Congressional:

Senate Confirms Inaugural Head of DoJ Anti-Fraud Division

On Tuesday, the Senate confirmed Colin McDonald, the White House’s pick to lead a new fraud division at the Department of Justice (DoJ), in a 52 – 47 vote. McDonald, a former federal prosecutor in San Diego, will become the first assistant attorney general overseeing the Trump-established National Fraud Enforcement Division. At the nomination hearing in February, McDonald told the members that if confirmed, he initially planned to investigate abuse of taxpayer-funded programs such as Medicaid and SNAP.

House E&C Health Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Illicit Drugs

On Thursday, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee held a hearing titled "Policies to Protect Our Communities From Illicit Drug Threats.” The hearing discussed 14 legislative proposals on illicit drugs, with a focus on H.R. 1266, the Combatting Illicit Xylazine Act, which would classify xylazine as a Schedule III drug. Witnesses included the Executive Director of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, the President of INTR3PID Solutions, a Sheriff from Seminole County, Florida, a Senior Scientist from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the Former Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Read the legislation and witness testimonies here.

Oversight Committee Republicans Launch Investigation into Fraud in California Hospice Programs

On Monday, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Oversight Committee Republicans launched an investigation into taxpayer fraud in California’s hospice programs. In a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom, the lawmakers emphasized that the Newsom administration has been aware of state audit reports of hospice fraud for at least four years but failed to prevent or detect it. The committee requested documents and communications regarding California’s oversight and internal controls to detect and prevent fraud for its federally funded hospice programs. Read the press release and letter here. 

Notable Bills:

Senator Blackburn, Representative Kustoff Announce Rural Health Agenda

On Wednesday, Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), co-chair of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, and Representative David Kustoff (R-TN) announced their bicameral and bipartisan Rural Health Agenda, which includes three bills:

• The Save Struggling Hospitals Act (Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)) would codify the Medicare low-wage index hospital policy, which increases Medicare wage index values for hospitals in the bottom 25th percentile.
• The Rural Health Innovation Act (Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Hickenlooper (D-CO)) would establish two competitive grant programs administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to help rural communities expand urgent care and emergency triage services through existing local health infrastructure.
• The Rural America Health Corps Act (Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Dick Durbin (D-IL)) would incentivize more health professionals to serve and plant roots in rural communities by creating a pilot program that would help repay student loans for clinicians who agree to work full-time in a rural health professional shortage area for five years.

Read the press release here.

Representatives Tenney and Schneider Introduce Legislation to Establish Permanent Full Risk ACO Program in Medicare

On Thursday, Representatives Claudia Tenney (R-NY) and Brad Schneider (D-IL) introduced legislation to establish a permanent full-risk Accountable Care Organization (ACO) program within traditional Medicare. The bill would create two tracks: a Standard Full Risk ACO for broader Medicare populations and a Complex Care Full Risk ACO designed for high-needs patients with multiple chronic conditions. Read the press release here and the bill here.

Senators Shaheen, Collins, Warnock, and Kennedy Unveil Bipartisan Bill to Cap Cost of Insulin at $35 Per Month

On Wednesday, Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced bipartisan legislation to lower the cost of insulin. The Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now (INSULIN) Act would cap the cost of insulin at $35 or 25% of the list price per month for at least one insulin of each type and dosage form for Americans with private or employer-sponsored insurance. The legislation would also create a pilot program to provide insulin at the same cost to Americans without insurance. Read the press release here and the bill here.

Senators Reed, Scott, Smith & Lankford Introduce Bill to Reauthorize and Strengthen the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) & the National Cord Blood Inventory (NCBI)

On Wednesday, Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Tim Scott (R-SC), Tina Smith (D-MN), and James Lankford (R-OK) introduced the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2026. The legislation would reauthorize the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) and the National Cord Blood Inventory (NCBI), which contracts with the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA). The bill would renew, through 2031, federal programs for using bone marrow and umbilical cord blood to treat diseases and conduct research. It would make up to $280 million available, over a five-year period, pending appropriations, to help individuals diagnosed with diseases such as leukemia and lymphomas, sickle cell anemia, and rare genetic blood disorders, and help them find suitable bone marrow or umbilical cord blood donors. Read the press release here and the bill here.

