discussions HR 1946, Multi Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act HR 2594, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate the coinsurance requirement for certain colorectal cancer screening tests furnished under the Medicare program. S. 245, SAME Act of 2021 HR 340, the Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act HR 66, the Comprehensive Access to Robust Insurance Now Guaranteed for Kids Act HR 1791, the Childrens Health Insurance Permanency Act Issues related to governance of state Medicaid programs, including work requirements and block grant proposals. Issues related to the waiting period for SSDI and Medicare. Home and Community Based Services Access Act Policy issues related to coverage for low-income populations in states that have not yet expanded their Medicaid programs (coverage gap) Cancer Care Planning and Communications Act, HR 4414 CONNECT Act (telehealth), S. 1512 Lymphedema Treatment Act, HR 3630, S. 1315 Bipartisan Seniors Prescription Drug Relief Act - Cassidy/Menendez Expanding Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices Act - Rosen

Client expense: $1,580,000 · Firm income: Not reported

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 for pilot testing should be developed, in consultation with outside experts; The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH), which has shown great promise in meeting the policy objectives suggested above, should be among the models selected for broader testing on a national pilot basis; the use of the medical home model for treatment or services under private health plans, the requirement of health plans to provide incentives to promote and report on medical home services provided, the establishment of community health teams and a primary care extension program to educate and support primary care practices in the delivery of medical home services, and the establishment of a demonstration project to educate physicians and other clinicians in training in the competencies required to deliver care consistent with the medical home care model. 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 support for H.R. 8505, a bill to provide for a one-year waiver of budget neutrality adjustments under the Medicare physician fee schedule; 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, along with GPC1X codes to go into effect. Regarding CMS 2022 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. FY2022 Appropriations: Urged Congress to support $10 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions programs in the FY 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill as well as $50 million in 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: Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), $9.2 billion; Title VII, Section 747, Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), $71 million; National Health Service Corps (NHSC), $860 million in total program funding; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), $500 million; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Program Operations for Federal Exchanges, $296.5 million. Also, urged support for the VA, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), $103.1 billion, which includes the following within the VHA -- VA, VHA, Medical Services, $66.2 billion, VA, VHA, Medical Community Care, $20.7 billion, VA, VHA, Medical and Prosthetic Research; $902 million. 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. Urged the administration to explore regulatory and other actions that would make COVID-19 testing free-of-charge to patients covered by both public and private insurance plans, including ACA-compliant plans offered through the insurance exchanges, and to waive co-pays and deductibles for patients seeing physicians for symptoms that may be indicative of COVID-19 or who are hospitalized for treatment. Urged CMS to utilize a national disaster recovery program that would pay doctors 110% of Medicare rates for caring for uninsured patients who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2. 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 the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act, H.R. 6720, introduced May 5, 2020 by Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) which would eliminate graduate school debt for healthcare workers, including physicians and medical students, who are providing direct patient care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; 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. This extension-either continued by CMS or mandated by Congress-should last at least through the end of 2021, or until such a time when effective vaccines and treatments are widely available, with an option to extend it even further, or consider making permanent, based on the experience and learnings of patients and physicians who are utilizing these visits. 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. 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. Urged support for waiving VA cost sharing and copayments for medical treatment until September 30, 2021. Womens Health: Urged Congress to support, H.R. 958, the Protecting Moms Who Served Act, which would provide critical support for maternity care coordination programs to address the clinical and nonclinical perinatal needs of veterans and ensure effective coordination between VA and non-VA facilities in the delivery of maternity care and other health care services. Urged HHS to promptly finalize new Title X regulations that ensure unencumbered access to affordable, comprehensive, evidence-based reproductive health care; eliminates medically unnecessary restrictions and inappropriate political interference in the patient-physician relationship; and protects 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 (H.R. 3755 and 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. Train and Support Frontline Physicians during and after COVID-19: 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; S. 948, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act (116th Congress) and S. 3599 (116th Congress), the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, to support the COVID-19 response workforce by expediting visas for international medical graduates (IMGs) to enter the U.S. for training and patient care, permanently authorizing the Conrad 30 Program, and providing a pathway for IMGs and their families already in the U.S to obtain permanent residency status; H.R. 2418, the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act, to forgive student loans for physicians and other clinicians who are on the frontlines of providing care to COVID-19 patients or helping the health care system cope with the COVID-19 public health emergency; H.R. 1667/S. 610, the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, to address the behavioral health and well-being of physicians, including depression, suicides and burnout. Support the Value of Primary and Comprehensive Care: Urged Congress to Continue to fund the 3.75 percent increase to all physicians services that was approved by Congress at the end of last year to prevent CY2022 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; Act before the end of CY2021 to prevent scheduled cuts for physician services, including primary care, resulting from budget sequestration and pay-as-you go budget rules. Voiced support for H.R. 6020, bipartisan legislation to extend the 3.75 percent update to the conversion factor for an additional year. 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. 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; H.R. 959/S. 346, the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021, to reduce preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in the U.S. and close disparities in maternal health outcomes, particularly among pregnant minority women. 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; Urged appropriators to include adequate funding in FY2022 to support expansion of broadband capabilities nationwide, especially to rural and underserved communities, and to remove the ban on adoption of a national unique health identifier standard. Veterans Administration: Expressed concerns to the VA about its efforts to develop National Standards of Practice for physicians and other health professionals that supersede state scope of practice and licensure laws; expressed that the VA has not provided a transparent process by which public stakeholders are provided an adequate opportunity to review and provide meaningful input into the standards of practice. Expressed concern that the VA is moving forward too quickly and with too little stakeholder input on the VA supremacy Project. Urged support for provisions in any final FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act to prevent cuts to the military medical workforce without requiring appropriate congressional oversight and review. Surprise Medical Billing: Voiced support for the decision of CMS to provide protections for patients from surprise bills in situations where they need an ambulance, especially in a perceived emergency; voiced support for CMS approach that emergency services provided by out-of-network emergency facilities and out-of-network provider organizations, and certain non-emergency services furnished by out-of-network provider organizations at certain in-network facilities, must be calculated based on a recognized amount which is generally the lesser of the Qualifying Payment Amount (QPA) - the plans median in-network rate for the item or service, or an all-payer model agreement between CMS and the state; urged CMS to include in the Independent Dispute Resolution process described in future sub-regulatory guidance that health plans have an affirmative obligation to pay fairly and appropriately for services provided in and out of network. 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.

