Top News
Roundtable Signs On to Two Letters to Congressional Leadership
The Roundtable recently signed on to two letters addressing hospital pricing and billing practices. The first, coordinated by Families USA, calls on Congressional leadership to close loopholes in the No Surprises Act that are driving up health costs. The letter drew support from 67 organizations spanning consumer groups, labor groups, employer organizations, and patient advocates. The full letter can be read here.
The second urged the Trump administration to finalize a “site neutral” payment reform in its proposed Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) rule, which would require imaging services without contrast to be priced the same regardless of care setting. In comments submitted to THE Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the coalition pressed Administrator Oz to adopt the policy, framing it as one of the more effective tools to restrain rising health care costs. The letter also called on CMS to strengthen price transparency rules so patients and purchasers can see actual hospital prices in dollar terms before receiving care. The second letter can be found here.
Congress Works to Revise No Surprises Act
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), outgoing chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, is drafting legislation to rework the No Surprises Act (NSA), a 2020 law he authored to shield patients from out-of-network medical bills. After losing his primary election, Cassidy appears motivated to secure the law’s revision as part of his legislative legacy. The Senate HELP Committee is holding stakeholder roundtables this month with doctors, insurers, employers, and independent arbitrators, followed by a full committee roundtable and a November hearing that is expected to include HHS testimony. Proposals under consideration include measures to reduce the arbitration backlog by blocking ineligible claims, enforcing payout timelines, and creating payment tiers to prevent lopsided arbitration awards.
The House Ways and Means Committee is pursuing a parallel but narrower effort, largely deferring to Rep. Greg Murphy’s (R-NC) No Surprises Enforcement Act targeting insurers who don’t pay after arbitration rulings. Both committees face a tight timeline before the midterm elections, and some staff expect that a genuine fix won’t come together until the next Congress. The Roundtable will continue to monitor any updates coming out of the Chair’s office.
Administrative Action
HHS Names Four New Senior Leaders at FDA
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced four senior leadership appointments at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as part of an effort to advance the agency’s priorities around innovation, national health security, and drug affordability.
Jared Seehafer will serve as FDA’s first Deputy Commissioner for Technology and Artificial Intelligence, a newly created role overseeing the agency’s technology and AI strategy. Michael Davis, previously Acting Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), will now lead the center permanently, with a focus on expanding access to affordable medicines, advancing drug development science, and strengthening the drug supply chain. Karim Mikhail moves from Acting Director to permanent Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), where he will work to modernize regulatory pathways, particularly for rare diseases, and strengthen vaccine safety oversight. Bret Koplow will lead the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) after serving as its Acting Director, focusing on expanding access to reduced-harm alternatives for adult smokers while working to limit youth tobacco use.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the appointments are meant to help FDA “move faster” and deliver on the administration’s health priorities, while Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas said the selections reflect the agency’s broader direction on talent and infrastructure.
CMS Bars 11 Medical Equipment Suppliers Over $3.4 Billion in Suspected Fraudulent Billing
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), working with the White House Anti-Fraud Task Force and the Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG), placed 11 durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) suppliers on its Preclusion List, barring them from future Medicare Advantage (MA) Part C and Part D payments following more than $3.4 billion in suspected fraudulent billing in 2025 and 2026. CMS said the suppliers shared several characteristics: none had submitted claims prior to 2025, all used improper billing practices, all billed for equipment for beneficiaries who were already deceased, and some supplied equipment to beneficiaries who never requested or received it. Four of the 11 had previously been revoked from Original Medicare before shifting to billing MA plans. CMS said it will continue working with the OIG and other program integrity partners on further enforcement.
HHS Awards Over $11 Million to Expand Medical Residencies in Rural and Tribal Communities
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded $11.2 million on September 4, 2026, to support 15 new physician residency programs across 14 states under the Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) Program. The new programs will train physicians in rural and tribal communities in family medicine, internal medicine, preventive medicine, psychiatry, and general surgery. Each award recipient receives up to $750,000 over three years to fund program planning activities including accreditation, curriculum development, faculty recruitment, and resident recruitment, along with the development of long-term financing plans using Medicare, Medicaid, and other funding sources intended to sustain the programs beyond the federal grant period.
Since RRPD’s establishment in 2019, HRSA has invested nearly $77 million across 36 states and one territory. As of July 2026, this has resulted in 66 accredited rural residency programs, 818 approved residency positions, and more than 850 resident physicians enrolled in rural training settings.
