Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing on the 340B Program
On October 23, 2025, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing to examine the growth and operation of the 340B Drug Pricing Program.…
Read more
When Science Outpaces Policy: Medicare’s Evolving Approach to Obesity
As scientific advances open new frontiers in the fight against obesity, Medicare and other insurers are reconsidering whether the condition should be treated like other chronic diseases—with access…
Read more
Congressional Impasse Heightens Telehealth Uncertainty
When the government shut down at midnight on September 30, telehealth extensions that Medicare providers have relied on for the past five years also expired. During the COVID-19…
Read more
Home Health: CY 2026 Proposed Rule Prompts Stakeholder Engagement
When the comment period for the Calendar Year 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System and DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program Proposed Rule closed on August 29, the Centers for…
Read more
CMS Releases Final Guidance for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program for 2028
On September 30, 2025, hours before the government shutdown began, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Final Guidance for Initial Price Applicability Year 2028…
Read more
MACPAC Holds September 2025 Meeting
On September 18 and 19, 2025, the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) held a virtual public meeting. Sessions included: Summary of…
Read more
Summary: Prior Authorization in Medicare Advantage Briefing
On September 18, Applied Policy attended a briefing on prior authorization in Medicare Advantage (MA) hosted by Georgetown University’s Medicare Policy Initiative. The event featured industry leaders and…
Read more
MedPAC Holds September 2025 Meeting
On September 4 and 5, 2025, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) held a virtual public meeting. Sessions included: Medicare payment operations and improving payment accuracy; Oversight needed…
Read more
Congressional Budget Office Publishes Report on 340B Program Growth, 2010-2021
On September 9, 2025, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) published a report, Growth in the 340B Drug Pricing Program, analyzing trends in drug purchases made through the 340B…
Read more
Value-Based Payment Summit 2025: Key Themes and Insights
Applied Policy attended the Virtual Value-Based Payment Summit from September 3–5, 2025, part of the Heritage VBC Conference Series. Produced by Global Health Care, LLC and sponsored by…
Read more
Flipped Incentives? Negotiating MACRA’s Conversion Factor Updates
In 2026, clinicians will confront a paradox within the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), bipartisan legislation the American Medical Association once hailed as ending…
Read more
After Record-Setting Comment Period, Stakeholders Await Decision on Competitive Bidding
According to regulations.gov, when the comment period for CMS’s Calendar Year 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System and DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program Proposed Rule closed on August 29,…
Read more