Health Care

ML Strategies has published the first installment of a new weekly preview, designed to give you quick overview of health happenings in the coming week. The preview highlights upcoming activity in the House and Senate and other hot topics on the Hill.

Mintz and ML Strategies will be hosting the 2nd Annual Pharmacy Industry Summit on April 5th and 6th! The Summit will bring together stakeholders and thought leaders from across the industry to discuss legal and policy challenges facing manufacturers, PBMs, payors, pharmacies, and providers.

The pharmacy industry continues to be under scrutiny from all angles.  As legislative, agency, and enforcement priorities take shape under the new administration, the industry is faced with what seems like daily developments in terms of policy updates, legislation, and potential regulation.

ML Strategies has published its Washington Outlook for 2017, with a collection of materials covering what to expect from the 115th Congress, spanning multiple issues and industries.

Next Tuesday, January 12th, Mintz and ML Strategies will host the first installment of our three-part series focusing on the 21st Century Cures Act (“Cures Act”).  The Cures Act represents significant legislation that will have overarching implications on medical research, product development, and drug and biologic manufacturing.

As is well known, drug prices have been widely discussed nationally. They have been the subject of Congressional hearings and, in the case of Mylan, a high profile settlement.

Today, our colleagues at ML Strategies released their first look at what the results of Tuesday's election mean for health care. The client alert addresses both the lame duck session and what to expect in 2017 and beyond.

There are a number of factors to consider that have broad implications beyond health care:

After closing the book on the formal sessions in July, Massachusetts lawmakers have turned their attention to the November election. The Senate and House of Representatives convene in informal sessions for the remainder of the year and no controversial legislative matters are expected to pass during this time.

As stakeholders and watchers of the expansive field of regenerative medicine likely are aware, earlier this year a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Cell Stem Cell reported on the growth of so-called stem cell clinics operating in the U.S.

As of June 2015, 24 states utilize a traumatic or acquired brain injury waiver,1 as provided under section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act, which are designed to help individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) live in the community setting of their choice.

The next six weeks are shaping up to be the final work period before the summer recess, with both chambers scheduled to leave DC by July 15th for party conventions followed by the August recess.

The pharmaceutical industry is facing the prospect of a rapidly evolving landscape, one that challenges its regulatory understanding and business model.

The next six weeks are shaping up to be the final work period before the summer recess, with both chambers scheduled to leave DC by July 15th for party conventions followed by the August recess.

The Massachusetts Senate voted unanimously to pass its FY2017 state budget just before midnight on Thursday, May 26. The spending plan, which totals $39.558 billion, spends $60 million more than Governor Baker’s proposal and $50 million more than the House plan approved last month. 

The pharmacy industry is under increasing scrutiny from all angles. Whether at the legislative or agency level, Washington as well as many states seem intent on addressing perceived issues surrounding drug pricing, reimbursement, and program integrity.

Here in Washington, it seems everyone has an idea on a drug “fix”:  amendments to the provisions governing Medicare reimbursement, new rebate requirements, changes to price reporting measures, revisions to the 340B Drug Discount Program, etc. Proposals are interesting, but will Congress actually do anything?  If anything is actually going to pass, it has to get through the Senate.

Following our first panel discussing Drug Pricing Challenges and Opportunities, the second panel, which Theresa is moderating involves a subject near and dear to the heart of many of our clients: The New Wave of Value-Based Pricing and Contracting.

We are thrilled that our inaugural Pharmacy Industry Summit is now less than a week away.  The Summit is next Tuesday May 10th, 2016, here in our DC offices.  Since we started planning for the Summit many months ago, this hottest of topics that we chose to cover, drug pricing, has become even hotter.

In a unanimous vote of 156-0, the Massachusetts House of Representatives approved a $39.56 billion spending plan for FY2017 on April 27. Over three days, the House considered more than 1,300 amendments to pass a final budget that allocates approximately $10 million more than Governor Baker’s spending plan, but closely resembles his proposals.