House holds first hearing on HHS budget request for FY 2020

Mar 12, 2019 - 03:25 PM
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Seal

The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee today held a hearing on the president’s fiscal year 2020 budget request for the Department of Health and Human Services, at which HHS Secretary Alex Azar testified. Released yesterday, the non-binding budget request proposes hundreds of billions of dollars in reductions to Medicare and Medicaid over 10 years. It also contains a number of provisions related to drug pricing, opioids and other health-related issues. In a statement yesterday, AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack said, “Patients should be confident in knowing that their hospital is their lifeline to access care in their community. The cuts proposed today raise serious concerns about how hospitals and health systems can ensure they serve as the safety net for their patients.”  For more on AHA's reaction, see the AHA Stat blog.
 
At today’s hearing, Azar announced that National Cancer Institute Director Norman Sharpless, M.D., will serve as acting Food and Drug Administration commissioner after current commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., departs in about a month.

Related News Articles

Headline
Senate negotiations ongoing as longest government shutdown in history continues
Senate negotiations on a potential funding deal to end the record-long government shutdown are ongoing, and the chamber is likely to continue working through…
Headline
CMS launches payment model for state Medicaid programs to purchase drugs at most-favored-nation pricing
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is launching a new initiative for state Medicaid programs to purchase prescription drugs at prices aligned…
Headline
White House announces deals with Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk to lower drug costs 
The White House announced today that it reached agreements with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to align their drug prices with the lowest paid by other developed…
Headline
AHA supports House bill pausing home health cuts for two years 
The AHA expressed support Nov. 3 for the bipartisan Home Health Stabilization Act (H.R. 5142), legislation that would establish a two-year pause on planned…
Headline
KFF analysis highlights limited physician access in Medicare Advantage plans
A new report from KFF reveals that Medicare Advantage enrollees had access to just 48% of the physicians available to Traditional Medicare beneficiaries in…
Chairperson's File
Chair File: Inside the Shutdown and Other Key 2025 Priorities
Public
This week brings the fourth week of the federal government shutdown as Congress has yet to pass legislation to fund the government. This shutdown is a bit…