3 programming notes before the Digest:

• Starting next week, the Digest will have a new home at Park Place Live, a brand new project from former AHCA President Mark Parkinson and z-INTEL founder Marc Zimmet. Park Place Live is designed with one goal in mind: providing the insight into the long-term care sector that help operators thrive. In fact, the mission statement is straightforward: OUR MISSION IS YOUR SUCCESS. Come check out our soon-to-be-expanded Digest lineup and find out everything you need to know!

• Jay Gormley’s expanded Advisory Digest, which expands on the Digest with context and background relevant specifically to the long-term care sector’s financial partners, will continue to be available for z-Intel subscribers and Zimmet Health’s Advisory Clients. If you’d like to learn more or sign up, please reach out.

• If you want to hear more about Park Place Live, or simply become a smarter stakeholder in long-term care, come join us at next week’s Zimmet Conference, taking place from August 12^th – 14^th at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. For more information or to register, visit the conference site.

WHITE HOUSE:

The White House focused this week on the first report (available here as a PDF) from the White House’s “Working Group on Digital Asset Markets” outlining the roadmap for American growth in the crypto markets, a new “President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition”, and a trade deal with the European Union. Two items of interest for us:

• • Continuing his efforts to drive down drug pricing, the President sent letters to the leading drug manufacturers urging them to take steps to implement Most Favored Nation (MFN) drug pricing for American citizens. While the details still need to be worked out, MFN pricing would essentially tie pricing in the US to the lowest prices available in other countries.

• • The White House ended the duty-free de minimis exemption for commercial shipments under $800. The move, intended to combat the abuse of the system used by those involved in the illicit drug trade, may have unintended consequences for those involved in legitimate shipping of other goods, such as medical supplies.

CONGRESS:

With the House out for the summer, the action this week is in the Senate, where appropriators are trying to get the ball rolling on the federal appropriations process. An initial effort to create a 3-bill “minibus” didn't advance, although Senators are hopeful they can get something done by the end of today. The big holdup appears to be tied to a stall in getting the President’s nominees confirmed with talks ongoing between Democratic senators and the White House. For the most part, this is all still performative in the leadup to the frantic negotiations that are still to come in September. Elsewhere in the political world:

• • I talk a lot about funding deadlines, government shutdowns, and the appropriations process. This is a good explainer on what it all means.

• • Roll Call tracked down the 84 members who left Congress after the last Session. It’s a good look at the, uh, career path for Congressional members.

• • Texas’ push to redistrict is setting off a redistricting arms race with California leading the way, along with other blue states.

• • Congress passed, and the President signed, a new bill that reforms the VA’s home loan program for veterans.

• • The President is starting to tussle with Republican Senators, including staunch allies, and it’s making some Senators nervous.

AGENCIES:

CMS released the final SNF payment rule this week with a 3.2% Medicare rate increase for SNF’s. It was a pleasant surprise from the proposed rule, which only had a 2.8% increase. The final rule can be accessed at the Federal Register. The final rule also keeps open CMS’ request for ideas on how to deregulate the Medicare beneficiary through September 15^th.

CMS also released final payment rules for:

• • Hospice
  • Hospitals/Long-Term Care Hospitals

CMS released preliminary technical information related to the Medicare Part D program.

In their ongoing effort to create more collaboration related to sharing patient data, CMS hosted a “Make Health Tech Great Again” initiative with the goal of creating an easier path to sharing data. The central resource page is here. In line with some of their other recent efforts, this is a voluntary public-private participation. A full list of participating companies, and all the different focal points, can be found here.

HHS announced the launch of a “refreshed” federal healthdata.gov website as well as “Living HHS Open Data Plan” with the goal of creating more access to improve public transparency and better leverage information for the public.

HRSA’s Office of Pharmacy Affairs announced a new pilot program for providers who are potentially eligible for 340B drug rebates. The full details are here (PDF).

The OIG at HHS released a report highlighting that hospitals don’t do a very good job at reporting events inside the building and complying with requirements that they do so. The memo is here (PDF), the full report here (PDF), and the summary here (PDF).

The DOJ is investigating New York Presbyterian Hospital for potential antitrust violations related to their dealings with insurance companies.

Not really related to the healthcare world at all, but it’s always interesting to see how agencies are lobbied. The NY Times did a deep dive into what led to a recent IRS decision to allow Churches to endorse candidates from the pulpit.

FROM THE NOTEBOOK:

• • The Kaiser Family Foundation released their 2025 report on Medicare Advantage, looking at trends and features of the plans, such as premiums and prior authorization requirements. They also released a poll showing the shocking news that the public really hates the prior authorization process.

• • Pennsylvania’s ongoing budget stalemate is delaying payments to schools and counties.

• • UnitedHealthcare is dropping a whole bunch of their MA plans.

• • The Mayo Clinic is partnering with Nvidia to deploy generative AI in clinical settings.

• • A whole bunch of Kansas lawmakers are frustrated with the state’s Nursing Board, and the ways they’re contributing to the ongoing workforce shortage.

• • Rhode Island initiated a special enrollment period for folks who want to leave their United Healthcare MA plan following the end of their contract with one of the local hospitals.