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The article discusses the various activities of the U.S. Congress during its lame duck sessions, including the legislation to avert a government shutdown on December 11, 2020 and urgent healthcare policies like the easing of repayment terms for COVID-19 Medicare loans.

The article argues on the last two months of the U.S. 116th Congress which will likely pass bills including a COVID-19 stimulus package, new appropriations bills and funding several Medicare and Medicaid programs.

The article reports on the lawsuit filed by the National Association of Community Health Centers against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to seek for the creation of a dispute resolution process related to the 340B drug discount program.

The article reports that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has amended its policy on COVID-19 relief grant reporting to give healthcare providers more flexibility on using the grant funds.

The article reports on possible ruling by three judges at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to uphold the hospital price transparency rule advanced by the administration of President Donald Trump that is due to take effect in January 2021.

The article reports that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has no plans to delay implementation of its hospital price transparency rule on January 1, 2021, according to a White House official.

The article reports on the break on Medicare loan repayment terms for COVID-19 relief secured by healthcare providers with the signing by U.S. President Donald Trump of a stopgap funding bill that will keep the federal government operational until December 11, 2020.

The article reports that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has changed the rules over documentation requirements for Provider Relief Fund grants. Topics mentioned include how healthcare providers could calculate lost revenue, the number of days given to providers to decide whether to keep the funds, and thoughts from Washington Council Ernst & Young principal Heather Meade about the use of the net operating income metric.

The article reports on the plan of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) to sue the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) if it does not discipline drugmakers restricting 340B drug discounts. Topics covered include the step taken by Health Resources and Services Administration on said drugmakers' moves, and a statement from Jason Reddish, a partner at Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell who represents NACHC, regarding the group's plan and .

The article mentions U.S. drugmakers' opposition to 340B drug discounts through contract pharmacies, and demand for claims data on Medicaid, commercial, and Medicare Part D rebate invoices, as of August 24, 2020.

The article reports on U.S. President Donald Trump's pursuit of a lawsuit that could invalidate the Affordable Care Act due to protection concerns for people with preexisting conditions, to rebut the Democrats' claim of his coronavirus mishandling, at the Republican National Convention in 2020.

The article mentions U.S. President Donald Trump's refusal to release the text of a controversial order, one of signed four drug-pricing executive orders, on reducing the amount Medicare pays for some high-cost outpatient drugs, as of August 3, 2020.

The article reports on a U.S. appeals court's upholding of a Department of Health and Human and Services' (HHS) planned cutting of some Medicare outpatient drug payments by 28.5% at 340B hospitals as of August 3, 2020.

The article discusses the executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on July 24, 2020 that are aimed at lowering the prices of prescription drugs (PD) in the U.S. These include the 340B drug discounts, international reference pricing, and a plan to allow the importation of some PD from Canada by states and drugmakers.

The article reports on healthcare providers' call for special protection from lawsuits related to COVID-19 in the U.S. Topics discussed include Senate Major Leader Mitch McConnell's call for sweeping protections for all businesses including healthcare workers and hospitals, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's support to a policy that would require providers to institute infection prevention standards, and the impact of broad liability protections on patients' legal rights.

The article reports on the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit which asserts the legality of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services' (HHS) site-neutral payment policy for 2019. Topics discussed include payment cuts to hospitals' off-site outpatient departments, the American Hospital Association and other hospital systems' opposition to the pay cuts, and the losses incurred by hospitals in 2019.

The article reports on the recommendation by a task force of liberal and progressive healthcare experts for the Democractic party to adopt a platform that include a public insurance option, a crackdown on hospital mergers and measures to lower healthcare costs. Topics covered include the means by which the plan would achieve cost savings according to the task force proposal, the target recipients of the public option and the recommendations made by the task force on lowering health costs.

The article reports on a federal appeals court ruling issued in June 2020, which allows the U.S. Small Business Administration to exclude hospitals in bankruptcy proceedings from receiving COVID-19 relief loans.

The article presents a rundown of important changes that will take place when the public health emergency declaration in the U.S. expires on July 25, 2020.

The article reports that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has started providing nearly 5 billion U.S. in grant funds to skilled-nursing facilities to help offset increased expenses and lost revenue caused by the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

The article reports on the plan of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to allow most community-owned rural hospitals to apply for forgivable small business loans as they deal with the continued financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics mentioned include eligibility of most rural hospitals for the Paycheck Protection Program loans, funds signed by U.S. President Donald Trump to the program, and views from Oregon Representative Greg Walden about SBA's plan.

The article reports on the first round of grant funding for the health care providers in the U.S. under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, as of April 2020. Topics discussed include amount of money set aside as a provider relief fund under CARES Act, distribution according to providers' share of 2019 Medicare fee-for-service reimbursements, and regulation of payment with UnitedHealth Group and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The article reports on measures taken by Congress and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to aid the healthcare industry amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The article reports that the legality of Congress's probe into short-term limited duration plans amid the Covid-19 pandemic was questioned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on March 20, 2020. Topics covered include debates over the lawmakers' intent on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the Association for Community Affiliated Plans's stance on the issue.

The article reports on the move by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to waive some Medicare, Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program requirements amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The decision was made after President Donald Trump declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency. He encouraged hospitals to activate their emergency preparedness plans in response to the outbreak.

The article mentions the U.S. Democratic presidential nomination race between former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, with their respective Medicare for All and a Medicare-like public option proposed programs as of March 9, 2020.

