McDermott+Consulting

This week in the Breakroom, Anthony Livshen and Katie Waldo join Erin Fuller to discuss HHS's release of the largest public dataset of Medicaid provider spending data in department history; breaking down what the dataset includes, its analytical value and limitations, and how the release may influence the broader congressional and administrative focus on fraud, waste, and abuse in healthcare programs.

In this week's Healthcare Preview, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Julia Grabo to discuss what to watch for this week on Capitol Hill, including President Trump's State of the Union address and upcoming healthcare hearings.

This week in the Breakroom, Debbie Curtis and special guest Heather Foster, VP of Marketplace Policy at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans, join Maddie News to break down the proposed 2027 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters and discuss on the ground implications of the proposals.

In this week's Healthcare Preview, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Erin Fuller to discuss what to watch during the congressional recess and examine how DOGE's release of provider-level Medicaid claims data could shape stakeholder responses and future congressional or administrative oversight of the healthcare system.

This week in the Breakroom, Katie Waldo joins Julia Grabo to discuss the recent focus on Medicaid fraud by the Trump administration and Congress, and what to watch moving forward.

In this week's Healthcare Preview, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Maddie News to discuss upcoming congressional hearings on healthcare affordability and fraud.

This week in the Breakroom, Amy Kelbick and Josh Jorgensen join Erin Fuller to discuss how Congress brought an end to the recent partial government shutdown, and what may be next on the congressional health policy agenda in the months ahead.

Government funding lapsed on Friday, triggering a partial shutdown. In this week's Healthcare Preview, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Julia Grabo to discuss what the House of Representatives must do to reopen the government.

This week in the Breakroom, Jeffrey Davis joins Maddie News for deep dive into the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC), which recently received its first publicly submitted proposal in six years.

In this week's Healthcare Preview, Rodney Whitlock and Debbie Curtis join Erin Fuller to discuss the challenges facing the Senate this week as it works to avoid a government shutdown – and the implications for healthcare policy.

This week in the Breakroom, Josh Jorgensen and Amy Kelbick join Julia Grabo to discuss the content and trajectory of the healthcare package released earlier this week in the House of Representatives.

In this week's Healthcare Preview, Rodney Whitlock and special guest Josh Jorgensen join Maddie News to discuss the recently released FY2026 Labor-HHS bill, and the health policies attached to it, along with next steps for passage.

This week in the Breakroom, Paul Gadiock, Partner at McDermott Will and Schulte, joins Erin Fuller to discuss the recent FDA guidance on clinical decision support (CDS) software and general wellness products, and the tone this sets for the future of digital health product regulation.

In this week's Healthcare Preview, Rodney Whitlock, Amy Kelbick, and Josh Jorgensen join Erin Fuller to break down what to watch in the Senate after the House advanced an extension of enhanced APTCs – and what it all signals for healthcare policy in 2026.

This week in the Breakroom, Simeon Niles and Amy Kelbick join Maddie News to dive into recent administration announcements and CMMI models related to drug pricing and accessibility.

In our first Healthcare Preview podcast of 2026, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Julia Grabo to discuss what healthcare issues Congress is focused on as the second session of the 119th Congress begins.

This week in the Breakroom, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Erin Fuller to recap congressional debates in both chambers on healthcare affordability and the future of the Advanced Premium Tax Credits, and how these developments could shape the outlook for 2026 on Capitol Hill.

In this week's Healthcare Preview, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Julia Grabo to discuss what they are watching on the House floor this week.

This week in the Breakroom, Simeon Niles and Parashar Patel join Maddie News to discuss the recently announced CMS ACCESS model and FDA TEMPO pilot, and what digital health companies should keep in mind when assessing participation.

In this week's Healthcare Preview, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Erin Fuller to discuss what Congress is up to this week amidst ongoing debates to address the soon-to-be expiring enhanced Advanced Premium Tax Credits.

This week in the Breakroom, Deborah Godes and Marla Kugel join Julia Grabo to explore key policies in the recently released CY 2026 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Service Center Payment System final rule.

In this week's Healthcare Preview podcast, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Maddie News to discuss the congressional calendar for this week and the rest of the year, including upcoming suspensions and hearings, and ongoing discussions of the enhanced Advance Premium Tax Credits.  

In this week's Healthcare Preview, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Erin Fuller to recap last week's congressional discussions on healthcare affordability and break down new reports of a White House health policy plan to address the soon-to-be expiring advanced premium tax credits.

Today in the Health Policy Breakroom, Katie Waldo and Kayla Holgash join Julia Grabo to discuss recent actions around implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's (OBBBA's) provider tax provisions and Rural Health Transformation Program.

