Congressional committees with jurisdiction over health care legislation continue to focus on the opioid crisis:
- The Energy and Commerce held a hearing on "Combating the Opioid Crisis: Improving the Ability of Medicare and Medicaid to Provide Care for Patients" and a roundtable discussion on "Personal Stories from the Opioid Crisis."
- The House Oversight Healthcare Subcommittee examined "Local Responses and Resources to Curtail the Opioid Epidemic."
- A Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on "Defeating Fentanyl: Addressing the Deadliest Drugs Fueling the Opioid Crisis."
- The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing on S.2680, the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018; the Committee is scheduled to vote on the legislation April 24.
- The House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee will hold a hearing April 25 on "The Opioid Crisis: Stopping the Flow of Synthetic Opioids in the International Mail System."
In other policy areas:
- The House Oversight Committee held a hearing on federal and state efforts to identify, prevent, and recover improper payments made through state Medicaid programs (a related OIG report is available here).
- On April 24, the Senate HELP Committee will consider three pending Senate bills (in addition to the opioid legislation noted above): S.2315, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to clarify the regulatory framework with respect to certain nonprescription drugs that are marketed without an approved new drug application; S.2597, to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the program of payments to children's hospitals that operate graduate medical education programs; and S.382, to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a voluntary registry to collect data on cancer incidence among firefighters.
- The House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee is holding an April 26 hearing on innovative practices and technology that physicians, other providers, and various organizations are implementing.
This article is presented for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice.