VIZIENT, INC. for VIZIENT INC

Health Issues HCR

Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376) - Supported policies to encourage health care coverage and close Medicaid coverage gap. Urged additional pandemic financial support for hospitals. Advocated for support for investments for hospitals and health care providers, including physical structure improvements, workforce and graduate medical education support. Raised opposition to using further extension of Medicare sequestration or repurposing unused provider relief funding as offsets for bipartisan infrastructure package. Telehealth - Supported passage of the CONNECT for Health Act (S. 1512/H.R. 2903) to make telehealth flexibilities permanent. Encouraged reimbursement parity for certain telehealth services and support for audio-only telehealth services. Health Care Workforce - Urged passage of the Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment (TREAT) Act (H.R. 708; S. 168); The Health Care Workforce Resilience Act (S. 1024/H.R. 2255); The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (S.610/H.R. 1667); The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act (S.834/H.R. 2256) Hospital Group Purchasing Organizations - Advocated for the importance of hospital GPOs, and highlighted role in supporting supply chain resiliency to secure essential, authentic medical supplies for hospitals throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Advocated for greater transparency in the health care supply chain for drugs and medical devices and greater transparency into the decision-making of the Strategic National Stockpile. Supported passage of the Integrity, Notification, Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces (INFORM) Consumers Act (S. 963/H.R. 5502). Provider Relief Fund - Urged HHS and Congress to offer greater flexibility and extend deadlines for hospitals to utilize PRF funding and provide clear guidance on reporting expectations. Supported Provider Relief Deadline Extension Act (S. 2493) Drug Pricing - Monitored drug pricing legislation (H.R. 3, H.R. 19, H.R. 5376) with support for policies that improve market competition and provides improvements to support hospital and patient access to needed medications. Unapproved Drugs Initiative - Engaged with HHS and the FDA to support modifications to the unapproved drugs initiative that would prevent or limit unintended price increases for older unapproved products. 340B Drug Pricing Program - Urged HHS to enforce guidance that would allow 340B Covered Entities to utilize contract pharmacies. Advocated for HHS to offer additional 340B Drug Pricing Program eligibility flexibility for hospitals that have had patient mix changed during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Social Determinants of Health - Engaged to offer support for policies to improve social determinants of health. Social Determinants of Health Accelerator Act (H.R. 2503); The LINC to Address Social Needs Act (S. 509) Health Care Equity - Offered feedback on legislation to improve access to care and reduce health care disparities. Rurual MOMS Act (H.R. 769); Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act (H.R. 959). Stark Law and Anti-kickback Statute - Encouraged Congress to continue evaluating Stark and Anti-kickback statutes to better enable care coordination in value-based alternative payment models. Antimicrobial resistance (S. 2076) - Supported passage of the Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions to End Upsurging Resistance (PASTEUR) Act.

Contacted: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); SENATE; Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Bills named: H.R. 5376 (117th), S. 1024 (117th), S. 834 (117th), H.R. 959 (117th), H.R. 769 (117th), H.R. 5502 (117th), H.R. 19 (117th), H.R. 3 (117th), S. 1512 (117th), S. 509 (117th), S. 610 (117th), H.R. 708 (117th), H.R. 2255 (117th), S. 2076 (117th), H.R. 2256 (117th), S. 963 (117th), S. 168 (117th), H.R. 1667 (117th), H.R. 2503 (117th), H.R. 2903 (117th), S. 2493 (117th)

Tariff (miscellaneous tariff bills) TAR

Tariffs - Urged extension of exclusions for Sec. 301 China Tariffs for essential medical products needed to respond ot the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contacted: SENATE; Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Medicare/Medicaid MMM

Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376) Urged support for increasing available Medicare-supported Graduate Medical Education slots as part of infrastructure package. Raised opposition to using further extension of Medicare sequestration or repurposing unused provider relief funding as offsets for bipartisan infrastructure package. Health care Workforce - Supported legislation (S.834/H.R. 2256; S. 1438) to increase the number of Medicare-supported Graduate Medical Education (GME) slots and to increase funding for Children's Hospital GME in FY2022. Telehealth - Advocated for Congress to extend or make permanent flexibilities related to distant site and geographic limitations, expanding the provider types and services available to be reimbursed by Medicare. Urged passage of the CONNECT for Health Act (S. 1512/H.R. 2903). Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) - Supported inclusion of funding to support broadband deployment needed for greater access to telehealth services. Preserving Access to Home Infusion Act (H.R. 5067)

Contacted: Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); SENATE; Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Food & Drug Administration (FDA); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Bills named: S. 1438 (117th), H.R. 5376 (117th), H.R. 2903 (117th), H.R. 5067 (117th), S. 1512 (117th), H.R. 2256 (117th), S. 834 (117th), H.R. 3684 (117th)