The article reports on a call by the American Hospital Association (AHA) and American Nurses Association (ANA) to congressional leaders to appropriate 1 billion dollars in new funds to help hospitals and healthcare workers fight the COVID-19 outbreak. A letter was sent by AHA chief executive officer (CEO) Rick Pollack and ANA Enterprise CEO Loressa Cole to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell regarding the need for funds to support a wide range of activities.

The article reports that two U.S. House committees and the Senate health committee have advanced legislation about surprise medical billing in an effort to protect patients from unexpected medical bills.

The article reports on bipartisan legislation released by leaders of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee to ban balance billing that excludes benchmark payment and mediation threshold policies and the opposition of hospitals and specialty physician groups to it. Topics discussed include statement from Ways and Means Chair Richard Neal and provisions of the Consumer Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills Act.

The article presents an interview with Doctor Joanne Conroy, chief executive officer and president of Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Dartmouth- Hitchcock Health based in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Topics discussed include the role of healthcare in the Granite State's presidential primary on February 11, 2020 and the difference of New Hampshire from other early primary states.

The article reports on Medicaid block grant guidance released in the U.S. in January 2020 that would allow states to exclude some prescription drugs from their formularies. Topics discussed include overview of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Healthy Adult Opportunity initiative and different views on the block grant policy.

The article reports that hospital and insurance executives have favored moderate Democratic presidential candidates in 2020 who oppose single-payer healthcare reform. Topics mentioned include the trend of industry leaders giving to pharmaceutical executives abstaining, contribution of Providence and Allina Health to Democratic Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, and donation of Universal Health Services to the Trump Victory Committee.

The article looks at the amount spent by major healthcare companies and lobbying groups to advance their interests before a year-end spending deal. Topics discussed include the American Hospital Association's opposition to a bipartisan, bicameral compromise on surprise billing, the total amount spent by the Greater New York Hospital Association on lobbying in the fourth quarter of 2019, and other issues of interest to the industry such as Affordable Care Act taxes and prescription drug pricing.

The article reports on the expectation by state policy experts that the legal battle over Colorado's proposed public-option insurance program could led to a blowout battle over hospital payment of 2020. Topics covered include the proposal by California Governor Gavin Newsom of an agency to create cost targets for healthcare sectors with financial consequences, and the failure of Congress to pass legislation to protect patients from surprise medical bills and systemic issues on hospital costs.

The article reports that several hospital systems, including the American Hospital Association is suing the U.S. government over its site-neutral payment policy included in its final 2020 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System rule.

The article mentions the concerns of U.S. federal judges on insurers' profiting from cost-sharing reduction payments under the Affordable Care Act that President Donald Trump's administration stopped paying in October 2017, as of January 2020.

The article mentions a 2020 poll which shows that healthcare is a top issue among more than half of U.S. registered voters in the 2020 presidential election, although congressional observers place healthcare as an unlikely legislative priority early in 2020.

The article reports on the effort of Republican senators to secure a healthcare policy in the U.S. Congress in 2020. Topics discussed include public funding hospitals receive that Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley wanted hospitals to agree to disclose, remarks from Tom Nickels, executive vice president for government relations at the American Hospital Association, and proposal co-authored by Senate health committee Chair Lamar Alexander.

The article addresses some issues that emerged in surprise medical billing proposals introduced in the U.S. Congress in 2019. The leaders of the House Ways and Means Committee presented outlines about a proposal and Representatie Kevin Brady wanted to delay action on surprise billing. Senators Bill Cassidy, Maggie Hassan and Michael Bennet welcomed the inclusion of a simple arbitration safety valve in the legislation.

The article reports on the efforts of lawmakers and regulators to tackle high drug prices and surprise medical bills in 2019. Some legislation have been introduced about drug prices, including the Senate Finance Committee's drug-pricing bill. Senator Lamar Alexander and Senator Patty Murray have released a plan to reduce costs that addresses surprise medical bills, contract reform provisions, and cost transparency.

The article reports on the plan of U.S. Senate and Congress leaders to use potential savings to finance various Medicare and Medicaid programs. Topics mentioned include the implementation of Part D benefit structure in 2024, cancellation of cuts to disproportionate-share hospital payments for fiscal 2020 and 2021, and permanent extension of Medicaid's Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration.

The article provides updates on issues related to healthcare and politics in the U.S. as of December 9, 2019. Topics covered include the plan of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to hold a floor vote on their drug-price negotiation plan titled the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, the plan of the House Energy & Commerce health subcommittee to hold a hearing on proposals to achieve universal health insurance coverage, and oral arguments in a dispute over Affordable Care Act payments.

The article reports on the vote of U.S. Congress in December 2019 to pass first steps to protect medical centers from robocalls. Topics include the number of calls received by the Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute from scammers posing as Moffitt internal phone numbers, a provision to protect hospitals from robocalls in the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act, and expansion in the Federal Communications Commission's legal authority to go after robocallers.

The article discusses the filing and planned filing of drug importation plans with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by U.S. states like Florida, Vermont, and Colorado to leverage President Donald Trump's administration pledged entry of cheaper drugs as of December 2, 2019.

The article reports on U.S. Food and Drug Administration nominated commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn's assurance of cooperation with lawmakers on the fight against drug shortages and high prescription drug prices as of December 2, 2019.

The article reports on the possible release by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration of a proposed rule forcing hospitals to disclose payer-negotiated rates before the end of 2019.