The following LPG Weekly Health Care Watch provides a summary of legislative and regulatory health care activities from May 31 – June 6.  Where available, hyperlinks are included to the relevant documents. Please let us know if you have any questions or would like additional information on the items below.

NON-CORONAVIRUS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Senate

  • On June 2, the Finance Committee held a hearing entitled COVID-19 and Beyond: Oversight of the Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) Foreign Drug Manufacturing Inspection Process. Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) maintained that the FDA must have a “robust and aggressive” foreign inspection program, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. He suggested this should include more unannounced inspections of foreign facilities, such as what was done under the Obama administration’s “India Pilot Program.”  FDA’s Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs Judith McMeekin responded that the Agency has conducted more inspections of foreign facilities than U.S.-based facilities annually since 2015. In addition, Democrats raised concerns that the White House may be inappropriately influencing FDA’s response the COVID-19 pandemic. Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) argued FDA “bowed to the pressure” of hydroxychloroquine supporters by issuing an emergency use authorization (EAU) in March, which allowed for the drug to be imported from unapproved foreign facilities. Witnesses included: Judith McMeekin, Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs, Office of Regulatory Affairs, FDA; Douglas Throckmorton, MD, Deputy Director for Regulatory Programs, Center for Drug Evaluation & Research, FDA; Mark Abdoo, Associate Commissioner for Global Policy & Strategy, FDA; Mary Denigan-Macauley, Director, Health Care, Government Accountability Office (GAO); Martin VanTrieste, President & CEO, CivicaRx; David Light, Founder and CEO, Valisure; and Harry M. Lever, MD, Medical Director, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Clinic, Cleveland Clinic.

  • On June 2, the Homeland Security Committee held a hearing to consider Russ Vought as the White House’s Office of Management & Budget (OMB) Director. In addition, the Budget Committee held a nomination hearing for Vought on June 3. Vought has served as the Acting OMB Director since January 2019.

  • The Senate is expected to begin marking-up FY2021 appropriation bills towards the end of June.

  • The Senate will reconvene on June 8.

House

  • On June 2, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said the House is aiming to approve all 12 appropriation bills by the end of July, instead of the end of June as previously planned. All subcommittee and full committee markups will occur during the weeks of July 6 and 13, according to Appropriations Committee Chair Nita Lowery (D-NY). 

  • The House is not scheduled to vote again until June 30. The Chamber’s revised summer schedule is available here. 

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE 

White House Update

  • On June 1, Surgeon General Jerome Adams predicted that the wave of mass protests across the country will increase COVID-19 cases: “Based on the way the disease spreads, there is every reason to expect that we will see new clusters and potentially new outbreaks moving forward.” To prepare for a rise in cases, he suggested states should increase their supplies of tests and personal protective equipment (PPE). 

  • On June 1, Coronavirus Testing Czar Brett Giroir said he will resume his traditional role as the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Health in mid-June. According to HHS spokesperson Mia Heck, “many of the day-to-day management and operations of testing are being transitioned [from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)] to HHS operating divisions under the leadership of the Immediate Office of the Secretary.”

  • On June 3, it was reported that, as part of the Administration’s Operation Warp Speed initiative to expedite the development of vaccines, five potential vaccine candidates (manufactured by Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Pfizer) have been selected as most likely to be successful.  Their selection will give all five companies access to additional government money, help in running clinical trials and financial and logistical support for a manufacturing base that is being built even before the vaccines are approved by the FDA.

  • On June 4, Inovio Pharmaceuticals CEO Joseph Kim claimed his company is still working with the federal government on its potential vaccine, despite being excluded from the “short list. 

  • On June 5, the President signed H.R. 7010, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Flexibility Act. The measure grants small businesses that receive PPP loans 24 weeks (up from eight) to spend the money and lowers the minimum amount that must be spent on payroll from 75% to 60% for full loan forgiveness. 

  • On June 6, National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow stated that he expects negotiations on the next pandemic relief package to begin after July 4.

Legislative Update

  • On June 1, a bipartisan group of 60 bipartisan House members, led by Reps. Scott Peters (D-CA) and Jodey Arrington (R-TX), urged House leaders to include budget reform in the next pandemic relief bill. They argued that Congress “cannot ignore the pressing issue of the national debt” and should include “provisions for future budget reforms to ensure [it] confronts these issues when the economy is strong enough.” 

  • On June 2, Republicans on the Energy & Commerce Committee (E&C) released a report entitled COVID-19 Second Wave Preparedness: Testing and Surveillance. The report suggests states should work with the federal government to develop testing strategies that accommodate the unique needs of their communities. It also recommends a “smart” testing approach that directs tests to persons at the highest risk of infection, such as nursing home residents and staff, hospitalized patients, medical staff, and first responders. E&C GOP staff plan to issue a series of reports to help prepare for a second wave. 

