Insights: Healthcare

Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs)

Recent/upcoming developments… Judge Kacsmaryk of the District Court for Northern Texas has struck down the most impactful components of the Biden-era SNF minimum staffing rule (the staffing quotas/minimum hours). * As previously noted, last April CMS finalized its SNF minimum staffing rule, which will require SNFs participating in Medicare and...

GLP-1 Drugs/Obesity

CMS has decided not to finalize a Biden-era proposal to formally recognize obesity as a chronic disease and reinterpret the Medicare statute to allow Part D coverage of anti-obesity medications prescribed solely for treating obesity (i.e., weight-loss).

Medicare Advantage (CY26 Rates)

CMS has released the CY26 Medicare Advantage (MA) Final Rule (also known as the Part II rule, which addresses payment issues). Under the rule, CMS asserts that aggregate plan payments will increase next year by a projected 5.06% or $25b over FY25.

Energy, Financials, Healthcare, Macro, Tech / Media / Telecom

Senate Republicans are this week planning to begin consideration of a joint budget resolution that will eventually get adopted by the House as well. It appears Republicans are preparing to forgo the typical process for agreeing in the context of the budget resolution on the basic parameters of how they’ll achieve spending cuts, and will wait...

Drug Pricing (IPI/MFN)

President Trump has repeatedly complained about the disparity in the price of drugs in the U.S. versus in other countries, and HHS/CMS explored international reference pricing during his first term. Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump’s nominee to lead CMS, referenced the concept in his recent confirmation hearing. The America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a...

Energy, Financials, Healthcare, Macro, Tech / Media / Telecom

Senate Republicans continue to deliberate over the major issues associated with a single, broad-based budget resolution that allows for large-scale tax cuts and spending reductions, as was passed by the House and endorsed by President Trump (versus the narrower Senate-passed version that just focuses on border and defense spending). House...