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 for pilot testing should be developed, in consultation with outside experts; The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH), which has shown great promise in meeting the policy objectives suggested above, should be among the models selected for broader testing on a national pilot basis; the use of the medical home model for treatment or services under private health plans, the requirement of health plans to provide incentives to promote and report on medical home services provided, the establishment of community health teams and a primary care extension program to educate and support primary care practices in the delivery of medical home services, and the establishment of a demonstration project to educate physicians and other clinicians in training in the competencies required to deliver care consistent with the medical home care model. 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 support for H.R. 8505, a bill to provide for a one-year waiver of budget neutrality adjustments under the Medicare physician fee schedule; 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, along with GPC1X codes to go into effect. Regarding CMS 2022 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. FY2022 Appropriations: Urged Congress to support $10 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions programs in the FY 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill as well as $50 million in 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: Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), $9.2 billion; Title VII, Section 747, Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), $71 million; National Health Service Corps (NHSC), $860 million in total program funding; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), $500 million; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Program Operations for Federal Exchanges, $296.5 million. Also, urged support for the VA, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), $103.1 billion, which includes the following within the VHA -- VA, VHA, Medical Services, $66.2 billion, VA, VHA, Medical Community Care, $20.7 billion, VA, VHA, Medical and Prosthetic Research; $902 million. 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. Urged the administration to explore regulatory and other actions that would make COVID-19 testing free-of-charge to patients covered by both public and private insurance plans, including ACA-compliant plans offered through the insurance exchanges, and to waive co-pays and deductibles for patients seeing physicians for symptoms that may be indicative of COVID-19 or who are hospitalized for treatment. Urged CMS to utilize a national disaster recovery program that would pay doctors 110% of Medicare rates for caring for uninsured patients who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2. 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 the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act, H.R. 6720, introduced May 5, 2020 by Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) which would eliminate graduate school debt for healthcare workers, including physicians and medical students, who are providing direct patient care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; 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. This extension-either continued by CMS or mandated by Congress-should last at least through the end of 2021, or until such a time when effective vaccines and treatments are widely available, with an option to extend it even further, or consider making permanent, based on the experience and learnings of patients and physicians who are utilizing these visits. 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. 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. Urged support for waiving VA cost sharing and copayments for medical treatment until September 30, 2021. Womens Health: Urged Congress to support, H.R. 958, the Protecting Moms Who Served Act, which would provide critical support for maternity care coordination programs to address the clinical and nonclinical perinatal needs of veterans and ensure effective coordination between VA and non-VA facilities in the delivery of maternity care and other health care services. Urged HHS to promptly finalize new Title X regulations that ensure unencumbered access to affordable, comprehensive, evidence-based reproductive health care; eliminates medically unnecessary restrictions and inappropriate political interference in the patient-physician relationship; and protects 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 (H.R. 3755 and 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. Train and Support Frontline Physicians during and after COVID-19: 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; S. 948, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act (116th Congress) and S. 3599 (116th Congress), the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, to support the COVID-19 response workforce by expediting visas for international medical graduates (IMGs) to enter the U.S. for training and patient care, permanently authorizing the Conrad 30 Program, and providing a pathway for IMGs and their families already in the U.S to obtain permanent residency status; H.R. 2418, the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act, to forgive student loans for physicians and other clinicians who are on the frontlines of providing care to COVID-19 patients or helping the health care system cope with the COVID-19 public health emergency; H.R. 1667/S. 610, the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, to address the behavioral health and well-being of physicians, including depression, suicides and burnout. Support the Value of Primary and Comprehensive Care: Urged Congress to Continue to fund the 3.75 percent increase to all physicians services that was approved by Congress at the end of last year to prevent CY2022 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; Act before the end of CY2021 to prevent scheduled cuts for physician services, including primary care, resulting from budget sequestration and pay-as-you go budget rules. Voiced support for H.R. 6020, bipartisan legislation to extend the 3.75 percent update to the conversion factor for an additional year. 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. 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; H.R. 959/S. 346, the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021, to reduce preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in the U.S. and close disparities in maternal health outcomes, particularly among pregnant minority women. 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; Urged appropriators to include adequate funding in FY2022 to support expansion of broadband capabilities nationwide, especially to rural and underserved communities, and to remove the ban on adoption of a national unique health identifier standard. Veterans Administration: Expressed concerns to the VA about its efforts to develop National Standards of Practice for physicians and other health professionals that supersede state scope of practice and licensure laws; expressed that the VA has not provided a transparent process by which public stakeholders are provided an adequate opportunity to review and provide meaningful input into the standards of practice. Expressed concern that the VA is moving forward too quickly and with too little stakeholder input on the VA supremacy Project. Urged support for provisions in any final FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act to prevent cuts to the military medical workforce without requiring appropriate congressional oversight and review. Surprise Medical Billing: Voiced support for the decision of CMS to provide protections for patients from surprise bills in situations where they need an ambulance, especially in a perceived emergency; voiced support for CMS approach that emergency services provided by out-of-network emergency facilities and out-of-network provider organizations, and certain non-emergency services furnished by out-of-network provider organizations at certain in-network facilities, must be calculated based on a recognized amount which is generally the lesser of the Qualifying Payment Amount (QPA) - the plans median in-network rate for the item or service, or an all-payer model agreement between CMS and the state; urged CMS to include in the Independent Dispute Resolution process described in future sub-regulatory guidance that health plans have an affirmative obligation to pay fairly and appropriately for services provided in and out of network. 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.

H.R.5376 - Build Back Better Act H.R.1791 - CHIPP Act/Childrens Health Insurance Program Permanency Act S.646, H.R.1738 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act of 2021 H.R.3345 - Helping MOMS Act of 2021 H.R.265 - Insular Area Medicaid Parity Act H.R.955, S.285 - Medicaid Reentry Act of 2021 S.245 - States Achieve Medicaid Expansion (SAME) Act H.R.340 - Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021

Client expense: $50,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE

CY 2022 Outpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule; FY 2022 Inpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule; Extension of Medicare Sequester Moratorium; "Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act" (TREAT); "Resident Shortage Reduction Act of 2021"; Drug Pricing; Surprise Billing interim final rule; "Telehealth Modernization Act, (S.368); "Protecting Rural Health Access Act, " (S.1998); Opioid Workforce Act of 2021; "Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021, " (HR. 340)

Client expense: $25,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE

CY 2022 Outpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule; FY 2022 Inpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule; Extension of Medicare Sequester Moratorium; "Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act" (TREAT); "Resident Shortage Reduction Act of 2021"; Drug Pricing; Surprise Billing interim final rule; "Telehealth Modernization Act, (S.368); "Protecting Rural Health Access Act, " (S.1998); Opioid Workforce Act of 2021; "Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021, " (HR. 340)

Client expense: $150,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE

CY 2022 Outpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule; FY 2022 Inpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule; Extension of Medicare Sequester Moratorium; "Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act" (TREAT); "Resident Shortage Reduction Act of 2021"; Drug Pricing; Surprise Billing interim final rule; "Telehealth Modernization Act, (S.368); "Protecting Rural Health Access Act, " (S.1998); Opioid Workforce Act of 2021; "Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021, " (HR. 340)

Client expense: $25,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE

CY 2022 Outpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule; FY 2022 Inpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule; Extension of Medicare Sequester Moratorium; "Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act" (TREAT); "Resident Shortage Reduction Act of 2021"; Drug Pricing; Surprise Billing interim final rule; "Telehealth Modernization Act, (S.368); "Protecting Rural Health Access Act, " (S.1998); Opioid Workforce Act of 2021; "Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021, " (HR. 340)

Client expense: $150,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE

Issues related to implementation of legislative or regulatory changes to Medicare and Medicaid, including: The Build Back Better Act, HR 5376 & budget reconciliation discussions HR 1946, Multi Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act HR 2594, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate the coinsurance requirement for certain colorectal cancer screening tests furnished under the Medicare program. S. 245, SAME Act of 2021 HR 340, the Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act HR 66, the Comprehensive Access to Robust Insurance Now Guaranteed for Kids Act HR 1791, the Childrens Health Insurance Permanency Act Issues related to governance of state Medicaid programs, including work requirements and block grant proposals. Issues related to the waiting period for SSDI and Medicare. Home and Community Based Services Access Act Policy issues related to coverage for low-income populations in states that have not yet expanded their Medicaid programs (coverage gap) Cancer Care Planning and Communications Act, HR 4414 CONNECT Act (telehealth), S. 1512 Lymphedema Treatment Act, HR 3630, S. 1315 Bipartisan Seniors Prescription Drug Relief Act - Cassidy/Menendez Expanding Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices Act - Rosen

Client expense: $1,820,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Issues related to implementation of legislative or regulatory changes to Medicare and Medicaid, including: HR 1946, Multi Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act HR 2594, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate the coinsurance requirement for certain colorectal cancer screening tests furnished under the Medicare program. S. 245, SAME Act of 2021 HR 340, the Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act HR 66, the Comprehensive Access to Robust Insurance Now Guaranteed for Kids Act HR 1791, the Childrens Health Insurance Permanency Act Issues related to governance of state Medicaid programs, including work requirements and block grant proposals. Issues related to the waiting period for SSDI and Medicare. Home and Community Based Services Access Act Policy issues related to coverage for low-income populations in states that have not yet expanded their Medicaid programs (coverage gap) Cancer Care Planning and Communications Act, HR 4414 CONNECT Act (telehealth), S. 1512 Lymphedema Treatment Act, HR 3630, S. 1315 Bipartisan Seniors Prescription Drug Relief Act - Cassidy/Menendez Expanding Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices Act - Rosen

Client expense: $660,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Any COVID-19 stimulus bill(s), package(s), or provision(s) impacting hospitals and health systems, including but not limited to: Forgiveness for Medicare accelerated payments; Additional money and reporting requirements for the Provider Relief Fund; Support for front-line caregivers; Liability protections for front-line medical providers and facilities; Maintaining health benefits for individuals and families and increasing coverage options for the uninsured; Expansion of resources for testing, tracing, and vaccine development; and Expansion of resources for vaccine rollout and administration. Any bill(s) or provision(s) advocating for more PPE and supplies for healthcare workers, hospitals, and health systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. H.R. 340. INCENTIVIZING MEDICAID EXPANSION ACT OF 2021, or any other bill(s) or provision(s) addressing the expansion of Medicaid and increasing the level of Federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid coverage. Any bill(s) or provision(s) relating to funding for the Atrium Health/Wake Forest Baptist Innovation Quarter and Innovation Corridor.

