From Washington, DC

• Per a Senate news release,
  • “U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) today released legislative text within the Finance Committee’s jurisdiction for inclusion in Senate Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill.” * * *
  • “Click HERE to view bill text.
  • “Click HERE for a section-by-section.
  • “Click HERE for a bill overview.”

• STAT News adds,
  • “To help pay for President Trump’s tax cuts, the Senate is clamping down on tactics that states use to boost federal Medicaid funding, according to legislation released by the Senate Finance Committee on Monday.
  • “The text includes harsher restrictions on Medicaid provider taxes than a version of the bill recently passed by the House. It also places stricter limits on programs that states use to boost Medicaid funding to health care providers, known as State directed payments.
  • “The Finance Committee, led by Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), is responsible for the largest portion of the budget reconciliation bill that Republicans are using to make good on Trump’s promise to extend expiring tax cuts and create new ones. The House passed its version of the One Big Beautiful Bill last month, and Senate Republicans are now negotiating it.”

• The American Hospital Association News tells us,
  • “The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services June 13 announced it approved state plan amendments to expand Medicaid access to care for tribal communities in six states: Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming. The approvals allow the Indian Health Service and tribal clinics to provide Medicaid clinic services in homes, schools and other community locations.” 

From the judicial front,

• Bloomberg Law informs us,
  • “Eli Lilly & Co. and health tech company Kalderos Inc. are seeking to revive lawsuits in the DC Circuit after a federal judge ruled a US health agency acted lawfully when it didn’t approve drugmaker proposals to discount medicines through a rebate model.
  • “The notices to appeal the order were filed Thursday in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit after a lower court ruled May 15 found the Health Resources and Services Administration didn’t act illegally when it denied drugmaker bids to discount medicines through a rebate model rather than up front to covered entities under the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program.”

• MedTech Dive lets us know,
  • “When the deadline to appeal the court decision that blocked the Food and Drug Administration’s final rule regulating laboratory developed tests as medical devices slipped by in May without a word from the agency, industry groups were relieved that the plan they sued to stop was dead.
  • “The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas found the FDA’s attempt to expand jurisdiction over LDTs exceeded its statutory authority. Yet regulatory experts think the agency may still see room to assert authority over LDTs in other ways. A recent warning letter to a diagnostics company points to one avenue the agency could take, attorneys said.”

• The Wall Street Journal reports,
  • “All 55 attorneys general signed onto a $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family for their role in the opioid crisis.
  • “The attorneys general, who represent all eligible U.S. states and territories, finished signing the settlement on Monday after it was reached in principle in January.
  • “The deal ends the Sacklers’ control of Purdue, bars them from selling opioids in the U.S. and delivers funding across the country to support opioid-addiction treatment and prevention.
  • “The settlement requires resolution of legal claims by state and local governments. The local government sign-on process will be contingent on bankruptcy-court approval, according to several attorneys general.
  • “The Sackler family has told the attorneys general it plans to proceed with the settlement.”

From the public health and medical research front,

• The Washington Post reports,
  • “Around 1 in 7 U.S. adults who smoke might have some degree of disability, according to a study published in the journal Tobacco Control.
  • “The researchers used data from the 2019-2023 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) for about 150,000 people. During that period, 14.1 percent of adults who currently smoked had a disability, and estimates for any kind of disability were significantly higher for current or former adult smokers.
  • “The study looked at different kinds of disabilities and found that the prevalence of vision, hearing, mobility and cognitive disability was two to 2.4 times higher among those who currently smoked. About 16.5 percent of women who smoke and 12.1 percent of men who smoke have a disability, the study says. The study also looked at race and ethnicity, finding that 19 percent of non-Hispanic smokers had a disability vs. 11 percent of Hispanic smokers.”

• The American Medical Association lets us know what doctors wish their patients knew about tendinitis.

• STAT News relates,
  • To Rebecca Stone, the single most important fact about ovarian cancer is that it’s usually a misnomer. The most common kind — responsible for 70% of cases and 90% of deaths — often has its silent beginnings not in the ovary, but in the fallopian tube. This isn’t just an interesting factoid; as a gynecologic oncologist at Johns Hopkins, Stone sees it as a reason to evangelize. There’s no way to screen for so-called ovarian cancer, no colonoscopy, mammogram, or Pap smear equivalent. It’s typically found late, once it’s already spread. The treatments are middling at best. Among the best tools is surgical prevention: If someone doesn’t want more kids, and is considering another abdominal surgery, a surgeon can offer to take the tubes out.
  • Opportunistic salpingectomy, it’s called. “Somebody says, ‘Can I get my tubes tied?’ And I will say, ‘Well, actually, we don’t tie tubes anymore, we remove them,’” said Greg Marchand, an OB-GYN in Mesa, Ariz. There are exceptions, but generally, since the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended offering it in 2015, he’s gone with salpingectomy.
• It is odd that the article does not mention FDA Administrator Dr. Marty Makary who discusses this issue in his recent book Blind Spots.

• Health Day tells us,
  • “Brain changes in sleepless teens could make them more likely to be impulsive and aggressive, a new study says.
  • “Teenagers with less sleep had lower connectivity between the parts of the brain that play a critical role in decision making, self-reflection and information processing, researchers reported June 13 in the journal Brain and Behavior.
  • “Problems in these parts of the brain are also linked to mental illnesses like depression, ADHD and schizophrenia, researchers said.
  • “Sleep isn’t just good for children. It helps keep their mental health intact and helps them regulate their emotions,” senior researcher Assaf Oshri, director of the University of Georgia Center for Developmental Science, said in a news release.”
• and
  • “Struggling to get a good night’s sleep? A new study suggests that a natural solution might be found right in your fridge: fruits and veggies.
  • “Researchers from the University of Chicago and Columbia University found that eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains during the day may lead to better sleep that same night.
  • “Dietary modifications could be a new, natural and cost-effective approach to achieve better sleep,” study co-author Dr. Esra Tasali, director of the UChicago Sleep Center, said in a news release.
  • “The study — published June 11 in the journal Sleep Health — is one of the first to show that what you eat during the day may affect your sleep that very night, researchers said.”