Senators Barrasso and Coons Introduce Bill to Support Mental Health Service Providers

On Wednesday, Senators John Barrasso (R-WY) and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced legislation to support mental health providers and strengthen access to mental health care services. The Mental Health Access and Provider Support Act would increase Medicare reimbursement rates for clinical social workers (CSWs), marriage and family therapists (MFTs), and mental health counselors (MHCs). Read the press release here and the bill here.

Representatives Van Duyne and Larson Introduce the Outpatient Surgery Access Act of 2026

On Wednesday, Representatives Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and John Larson (D-CT) introduced the Outpatient Surgery Access Act of 2026 to modernize Medicare payments for ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) and promote site-neutral policies. The legislation would align annual payment updates for ASCs with those for hospital outpatient departments starting in 2027, and eliminate ASC-specific budget-neutrality adjustments that suppress payments. Read the press release here and the bill here.

Senators Capito and Klobuchar Introduce Legislation to Bolster Primary Care Training on Dementia Detection and Treatment

On Monday, Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) reintroduced the Accelerating Access to Dementia & Alzheimer’s Provider Training (AADAPT) Act to bolster training for primary care providers so they can better diagnose Alzheimer’s and other dementias and deliver high-quality, person-centered care in community-based settings. The bill would utilize virtual continuing education to provide additional opportunities for Alzheimer’s and dementia education and training to more primary care providers. Read the press release here and the bill here.

Representatives Dunn and Soto Introduce Bill to Expand Access to Effective Cancer Treatments

Late last week, on Friday, Representatives Neal Dunn, M.D. (R-FL) and Darren Soto (D-FL) introduced the Facilitating Access to Innovation in Cancer Care Act (FAIC Act) to ensure cancer patients on Medicare can access the most effective treatments available. The legislation would require Medicare to reimburse certain cancer drugs separately, rather than bundling them into procedure payments. Read the press release here and the bill here.

Executive Branch:

HHS and CMS Announce Healthcare Advisory Committee Members

On Thursday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the members of the Healthcare Advisory Committee, a new federal advisory body to provide advice on improving, strengthening, and modernizing U.S. healthcare. The Committee will advise HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, with non-binding recommendations, on ways to improve how care is financed and delivered across Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Health Insurance Marketplace. Members will serve two-year terms and meet regularly throughout the year, with meetings open to the public. Read the press release and see the list of committee members here.

FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson Launches Healthcare Task Force

On Tuesday, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Andrew Ferguson directed the FTC’s Bureaus of Competition, Consumer Protection, and Economics, as well as the Office of Policy Planning and Office of Technology, to form the Healthcare Task Force. The Task Force will: lead targeted enforcement and advocacy initiatives focused on key priorities; devise coordinated agency-wide strategies on investigations; take a proactive and strategic approach to identifying amicus and statement of interest opportunities; and identify emerging issues and new priority areas for enforcement and advocacy. The Task Force will also seek to expand its membership to include other agencies and law enforcement partners, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice. Read the press release here.

White House Misses Deadline for Nominating CDC Director

On Wednesday, the White House missed a 210-day deadline to submit a nomination for a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director to the Senate. National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, who was appointed acting CDC director last month, told CDC staff at an all-hands meeting on Wednesday that he expected his permanent replacement to be named by Thursday. If not, his plan was to continue to serve “acting in the capacity of the director” throughout the nomination process.

CDC ACIP Member Resigns

On Tuesday, Robert Malone announced his resignation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) following a court ruling that barred the ACIP from convening until a decision is reached in the courts.