  • On June 2, Oversight & Reform Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Select Coronavirus Crisis Subcommittee Chair Jim Clyburn (D-SC) sent a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar seeking information on the Department’s contracts with drug manufacturers for vaccine research and development. Notably, they asked if such contracts include provisions to “ensure affordability and prevent profiteering. 

  • On June 2, the E&C Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee held a hearing entitled On The Front Line: How Governors Are Battling The COVID-19 Pandemic. Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) reiterated the need for a national plan to respond to the pandemic. Subcommittee Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO) called for a dramatic increase in COVID-19 testing, citing estimates that the nation should be testing seven million people per week. Committee Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR) highlighted the progress made in testing, noting that the nation has tested more than 400,000 individuals a day several times in recent weeks. Governors Jared Polis (D-CO), Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), and Asa Hutchinson (R-AK) shared their states progress in achieving testing goals and difficulties in balancing the public health and economic aspects of the pandemic. Witnesses included: Jared Polis, Governor, Colorado; Gretchen Whitmer, Governor, Michigan; Asa Hutchinson, Governor, Arkansas. 

  • On June 3, the Senate passed H.R. 7010, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Flexibility Act, by unanimous consent.  The measure cleared after Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) was given assurances the program would expire at the end of the year.  Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Susan Collins (R-ME) are expected to continue working on legislation to fine-tune the program.  The legislation passed the House 417-1 the week prior. To date, the PPP has issued $510.3 billion in loans and has roughly $150 billion remaining.

  • On June 3, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Wyden, along with E&C Committee Chairman Pallone and Ranking Member Walden, sent a letter to Secretary Azar requesting information on the Department’s distribution of Provider Relief Fund aid to Medicaid-dependent providers. The lawmakers wrote that HHS has relied on allocation methodologies that favor providers receiving most of their revenue from Medicare or commercial insurers. They acknowledged that data limitations make aid distribution to Medicaid-dependent providers particularly difficult; nevertheless, they urged the Secretary to “martial [the Department’s] resourcefulness, and relationship with states, to develop a methodology to fairly and robustly allocate funds for Medicaid providers that reflects their costs, the nature of their care, and the financial pressures they face.”

  • On June 3, the Veteran’s Affairs Committee held a hearing entitled Review of the FY 2021 Budget and FY 2022 Advance Appropriations Request and Oversight of Coronavirus Aid Relief & Economic Security Aid (CARES) Act Supplemental Appropriations for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). As reviewed by Chairman Jerry Moran (R-KS), the President’s FY 2021 budget request would increase the VA’s budget by 10.2% relative to FY 2020 levels. He questioned how the VA would use this additional funding, along with supplemental funding included in the CARES Act, to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic while also achieving existing mission goals. According to Ranking Member Jon Tester (D-MT), more than 12,000 veterans have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and more than 1,200 have died; he raised concerns that the VA may not be positioned to manage this demand. Witnesses included: Robert Wilkie, Secretary, VA; Richard Stone, MD, Executive, Veterans Health Administration (VHA); Paul Lawrence, Under Secretary for Benefits, VA; Jon Rychalski, Assistant Secretary & Chief Financial Officer, VA. 

  • On June 3, the House Veterans’ Affairs’ (VA) Veterans’ Health Subcommittee held a virtual hearing entitled Mission Readiness: VA’s Preparedness for Natural Disasters During a Pandemic. Subcommittee Chair Julia Brownley (D-CA) questioned the VA’s ability to simultaneously manage a potential natural disaster with the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in regard to the medical supply chain. Committee Chairman Mark Takano (D-CA) reiterated her concerns that hurricanes and wildfires are forecasted to be particularly prevalent this year. Ranking Member Dr. Neal Dunn (R-FL) commended the VA on performing its “fourth mission” of emergency preparedness and support by sending staff, medical supplies, and other support to regions across the nation. Witnesses included: Daniel Sitterly, Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration, VA; Tammy Czarnecki, Deputy Assistant Under Secretary for Health Operations, Veterans Health Administration (VHA); Deborah Kramer, Acting Assistant Under Secretary for Health Support Services, VHA; Larry Mole, MD, Executive Director, Office of Public Health, VHA. 

  • On June 3, Ways & Means Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX) suggested the Research and Development Tax Credit should be doubled to make U.S. businesses more competitive globally and to spark needed economic growth. Legislation has been introduced in the House (H.R. 6713) and Senate (S. 3593) to expand the tax credit. 