Client expense: $269,660 · Firm income: Not reported

Any COVID-19 stimulus bill(s), package(s), or provision(s) impacting hospitals and health systems, including but not limited to: Forgiveness for Medicare accelerated payments; Additional money and reporting requirements for the Provider Relief Fund; Support for front-line caregivers; Liability protections for front-line medical providers and facilities; and Maintaining health benefits for individuals and families and increasing coverage options for the uninsured. Expansion of resources for testing, tracing, and vaccine development. Expansion of resources for vaccine rollout and administration. Any bill(s) or provision(s) advocating for more PPE and supplies for healthcare workers, hospitals, and health systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Any requirement(s) for hospitals to collect and report COVID-19 data. Any bill(s) or provision(s) urging the delay of CMSs hospital transparency rule requiring hospitals to publicly disclose negotiated rates with commercial health plans. Any provision(s) on the CMS hospital inpatient prospective payment system proposed rule for fiscal year 2021. Any provision(s) on the CMS hospital outpatient prospective payment system/ ambulatory surgical center proposed rule reducing payment rates received by hospitals. Any bill(s), provision(s), or action(s) impacting the 340B Drug Discount Program and hospitals and health systems ability to provide access to these drugs for patients. Any bill(s) or provision(s) addressing high drug prices. Any bill(s) or provision(s) addressing surprise medical billing proposals harmful to patients and hospitals/health systems. Any bill(s) or provision(s) enabling or making it easier for providers to use telemedicine to increase access for patients. S. 4794 A BILL MAKING EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE COVID-19 TELEHEALTH PROGRAM OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2020. Any provision(s) expanding telehealth services and access. S. 368 THE TELEHEALTH MODERNIZATION ACT. Any provision(s) expanding telehealth services and access. Any provision(s) concerning CMSs Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Proposed Rule, with hospitals urging the proposed rule be withdrawn. Any issue(s) related to Medicare pass-through funding and other payment technicalities in relation to colleges of nursing and allied health professions. Any bill(s) or provision(s) addressing Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) cuts, namely having to do with a delay in cuts. H.R. 315, S. 748, or any other bill(s) or provision(s) addressing the elimination of Medicare sequester cuts during the COVID-19 public health emergency. H.R. 340. INCENTIVIZING MEDICAID EXPANSION ACT OF 2021, or any other bill(s) or provision(s) addressing the expansion of Medicaid and increasing the level of Federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid coverage. Any bill(s) or provision(s) relating to funding for the Atrium Health/Wake Forest Baptist Innovation Quarter and Innovation Corridor. H.R.959/S. 346- BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH MOMNIBUS ACT OF 2021. Any provision(s) to help close disparities in material health outcomes.

Any bill(s) or provision(s) urging the delay of CMSs hospital transparency rule requiring hospitals to publicly disclose negotiated rates with commercial health plans. Any provision(s) on the CMS hospital inpatient prospective payment system proposed rule for fiscal year 2021. Any provision(s) on the CMS hospital outpatient prospective payment system/ ambulatory surgical center proposed rule reducing payment rates received by hospitals. Any bill(s) or provision(s) enabling or making it easier for providers to use telemedicine to increase access for patients. Any provision(s) concerning CMSs Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Proposed Rule, with hospitals urging the proposed rule be withdrawn. Any issue(s) related to Medicare pass-through funding and other payment technicalities in relation to colleges of nursing and allied health professions. Any bill(s) or provision(s) addressing Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) cuts, namely having to do with a delay in cuts. H.R. 315, S. 748, or any other bill(s) or provision(s) addressing the elimination of Medicare sequester cuts during the COVID-19 public health emergency. H.R. 340. INCENTIVIZING MEDICAID EXPANSION ACT OF 2021, or any other bill(s) or provision(s) addressing the expansion of Medicaid and increasing the level of Federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid coverage.

Client expense: $269,660 · Firm income: Not reported

Issues related to implementation of legislative or regulatory changes to Medicare and Medicaid, including: The Build Back Better Act, HR 5376 & budget reconciliation discussions HR 1946, Multi Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act HR 2594, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate the coinsurance requirement for certain colorectal cancer screening tests furnished under the Medicare program. S. 245, SAME Act of 2021 HR 340, the Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act HR 66, the Comprehensive Access to Robust Insurance Now Guaranteed for Kids Act HR 1791, the Childrens Health Insurance Permanency Act Issues related to governance of state Medicaid programs, including work requirements and block grant proposals. Issues related to the waiting period for SSDI and Medicare. Home and Community Based Services Access Act Policy issues related to coverage for low-income populations in states that have not yet expanded their Medicaid programs (coverage gap) Cancer Care Planning and Communications Act, HR 4414 CONNECT Act (telehealth), S. 1512 Lymphedema Treatment Act, HR 3630, S. 1315 Bipartisan Seniors Prescription Drug Relief Act - Cassidy/Menendez Expanding Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices Act - Rosen

