Washington DC Update News

Below are recent articles from the Washington DC Update newsletter, a weekly Family Voices newsletter that provides the latest on national policy affecting children/youth with special health care needs and their families, and also shares relevant resources and happenings in the field.

Washington Update, August 7, 2020

The capital city is focused right now on reaching an agreement on the next bill to address the health and economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. Should legislation get enacted, it is expected to be the last COVID bill before the election. Congressional...

Washington Update, July 22, 2020

The name of the game on Capitol Hill is still the next COVID bill, which is being negotiated now that Congress is back from recess (having returned on Monday, July 20). It is expected that legislation will be enacted before Congress adjourns in two or three weeks for...

Washington Update, July 2, 2020

From July 3 until July 20, both the House and Senate will be in recess, which presents a good time to educate your Members of Congress about the pandemic-related challenges facing families of children and youth with special health care needs, the health care providers...

Washington Update, June 10, 2020

For the first time in recent memory, the news in DC has been dominated by something other than the coronavirus pandemic – the issue of systemic racism and law-enforcement treatment of Black Americans, which many experts view as a public health issue . See the 2019...

Washington Update, May 28, 2020

Since May 15, when the House passed its most recent coronavirus bill, is has been fairly quiet in the DC health-policy world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), released a 60-page document which outlines its actions and resources in response to...

Washington Update, May 19, 2020

Last week the House of Representatives passed, mostly along party-lines, a comprehensive Democratic bill to address the health and economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. Among other measures, it would provide additional funding for Medicaid. (The bill does...

Washington Update, May 8, 2020

Once again, Congress is developing legislation to address the health and economic consequences of the coronavirus. States and their Medicaid programs are in financial binds, but it could be weeks before something is passed. CMS released an updated set of Medicaid...

Washington Update, April 10, 2020

Once again, the policy world is all about the coronavirus – what laws and regulatory changes are needed to help individuals, health care providers, states, and businesses in this novel and extremely challenging environment. Keep reading for news and resources.

Washington Update, March 27, 2020

It won’t be a surprise that this issue of the Update is devoted to the coronavirus pandemic. As of this writing, two federal coronavirus-related bills have been enacted, and a third is (hopefully) close to enactment. It is expected that there will be more legislation...

Washington Update, March 13, 2020

Greetings from Washington, DC! This issue of the Update is devoted in large part to coronavirus-related policy and information, including information about insurance coverage for testing and treatment for COVID-19, the illness that results from the virus. Top line...

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