Weekly Healthcare Policy Round-Up

In this week’s Health Policy Round-Up, ALF shares the most up to date news happening in Washington DC.

• On April 4^th, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is not finalizing Part D Coverage of Anti-Obesity Medications (AOMs) and therefore will not require coverage of medications that treat obesity at this time. ALF is currently circulating an action alert to CMS and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), urging them to reconsider. Obesity is closely linked to MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease), and access to treatment is critical for patient health. Read the action alert and learn how you can help push for change here.

• Liver health is a leading topic in the April edition of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) monthly newsletter. The NIH highlights multiple liver diseases, offers resources to learn more about your liver, and ways to keep your liver healthy. Read the full article here.

• Some medical tests are created and used by individual labs—these are called laboratory developed tests (LDTs). They help diagnose a wide range of conditions, including cancer and heart disease. In 2024, the FDA announced new rules to regulate these tests more strictly, but in March 2025, a court blocked those rules. What does this mean for patients? For now, nothing changes. Labs can still use these tests as they have been. But there’s an ongoing debate about how to best ensure tests are both safe and available when patients need them.

• On April 5, the Senate passed its budget resolution—a plan that guides Congress on spending and policy decisions for the year. Senators Hawley (MO) and Wyden (OR) drafted an amendment to remove the instructions to cut Energy and Commerce funding by $880 billion, however the Senate failed to pass the amendment. The approved budget includes instructions to find $880 billion in savings from Energy and Commerce, which Democrats argue will lead to funding cuts to Medicaid, but Republicans argue will not. The House of Representatives approved the compromised budget resolution on April 10^th, allowing Congress to begin the process of drafting legislation to enact key elements of President Trump's domestic policy agenda. ALF will continue to monitor these developments to determine any potential impact to our liver patients.

• The Help Ensure Lower Patient Copays Act, also known as the HELP Copays Act, S.864, was recently reintroduced in the Senate by Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Roger Marshall (R-KS). This bill requires health care insurers to count payments they receive on a patient’s behalf toward the patient’s annual deductibles and out-of-pocket limit. ALF will continue monitoring this legislation.

• The Honor Our Living Donors Act, also known as the, HOLD Act, H.R. 628 and S. 957 was recently reintroduced in the House by Representatives Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and Suzan DelBene (D-WA) and in the Senate by Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM). This bill will allow more donors to qualify for wage, travel, and caregiver reimbursement when donating organs. ALF will continue monitoring this legislation.

• The House and Senate are in recess for the next two weeks, returning to Washington DC on April 28^th, just in time for ALF’s Liver Life Advocacy Summit!