POLICY BRIEFINGS

Hart Health Strategies provides a comprehensive policy briefing on a weekly basis. This in-depth health policy briefing is sent out at the beginning of each week. The health policy briefing recaps the previous week and previews the week ahead. It alerts clients to upcoming congressional hearings, newly introduced bills, regulatory announcements, and implementation activity related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and other health laws.


THIS WEEK'S BRIEFING - JANUARY 20, 2020

Senate to Begin Impeachment Trial on Tuesday


Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced that the Senate will start debating an organizing resolution to begin President Trump’s impeachment trial on Tuesday. The organizing resolution will determine time limits for opening arguments from the House impeachment managers, opening arguments for the president’s defense team, and for senators to ask questions. It is unclear at this time how long the trial will last. Negotiations are underway regarding what other Senate business may continue during impeachment. It is hoped that committees will be allowed to hold hearings in the morning (if the proceedings are bipartisan) and that cosponsors may be added with unanimous consent. The introduction of bills and resolutions would require consent as well. However, legislative and executive hotlines will not be run during impeachment.

The House of Representatives has adjourned for a week-long Martin Luther King Day recess and will return on January 27.


Hart Health Strategies Inc. Releases Timeline of Key 2020 Dates


Hart Health Strategies Inc. has prepared a timeline of key dates in 2020 which you may find helpful in your planning for the year. The timeline is available here.


Hoyer Outlines 2020 Democratic Agenda


In an interview with CQ Roll Call last week, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) outlined his legislative priorities for the second session of the 116th Congress. According to Rep. Hoyer, House Democrats plan to pursue legislation related to health care, infrastructure, and the climate, while also attempting to fully fund the federal government. In addition to continuing to pursue solutions to lower prescription drug prices, Democrats also hope to pass legislation to strengthen the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and protections for preexisting conditions. Hoyer also mentioned the topics of maternal mortality, youth vaping, and health care affordability as important priorities. Democrats plans to reserve the month of June to pass appropriations legislation through the House, with the goal of fully funding the government before the start of fiscal year on October 1, 2020 (FY) 2021 – an achievement that has not occurred since 1996.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has stated that the House of Representatives will begin work to address the issue of surprise insurance gaps when it returns from the week-long Martin Luther King day recess on January 27. Bipartisan leadership of the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce committees are still in negotiations on competing versions of legislation to bring a compromise bill to the floor.


HRSA Releases Latest Nursing Workforce Data


The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has released new data from the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN). The NSSRN has been collected since 1977 and is the main source of information on the nursing workforce.



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