Federal News & Issues

Apr 03, 2019

Washington, DC – The Partnership to Amend 42 CFR Part 2 (Partnership), a coalition of nearly 50 health care organizations committed to aligning 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO), today issued the following statement in response to the introduction of identical bipartisan bills in both the House and Senate. The Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act, “OPPS Act”, was introduced by Congressmen Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and the Protecting Jessica Grubb’s Legacy Act, “Legacy Act”, was introduced by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Joe Manchin (D-WV).

“ABHW and its member companies applaud the introduction...

Mar 28, 2019

Washington, D.C. — In Kentucky and Arkansas, a U.S. District Court Judge ruled for the second time against taking Medicaid coverage away from people who do not meet work requirements. Judge James Boasberg ruled that employment conditions do not advance Medicaid's basic purpose of providing health coverage, indicating that “The Court cannot concur that the Medicaid Act leaves the [HHS] Secretary so unconstrained, nor that the states are so armed to refashion the program Congress designed in any way they choose.”

Seven leading national medical, consumer and health advocacy groups who had previously filed an amicus brief in the Kentucky case, which was cited by the Judge in his ruling on the state’s work requirement, issued the following statement in response to the decision:

“Medicaid plays a critical role in...