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March 13, 2026 | Vol. MMXXVI | Issue 152 |
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In this edition:
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House Energy and Commerce Committee Hearing |
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On Tuesday, March 17, the House Energy and Commerce Committee is holding a hearing in its Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, titled “Protecting Patients and Safeguarding Taxpayer Dollars: The Role of CMS in Combatting Medicare and Medicaid Fraud.” The hearing will focus on what states are doing to protect Medicaid program integrity and prevent fraud. |
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Key Takeaways |
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The Administration and Congressional Republicans have been determined in their efforts to root out what they describe as rampant waste, fraud, and abuse in healthcare, especially Medicaid. On March 5, Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman John Joyce (R-PA), and Health Subcommittee Chairman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) sent letters to ten states requesting information on the states’ efforts around Medicaid program integrity.
The Administration has recently announced new efforts to broadly address healthcare fraud in service of decreasing federal costs related to Medicaid. Advocates are concerned that using the language of “fraud-busting” could be cover for the Administration to cut Medicaid services for people with disabilities and older adults. As evidenced by the Administration’s actions cutting off millions of Medicaid dollars to Minnesota, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) may use examples of fraud to cut off broader Medicaid funding to states. |
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Plain Language |
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On Tuesday, March 17, the House Energy and Commerce Committee is having a hearing. A hearing is a meeting where Members of Congress talk to experts and people who have lived experience. This is a hearing in a special part of the committee called the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. This hearing is called: “Protecting Patients and Safeguarding Taxpayer Dollars: The Role of CMS in Combatting Medicare and Medicaid Fraud.” Fraud is when someone pretends to be someone or does something so they can get money. The hearing will be about fraud in Medicaid and Medicare, which is when someone pretends to be someone else or pretends to provide some services so that they can get money from Medicaid or Medicare.
The Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee is Brett Guthrie (R-Kentucky) and the Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Committee is John Joyce (R-Pennsylvania). The Chairman of the Health Sucommittee (a different part of the Energy and Commerce Committee) is Morgan Griffith (R-Virginia). These Representatives are very focused on Medicaid fraud. They sent letters to ten states asking them what they are doing to stop fraud. Even though the federal government gives out Medicaid money and is in charge of the program overall, every state has its own Medicaid program.
The President and his Administration have talked a lot about how they think there is a lot of fraud in Medicaid. Many Republican Members of Congress have talked about this too. Advocates are worried that the Administration is using fraud as an excuse to take Medicaid away from people and spend less on it. The Administration cut off millions of Medicaid dollars to Minnesota when they found examples of fraud there, so people are worried that the Administration will do the same thing to other states. |
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Department of Health and Human Services |
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Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – The FDA is approving leucovorin for a condition called cerebral folate deficiency (CFD), which is a rare genetic disease. In their September 2025 press conference, the President and HHS officials announced that the FDA planned on approving leucovorin to treat autism, but now seem to be stepping back from that decision. There has been some research into the use of leucovorin to treat some symptoms that autistic people have, but these studies have been small and inconclusive. Advocates and researchers have said that there isn’t evidence that leucovorin is safe or will help people with autism.
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) – ACIP is meeting on March 18 and 19, and it has been reported that the committee will not stop recommending the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, contrary to what was expected. ACIP is expected to discuss mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, long COVID, and COVID-19 vaccine injuries at this meeting. Secretary Kennedy has been a vocal opponent of mRNA vaccines and canceled $500 million in mRNA vaccine research last year. |
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Key Takeaways |
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FDA – In September 2025, HHS officials and President Trump held a press conference announcing new federal actions to “combat autism.” At the time, FDA Commissioner Makary announced that the FDA would approve the drug leucovorin, also known as folinic acid, to treat “speech-related deficits for autism.” Dr. Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), said that Medicaid and CHIP would cover this medication. Administration officials asserted that folate deficiency in a child’s brain can lead to autism. FDA officials have now said that “one study supporting the drug’s use for autism was retracted earlier this year” and they have narrowed their recommendations to reflect the “strongest evidence.” |
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Plain Language |
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Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – The FDA is part of the government that makes decisions about what food is safe and which drugs people should take. The FDA announced that people can use a medicine called leucovorin to treat a disease called cerebral folate deficiency (CFD). Back in September 2025, the President, Secretary Kennedy, and other government officials said that parents should give their autistic children leucovorin. Doctors usually give leucovorin to people who have cancer. The people in charge of the FDA and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) were working on ways to give leucovorin to autistic people and have Medicaid and other healthcare pay for it. Now, it seems like they are not going to keep trying that. They are only saying that leucovorin can treat CFD, not autism. There has been some research into whether or not leucovorin can help people with autism. The research showed that people don't have any proof that it helps.