Client expense: $1,820,000 · Firm income: Not reported

H.R. 19 - Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2021 - Rep. McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [R-WA-5] - Medicare and Medicaid reforms H.R. 56 - Patient Access to Medical Foods Act - Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5] - coverage of medical foods H.R. 66 - CARING for Kids Act - Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16] - CHIP extension H.R. 315 - Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act - Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10] - Medicare Sequester H.R. 340 - Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021 - Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33] - Medicaid expansion H.R. 502 - Medicare Dental Benefit Act of 2021 - Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] - Medicare dental coverage H.R. 525 - COVID HCBS Relief Act of 2021 - Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-12] - HCBS H.R. 599 - Protecting Medicare Beneficiaries with Pre-Existing Conditions Act - Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10] - pre-existing conditions H.R. 722 - Ensuring Vaccination and Treatment Affordability Act - Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1] - cost-sharing for COVID-19 vaccines H.R. 918 - Stronger Medicaid Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Act - Rep. Cardenas, Tony [D-CA-29] - Medicaid & COVID-19 H.R. 955 - Medicaid Reentry Act of 2021 - Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] - Medicaid coverage H.R. 975 - Ensuring Seniors Access to COVID Treatments Act - Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6] - coverage of COVID-19 drugs H.R. 1227 - Medicare-X Choice Act of 2021 - Rep. Delgado, Antonio [D-NY-19] - Medicare-X H.R. 1495 - Jim Ramstad Legacy of Recovery Act - Rep. Emmer, Tom [R-MN-6] - Medicaid coverage for SUD H.R. 1717 - Protecting Married Seniors from Impoverishment Act of 2021 - Rep. Upton, Fred [R-MI-6] - HCBS and spousal impoverishment H.R. 1722 - Puerto Rico Health Care Fairness, Accountability, and Beneficiary Access Act of 2021 - Rep. Velazquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7] - Medicaid for territories H.R. 1791 - CHIPP Act - Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] - CHIP extension H.R. 1795 - Expanded Coverage for Former Foster Youth Act - Rep. Bass, Karen [D-CA-37] - coverage for foster youth H.R. 1880 - To amend the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to make permanent the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration - Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-12] - Money Follows the Person extension H.R. 1969 - Medicare Advantage Integrity Act - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large] - Medicare Advantage benchmark rates H.R. 1976 - Medicare for All Act of 2021 - Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] - Medicare for All H.R. 1978 - Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act of 2021 - Rep. Kuster, Ann M. [D-NH-2] - cost sharing for vaccines under Medicare part D H.R. 1999 - Protect Seniors and Cut Waste Act - Rep. Smith, Jason [R-MO-8] - sequester for Pay-As-You-Go H.R. 2166 - Ensuring Parity in MA and PACE for Audio-Only Telehealth Act of 2021 - Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7] - Medicare coverage of telehealth H.R. 2217 - Territory Federal Matching Requirement Equity Act of 2021 - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large] - FMAP for territories H.R. 2297 - MIND Act - Rep. Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-2] - Medicaid payment for services provided in institutions for mental diseases H.R. 2464 - More Help for Seniors Act of 2021 - Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2] - Medicare prescription drug benefit H.R. 2881 - Medicare Buy-In and Health Care Stabilization Act of 2021 - Rep. Higgins, Brian [D-NY-26] - Medicare public insurance H.R. 3108 - Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2021 - Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2] - coverage of medical foods H.R. 3173 - Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act of 2021 - Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1] - prior authorization H.R. 3447 - Permanency for Audio-Only Telehealth Act - Rep. Smith, Jason [R-MO-8] - Medicare telehealth coverage H.R. 3450 - Medicaid Bump Act - Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] - Medicaid funding and behavioral health H.R. 3894 - CARING for Social Determinants Act of 2021- Rep. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE-At Large] - Medicaid and SDOH H.R. 3961 - COVER Now Act - Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-35] - Medicaid expansion H.R. 4040 Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2021- Rep. Cheney, Liz [R-WY-At Large] - Medicare telehealth coverage H.R. 4043 - Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act of 2021 - Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1] - Medicare coverage of breakthrough devices H.R. 4074 - Addressing Social Determinants in Medicare Advantage Act of 2021 - Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12] - Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits H.R. 4158 - Insulin Access for All Act of 2021 - Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1] - cost sharing for insulin H.R. 4187 - Medicare Vision Act of 2021 - Rep. Schrier, Kim [D-WA - Medicare vision coverage H.R. 4263 - Patient Parity Protection Act of 2021 - Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5] - out-of-network services H.R. 4311 - Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2021 - Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-35] - Medicare dental, vision, and hearing benefits H.R. 4406 - Supporting Medicaid in the U.S. Territories Act of 2021 - Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9] - Medicaid support in U.S. territories H.R. 4439 - Medicaid Dental Benefit Act - Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] - Medicaid dental benefit H.R. 4640 - Close the Medigap Act of 2021 - Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-35] - Medicare supplemental health insurance policies H.R. 4650 - Medicare Dental Coverage Act of 2021 - Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2] - Medicare dental benefit H.R. 4941 - PACE Part D Choice Act of 2021 - Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3] - prescription drug plans in the Medicare-only PACE program H.R. 4942 - BETTER Kidney Care Act - Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3] - demonstration program for Medicare enrollees with ESRD H.R. 4974 - State Public Option Act - Rep. Schrier, Kim [D-WA-8] - Medicaid public option H.R. 5099 - Lowering Medicare Premiums and Prescription Drug Costs Act - Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10] - Medicare cost-sharing benefits H.R. 5110 - Medicare Medically Necessary Dental Care Act of 2021 - Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] - Medicare dental benefits H.R. 5165 - Improving Medicare Coverage Act - Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] - Medicare eligibility age H.R. 5414 - Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act of 2021 - Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12] - Medicaid coverage for children in foster care H.R. 5425 - Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act - Rep. O'Halleran, Tom [D-AZ-1] - Medicare telehealth services S. 97 - Medicare Dental Benefit Act of 2021 - Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD] - Medicare dental coverage S. 150 - Ensuring Parity in MA for Audio-Only Telehealth Act of 2021 - Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV] - Medicaid telehealth coverage S. 151 - COVID HCBS Relief Act of 2021 - Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] - HCBS S. 274 - Stronger Medicaid Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Act - Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] - Medicaid & COVID-19 S. 340 - TREATS Act - Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH] - telehealth - Medicare telehealth coverage S. 386 - Medicare-X Choice Act of 2021 - Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] - Medicare-X S. 448 - Ensuring Kids Have Access to Medically Necessary Dental Care Act - Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD] - CHIP S. 653 - COMP Act - Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH] - Medicare secondary payer rules S. 748 - Medicare Sequester Relief Act - Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] - Medicare sequestration S. 1180 - Choose Medicare Act - Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] - Medicare public insurance S. 1536 - Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2021 - Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME] - coverage of medical foods S. 1727 - Medicaid Bump Act - Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] - Medicaid funding and behavioral health S. 1844 - Lowering Medicare Premiums and Prescription Drug Costs Act - Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] - Medicare premiums and drug costs S. 2111 - Audio-Only Telehealth for Emergencies Act - Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] - Medicare coverage of telehealth S. 2112 - EASE Behavioral Health Services Act - Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] - telehealth S. 2164 - Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2021 - Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID] - Medicare and Medicaid reforms S. 2197 - Rural and Frontier Telehealth Expansion Act - Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV] - FMAP & telehealth S. 2210 - Better Care Better Jobs Act - Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] - HCBS S. 2236 - Expanding Health Care Options for Early Retirees Act - Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] - Medicare buy-in S. 2315 - Medicaid Saves Lives Act - Sen. Warnock, Raphael [D-GA] - Medicaid expansion S. 2618 - Medicare and Medicaid Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2021 - Sen. Casey, Bob [D-PA] - Medicaid dental, vision, and hearing benefits S. 2639 - State Public Option Act - Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] - Medicaid public option S. 2689 - Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act of 2021 - Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC] - Medicaid-eligibility for children in foster care Regulatory Issues: Ongoing implementation issues for the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D prescription drug programs, including risk adjustment methodology, network adequacy and provider directories, encounter data and other data-related issues, and risk adjustment data validation (RADV) audit issues including proposed RADV regulation for MA; bidding and payment issues (including MA rate assumptions, MA coding intensity, MA Secondary Payer issues, Part D reinsurance, Part D low income subsidies, Part D direct and indirect remuneration (DIR), and audits); calendar year 2022 policy and technical regulation for MA and Part D; Part D reform, out of pocket limits; issues related to Medicare for All, Medicare buy-in, reduced Medicare eligibility age, and public option; issues relating to 2022 Rate Notice; issues related to coverage in non-Medicaid Expansion States (e.g., Gap Population); issues related to expanded Medicare fee for service benefits (dental, hearing and vision); issues related to Medicaid coverage gap; potential Medicare NCD relating to monoclonal antibodies for treatment of Alzheimers disease; Executive Orders relating to international pricing, Part D rebates, insulin costs, and importation; issues related to MLTSS; issues related to removal of safe harbor protection for rebates; issues relating to COVID-19, including testing and vaccines; issues related to health equity; issues related to vaccination; issues related to audio-only telehealth; issues related to addressing the social determinants of health, including housing, transportation, nutrition, educational opportunities, and MA supplemental benefits; issues related to Medicaid presumptive eligibility and continuous eligibility; issues relating to Medicaid best price; in-home health risk assessments; Medicare Medical Loss Ratio issues; issues related to changes to prior authorization regulations, electronic documentation, and related issues; issues relating to sequestration under the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs; implications of physician fee schedule on MA; application process, audits to evaluate compliance with MA and Part D program rules, benefit design rules, enrollment rules, requirements for notice and denial forms, marketing materials review and approval, marketing activities, including conduct and compensation of brokers and agents and plan sponsor marketing staff; measurement and oversight of plan performance including Special Needs Plans (SNPs); quality measures, grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance including training; contracting issues for Dual Eligible SNPs; Federal preemption of State authority under MA and Part D programs, Part D prescription drug event data reporting, Part D formulary rules, Part D pharmacy access standards, Part D coverage gap discount program, including employer group waiver plan (EGWP) issues, and other operational issues; issues raised by Part D coverage of new specialty drugs, the Part D non-interference policy and related issues (e.g., preferred pharmacy and any willing pharmacy requirements, standards for network pharmacy reimbursement, and policies regarding sponsor negotiation of pharmacy price concessions); issues related to the international price index; issues related to child and maternal health; issues related to Medicaid supplemental and disproportionate share hospital (DSH) funding; issues related to Medicaid funding for territories; issues related to medical management; issues relating to MA supplemental benefits; Medication Therapy Management Program requirements and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Demonstration; MA EGWP issues; CMMI's value based payment models; Part D requirements for offering basic and enhanced alternative plans; MA and Part D systems issues affecting enrollment and disenrollment processing and payment and other operational issues; issues relating to MA and Part D Star Rating system including measures, the methodology for calculating ratings, and the role of the ratings for payment purposes; functionality of the Medicare Personal Plan Finder and Drug Plan Finder; National Medicare Education Program; Medicare demonstration program on performance-based payments for physician groups; physician quality reporting initiative; issues relating to Medicare coverage policy and national coverage decisions; issues relating to MACRA, including implications for MA and Part D plans; Medicare/Medicaid integration for dual eligibles, including implementation of the Capitated Financial Alignment Demonstration and related issues (e.g., quality ratings); Medicaid managed care regulations and policies, including CMS's substantial revisions to the managed care regulations, mental health parity rules, the Medicaid managed care actuarial soundness standard, quality oversight, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance, beneficiary information requirements, treatment of Medicaid health plan member hospital days in the upper payment limit calculation; policies affecting State Medicaid funding, including block grants, the calculation of the federal medical assistance (federal matching) percentage (FMAP), and intergovernmental transfers (IGTs); coordination of benefits with state Medicaid programs; Medicaid prescription drug cost issues affecting Medicaid health plans including issues raised by Medicaid coverage of new specialty drugs; health plan-related Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) issues, including eligibility and outreach issues and CHIP reauthorization; implementation of Medicaid changes made in Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, including Medicaid managed care organization provider tax issues; standards for electronic prescribing; implementation of Medicaid changes of interest to Medicaid health plans made in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) including Medicaid expansion, the managed care organization (MCO) prescription drug rebate provisions, minimum payments to primary care providers (PCPs), interactions between the Medicaid program and health insurance exchanges, and Medicaid and CHIP maintenance of effort (MOE) requirements; implications of the health insurer fee for Medicaid health plans; issues related to Medicaid Managed long-term care including home and community-based waiver services (HCBS); expanding the availability of Medicare Advantage and Medicaid health plan telemedicine programs; implications of the new non-discrimination rules for health plans participating in public programs; issues related to Medigap coverage; issues related to business continuity in relation to pandemics or natural events (e.g., hurricane, tornado, etc.); cybersecurity; provider directories; value-based insurance design models; Part D prescriber enrollment requirements; Part D recovery audit contractor programs; issues relating to enrollment of beneficiaries with ESRD into MA plans; issues related to health homes for children with medically complex conditions; socioeconomic status impacts on star ratings related to MA and Part D programs; and other issues relating to health care reform implementation. *Add MACPAC to Agency List.

