On the Hill: Government Funding, Ways and Means Hearings

The partial government shutdown continues and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has informed lawmakers that the administration won't be able to keep paying DHS employees past April 30. This means that Congress will have to move this week to solve the partial shutdown. The Senate passed a GOP-only reconciliation package April 23 that funds ICE and Border Patrol, and there is increasing confidence from House GOP leaders that they'll be able to move the Senate-passed budget DHS resolution this week.

Committee Activity This Week 

The Senate is in session Monday through Friday, and the House is in session Monday through Thursday.

The House Ways and Means held a full committee hearing April 28 with health system CEOs. The hearing examined the impact of rising health care costs on patients and families by examining the role of health systems within the current state of health care affordability. Witnesses included Sam N. Hazen, Chief Executive Officer, HCA Healthcare, Wright Lassiter III, President and Chief Executive Officer, CommonSpirit Health, Dr. Brian G. Donley, President and Chief Executive Officer, New York-Presbyterian, Dr. Michael Waldrum, Chief Executive Officer, ECU Health, and Brad Woodhouse, President, Protect Our Care.

The House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing April 21 to discuss the need to crack down on Medicare fraud to protect patients and taxpayers. In their questions, bipartisan members expressed concern about the prevalence of Medicare fraud, especially in the areas of hospice and home health. While Democrats expressed concern about President Trump's pardoning of some convicted fraudsters, both sides agreed that CMS needs to do more to bolster enforcement, leverage technology to improve detection, and support fraud victims. Witnesses included victims, private insurers, accountable care organizations (ACOs), and providers.

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