• Per HR Executive,
  • “While it may seem surprising—given the ongoing push by many American workers to stay remote or hybrid post-pandemic—many workers are craving support and connection, as the nation’s loneliness crisis rises. Recent research identified loneliness as a significant and emerging threat to workers’ mental and physical health. And, experts say, it can have widespread effects on the workplace.
  • “In its survey, Loneliness in America 2025, Cigna found that 52% of U.S. workers report feeling lonely. The resulting impact on business is both profound and measurable, according to the Evernorth Research Institute, the research arm of Evernorth, Cigna’s health services business.
  • “Among other concerning results, the research found that lonely employees are more likely to miss work, disengage while at work and/or leave their jobs altogether. This is creating ripple effects that cost employers in productivity, morale and talent retention, researchers wrote.’

• Per BioPharma Dive,
  • “Roche will advance an experimental Parkinson’s disease drug with a mixed track record into late-stage development, announcing Mondaythat it is “encouraged by the efficacy signals” the medicine displayed in earlier testing despite missing its main objectives in two clinical trials.
  • “The Swiss drugmaker and partner Prothena said continued study of trial enrollees suggested that the antibody drug, known as prasinezumab, delayed progression of symptoms like tremors or joint stiffness in people with early-stage disease.
  • “Roche and Prothena have been developing prasinezumab for more than a decade, having first initiated trials shortly after signing a partnership deal in 2013. The drug targets alpha-synuclein, a protein that can misfold and build up in the brains of Parkinson’s patients, and that’s been the focus of an array of drug programs. Study results have largely disappointed, however.”

• Per Fierce Pharma,
  • “Roche and AbbVie have once again come up short in their attempt to gain an additional indication for their blockbuster blood cancer treatment Venclexta.
  • “A phase 3 trial of the therapy in previously untreated patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) did not achieve its primary endpoint of overall survival, the companies said Monday. In the global study of approximately 500 patients, the combination of Venclexta plus the chemotherapy azacitidine was pitted against placebo plus azacitidine.
  • “The companies said they will present full data from the trial at an upcoming medical meeting.”

From the U.S. healthcare business front,

• Modern Healthcare reports,
  • “Health systems are expanding their ambulatory surgery center networks in a bid to lower costs and manage overcrowded operating rooms.
  • “ASCs can provide a more convenient, lower-cost alternative for lucrative procedures like knee replacements and cataract surgeries. Health system executives say the transition of many services from hospitals to surgery centers is inevitable. Advancing technology, shifting regulations, patient preference and pressure from insurers and lawmakers to reduce hospital costs will make sure of that, they said.”
• and
  • “Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe made an unspecified investment in Constitution Surgery Alliance, an ambulatory surgery center operator with growth plans.
  • “The private equity firm will help fund a national expansion of the company, which manages 16 facilities in five states, according to a Monday news release.”

• EXL offers payers a white paper titled “Embrace the new era of Utilization Management: Modernizing ineffective approaches with advanced technology.” Check it out.

• On a related note, Beckers Hospital Review points out,
  • “As hospitals and health systems face increasing pressure to maintain margins and secure sustainable reimbursement, a growing number of leaders are turning to an old business truth: What gets measured, gets managed.
  • “Payer “scorecards” are gaining traction as hospitals seek to hold insurers accountable, reduce administrative friction and strengthen their negotiating position. By systematically tracking performance metrics such as denial rates, response times and contract compliance, providers aim to shift the balance at the negotiating table.
  • “I often emphasize to my clients that data is their greatest leverage,” Brad Gingerich, vice president of payer strategy at Ensemble Health Partners, said during an episode of the Becker’s Healthcare Podcast. “One of the most important steps is proactively holding payers accountable. The moment a payer fails to meet its contractual KPIs, we flag it immediately — whether through formal demand letters or direct discussions.” 

• Beckers Hospital Review also informs us,
  • “Total prescription dispensing revenue at U.S. retail pharmacies hit $683 billion in 2024, marking a 9% increase from the previous year, according to a June 16 post from the Drug Channels Institute.
  • “The institute calculated estimated total prescription revenue for the 15 largest pharmacy companies in the U.S. based on 2024 calendar year data. COVID-19 vaccine revenue was excluded from the analysis.
  • “Collectively, the top 15 pharmacy companies accounted for about three-fourths of overall dispensing revenue from retail, mail-order, long-term care and specialty pharmacies. Nearly half of that revenue came from CVS Health, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Cigna and UnitedHealth Group. Elevance Health made the list for the first time after acquiring several pharmacy firms in 2024, including Kroger Specialty Pharmacy. 
  • “GLP-1s were the main driver of revenue increases last year, accounting for more than 80% of the overall growth.”

• Per Fierce Pharma,
  • “Neurology specialist Supernus Pharmaceuticals will snap up Sage Therapeutics, which was once valued at more than $9 billion, for $561 million up front, with the hope that it can help transform a newly launched treatment for postpartum depression (PPD) into the indication’s standard of care.
  • “The buyout of Massachusetts-based Sage comes after a takeover bid, earlier this year by Biogen, which offered $7.22 per share for the struggling, 15-year-old biotech. 
  • “Six months later, Supernus got the job done with an offer of $8.50 per share, plus a contingent value right (CVR) worth $3.50 per share if a set of milestones are achieved, which would bump up the value of the deal to $795 million.”