S 2327, the Seniors Prescription Drug Relief Act; HR 3, the Elijah Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act; HR 19, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act; S 245, the States Achieve Medicaid Expansion Act (aka SAME Act); HR 1738, Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act; HR 340, Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act; S 2327, the Seniors Prescription Drug Relief Act; HR 3089/S 1544, the Accelerating Kids Access to Care Act; HR 4640, the Close the Medigap Act; Medicare Part D benefit design reform, including out-of-pocket maximum with monthly smoothing;

Client expense: $140,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE

H.R.5376 - Build Back Better Act S.646, H.R.1738 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act of 2021 H.R.3345 - Helping MOMS Act of 2021 H.R.265 - Insular Area Medicaid Parity Act H.R.955, S.285 - Medicaid Reentry Act of 2021 S.245 - States Achieve Medicaid Expansion (SAME) Act H.R.340 - Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021

Client expense: $20,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE

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 for pilot testing should be developed, in consultation with outside experts; The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH), which has shown great promise in meeting the policy objectives suggested above, should be among the models selected for broader testing on a national pilot basis; the use of the medical home model for treatment or services under private health plans, the requirement of health plans to provide incentives to promote and report on medical home services provided, the establishment of community health teams and a primary care extension program to educate and support primary care practices in the delivery of medical home services, and the establishment of a demonstration project to educate physicians and other clinicians in training in the competencies required to deliver care consistent with the medical home care model. 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 support for H.R. 8505, a bill to provide for a one-year waiver of budget neutrality adjustments under the Medicare physician fee schedule; 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, along with GPC1X codes to go into effect. Regarding CMS proposed 2022 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. FY2022 Appropriations: Urged Congress to support $10 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions programs in the FY 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill as well as $50 million in 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: Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), $9.2 billion; Title VII, Section 747, Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), $71 million; National Health Service Corps (NHSC), $860 million in total program funding; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), $500 million; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Program Operations for Federal Exchanges, $296.5 million. Also, urged support for the VA, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), $103.1 billion, which includes the following within the VHA -- VA, VHA, Medical Services, $66.2 billion, VA, VHA, Medical Community Care, $20.7 billion, VA, VHA, Medical and Prosthetic Research; $902 million. 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. Urged the administration to explore regulatory and other actions that would make COVID-19 testing free-of-charge to patients covered by both public and private insurance plans, including ACA-compliant plans offered through the insurance exchanges, and to waive co-pays and deductibles for patients seeing physicians for symptoms that may be indicative of COVID-19 or who are hospitalized for treatment. Urged CMS to utilize a national disaster recovery program that would pay doctors 110% of Medicare rates for caring for uninsured patients who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2. 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 the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act, H.R. 6720, introduced May 5, 2020 by Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) which would eliminate graduate school debt for healthcare workers, including physicians and medical students, who are providing direct patient care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; 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. This extension-either continued by CMS or mandated by Congress-should last at least through the end of 2021, or until such a time when effective vaccines and treatments are widely available, with an option to extend it even further, or consider making permanent, based on the experience and learnings of patients and physicians who are utilizing these visits. 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. 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. Urged support for waiving VA cost sharing and copayments for medical treatment until September 30, 2021. Womens Health: Urged Congress to support, H.R. 958, the Protecting Moms Who Served Act, which would provide critical support for maternity care coordination programs to address the clinical and nonclinical perinatal needs of veterans and ensure effective coordination between VA and non-VA facilities in the delivery of maternity care and other health care services. Urged HHS to promptly finalize new Title X regulations that ensure unencumbered access to affordable, comprehensive, evidence-based reproductive health care; eliminates medically unnecessary restrictions and inappropriate political interference in the patient-physician relationship; and protects 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 (H.R. 3755 and 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. Train and Support Frontline Physicians during and after COVID-19: 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; S. 948, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act (116th Congress) and S. 3599 (116th Congress), the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, to support the COVID-19 response workforce by expediting visas for international medical graduates (IMGs) to enter the U.S. for training and patient care, permanently authorizing the Conrad 30 Program, and providing a pathway for IMGs and their families already in the U.S to obtain permanent residency status; H.R. 2418, the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act, to forgive student loans for physicians and other clinicians who are on the frontlines of providing care to COVID-19 patients or helping the health care system cope with the COVID-19 public health emergency; H.R. 1667/S. 610, the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, to address the behavioral health and well-being of physicians, including depression, suicides and burnout. Support the Value of Primary and Comprehensive Care: Urged Congress to Continue to fund the 3.75 percent increase to all physicians services that was approved by Congress at the end of last year to prevent CY2022 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; Act before the end of CY2021 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. Support Essential Public Health and Research Initiatives: Urged Congress to support H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act that would establish new background check requirements for firearm transfers between private parties; H.R. 3076/S. 506, the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act from the 116th Congress, to establish a grant program to help states and Indian tribes implement extreme risk protection order laws and expands categories of individuals who are prohibited from receiving, possessing, shipping, or transporting a firearm; H.R. 3271/S. 1702, the Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act that would take important steps to mitigate the harmful impact of climate change on health. 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; H.R. 959/S. 346, the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021, to reduce preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in the U.S. and close disparities in maternal health outcomes, particularly among pregnant minority women. 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; Urged appropriators to include adequate funding in FY2022 to support expansion of broadband capabilities nationwide, especially to rural and underserved communities, and to remove the ban on adoption of a national unique health identifier standard. Veterans Administration: Expressed concerns to the VA about its efforts to develop National Standards of Practice for physicians and other health professionals that supersede state scope of practice and licensure laws; expressed that the VA has not provided a transparent process by which public stakeholders are provided an adequate opportunity to review and provide meaningful input into the standards of practice. Infrastructure Investment: Expressed support with Congress for several provisions in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, legislation that makes sweeping and historic investments in this nations infrastructure; Applauded provisions that would improve public health specifically to ensure all Americans have access to safe drinking water, broadband services that provide vital access to telehealth services, as well as investment in clean energy to reverse the negative health effects associated with climate change. Surprise Medical Billing: Voiced support for the decision of CMS to provide protections for patients from surprise bills in situations where they need an ambulance, especially in a perceived emergency; voiced support for CMS approach that emergency services provided by out-of-network emergency facilities and out-of-network provider organizations, and certain non-emergency services furnished by out-of-network provider organizations at certain in-network facilities, must be calculated based on a recognized amount which is generally the lesser of the Qualifying Payment Amount (QPA) - the plans median in-network rate for the item or service, or an all-payer model agreement between CMS and the state; urged CMS to include in the Independent Dispute Resolution process described in future sub-regulatory guidance that health plans have an affirmative obligation to pay fairly and appropriately for services provided in and out of network.

