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1 big thing: HHS' busy year ahead

Illustration of a syringe and glass medicine bottle with a post-it note attached that says "to do"

2. And over at FDA...

Illustration of a path avoiding plus shaped holes.

Good morning! Tired of waiting for the Hill to get moving? HHS isn't waiting to activate on its health care policies, and Maya was nice enough to read its regulatory agenda for you.

👀 What regulations are you keeping an eye on? Respond to this email to let us know. 

✅ Thank you for reading Axios Pro Policy, and thanks to editors David Nather and Mackenzie Weinger and copy editor Brad Bonhall.

Do you know someone who needs this newsletter? Have them sign up here.

1 big thing: Congress turns to hospital price transparency

Cathy McMorris Rodgers sits and listens at a committee hearing

Good morning. Ready for 15 rounds of floor votes on hospital transparency this year? Just kidding — it'll be Medicare.

Situational awareness: The wait for a Ways and Means chair is almost over! The House GOP Steering Committee meets at 10am to decide contested committee chairs, and a House GOP aide tells Victoria the Ways and Means vote is happening this afternoon. 

✅ Thank you for reading Axios Pro Policy, and thanks to editor David Nather and copy editor Brad Bonhall.

1 big thing: Behind the GOP's pivot to the practical

Kevin McCarthy speaks at a press conference about the Commitment to America

Good morning. Today we're stepping back and looking at the thinking behind the GOP's health care agenda — why there are targeted goals but no sweeping narrative, and why that's the way they want it.

1 big thing: Stabenow's health care legacy

Senator Debbie Stabenow speaks during a committee hearing

Good morning, and welcome to our quick look at Sen. Debbie Stabenow's health care record now that she's not running for re-election next year.

✅ Thank you for reading Axios Pro Policy, and thanks to editor David Nather.

1 big thing: What to expect from Jason Smith

Congressman Jason Smith speaks at a press conference

2. What we're reading: High drug costs for high-deductible plans

Illustration of two books forming the Axios logo in between other books.

Good morning! The new Ways and Means chair is still a pretty big mystery on health care, but here's what Victoria has been able to find out.

And if you missed her interview with him when we launched last fall, you really should read it, because it holds up well as a guide to his thinking.

✅ Thank you for reading Axios Pro Policy, and thanks to editor David Nather and copy editor Carolyn DiPaolo.

1 big thing: House Republicans push back on Medicare cuts

House Ways and Means Committee chairman Jason Smith walks through a hall in the Capitol surrounded by reporters

2. Tracking health metrics, district by district

Congressional District Health Dashboard screenshot

Good afternoon. Here's what we've been hearing from House Republicans now that we had a chance to corner them on former President Trump's warning not to cut Medicare.

We'll be back in your inboxes Thursday afternoon to wrap up the congressional week (or sooner if there's breaking news).

✅ Thank you for reading Axios Pro Policy, and thanks to editor Mackenzie Weinger and copy editor Mickey Meece.

1 big thing: Senate to tackle PBMs, nursing shortage

illustration of a pill rolling onto the capitol building

2. House year ahead: PBMs, data privacy

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3. 1 fun thing: Goodbye, Burr's car

Senator Richard Burr's Volkswagen parked in a parking garage

Welcome back! We don't have a health care cliffhanger to start your new year — you'll have to get your suspense from Kevin McCarthy — but we can give you our best intel on what to watch in the new Congress.

Situational awareness: The timing for the Ways and Means chairman vote is still up in the air. A House GOP aide told Victoria it could happen this week or next — but it all depends on how today’s speaker vote goes.

1 big thing: What's at stake when the health emergency ends

Illustration of a health plus with a cross-out symbol as its shadow.

2. 1 fun thing: Lunch with Meekins

Good morning. Congress is a little slow to get going after the recess, so Maya decided to look at those public health emergency flexibilities in the meantime.

We'll be back in your inbox tomorrow if we have news — otherwise, we'll be back on Thursday to wrap up the congressional week.

