Senate and House panels hold hearings on opioid and substance use disorder treatment among Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and how distributors might contribute to the crisis.

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold hearings this week on measures to combat the opioid epidemic.

When Congress returns next week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce will consider more than a dozen bills during its third and final hearing on the opioid crisis.

The final package, passed last week, included $4 billion for combating the opioid crisis and a $10 billion increase in HHS funding, but left out measures to stabilize the insurance marketplace.

The House of Representatives approved a $1.3 trillion fiscal year 2018 omnibus spending bill that includes nearly $4 billion to combat the opioid crisis and increased funding for the National Institutes of Health.

The three-pronged approach aims to reduce drug demand, cut off the flow of illicit drugs domestically and internationally, and expand opportunities for proven addiction treatments.

Negotiations on the bill have stalled amid disagreements on certain provisions, such as including language barring abortion access as part of a package to stabilize the Affordable Care Act's insurance marketplace.

Congress this week is focused on negotiating legislation to stabilize the Affordable Care Act insurance marketplace and efforts to fight the opioid crisis.

House hearings will review legislation on enforcement measures to combat the opioid crisis; a new Senate bill would provide funding for prevention and treatment programs.

Republicans from both chambers work on a marketplace stabilization package; Senate Finance Committee Republicans plan to review the Internal Revenue Service's process for designating nonprofit hospitals.

The budget plan for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 proposes changes to the distribution of 340B Drug Pricing Program savings and increased funding to fight the opioid crisis.

Senate Finance Committee leadership sent a letter to stakeholders requesting information on Medicare and Medicaid policy options that could be used to combat the opioid epidemic.

The measure, which updates a continuing resolution set to expire on Feb. 8, delays cuts to Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments for fiscal years 2018 and 2019.

The association continues to work with congressional leadership and staff to ensure a delay of Medicaid disproportionate share hospital cuts is included in the next funding measure; Senate confirms new Health and Human Services Secretary.

The designation allows federal health agencies to allocate resources and hire specialists to combat the opioid crisis. The original declaration was set to expire on Jan. 23.

As Congress focuses on Jan. 19 funding deadline, America's Essential Hospitals continues pressure to delay Medicaid disproportionate share hospital cuts. The Trump administration releases guidance on work requirements for Medicaid recipients.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will host an information session and a series of four webinars in the coming weeks to provide information on new opportunities for states.

The association launched an advocacy and media campaign calling on Congress to delay Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payment cuts as part of a long-term government funding measure.

The new rule is intended to improve care coordination and better align current rules with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Congress returns from recess to focus on long-term solutions after passing a short-term bill to fund the government through Jan. 19; lawmakers push for delay of 340B Drug Pricing Program cuts.

The proposed rule increases flexibility for Medicare Advantage plans and implements the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016.

CMS announced a new streamlined process to encourage state innovation through demonstrations and approved new demonstrations for New Jersey and Utah.

The emergency declaration expands telemedicine services to treat addiction and opens up the Public Health Emergency Fund, among other actions to combat the opioid crisis.

The CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act extends Children's Health Insurance Program funding for five years and delays cuts to Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments for two years.

A bipartisan Senate bill would fund cost-sharing reduction payments; Congress has yet to renew funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program.

The five-year demonstration project, beginning Jan. 1, 2018, aims to strengthen substance use disorder care for state Medicaid beneficiaries.

Tuesday's decision effectively ends Congress’ current push to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act; a letter calling for the delay of Medicaid DSH cuts has garnered nearly 200 signatures in the House.

In a report to Congress, the commission details state solutions for improving care delivery, increasing treatment availability, and reducing opioid misuse.

The webinar on June 28 will focus on the Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program's Reducing Substance Use Disorders program area.

The funds aim to increase the use of medication-assisted treatment, train first responders, and increase access to overdose reversal medications.

In awarding the funds, HHS Secretary Tom Price committed to collaborating with states and seeking their “assistance to identify best practices, lessons learned, and key strategies that produce measurable results.”

The agency estimates that MA organization payment rates will increase by 0.45 percent on average in 2018, with an expected average revenue increase of 2.95 percent when accounting for coding changes.

President Trump established the commission and ordered it to make final recommendations by Oct. 1; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will serve as chair.