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 for pilot testing should be developed, in consultation with outside experts; The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH), which has shown great promise in meeting the policy objectives suggested above, should be among the models selected for broader testing on a national pilot basis; the use of the medical home model for treatment or services under private health plans, the requirement of health plans to provide incentives to promote and report on medical home services provided, the establishment of community health teams and a primary care extension program to educate and support primary care practices in the delivery of medical home services, and the establishment of a demonstration project to educate physicians and other clinicians in training in the competencies required to deliver care consistent with the medical home care model. 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 support for H.R. 8505, a bill to provide for a one-year waiver of budget neutrality adjustments under the Medicare physician fee schedule; 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, along with GPC1X codes to go into effect. Regarding CMS proposed 2022 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. FY2022 Appropriations: Urged Congress to support $10 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions programs in the FY 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill as well as $50 million in 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: Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), $9.2 billion; Title VII, Section 747, Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), $71 million; National Health Service Corps (NHSC), $860 million in total program funding; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), $500 million; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Program Operations for Federal Exchanges, $296.5 million. Also, urged support for the VA, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), $103.1 billion, which includes the following within the VHA -- VA, VHA, Medical Services, $66.2 billion, VA, VHA, Medical Community Care, $20.7 billion, VA, VHA, Medical and Prosthetic Research; $902 million. 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. Urged the administration to explore regulatory and other actions that would make COVID-19 testing free-of-charge to patients covered by both public and private insurance plans, including ACA-compliant plans offered through the insurance exchanges, and to waive co-pays and deductibles for patients seeing physicians for symptoms that may be indicative of COVID-19 or who are hospitalized for treatment. Urged CMS to utilize a national disaster recovery program that would pay doctors 110% of Medicare rates for caring for uninsured patients who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2. 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 the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act, H.R. 6720, introduced May 5, 2020 by Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) which would eliminate graduate school debt for healthcare workers, including physicians and medical students, who are providing direct patient care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; 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. This extension-either continued by CMS or mandated by Congress-should last at least through the end of 2021, or until such a time when effective vaccines and treatments are widely available, with an option to extend it even further, or consider making permanent, based on the experience and learnings of patients and physicians who are utilizing these visits. 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. 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. Urged support for waiving VA cost sharing and copayments for medical treatment until September 30, 2021. Womens Health: Urged Congress to support, H.R. 958, the Protecting Moms Who Served Act, which would provide critical support for maternity care coordination programs to address the clinical and nonclinical perinatal needs of veterans and ensure effective coordination between VA and non-VA facilities in the delivery of maternity care and other health care services. Urged HHS to promptly finalize new Title X regulations that ensure unencumbered access to affordable, comprehensive, evidence-based reproductive health care; eliminates medically unnecessary restrictions and inappropriate political interference in the patient-physician relationship; and protects 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 (H.R. 3755 and 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. Train and Support Frontline Physicians during and after COVID-19: 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; S. 948, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act (116th Congress) and S. 3599 (116th Congress), the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, to support the COVID-19 response workforce by expediting visas for international medical graduates (IMGs) to enter the U.S. for training and patient care, permanently authorizing the Conrad 30 Program, and providing a pathway for IMGs and their families already in the U.S to obtain permanent residency status; H.R. 2418, the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act, to forgive student loans for physicians and other clinicians who are on the frontlines of providing care to COVID-19 patients or helping the health care system cope with the COVID-19 public health emergency; H.R. 1667/S. 610, the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, to address the behavioral health and well-being of physicians, including depression, suicides and burnout. Support the Value of Primary and Comprehensive Care: Urged Congress to Continue to fund the 3.75 percent increase to all physicians services that was approved by Congress at the end of last year to prevent CY2022 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; Act before the end of CY2021 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. Support Essential Public Health and Research Initiatives: Urged Congress to support H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act that would establish new background check requirements for firearm transfers between private parties; H.R. 3076/S. 506, the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act from the 116th Congress, to establish a grant program to help states and Indian tribes implement extreme risk protection order laws and expands categories of individuals who are prohibited from receiving, possessing, shipping, or transporting a firearm; H.R. 3271/S. 1702, the Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act that would take important steps to mitigate the harmful impact of climate change on health. 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; H.R. 959/S. 346, the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021, to reduce preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in the U.S. and close disparities in maternal health outcomes, particularly among pregnant minority women. 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; Urged appropriators to include adequate funding in FY2022 to support expansion of broadband capabilities nationwide, especially to rural and underserved communities, and to remove the ban on adoption of a national unique health identifier standard. Veterans Administration: Expressed concerns to the VA about its efforts to develop National Standards of Practice for physicians and other health professionals that supersede state scope of practice and licensure laws; expressed that the VA has not provided a transparent process by which public stakeholders are provided an adequate opportunity to review and provide meaningful input into the standards of practice. Infrastructure Investment: Expressed support with Congress for several provisions in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, legislation that makes sweeping and historic investments in this nations infrastructure; Applauded provisions that would improve public health specifically to ensure all Americans have access to safe drinking water, broadband services that provide vital access to telehealth services, as well as investment in clean energy to reverse the negative health effects associated with climate change. Surprise Medical Billing: Voiced support for the decision of CMS to provide protections for patients from surprise bills in situations where they need an ambulance, especially in a perceived emergency; voiced support for CMS approach that emergency services provided by out-of-network emergency facilities and out-of-network provider organizations, and certain non-emergency services furnished by out-of-network provider organizations at certain in-network facilities, must be calculated based on a recognized amount which is generally the lesser of the Qualifying Payment Amount (QPA) - the plans median in-network rate for the item or service, or an all-payer model agreement between CMS and the state; urged CMS to include in the Independent Dispute Resolution process described in future sub-regulatory guidance that health plans have an affirmative obligation to pay fairly and appropriately for services provided in and out of network.

CY 2022 Outpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule; FY 2022 Inpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule; Extension of Medicare Sequester Moratorium; "Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act" (TREAT); "Resident Shortage Reduction Act of 2021"; Drug Pricing; Surprise Billing interim final rule; "Telehealth Modernization Act, (S.368); "Protecting Rural Health Access Act, " (S.1998); Opioid Workforce Act of 2021; "Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021, " (HR. 340)

Client expense: $25,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE

CY 2022 Outpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule; FY 2022 Inpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule; Extension of Medicare Sequester Moratorium; "Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act" (TREAT); "Resident Shortage Reduction Act of 2021"; Drug Pricing; Surprise Billing interim final rule; "Telehealth Modernization Act, (S.368); "Protecting Rural Health Access Act, " (S.1998); Opioid Workforce Act of 2021; "Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021, " (HR. 340)

Client expense: $150,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE

S 466, Protecting Americans with Pre-existing Conditions Act; S 1002, The Junk Plan Accountability and Disclosure (JPADA) Act; HR 1875, PHA Amendment Re: STLDI; HR 369, the Health Care Affordability Act; HR 892, Pre-Existing Conditions Protection Act of 2021; HR 1872, MORE Health Education Act; HR 1890, Network Adequacy Standards for QHPs; HR 1896, State Allowance for Variety of Exchanges Act; HR 1887, State Health Care Premium Reduction Act of 2021; HR 1790, Fair Indexing for Health Care Affordability; S 245, the States Achieve Medicaid Expansion Act (aka SAME Act); HR 1390, CHIPPER Act; HR 1791, CHIP Permanency Act; HR 1738, Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act; HR 340, Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act; S. 464/H.R. 2163, the Safe Step Act; HR 3437, the LOANS for Biomedical Research Act; reforms promoting racial and socioeconomic diversity in clinical trials; FDA regulations regarding sites of delivery for clinical trial services; federal regulation of association health plans; federal regulation of employer-provided health benefit plans; implementation of the No Surprises Act (enacted in the 116th Congress); the Cancer Drug Parity Act (not yet introduced); the No Junk Plans Act (not yet introduced); federal regulation of junk insurance plans Consumer Assistance Programs