Healthcare Advisory Committee Holds Second Public Meeting
The Healthcare Advisory Committee held its second public meeting on Monday, August 31, 2026. The six working groups addressed a broad range of topics drawn from the framing questions circulated ahead of the meeting, including behavioral health access gaps, the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM), quality reporting simplification, T-MSIS modernization, food is medicine, Medicare Advantage, and fraud, waste, and abuse. A full summary of the meeting can be found here. The working groups will now translate these policy discussions into formal recommendations, with the committee’s next meeting scheduled for Monday, November 9, 2026.
NIAID Pivots Toward Immunology as NIH Expands Collaboration With DOD
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) new strategic plan places greater emphasis on immune system dysfunction, inflammation, antimicrobial resistance, and technology, while pandemic preparedness and emerging infectious diseases receive less prominence than previous strategies. The plan also highlights artificial intelligence and machine learning, especially their potential use in analyzing health records and identifying existing drugs that could be used for other immune-related conditions. The new priorities represent a shift from the approach outlined by former NIAID Director Jeanne Marrazzo who called for a greater focus on pandemic preparedness, emerging diseases, women’s health, health disparities, diversity and equity, and global health in 2024. The change comes as NIAID also considers reorganizing its Division of Clinical Research. Infectious disease groups have raised concerns about potential disruptions to clinical research, and public comments on the proposal due September 18, 2026.
At the same time, NIH and DOD have entered into an agreement that could make NIH funding available for DOD projects involving medical countermeasures, including treatments and protective equipment for infectious and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. The arrangement has prompted concerns from lawmakers and research groups about its potential impact on infectious disease research, although House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) stated that no NIH funding had been transferred. The agreement runs through September 2036.
Congressional Action
House E&C Health Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on Medicare Payment Reform and Cybersecurity
The House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee will hold a legislative hearing on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, titled “Examining Legislative Proposals to Reform Medicare Provider Payment and Bolster Health Care Cybersecurity.” In a joint statement, Energy & Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Health Subcommittee Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) described the hearing as a continuation of the Subcommittee’s efforts to identify durable solutions to longstanding Medicare physician payment challenges.
The hearing will address 17 bills. Among those receiving particular attention is the Patients First Act of 2026 (H.R. 9693), introduced jointly by the House Republican and Democratic Doctors Caucuses to reform the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015. The Subcommittee will also consider the Provider Reimbursement Stability Act of 2026 (H.R. 8163), the Medicare Physician Data-driven Performance Payment System Act of 2026 (H.R. 8622), and the Promoting Fairness for Medicare Providers Act of 2026 (H.R. 7863).
Physician organizations have long advocated for a Medicare payment structure that more accurately reflects the rising cost of operating a medical practice, and some stakeholders view this bipartisan package as one of the strongest chances in recent years to advance meaningful reform. The hearing gives lawmakers a chance to evaluate potential revisions ahead of the lame-duck session, when health care organizations are expected to advocate for inclusion of their priorities in a year-end legislative package. Some lobbyists, however, have expressed skepticism regarding these bills’ prospects for passage this year. The Roundtable is monitoring the hearing closely and will provide a summary of key takeaways in the next edition of the eNews.
Rep. Murphy Urges CMS to Expand “Food is Medicine”
Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. (R-NC), joined by seven congressional colleagues, sent a letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz requesting that the agency expand access to healthy food benefits for Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollees. The letter argues that nutrition plays a critical role in preventing and managing both acute and chronic illness, urging CMS to act using its existing regulatory authority rather than waiting for new legislation. Drawing on his background as a physician, Murphy frames the issue around the “food is medicine” concept, insisting that preventive nutrition support could help seniors better manage chronic conditions and avoid more costly, acute hospital care down the line.
Currently, access to these benefits is largely limited to beneficiaries who meet narrow eligibility criteria based on health status and hospitalization risk. Murphy and his co-signers are pushing to expand eligibility, allowing more seniors to use nutritious food as a tool for preventing and managing chronic disease, lowering overall health care costs, and improving quality of life.
Save the Date: 2026 Annual Conference
HealthCare Roundtable 22nd Annual Conference
November 4-6, 2026
The Mayflower Hotel
Washington, D.C.
