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Ways & Means strikes first
Yesterday, leaders of the House Ways & Means Committee passed a two-year extension of expiring Medicare telehealth provisions with a major, unanimous 41-0 vote. And importantly for the health care industry, my colleague Mario Aguilar and I wrote, they’re looking to PBM regulations to pay for the extension.
There was a telling exchange during the markup when ranking Democrat Richard Neal (Mass.) questioned whether the bill was truly offset and Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) said that lawmakers don’t have official numbers, but according to his office’s projections, it’s paid for. We’ll all find out when CBO releases its estimates, now that it’s passed out of committee.