Rodney Whitlock
Subscribe to Rodney Whitlock's PostsRodney Whitlock, PhD, is a Vice President at McDermott+Consulting. With nearly 25 years of experience, Rodney possesses and offers clients the kind of knowledge that is uniquely available to those who have drafted and advanced legislation. He strategically guides clients through dense Medicare and Medicaid issues that have significant business impact.Read Rodney's full bio.
Obamacare Would Be Even Harder to Kill Now, but Trump Promises to Try Anyway
By Rodney Whitlock on Jan 22, 2024
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
While former President Donald Trump has threatened to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) if he wins reelection, the landmark healthcare law would be increasingly difficult to dismantle. In this CNN article, McDermott+Consulting’s Rodney Whitlock says the country is “as close as we’ve been to meeting the aspirational goals of 2010 for the ACA.” Access...
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Analyzing the House Energy & Commerce Committee Health Bill Markup
By Debra Curtis and Rodney Whitlock on Jun 21, 2023
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
US lawmakers recently advanced a broad healthcare bill during a US House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee markup. In this Health Policy Breakroom podcast episode, McDermott+Consulting’s Debra Curtis and Rodney Whitlock break down the markup and address extenders, PBMs, site-neutral policies and the timing of this bill. Listen here.
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CMS Releases Proposed Rule: Medicaid Program; Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services
By Katie Waldo, Kayla Holgash, Rodney Whitlock and Debra Curtis on May 30, 2023
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
On May 3, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the proposed rule Medicaid Program; Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services. The aim of the proposed rule is to enhance transparency in payment rates, establish uniformity in data and monitoring and provide states with fresh avenues to encourage the active involvement of beneficiaries...
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Healthcare Preview for the Week of May 1, 2023
By Debra Curtis, Katie Waldo, Kayla Holgash and Rodney Whitlock on May 4, 2023
Posted In Digital Health, Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
There has been a flurry of activity in Congress focused on healthcare issues over the last two weeks. Committees in both the US House and Senate held hearings on legislation focused on increasing transparency and competition in the healthcare system that could have significant impacts for certain healthcare providers, healthcare plans and pharmacy benefit managers....
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Way Too Early Preview: What the Midterm Election Results Might Mean for Health Policy in 2023
By Debra Curtis, Katie Waldo, Rodney Whitlock and Eric Zimmerman on Nov 17, 2022
Posted In Health and Welfare Plans
Although we are still awaiting final results of the November 8, 2022, midterm elections, the US House of Representatives appears likely to flip to Republican control, while the US Senate will remain in Democratic hands. Changes from one party to another in Congress, even in just one chamber, can mean big changes in policy progress...
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See What’s Next with McDermott+Consulting’s 340B Ligitation Tracking Tool
By Emily J. Cook and Rodney Whitlock on Jun 17, 2022
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
The 340B program landscape is constantly shifting. Wednesday’s US Supreme Court American Hospital Association v. Becerra decision is of critical importance to hospitals that participate in the 340B program. The Court held that the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) improperly imposed a payment cut of almost 30% on 340B drugs paid by...
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COVID-19 Response in Jeopardy amid Congressional Inaction
By Rodney Whitlock on Mar 23, 2022
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
Congressional inaction may prevent a more robust federal government COVID-19 response, according to this Washington Post article. A $15 billion COVID-19 funding bill recently collapsed in Congress, potentially crippling testing, treatment and vaccine access. McDermott+Consulting’s Rodney Whitlock said not enough “spadework” was done to get compromises across the finish line. Read more here.
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American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: Key Healthcare Provisions
By Rodney Whitlock and Eric Zimmerman on Apr 7, 2021
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment, Health and Welfare Plans, Labor, Privacy and Data Security, Retirement Plans
On March 10, 2021, US Congress finalized and passed the American Rescue Plan of 2021 (ARPA), the latest COVID-19 relief package that largely tracks President Joe Biden’s initial $1.9 trillion proposal. The ARPA extends unemployment insurance benefits and provides direct $1,400 stimulus payments to qualifying Americans, but it also makes several important health policy-related changes....
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Senate Rules Could Pose Hurdles for Vaccine Funds
By Rodney Whitlock on Feb 18, 2021
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment, Health and Welfare Plans
Progressive Democrats in the US Senate are hoping to use a streamlined process that needs just 50 votes to approve a COVID-19 relief package that includes billions in new funding for vaccines and other supplies. But some experts are already casting doubt on that plan. STAT spoke with nine current and former congressional staffers and...
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7 Ways President Biden Could Now Change Healthcare
By Rodney Whitlock on Jan 27, 2021
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
The Democrats have control of all three levers of power—the Senate, the House and the presidency—for the first time since the early years of the Obama administration. How will President Biden use this new concentration of power to shape healthcare policy? A recent article in Medscape outlined seven key healthcare actions that Biden could pursue,...
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