Last week, the House passed the 2026 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which includes the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill for Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS) and a host of key healthcare extenders. The January 30, 2026, government funding deadline is just four days away, and six of the appropriations bills still require Senate passage. The Senate returned from its recess to a markedly different political environment than that which the House faced last week.
Following this weekend’s events in Minneapolis and the ensuing backlash against the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Senate Democrats have pledged to oppose any legislation that includes DHS funding without significant policy changes. As of the time of this publication, there is no indication that either party has reached an agreement. If the House-passed package cannot win passage in the Senate this week, Senate Republicans could agree to remove DHS funding from the larger package and advance the remaining appropriations bills, including Labor-HHS, while negotiating DHS funding separately. Under that scenario, however, the House would need to pass an identical bill, since the revised package would differ from what the House passed last week. With the House out of session this week and no indication that House leadership would call members back early, a partial government shutdown appears to be a distinct possibility.
Possibly because of the government funding deadline or the weather conditions in Washington, DC, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary have postponed their planned hearings on fraud in federal programs. As of now, the Senate Special Committee on Aging will still hold a hearing on prescription drug labeling.
The Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program Payment and Access Commission will hold a two-day meeting from January 29 to 30, 2026, with scheduled discussions on the implementation of community engagement requirements, behavioral health policies, automation in Medicaid prior authorization, and more. The release of the Medicare Advantage Advance Notice for 2027 is expected as early as Monday afternoon.
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.