✅ Thank you for reading Axios Pro Policy, and thanks to editor David Nather and copy editor Patricia Guadalupe.

1 big thing: Debt ceiling fight looms over Medicare and Medicaid

Illustration of a red cross with a shadow of a gavel looming over it

2. Meet the new committee Republicans

Illustration of a conference table shaped like a red cross with chairs around it

Good afternoon, and thanks for closing out the week with us. You won't hear from us every day next week — because it's recess and we're not going to waste your time if there's no news!

If there is news, you'll hear from us. And Maya is working on a special project about the HHS regulatory agenda that we'll send you midweek.

Otherwise, see you when Congress gets back!

1 big thing: The abortion bills to track in the new Congress

Illustration of a red caduceus crossed with a blue caduceus.

Good morning. We try not to bother you on Fridays, but this weekend marks the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, so Victoria tracked down all the abortion bills filed so far in the 118th Congress.

With lawmakers back in town next week, we’ll be in your inbox as usual.

✅ Thank you for reading Axios Pro Policy, and thanks to editors Mackenzie Weinger and David Nather and copy editor Brad Bonhall.

1 big thing: The PBM defense playbook

2. Big hires, big escapes

Illustration of a turnstile with the U.S. Capitol dome on top.

Good afternoon! Like you, we can't take our eyes off the drama that's keeping all of Washington in suspense: Who's going to be the next Ways and Means chair?

A House GOP source tells Victoria the decision was supposed to happen today, but the meeting got postponed — something about not having a speaker yet — and they haven't set a new date yet. We'll keep you posted!

🥧 Situational awareness: Check out HHS' updated regulatory agenda! Maya's favorite: "Frozen Cherry Pie; Proposed Revocation of a Standard of Identity and a Standard of Quality."

1 big thing: Drug companies brace for Bernie

Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks to members of the press outside the West Wing on Jan. 25.

2. PhRMA looks to pivot cost debate post-IRA

Illustration of a turn over pill bottle the pills forming an upward trending arrow

Good afternoon, and happy Thursday. We’ll be back in your inbox next week, or earlier if there’s breaking news you need to know.

  🎉 Situational awareness: We’ve got subcommittee assignments! Victoria just heard from a GOP source that Rep. Vern Buchanan is remaining Ways and Means Health subcommittee chair. And there are four new members: Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Claudia Tenney, Blake Moore and Michelle Steel. 

Check out who’s on the Energy & Commerce health panel here.

✅ Thank you for reading Axios Pro Policy, and thanks to editor Mackenzie Weinger and copy editor Brad Bonhall.

1 big thing: Democrats increase pressure on march-in rights

Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders walk down a hall in the Capitol

Good afternoon. The Hill sends about a million letters a day, but we'll try to flag the most important ones for you. We'll be back in your inboxes Thursday to wrap up the week.

🚨 Here's the list of the new Republican members of Ways and Means and E&C we alerted a little while ago. (Now updated with Appropriations, too!)

Situational awareness: E&C Republicans held their first health-related roundtable under new GOP leadership this morning on illicit fentanyl, Maya reports. The new majority has pledged to tackle fentanyl overdoses in the 118th Congress.

1 big thing: The next must-pass legislation

A beer with a koozy that says "Big PAHPA"

Good afternoon! Tired of "OK, I'll be speaker" jokes? Then relax with a nice, wonky look at a nice, normal reauthorization bill. 

Axios Pro: Deals

Axios Pro: Policy

Pro Coverage

Axios Pro: Health Care Policy

💊 Bracing for Bernie

🏥 GOP Medicare defense

🏥 Emergency exit

🩺 GOP health care reset

✅ Tracking every abortion bill

👀 All eyes on HHS

👀 Debt ceiling preview

🥁 Democrats march in

🎉 It's Chairman Smith

🏥 Hill's hospital agenda

🚨 PBMs on defense

👋 Stabenow's exit

🦠 Big PAHPA

🥳 2023 health care outlook