Client expense: $250,000 · Firm income: Not reported

H.R. 19 - Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2021 - Rep. McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [R-WA-5] - Medicare and Medicaid reforms H.R. 56 - Patient Access to Medical Foods Act - Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5] - coverage of medical foods H.R. 66 - CARING for Kids Act - Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16] - CHIP extension H.R. 315 - Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act - Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10] - Medicare Sequester H.R. 340 - Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021 - Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33] - Medicaid expansion H.R. 502 - Medicare Dental Benefit Act of 2021 - Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] - Medicare dental coverage H.R. 525 - COVID HCBS Relief Act of 2021 - Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-12] - HCBS H.R. 599 - Protecting Medicare Beneficiaries with Pre-Existing Conditions Act - Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10] - pre-existing conditions H.R. 722 - Ensuring Vaccination and Treatment Affordability Act - Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1] - cost-sharing for COVID-19 vaccines H.R. 918 - Stronger Medicaid Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Act - Rep. Cardenas, Tony [D-CA-29] - Medicaid & COVID-19 H.R. 955 - Medicaid Reentry Act of 2021 - Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] - Medicaid coverage H.R. 975 - Ensuring Seniors Access to COVID Treatments Act - Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6] - coverage of COVID-19 drugs H.R. 1167 - Advancing Enrollment and Reducing Drug Costs Act of 2021 - Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1] - Medicare prescription drug benefit H.R. 1227 - Medicare-X Choice Act of 2021 - Rep. Delgado, Antonio [D-NY-19] - Medicare-X H.R. 1495 - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide coverage under the Medicaid program for services for the treatment of psychiatric or substance use disorders furnished to certain individuals in an institution for mental diseases, and for other purposes - Rep. Emmer, Tom [R-MN-6] - Medicaid coverage for SUD H.R. 1717 - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to make permanent the protections under Medicaid for recipients of home and community-based services against spousal impoverishment - Rep. Upton, Fred [R-MI-6] - HCBS and spousal impoverishment H.R. 1722 - To amend titles XI and XIX of the Social Security Act to stabilize the Medicaid program in Puerto Rico - Rep. Velazquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7] - Medicaid for territories H.R. 1791 - To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to permanently extend the Children's Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes - Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] - CHIP extension H.R. 1795 - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to ensure health insurance coverage continuity for former foster youth - Rep. Bass, Karen [D-CA-37] - coverage for foster youth H.R. 1880 - To amend the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to make permanent the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration - Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-12] - Money Follows the Person extension H.R. 1969 - To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to address disparity in Medicare Advantage benchmark rates for regions with low Medicare fee-for-service penetration - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large] - Medicare Advantage benchmark rates H.R. 1976 - To establish an improved Medicare for All national health insurance program - Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] - Medicare for All H.R. 1978 - To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide information regarding vaccines for seniors as part of the Medicare & You handbook and to ensure that the treatment of cost sharing for vaccines under Medicare part D is consistent with the treatment of vaccines under Medicare part B, and for other purposes - Rep. Kuster, Ann M. [D-NH-2] - cost sharing for vaccines under Medicare part D H.R. 1999 - To delay and offset the sequester under the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 as a result of the enactment of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, and for other purpose - Rep. Smith, Jason [R-MO-8] - sequester for Pay-As-You-Go H.R. 2166 - Ensuring Parity in MA and PACE for Audio-Only Telehealth Act of 2021 - Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7] - Medicare coverage of telehealth H.R. 2217 - Territory Federal Matching Requirement Equity Act of 2021 - Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large] - FMAP for territories H.R. 2297 - MIND Act - Rep. Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-2] - Medicaid payment for services provided in institutions for mental diseases H.R. 2464 - More Help for Seniors Act of 2021 - Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2] - Medicare prescription drug benefit H.R. 2881 - Medicare Buy-In and Health Care Stabilization Act of 2021 - Rep. Higgins, Brian [D-NY-26] - Medicare public insurance H.R. 3108 - Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2021 - Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2] - coverage of medical foods H.R. 3173 - Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act of 2021 - Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1] - prior authorization H.R. 3447 - To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand accessibility to certain telehealth services under the Medicare program - Rep. Smith, Jason [R-MO-8] - Medicare telehealth coverage H.R. 3450 - Medicaid Bump Act - Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] - Medicaid funding and behavioral health H.R. 3894 - To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue and disseminate guidance to States to clarify strategies to address social determinants of health under the Medicaid program and the Children's Health Insurance Program - Rep. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE-At Large] - Medicaid and SDOH H.R. 3961 - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide for a demonstration project under the Medicaid program for political subdivisions of States to provide medical assistance for the expansion population under such program - Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-35] - Medicaid expansion H.R. 4040 - To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend telehealth flexibilities under the Medicare program - Rep. Cheney, Liz [R-WY-At Large] - Medicare telehealth coverage H.R. 4043 - To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure prompt coverage of breakthrough devices under the Medicare program - Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1] - Medicare coverage of breakthrough devices H.R. 4074 - To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand the availability of supplemental benefits to certain Medicare Advantage enrollees - Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12] - Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits H.R. 4158 - To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to eliminate cost sharing with respect to coverage of insulin as a covered part D drug under the Medicare program or as a covered outpatient drug under the Medicaid program - Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1] - cost sharing for insulin H.R. 4187 - To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for certain vision items and services under part B of the Medicare program - Rep. Schrier, Kim [D-WA] - Medicare vision coverage H.R. 4263 - To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for an exception to the definition of an off-campus outpatient department of a provider under the Medicare program for certain departments of a provider if such provider was forced to relocate its campus - Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5] - out-of-network services S. 97 - Medicare Dental Benefit Act of 2021 - Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD] - Medicare dental coverage S. 150 - Ensuring Parity in MA for Audio-Only Telehealth Act of 2021 - Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV] - Medicaid telehealth coverage S. 151 - COVID HCBS Relief Act of 2021 - Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] - HCBS S. 274 - Stronger Medicaid Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Act - Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] - Medicaid & COVID-19 S. 340 - TREATS Act - Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH] - telehealth - Medicare telehealth coverage S. 386 - Medicare-X Choice Act of 2021 - Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] - Medicare-X S. 448 - Ensuring Kids Have Access to Medically Necessary Dental Care Act - Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD] - CHIP S. 653 - A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the application of Medicare secondary payer rules to certain workers' compensation settlement agreements and qualified Medicare set-aside provisions - Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH] - Medicare secondary payer rules S. 748 - A bill to provide for an extension of the temporary suspension of Medicare sequestration during the COVID-19 public health emergency - Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] - Medicare sequestration S. 1180 - Choose Medicare Act - Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] - Medicare public insurance S. 1536 - Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2021 - Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME] - coverage of medical foods S. 1727 - Medicaid Bump Act - Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] - Medicaid funding and behavioral health S. 1844 - Lowering Medicare Premiums and Prescription Drug Costs Act - Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] - Medicare premiums and drug costs S. 2111 - A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the waiver of certain telehealth requirements to permit reimbursement for audio-only telehealth services under the Medicare program during emergency declarations - Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] - Medicare coverage of telehealth S. 2112 - A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act and the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act to provide for Medicare and Medicaid mental and behavioral health treatment through telehealth - Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] - telehealth S. 2164 - Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2021 - Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID] - Medicare and Medicaid reforms S. 2197 - A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to increase the Federal medical assistance percentage for States that provide Medicaid coverage for telehealth services - Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV] - FMAP & telehealth S. 2210 - A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to expand access to home and community-based services (HCBS) under Medicaid - Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] - HCBS S. 2236 - A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide an option for first responders age 50 to 64 who are separated from service due to retirement or disability to buy into Medicare - Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] - Medicare buy-in Regulatory Issues: Ongoing implementation issues for the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D prescription drug programs, including risk adjustment methodology, network adequacy and provider directories, encounter data and other data-related issues, and risk adjustment data validation (RADV) audit issues including proposed RADV regulation for MA; bidding and payment issues (including MA rate assumptions, MA coding intensity, MA Secondary Payer issues, Part D reinsurance, Part D low income subsidies, Part D direct and indirect remuneration (DIR), and audits); calendar year 2021 policy and technical regulation for MA and Part D; Part D reform, out of pocket limits; issues related to Medicare for All, Medicare buy-in, reduced Medicare eligibility age, and public option; issues relating to 2022 Rate Notice; issues related to coverage in non-Medicaid Expansion States (e.g., Gap Population); issues related to expanded Medicare fee for service benefits (dental, hearing and vision); issues related to Medicaid coverage gap; potential Medicare NCD relating to monoclonal antibodies for treatment of Alzheimers disease; Executive Orders relating to international pricing, Part D rebates, insulin costs, and importation; issues related to MLTSS; issues related to removal of safe harbor protection for rebates; issues relating to COVID-19, including testing and vaccines; issues related to health equity; issues related to vaccination; issues related to audio-only telehealth; issues related to addressing the social determinants of health, including housing, transportation, nutrition, educational opportunities, and MA supplemental benefits; issues related to Medicaid presumptive eligibility and continuous eligibility; issues relating to Medicaid best price; in-home health risk assessments; Medicare Medical Loss Ratio issues; issues related to changes to prior authorization regulations, electronic documentation, and related issues; issues relating to sequestration under the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs; implications of physician fee schedule on MA; application process, audits to evaluate compliance with MA and Part D program rules, benefit design rules, enrollment rules, requirements for notice and denial forms, marketing materials review and approval, marketing activities, including conduct and compensation of brokers and agents and plan sponsor marketing staff; measurement and oversight of plan performance including Special Needs Plans (SNPs); quality measures, grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance including training; contracting issues for Dual Eligible SNPs; Federal preemption of State authority under MA and Part D programs, Part D prescription drug event data reporting, Part D formulary rules, Part D pharmacy access standards, Part D coverage gap discount program, including employer group waiver plan (EGWP) issues, and other operational issues; issues raised by Part D coverage of new specialty drugs, the Part D non-interference policy and related issues (e.g., preferred pharmacy and any willing pharmacy requirements, standards for network pharmacy reimbursement, and policies regarding sponsor negotiation of pharmacy price concessions); issues related to the international price index; issues related to child and maternal health; issues related to Medicaid supplemental and disproportionate share hospital (DSH) funding; issues related to Medicaid funding for territories; issues related to medical management; issues relating to MA supplemental benefits; Medication Therapy Management Program requirements and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Demonstration; MA EGWP issues; CMMI's value based payment models; Part D requirements for offering basic and enhanced alternative plans; MA and Part D systems issues affecting enrollment and disenrollment processing and payment and other operational issues; issues relating to MA and Part D Star Rating system including measures, the methodology for calculating ratings, and the role of the ratings for payment purposes; functionality of the Medicare Personal Plan Finder and Drug Plan Finder; National Medicare Education Program; Medicare demonstration program on performance-based payments for physician groups; physician quality reporting initiative; issues relating to Medicare coverage policy and national coverage decisions; issues relating to MACRA, including implications for MA and Part D plans; Medicare/Medicaid integration for dual eligibles, including implementation of the Capitated Financial Alignment Demonstration and related issues (e.g., quality ratings); Medicaid managed care regulations and policies, including CMS's substantial revisions to the managed care regulations, mental health parity rules, the Medicaid managed care actuarial soundness standard, quality oversight, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance, beneficiary information requirements, treatment of Medicaid health plan member hospital days in the upper payment limit calculation; policies affecting State Medicaid funding, including block grants, the calculation of the federal medical assistance (federal matching) percentage (FMAP), and intergovernmental transfers (IGTs); coordination of benefits with state Medicaid programs; Medicaid prescription drug cost issues affecting Medicaid health plans including issues raised by Medicaid coverage of new specialty drugs; health plan-related Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) issues, including eligibility and outreach issues and CHIP reauthorization; implementation of Medicaid changes made in Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, including Medicaid managed care organization provider tax issues; standards for electronic prescribing; implementation of Medicaid changes of interest to Medicaid health plans made in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) including Medicaid expansion, the managed care organization (MCO) prescription drug rebate provisions, minimum payments to primary care providers (PCPs), interactions between the Medicaid program and health insurance exchanges, and Medicaid and CHIP maintenance of effort (MOE) requirements; implications of the health insurer fee for Medicaid health plans; issues related to Medicaid Managed long-term care including home and community-based waiver services (HCBS); expanding the availability of Medicare Advantage and Medicaid health plan telemedicine programs; implications of the new non-discrimination rules for health plans participating in public programs; issues related to Medigap coverage; issues related to business continuity in relation to pandemics or natural events (e.g., hurricane, tornado, etc.); cybersecurity; provider directories; value-based insurance design models; Part D prescriber enrollment requirements; Part D recovery audit contractor programs; issues relating to enrollment of beneficiaries with ESRD into MA plans; issues related to health homes for children with medically complex conditions; socioeconomic status impacts on star ratings related to MA and Part D programs; and other issues relating to health care reform implementation.

