August 2020 - thornrun

Health Policy Report (8/31)

Posted on August 31, 2020August 8, 2023 by Thornrun

Capitol Hill Update

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows did not move closer to a deal on the next round of pandemic relief aid, as the two sides remain far apart on the size and scope of the next package. The two lead negotiators held a roughly 25-minute phone call last week to discuss the legislation, with Speaker Pelosi noting that the Democrats are willing go to down to $2.2 trillion as a starting point for the next bill. With Congress set to return after Labor Day, it’s likely that negotiations will remain on ice until after the holiday.

POLITICO ‘Influence’ Reports on the Addition of Paul Bock as TRP’s Fifteenth Partner

Posted on August 28, 2020August 8, 2023 by Thornrun

In the lead story of today’s “Influence” newsletter — a leading government relations beat in Washington, D.C. — POLITICO broke the news on the addition of Paul Bock as TRP’s 15^th partner. A former Senate Chief of Staff, Bock joins TRP following stops at Capitol Hill Strategies and Holland & Knight where he helped clients achieve success in a wide range of policy areas. “Paul’s been a friend to many of us at the firm for years, and we’re confident that his reputation, relationships, and insights will add considerable value for our clients in a changing political environment,” said TRP’s Andy Rosenberg.

Health Policy Report (8/24)

Posted on August 24, 2020August 8, 2023 by Thornrun

Capitol Hill Update

Over this past weekend, House lawmakers convened for a rare Saturday session, passing (257-150) legislation that seeks to shore up the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). House Oversight and Government Reform Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney’s (D-NY) bill would: (1) provide the USPS with $25 billion to cover revenue losses; (2) reverse service and operational changes implemented earlier this year; and (3) require that all election-related mail be treated as first-class to ensure priority delivery. While 26 House Republicans joined all Democrats in voting for the Delivering for America Act, the measure is not expected to be taken up in the GOP-controlled Senate. The Trump Administration issued a veto threat against the bill late last Friday, arguing that USPS “needs reforms that will return it to a trend of long-term financial self-sufficiency.”

Health Policy Report (8/17)

Posted on August 17, 2020August 8, 2023 by Thornrun

Capitol Hill Update

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is poised to call Members back to Washington for votes amid growing concerns about the state of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Lawmakers will likely come back later in the week to vote on House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney’s Delivering for America Act, which prohibits the Postal Service from implementing any changes to operations or level of service it had in place on January 1, 2020. The vote comes following a series of USPS letters to 46 states and the District of Columbia warning that it could not guarantee all ballots cast by mail will arrive to elections officials in time to be counted, raising the possibility that the pace of its delivery could disenfranchise voters. While the measure is likely to pass the lower chamber, it faces a cloudy future in the GOP-controlled Senate as President Donald Trump has publicly opposed additional funding for the USPS.

Health Policy Report (8/10)

Posted on August 10, 2020August 8, 2023 by Thornrun

Capitol Hill Update

With negotiations on the next round of COVID-19 relief legislation at a standstill, President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders on pandemic-related priorities over the weekend. The orders seek to the restore the enhanced federal unemployment benefits at a rate lower than the CARES Act allocation, defer payroll taxes until early 2021, renew the moratorium on evictions, and continue deferring student loan payments and accrued interest under the CARES Act Statute.

In IHP, TRP’s McCarthy Overviews Policy Implications of Proposed FY 21 Physician Fee Schedule

Posted on August 6, 2020August 8, 2023 by Thornrun

In an article for Inside Health Policy, TRP Senior Vice President Shea McCarthy shared his insight on the heated debate over the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) fiscal year (FY) 2021 physician fee schedule (PFS). With payment reductions of up to 11 percent imminent as a result of the proposed FY 2021 PFS, McCarthy pointed out that Congress may start to take the option of waiving the budget neutrality requirements underpinning the E/M pay bumps seriously. “Between reductions in patient volume and a hiatus on elective procedures, COVID-19 is already putting a massive strain on America’s healthcare system — and lawmakers are increasingly recognizing that many providers will struggle to keep their doors open if these drastic cuts are implemented,” said McCarthy.

In ‘Finance 202,’ TRP’s Rosenstock Offers Commentary on the Shifting Political Dynamics of the Democratic Party

Posted on August 6, 2020August 8, 2023 by Thornrun

In today’s Washington Post “The Finance 202” newsletter — a top financial services beat in Washington, D.C. — TRP’s Jason Rosenstock offered his commentary on the shifting political dynamics within the Democratic party, as well as the impact this could have on the financial services industry moving forward. Following progressive activist Cori Bush’s defeat of 10-term Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO), a member of the House financial Services Committee, Rosenstock points out that stakeholders are working to game out both the implications of different election outcomes as well as the effect that the “newly assertive left” could have on the overall direction of the Democrats’ policy priorities. “The financial services industry is perpetually going to be attacked by the far left,” said Rosenstock. “The question is, ‘How far does that bleed into the general ethos of the Democratic Party?’”

Health Policy Report (8/5)

Posted on August 5, 2020August 8, 2023 by Thornrun

Capitol Hill Update

Negotiations on the next round of COVID-19 relief legislation yielded no progress over the weekend as officials struggle to coalesce behind a bipartisan agreement. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) each acknowledged that their sides have a long way to go toward reaching a deal on the next relief package. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is remaining steadfast on his desire to see a smaller relief package that would address the expired unemployment benefits, extend the moratorium on housing evictions, and provide another round of direct payments — an approach that has been rejected by House Democrats thus far. As the sides remain far apart on the size and scope of the next package, it remains to be seen whether the talks can produce a bipartisan agreement by week’s end.