  • On June 4, the Appropriations Labor, HHS, Education & Related Services Subcommittee held a hearing entitled COVID-19 Response. Subcommittee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) maintained that the nation is relying on the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to provide federal leadership based on public health. She argued the U.S. “cannot afford to have a CDC that fails to publish high-quality, specific, technical guidance” or “has reports shelved, edited, not scientifically driven, or redrafted to suit political purposes.” CDC Director Robert Redfield predicted the U.S. will need between 30,000 and 100,000 contact tracers by September to help contain a second wave in the fall and winter. Director Redfield was the sole witness. 

  • On June 4, the Oversight & Reform Select Coronavirus Subcommittee held a briefing entitled Racial Health Disparities in Coronavirus Crisis. Subcommittee Chair Clyburn maintained that “systemic racial inequalities have festered in society for years” and are now being “magnified by the coronavirus.” He argued that the federal government must ensure communities of color have equitable access to COVID-19 testing, as well as health care services more generally. Witnesses included: Uché Blackstock, MD, CEO, Advancing Health Equity; Eva Galvez, MD, Family Physician, Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center; Fawn Sharp, President, National Congress of American Indians; Leana Wen, MD, Visiting Professor, George Washington University Milken School of Public Health; and Avik Roy, President, Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity. 

  • On June 9, House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy will hold a virtual briefing entitled “COVID-19 Antibody Testing: Uses, Abuses, Limitations, and the Federal Response.”

  • Senate lawmakers are saying they do not expect to pass another pandemic relief bill until July.  

Regulatory Update

  • On June 1, the Biomedical Advanced Research & Development Authority (BARDA) announced a $628 million contract with Emergent BioSolutions to support domestic manufacturing of potential vaccine and treatments. The deal was coordinated by Operation Warp Speed. The new contract extends an existing $163 million agreement with Emergent and allows the company to expand its manufacturing facilities in Maryland. 

  • On June 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reported new data showing that there have been over 60,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and nearly 26,000 deaths among nursing home residents. To mitigate further spread, the Agency informed state survey agency directors that states that fail to complete 100% of their focused infection control nursing home surveys by July 31, 2020, must submit a corrective plan to the federal government and, if noncompliance persist, risk losing federal oversight funds. CMS also increased penalties for facilities that fail to comply with infection control requirements and continued its deployment of Quality Improvement Organizations to help states establish strong infection control and surveillance programs. 

  • On June 2, the HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness & Response (ASPR) released $250 million to providers to train workforces, expand telehealth, and purchase supplies and equipment. The funds will also be used to promote the National Special Pathogen System, a national and systematic approach to improve patient outcomes based on the Ebola-specific treatment network.

  • On June 3, CMS Administrator Seema Verma penned a Health Affairs blog post describing how demonstrations run by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) will be adjusted in light of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Notably, CMS extended the Next Generation Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model through 2021, which was scheduled to sunset at the end of 2020. A chart outlining model adjustment is available here. 

  • On June 4, CMS posted COVID-19 nursing home data. As of May 31, over 95,000 residents have contracted the virus and 32,000 have died. The dataset only accounts for 88% of facilities that participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs; it will be updated in two weeks. CMS also posted targeted inspection results on Nursing Home Compare. 

  • On June 4, HHS released new guidance requiring all lab tests reported to the CDC to include information on a patient’s race, ethnicity, age, and ZIP code, as well as which test was use. 

  • On June 4, the FDA published performance data of four antibody tests. The tests were evaluated by a collaboration between the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), CDC, and BARDA. 

  • All COVID-19 information released by CMS is posted here; specific waivers are available here.

Other

  • On May 31, the Georgetown University Center for Children & Families published a report entitled Medicaid as First Responder: Enrollment Is on the Rise. After analyzing data from 21 states, researchers concluded that total Medicaid enrollment increased by 2.8% between February and April of 2020. Of the examined states, Missouri (6.5%), Florida (5.1%), Indiana (5.1%), and Wisconsin (5.1%) had the largest increases. Montana was the only state to experience a decline in enrollment.

  • On June 1, Gilead released data from Phase III clinical trials of its drug remdesivir. According to Gilead, data revealed that patients with moderate cases of COVID-19 (i.e., patients requiring hospitalization but not needing a ventilator) taking the drug for 5 days were 65% more likely to have improved outcomes after 11 days; however, a 10-day treatment regime had no meaningful benefit compared to the standard of care. 