Any COVID-19 stimulus bill(s), package(s), or provision(s) impacting hospitals and health systems, including but not limited to: Forgiveness for Medicare accelerated payments; Additional money and reporting requirements for the Provider Relief Fund; Support for front-line caregivers; Liability protections for front-line medical providers and facilities; Maintaining health benefits for individuals and families and increasing coverage options for the uninsured; Expansion of resources for testing, tracing, and vaccine development; and Expansion of resources for vaccine rollout and administration. Any bill(s) or provision(s) advocating for more PPE and supplies for healthcare workers, hospitals, and health systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. H.R. 340. INCENTIVIZING MEDICAID EXPANSION ACT OF 2021, or any other bill(s) or provision(s) addressing the expansion of Medicaid and increasing the level of Federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid coverage. Any bill(s) or provision(s) relating to funding for the Atrium Health/Wake Forest Baptist Innovation Quarter and Innovation Corridor. Any bill(s) or provision(s) relating to funding/support for the Atrium Health/Wake Forest Baptist School of Medicine. S.1931. SURFACE TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2021. Any provision(s) related to funding for health care infrastructure. H.R.7616 - TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021. Any provision(s) related to funding for health care infrastructure.

Client expense: $200,565 · Firm income: Not reported

Any bill(s) or provision(s) urging the delay of CMSs hospital transparency rule requiring hospitals to publicly disclose negotiated rates with commercial health plans. Any provision(s) on the CMS hospital inpatient prospective payment system proposed rule for fiscal year 2021. Any provision(s) on the CMS hospital outpatient prospective payment system/ ambulatory surgical center proposed rule reducing payment rates received by hospitals. Any provision(s) concerning CMSs Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Proposed Rule, with hospitals urging the proposed rule be withdrawn. Any issue(s) related to Medicare pass-through funding and other payment technicalities in relation to colleges of nursing and allied health professions. Any bill(s) or provision(s) addressing Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) cuts, namely having to do with a delay in cuts. H.R. 315, S. 748, or any other bill(s) or provision(s) addressing the elimination of Medicare sequester cuts during the COVID-19 public health emergency. H.R. 340. INCENTIVIZING MEDICAID EXPANSION ACT OF 2021, or any other bill(s) or provision(s) addressing the expansion of Medicaid and increasing the level of Federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid coverage. Any bill(s) or provision(s) enabling or making it easier for providers to use telemedicine to increase access for patients. Any provision(s) expanding telehealth services and access. S. 368 THE TELEHEALTH MODERNIZATION ACT; S. 1998. PROTECTING RURAL TELEHEALTH ACCESS ACT.

Client expense: $200,565 · Firm income: Not reported

Any COVID-19 stimulus bill(s), package(s), or provision(s) impacting hospitals and health systems, including but not limited to: Forgiveness for Medicare accelerated payments; Additional money and reporting requirements for the Provider Relief Fund; Support for front-line caregivers; Liability protections for front-line medical providers and facilities; Maintaining health benefits for individuals and families and increasing coverage options for the uninsured; Expansion of resources for testing, tracing, and vaccine development; and Expansion of resources for vaccine rollout and administration. Any requirement(s) for hospitals to collect and report COVID-19 data. Any bill(s) or provision(s) urging the delay of CMSs hospital transparency rule requiring hospitals to publicly disclose negotiated rates with commercial health plans. Any provision(s) on the CMS hospital inpatient prospective payment system proposed rule for fiscal year 2021. Any provision(s) on the CMS hospital outpatient prospective payment system/ ambulatory surgical center proposed rule reducing payment rates received by hospitals. Any bill(s), provision(s), or action(s) impacting the 340B Drug Discount Program and hospitals and health systems ability to provide access to these drugs for patients. Any bill(s) or provision(s) addressing high drug prices. Any bill(s) or provision(s) addressing surprise medical billing proposals harmful to patients and hospitals/health systems. The No Surprises Act. Any bill(s) or provision(s) enabling or making it easier for providers to use telemedicine to increase access for patients. Any provision(s) expanding telehealth services and access. S. 368 THE TELEHEALTH MODERNIZATION ACT; S. 1998. PROTECTING RURAL TELEHEALTH ACCESS ACT. Any provision(s) concerning CMSs Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Proposed Rule, with hospitals urging the proposed rule be withdrawn. Any issue(s) related to Medicare pass-through funding and other payment technicalities in relation to colleges of nursing and allied health professions. Any bill(s) or provision(s) addressing Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) cuts, namely having to do with a delay in cuts. Any bill(s) or provision(s) addressing access to mental health care for patients. Any bill(s) or provision(s) addressing access to rural health care for patients. H.R. 315, S. 748, or any other bill(s) or provision(s) addressing the elimination of Medicare sequester cuts during the COVID-19 public health emergency. H.R. 340. INCENTIVIZING MEDICAID EXPANSION ACT OF 2021, or any other bill(s) or provision(s) addressing the expansion of Medicaid and increasing the level of Federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid coverage. Any bill(s) or provision(s) relating to funding for the Atrium Health/Wake Forest Baptist Innovation Quarter and Innovation Corridor. Any bill(s) or provision(s) relating to funding/support for the Atrium Health/Wake Forest Baptist School of Medicine. H.R.959/S. 346- BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH MOMNIBUS ACT OF 2021. Any provision(s) to help close disparities in material health outcomes. S.1931. SURFACE TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2021. Any provision(s) related to funding for health care infrastructure. H.R.7616 - TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021. Any provision(s) related to funding for health care infrastructure.