The Hill reports that the U.S. House of Representatives left town today for its summer recess after passing the compromise two year budget deal. The House will return to Capitol Hill on September 9. The Senate will remain in session for the next week in order to pass the budget deal and fingers crossed the House passed bill repealing the ACA’s high cost plan tax (H.R 748).  

Health Leaders Media tells us about the Senate Finance Committee’s 19-9 decision today to approve its bipartisan leadership bill to lower Medicare and Medicaid prescription drug costs.  It is conceivable that some of the bill’s provisions could wind up as amendments too S. 1895 the bill to lower health care costs. The article indicates that the House of Representatives is developing its own bill to lower prescription drug spending.

Healthcare Dive reports that

CVS Health will trial a coordinated care pilot for knee replacements in Aetna beneficiaries later this summer, CVS CEO Larry Merlo said at a Medicare Advantage conference in Washington on Tuesday. 

In the pilot, pre- and post-operative care for Aetna MA and commercial members undergoing a knee replacement procedure will be managed by a clinical team in the home, at CVS pharmacy locations and via telehealth. 

The trial is the first in a series of initiatives CVS and its payer arm Aetna are working on, Merlo said, and will be available for as many patients as possible according to a spokesperson.

The pilot will begin in Houston where CVS Health opened its first Health Hub store late last year.