In an article for Skilled Nursing News, TRP Senior Vice President Andrea Maresca was quoted following a recent decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to extend the comment period for its proposed rule on supplemental payment programs under Medicaid. The article cites Maresca’s presentation at the American Health Care Association’s (AHCA) 2019 annual convention and expo, where she acutely noted that oversight of these programs has been a long-standing concern for the agency as they have evolved over time. “All of this is driving work in the agency to come up with a regulation that will put more parameters about how supplemental payment programs would work in the future,” stated Maresca at the October conference. “The agency is also concerned about the lack of a clear link between how payments are made to providers, and whether these are made based on services delivered or somehow tied to quality and outcomes.”

In the Dec. 19 edition of its "Influence" newsletter, POLITICO highlighted TRP's take on why 2020 could be a productive year in Congress despite impeachment and the upcoming presidential election. “At the end of the day, however, most lawmakers recognize that they were sent to Washington to pass legislation and appetites for bipartisan, problem-solving wins are greater than they appear," TRP's memo states. "The top-level political narrative is only the tip of the iceberg and ignores the very real work to pass laws that goes on in even the most contentious political environment.”

In an article for Roll Call, TRP’s Andy Rosenberg offered his perspective on the key policy deals that were clinched in the recent end-of-year spending deal. While the article points to notable achievements in the health care and medical device industries, Rosenberg astutely pointed out that these “last-minute wins” were culminated as a result of tireless advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill. “It’s important to recognize that these big deals don’t just materialize out of ether,” said Rosenberg. “Their underlying merit has been lobbied for months or longer to get them in a position to pass.”

TRP’s Jason Rosenstock was recently quoted in an article for Roll Call that outlines policy issues the fintech industry may have to contend with in 2020. In particular, Rosenstock pointed to existing and emerging data privacy measures, specifically centered around California’s data privacy law and the European Union’s enactment of the 2018 General Data Protection Regulation, that could spur legislative action on privacy next year. “You’re starting to really, truly see, at least in the states, a real patchwork emerging,” said Rosenstock. “I think it will only serve to continue to draw attention to the issue [in 2020].”

In the Dec. 9 edition of the POLITICO Influence newsletter — the leading government relations beat in Washington D.C. —  Thorn Run Partners was cited following addition of Greg Lankler as TRP’s 14^th partner. After spending more than 20 years working in the U.S. House of Representatives and liaising with nearly every department of the federal government, Mr. Lankler has dedicated most of the last decade to helping large and small defense contractors, startups, Fortune 500 corporations, non-profits, and other stakeholders navigate the congressional appropriations process. “We are thrilled to add Greg Lankler to our team,” stated TRP co-founding partner Chris Lamond. “Greg’s reputation and expertise are second to none in the field of national security and intelligence, and under his leadership, we are building one of the top practices in the city.”

As the firm’s 14th partner, Lankler brings defense policy and appropriations expertise, as well as a wealth of strong bipartisan relationships on Capitol Hill.

For immediate release: December 9, 2019

Contact: Andrew Rosenberg, (202) 247-6301, arosenberg@thornrun.com

Thorn Run Partners (TRP) (www.thornrun.com) announced today the addition of Greg Lankler as Partner in their Washington, DC office, where he will lead the firm’s national security and intelligence community practice.  After spending more than 20 years working in the U.S. House of Representatives and liaising with nearly every department of the federal government, Mr. Lankler has dedicated most of the last decade to helping large and small defense contractors, startups, Fortune 500 corporations, non-profits, and other stakeholders navigate the congressional appropriations process.

For the second year in a row, TRP founding partners Chris Lamond and Andy Rosenberg were selected for The Hill's list of Top Lobbyists for 2019. As the authors astutely point out, 2019 saw a number of  high-profile fights on key legislative and regulatory issues, noting that this select group of individuals have demonstrated their ability to wield clout and knowledge most effectively in a difficult landscape. This highly-respected list represents an elite group of policy experts and influencers who stand out for delivering results to their clients here in Washington, DC. "…The people below are all at the top of their game — and the ones the nation’s biggest companies, labor unions and associations turn to when they want their voices heard in the nation’s capital."

Thorn Run Partners’ Senior Vice President Shea McCarthy recently commented in Inside Health Policy on President Trump recent tweets on drug pricing directed at House Republicans. While some commenters have suggested that President Trump should focus his efforts on Senate Republicans, who could be key in advancing bipartisan drug pricing reforms, Mr. McCarthy pointed out that the President’s recent comments could provide political cover for the GOP to oppose the drug pricing measure crafted  by House Democrats. “As Speaker Pelosi prepares to tee up a politically challenging vote in December on drug pricing, the President’s positioning could provide some political cover for House Republicans on the issue,” Mr. McCarthy said. “House Democrats are attempting to outflank the GOP on drug pricing, and President Trump’s tweets provide Republicans with a compelling reason to vote ‘no.'"