  • On June 1, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) sent a letter to Operation Warp Speed leaders Moncef Slaoui and General Gustave Perna advocating for commercial pharmacies to be leveraged in any vaccine distribution plan.

  • On June 2, 20 major health groups sent Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) a letter requesting increased Medicaid funding to prevent states from cutting their Medicaid budgets in response to the pandemic. Specifically, the groups asked for at least a 12% increase in states’ Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, plus additional support for particularly hard-hit states. They asked for the increase to extend “until states’ economic recovery is secure and stable.”

  • On June 3, the Pandemic Response Accountability (PRAC) held a virtual public meeting entitled Stakeholder Perspectives on Oversight of the Federal COVID-19 Spending and Response.  The Committee was created by the CARES Act to conduct oversight of $2.4 trillion in economic relief funds and is composed of 20 inspector generals. The forum provided stakeholders an opportunity to submit feedback on areas where PRAC should direct its focus to support transparency and accountability. Health care witnesses included: Christi Grimm, Moderator, Principal Deputy Inspector General, HHS; Ashish Jha, MD, Director, Harvard Global Health Institute; Ernest Grant, President, American Nurses Association; and Ralph Bozella, Chairman, Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Commissions, American Legion.

  • On June 3, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published a randomized, double-blind, controlled study examining whether hydroxychloroquine can prevent COVID-19 infection. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota and Canada, concluded that patients that took the drug were no more likely than those taking a placebo to contract the virus. 

  • On June 3, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced it will resume its clinical trial examining the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. WHO’s safety review board paused the trail last week due to safety concerns. According to WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the board concluded the trial could safety continue under existing protocol.  

  • On June 3, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that all residents will be able to access diagnostic testing at no cost, whether or not they express symptoms. 

  • On June 4, three of the four authors of a widely-cited study that links hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to an increased risk of mortality and cardiovascular complications asked the Lancet medical journal to retract its publication. The three authors claim the fourth failed to transfer data necessary for a third-party peer review, forcing them to conclude they “can no longer vouch for the veracity of the primary data sources.”

  • On June 4, Anthem announced it will donate $2.5 billion to support customers, care providers, and local communities during the pandemic, including issuing premium credits and extending cost sharing waivers for COVID-19 treatment through 2020.

  • On June 4, NEJM retracted a study assessing the use of blood pressure drugs (ACE inhibitors) to treat COVID-19 patients due to concerns of inaccurate data. 

  • On June 4, Health Affairs reported that 4,575 people in Chicago’s Cook Country Jail contracted the COVID-19 as of April 19. This represents roughly 15.9% of all cases in Chicago and 15.7% within Illinois. 

  • As of June 6, the U.S. had 1,909,077 confirmed COVID-19 cases resulting in 109,497 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University & Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center.

RULES AT THE WHITE HOUSE OMB

Pending Review

HHS-CMS

  • Conditions for Coverage for End-Stage Renal Disease Facilities—Third Party Payments (CMS-3337-P); Proposed Rule; Received 6/6/2019

  • International Pricing Index Model for Medicare Part B Drugs (CMS-5528-P); Proposed Rule; Received 6/20/2019

  • Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technologies (CMS-3372-P); Received 7/30/2019

  • Medicaid & CHIP Managed Care (CMS-2408-F); Final Rule; Received 9/26/2019

  • Establishing Minimum Standards in Medicaid State Drug Utilization Review (DUR) and Supporting Value Based Payments (VBP) for Drugs Covered in Medicaid (CMS-2482-P); Proposed Rule; Received 12/27/19

  • Strengthening Oversight of Accrediting Organizations (AO) and Preventing AO Conflict of Interest, and Related Provisions (CMS-3367); Proposed Rule; Received 2/18/20

  • Specialty Care Models to Improve Quality of Care and Reduce Expenditures (CMS-5527); Proposed Rule; Received 3/10/20

  • Treatment of Medicare Part C Days in the Calculation of a Hospital's Medicare

  • CY2021 Hospital Outpatient PPS Policy Changes and Payment Rates and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Policy Rates (CMS-1736); Proposed Rule; Received 4/21/20

  • Payment Policies for Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) (CMS-1738); Proposed Rule; Received 4/28/20

  • CY 2021 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update and Quality Reporting Requirements (CMS-1730); Proposed Rule: 5/6/2020

  • CY 2021 Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Medicare Part B (CMS-1734); Proposed Rule; 5/12/20

  • CY 2021 Changes to the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System and Quality Incentive Program (CMS-1732); Proposed Rule; 5/14/20

HHS-FDA

  • Annual Summary Reporting Requirements Under the Right to Try Act; Proposed Rule; Received 3/31/20 