In the third and final episode of our Breakroom series celebrating people with disabilities and those who care for them, Kayla Holgash is joined by Jenny Babcock, Senior Vice President for Medicaid Policy at Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP). Jenny and Kayla discuss the life and legacy of Jenny's sister, Jill Babcock, who was a fierce advocate for those with disabilities, serving as Director of Fair Housing for the City of Detroit Housing and Revitalization Department, and founding a consulting firm that helped organizations navigate the intersection of economic development and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

In the second episode of our Breakroom series celebrating people with disabilities and those who care for them, Kayla Holgash is joined by Yadira Holmes, Vice President, Government Relations at Sevita. Yadira and Kayla discuss how work can be treatment for their participants, how Sevita helps their participants find appropriate jobs, and policy suggestions to support individuals with disabilities.

In this week's Healthcare Preview podcast, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Maddie News to discuss what Congress is up to this week after the reopening of the government, including key health hearings and the ongoing debate on the enhanced premium tax credits.

This week in the Breakroom, Jeffrey Davis and Rachel Stauffer join Maddie News to discuss the continuing resolution that ended the government shutdown and retroactively restored Medicare telehealth flexibilities, including what guidance is needed for providers before submitting certain telehealth claims.

In the first episode of our Breakroom series celebrating people with disabilities and those who care for them, Kayla Holgash is joined by Jeffrey Davis, McDermott+ health policy director and primary author of our Regs & Eggs blog. Jeffrey and Kayla discuss Jeffrey's personal experience with disability and how it has related to his career, his upbringing, his support system, and what he wishes more people knew about working and living with disabilities.

In this week's Healthcare Preview, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Erin Fuller to discuss the Senate's recent deal to reopen the government and what to watch for next from Congress in the ongoing fight to fund the government. 

This week in the Breakroom, Jeffrey Davis and Rachel Hollander join Erin Fuller to break down major payment policies in the CY 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule.

In this week's Healthcare Preview podcast, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Julia Grabo to discuss why we are watching this week closely for signs of a reopening government.

This week in the Breakroom, Debbie Curtis joins Julia Grabo to dig into the conversation within Congress and the administration around the expiring enhanced advanced premium tax credits ahead of Affordable Care Act Marketplace enrollment opening on November 1, 2025.

In this week's Healthcare Preview podcast, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Maddie News to discuss the upcoming start of the health insurance marketplace open enrollment, and what any potential congressional action on the enhanced premium tax credits could mean for the marketplaces.

This week in the Breakroom, Jeffrey Davis joins Maddie News to discuss how the ongoing government shutdown and the expiration of certain congressional healthcare extenders have impacted Medicare's processing of physician claims, and what recent changes mean for healthcare providers.

In this week's Healthcare Preview podcast, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Erin Fuller to discuss the ongoing government shutdown and the upcoming Senate HELP Committee hearing on the 340B program.

This week in the Breakroom, Rachel Stauffer joins Erin Fuller to discuss the expiration of the Medicare fee-for-service telehealth flexibilities and unpack what this means for patients, providers, and the future of virtual care.

Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Julia Grabo to discuss the current state of the government shutdown.

Amy Kelbick and Simeon Niles join Julia Grabo to discuss the implementation of President Trump's most-favored nation drug pricing executive order, including how manufacturers are responding and possible next steps.

In this week's Healthcare Preview, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Maddie News to discuss the government shutdown, what the Senate and House are up to this week, and how the shutdown could end.

This week in the Breakroom, Jeff Davis and Amy Kelbick join Erin Fuller to discuss what we can expect from Congress and the Department of Health and Human Services during the government shutdown, and how specific healthcare programs will be impacted.

In this week's Healthcare Preview, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Maddie News to discuss where we are at with the looming government funding deadline of September 30, and what stakeholders should keep in mind with expiring healthcare programs.

Lynn Nonnemaker joins Julia Grabo to discuss what Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D proposals have been finalized, and, more importantly, which ones have not yet been addressed.

In this week's Healthcare Preview, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Erin Fuller to discuss where Congress is at in their battle to fund the government as the September 30th deadline quickly approaches, as well as an overview of last week's highly-anticipated Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting.

This week in the Breakroom, Rachel Stauffer and Amy Kelbick join Erin Fuller for a deep dive into the MAHA Commission's "Make Our Children Healthy Again Assessment," and discuss anticipated next steps in its implementation.

On this special edition of the breakroom, Maddie News interviews a new member of the McDermott+ team, Erin Fuller, who will become a new host of our weekly Preview and Breakroom podcasts.

In this week's Healthcare Preview, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Maddie News to discuss what's going on in Congress this week, from government funding to healthcare activity at the committee level.

This week in the Breakroom, Jeffrey Davis joins Julia Grabo to discuss the Spring 2025 Unified Agenda and what it might tell us about the Trump administration's regulatory and deregulatory healthcare priorities.

In this week's Healthcare Preview, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Maddie News to discuss what options Congress may be considering to fund the government with 12 legislative days left before the September 30th deadline, and the renewed focus on vaccines following Secretary Kennedy's testimony in front of the Senate Committee on Finance.

This week in the Breakroom, Jeffrey Davis and Rachel Stauffer join Maddie News to discuss progress on HHS appropriations and what's to come.

Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Julia Grabo to discuss how the forthcoming government funding fight could play out.