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) – ACIP is a group of people who help the government make choices about vaccines. They are going to meet on March 18 and 19 to talk about COVID-19 vaccine injuries and long COVID. They are also going to talk about mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, which is a certain kind of vaccine. They were going to make an official recommendation that people don't get mRNA COVID-19 vaccines anymore. Now, the news is reporting that the committee will NOT do that. They will not tell people to stop getting those kinds of vaccines. Secretary Kennedy doesn't think mRNA vaccines are safe, even though there is a lot of proof that says they are safe. Last year, he canceled $500 million that was supposed to go to mRNA vaccine research. |
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New Legislation
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The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Restoration Act (S.4001) (H.R.7828)
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Introduced by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Representative Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ)
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Would update the SSI asset limit and expand eligibility, repeal penalties for in-kind support and resource transfers, and extend the program to U.S. territories
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You can read Rep. Grijalva’s press release here.
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Dream’s Caregiver Health and Wellness Act (H.R.7911)
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Introduced by Representative Michael Lawler (R-NY)
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Would establish a federal grant program to support the health, well-being, and retention of caregivers
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You can read Rep. Lawler’s press release here.
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The Fair Wages for Home Care Workers Act (H.R.7917) (S.4081)
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Introduced by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)
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Would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to guarantee minimum wage and overtime protections for home care workers
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You can read Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s press release here and Senator Murray's press release here.
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Plain Language |
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There are a few new bills in the U.S. Congress.
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The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Restoration Act would make changes to SSI, which is a program that gives money to people with disabilities and older adults who don't have a lot of money. This bill would allow people to have more money when they get SSI and allow more people to get it. It would also allow people to get support from friends and family through in-kind support and still keep their SSI benefits. In-kind support means support that is not money. This could be something like furniture, a car, or food.
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Dream's Caregiver Health and Wellness Act would make a new program to support caregivers' health and wellness.
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The Fair Wages for Home Care Workers Act would support home care workers. It would make sure home care workers are paid at least the minimum wage, which is the lowest amount of money someone can get paid according to the law. It would also make sure they get paid the right amount when they work longer hours.
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AUCD Story Collection |
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AUCD is collecting stories from the Network on a variety of topics to amplify the effects of this Administration on real people and our programs. If you have a story, we want to hear it.
We are interested in stories about:
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Medicaid and its impact on people's lives
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The impact of dismantling ACL
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The important work of UCEDDs, LENDs, IDDRCs, PNS’s, DD Councils, P&As
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The impact of zeroing out UCEDDs, LENDs, IDDRCs, PNS’s, DD Councils, P&As
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Impact of grants that are being cut
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Stories responding to RFK Jr.’s claims about autism or the autism registry
You can use this link to provide information and let us know if you are comfortable sharing your story with Members of Congress and their staff. |
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AUCD Policy Blog |
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AUCD invites Network members to fill out this form if you’re interested in writing for the AUCD policy blog. We are open to a variety of issues areas, and we will follow up with you as relevant issues come up that we’d like you to write about. Read past blog posts here. |
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Disability Policy for All with Liz |
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Join Liz on Instagram Reels, where she provides plain language updates on policy, highlighting current issues and hot topics in federal disability policy.
Liz Weintraub is AUCD's Senior Advocacy Specialist and the host of “Disability Policy for All with Liz.” She has extensive experience practicing leadership in self-advocacy and has held many board and advisory positions at state and national organizations, including the Council on Quality & Leadership (CQL) and the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council.
Watch Liz’s recent videos here. |
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Words to Know |
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Fraud
This is when people lie about who they are or what they do to get something in return, like money.
mRNA Vaccines
Vaccines are shots people get to stay healthy and not get diseases. mRNA is a specific type of vaccine.
Leucovorin
A medicine that is usually used to treat people who have cancer. |
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