  • Opioid Use Disorder: Endpoints for Demonstrating Effectiveness of Drugs for Medication-Assisted Treatment; Guidance for Industry; Notice; Received 5/28/20

HHS-SAMHSA

  • Coordinating Care and Information Sharing in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders; Final Rule; 3/16/20

REPORTS   

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

  • On June 1, GAO released a report entitled Medicaid: State Views on Program Administration Challenges. GAO interviewed Medicaid officials from all 50 states and the District of Columbia to identify challenges related to Medicaid program areas, Medicaid waiver processes, and Medicaid reporting requirements. A majority of these officials identified challenges in four program areas: coverage exclusions and care coordination, covered benefits and eligibility, Medicare and Medicaid alignment, and payment methods. To address these challenges, GAO recommended that CMS target oversight to critical areas, leverage Medicaid data, and balance federal oversight with state flexibility.  

  • On June 4, GAO released a report entitled Infectious Disease Modeling: Opportunities to Improve Coordination and Ensure Reproducibility. To improve models used to inform decision-making during and after infectious disease outbreaks, GAO recommended that HHS (1) develop a way to routinely monitor, evaluate, and report on modeling coordination efforts across federal agencies and (2) direct CDC to develop guidelines to reproduce model results (which allows other scientists to confirm results).  

  • On June 5, GAO published a report entitled Electronic Health Records (EHR): Ongoing Stakeholder Involvement Needed in the VA’s Modernization Effort. According to the report, the VA created a multi-step process to ensure that its forthcoming EHR system is configured appropriately for, and is compatible with, its clinical work processes. GAO concluded that this process has been generally effective, but the VA has not consistently ensured key stakeholder involvement. Going forward, GAO recommends that that VA include input from all relevant medical facility stakeholders in its EHR configuration decision process.

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

  • On June 1, CBO scored H.R. 6800, the Health & Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROS) Act, as passed by the House on May 15. CBO estimates the deal would cost nearly $3.5 trillion over the 2020-2030 window. 

  • On June 1, CBO released a comparison of its May 2020 GDP budget projections with its January projections. Due to the pandemic, CBO estimates that GDP will be reduced by $15.7 trillion (or 5.3%) over the next decade.  Majority Leader Schumer and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) argued the report reiterates the need for the Senate to pass emergency relief legislation “with a fierce sense of urgency.”

HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG)

  • On June 3, OIG issued a report entitled New Jersey Did Not Ensure That Its Managed Care Organizations (MCO) Adequately Assessed and Covered Medicaid Beneficiaries’ Needs for Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS). OIG conducted an audit to determine if New Jersey ensured that its MCOs complied with federal and state requirements for beneficiaries enrolled in its Medicaid managed LTSS program (MLTSS). For 68 of the 100 monthly capitation payments in OIG’s random sample, MCOs did not comply with the requirements to adequately assess and cover the associated beneficiaries' needs for LTSS. On the basis of these results, OIG estimated that New Jersey issued $386 million (federal share) to noncompliant MCOs during CY2016. 

  • On June 3, OIG released a report entitled The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Needs to Strengthen Procedures in Its Pre-Award Process to Assess Risk for Higher Risk Applicants. OIG conducted an audit to assess whether the NCI had adequate policies and procedures in its pre-award process for assessing risk when awarding grant funds. It concluded that NCI generally had sufficient policies and procedures for determining applicant risk before issuing grants; however, it did not adequately document its review process to determine financial capability for applicants that did not receive an NCI grant within the three years preceding the application. OIG recommends that the NIH direct NCI to address this shortcoming. 

  • On June 5, OIG released a report entitled HHS Should Address Gaps in Incident Response Capabilities Across the Department. Due to the public health emergency and increased cyber-activity, OIG is only posting the title of its cybersecurity audits. 

UPCOMING HEARINGS

Senate  

  • The Finance Committee is expected to hold a hearing examining the increased prevalence of fake and faulty PPE in the medical supply chain.

House 

OTHER HEALTH POLICY NEWS

  • On June 1, Mallinckrodt announced its intention to appeal the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia’s ruling that it owes the CMS roughly $650 million for knowingly underpaying Medicaid rebates for Acthar Gel. 

  • On June 1, Washington state announced the 15 insurers participating the state’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) Exchange are proposing an average 1.79% reduction in premiums for 2021. 

  • On June 4, the Colorado legislature passed H.B. 1236, the Health Care Coverage Easy Enrollment Program, which would allow residents to check a box on their state tax returns to request help determining their eligibility for federal subsidies in the state’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) Exchange. The program would take effect in 2022.