Washington Update
Advocacy and Legal Team – Legislative and Regulatory Updates
by Artemis Policy Group
Government Shutdown Begins – and Continues
Congress was unable to pass legislation to fund the government before fiscal year 2026 started on October 1st. As a result, the federal government has been shut down: “essential” personnel are working, while other federal staff are furloughed. The shutdown is now the longest full shutdown on record.
Selected federal programs – and how they are impacted by a government shutdown | |
Social Security | Benefits continue. Social Security is considered a mandatory program; funding and Social Security payments are not interrupted. |
Medicare | Benefits continue. There may be interruptions to some incidental services, e.g., issuance of replacement Medicare cards.
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Medicaid | Benefits continue. According to the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal government has enough money to fund Medicaid for the first quarter of fiscal 2026. |
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) | The US Department of Agriculture has announced that it will not tap its $5 billion contingency fund to maintain SNAP benefits. Many states warn they will be forced to suspend SNAP benefits by November 1. |
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) | Benefits continue for now, based on a temporary funding workaround announced by the White House, but some states warn they may run out of funding as soon as November 1. |
Head Start | Programs continue for now, though disruptions are possible later in the year. |
US Postal Service | Post offices will be open as usual and USPS will continue to deliver mail. |
It is unclear when the shutdown stalemate will be resolved. The House has not met in session since it passed a stopgap funding bill and left town on September 19th. The Senate, for its part, continues without success to hold votes on the House-passed bill. Republicans are seeking to pass a clean temporary funding measure (“continuing resolution” or CR), while Democrats are insisting that Congress act to extend the expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies.
Alliance Hill Day
Despite the government shutdown, the Alliance was able to hold its biggest ever Hill Day on October 7th. Over 130 participants (including 24 patients) attended 10 member-level meetings with Senators or Representatives, and 111 meetings with Hill staff; they also made dozens of unscheduled drop-in visits to leave behind Alliance materials. Participants described the integrated, comprehensive care that HTCs provide; the importance of the 340B Program to the national network of HTCs; the vital role played by federal health programs at CDC and HRSA in supporting HTCs and HTC patients; and the affordability and access challenges that currently impact patients with bleeding disorders across the country.
340B Legislation and Hearing
Representative Buddy Carter introduced H.R. 5256, the 340B ACCESS Act, on September 10th. This bill raises the same concerns as last year’s almost identical legislation, such as a restrictive patient definition, burdensome transparency requirements, and constraints on subgrantee participation in the 340B program. Alliance Hill Day participants addressed many of these topics during their meetings, and the Alliance policy team will continue to monitor this bill along with any other 340B reform efforts.
On October 23rd, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) held a hearing on The 340B Program: Examining Its Growth and Impact on Patients. The committee heard from Michelle Rosenberg (U.S. Government Accountability Office), Aditi Sen (Congressional Budget Office), and Dr. William Feldman (UCLA). The focus of the hearing was on the September 2025 report from the Congressional Budget Office on Growth in the 340B Drug Pricing Program and past analysis by the GAO and research on 340B by Dr Feldman and colleagues. There was good attendance at the hearing, and most Senators expressed support for the 340B program, especially those from more rural states There was also bi-partisan support for greater oversight by the Office of Pharmacy Affairs and covered entity reporting on revenue and how funds are used.
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Also In This Issue…
Jeff Weighs In
Member and Community Relations Update
- Announcing New MCR Territory Coverage Assignments
- Building Connections and Navigating Change in Medicaid Leadership
- Open Enrollment is Upon Us: BEWARE OF JUNK HEALTHPLANS
Administration and Operations Update
- No Tricks, Just Impact: Fall Meeting Highlights