Healthcare Takeaways from President Biden’s First 100 Days - healthleaders

Michael Strazzella, Federal Government Relations practice leader and co-leader of the firm's Healthcare industry group, was featured in healthleaders article, “Healthcare Takeaways from President Biden’s First 100 Days.”

Where will Biden take healthcare?

Michael P. Strazzella, is head of federal government relations at Buchanan, Ingersoll and Rooney, a law firm and lobbying group based out of Pittsburgh.

Strazzella told HealthLeaders that while Biden has been active in healthcare policy over his first 100 days in office, he hasn't fully hit his stride in terms of pursuing potential policy goals.

Strazzella attributed part of this stall to the hold placed on the confirmation process for Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Biden's nominee to serve as Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services Administrator.

He added that the administration will also have to wait and see how the Supreme Court rules in California v. Texas, the pending case that could invalidate the ACA.

"[The administration] will be reacting to that, so it's hard to be able to predict when we don't know which direction [the court] is going to go. But I think that will be agenda item number one; that's a big question of how to respond," Strazzella said. "The second is around Medicare eligibility and being able to lower that. I think some of that will come into play on budgetary issues; with each feature you add on, what does that do to the solvency of the Medicare program?"

As it relates to policies that could affect provider organizations, Strazzella praised Biden's selection of Liz Fowler to lead the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation, citing her experience promoting value-based purchasing models.