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.
Your Input Sought/Of Possible Interest (Washington Update, September 12, 2018)
Your Input Sought Survey on Attending Genetics Appointments after Referrals Open until Oct. 12 The NYMAC (New York-Mid-Atlantic Regional Genetics Network) -- one of seven regional networks in the country funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration – is...
Upcoming Webinars from the Field (Washington Update, August 29, 2018)
NEW/TODAY Three-Topic Marketplace Webinar (for Navigators and Certified Application Counselors) Wednesday, August 29, 2:00-3:00 pm ET Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Intended for Topics: Certified Application Counselor Program Refresh Coverage Options...
The Courts (Washington Update, August 29, 2018)
On September 4, the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin hearings on the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. The following day a hearing will begin in the case of Texas v. Azar (explained), in which twenty states...
Congress: Senate Republicans Introduce Bill on Pre-Existing Conditions (Washington Update, August 29, 2018)
On August 23, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and nine other Republican Senators, introduced the ‘‘Ensuring Coverage for Patients with Pre-Existing Conditions Act’’ (S. 3388). [See the bill text; legislative status and cosponsors; Tillis press release.] Among the...
Congress: Budget and Appropriations (Washington Update, August 29, 2018)
On August 23, the Senate passed (by 85-7) an $856.9 billion appropriations bill (H.R. 6157) to fund the Department of Defense and the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (“Labor-HHS”) for FY 2019, which begins on October 1, 2018. The bill...
Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model (Washington Update, August 29, 2018)
On August 24, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Innovation Center (CMMI) unveiled the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model. Although it is described as “part of a multi-pronged strategy to combat the nation’s opioid crisis,” the Model would apply more...
Medicaid Tools for Responding to Public Health Crises and Natural Disasters (Washington Update, August 29, 2018)
To help Medicaid agencies prepare for public health crises and natural disasters, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Coverage Learning Collaborative developed a set of tools on the strategies available to support Medicaid operations and enrollees...
Medicaid Waiver News (Washington Update, August 29, 2018)
Wyden, Pallone Warn Trump Administration against Moving Forward on Harmful Medicaid Waivers The Ranking Democratic Members of the House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over Medicaid – Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) – wrote to Secretary of...
Affordable Care Act (ACA) News (Washington Update, August 29, 2018)
From the blog of the Georgetown University Health Policy Center’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms: Major State Medical Association Warns Consumers about Health Care Sharing Ministries Impact of Association Health Plans on Consumers and Markets Will Depend on State...
News from TRICARE and the State Department (Washington Update, August 29, 2018)
Both Military and Foreign-Service Families Seek Better Care for Their Children with Special Health Care Needs “We Are Just Tired of This Fight”: Special-needs families say military is still failing them As explained in the above article from Stars & Stripes...