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The bipartisan leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are launching an investigation into what role private equity firms may play in the problem of patients getting stuck with massive “surprise” medical bills. Reps. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) and Greg Walden (Ore.), the panel’s chairman and top Republican, respectively, sent letters on Monday to three private equity firms that own physician staffing companies. (Sullivan, 9/16)

"Evidence indicates that these physician-staffing firms charge significantly higher in-network rates than their counterparts, thereby driving reimbursement upwards as they enter into staffing arrangements with hospitals," Pallone and Walden wrote to the CEOs. "We are concerned about the increasing role that private equity firms appear to be playing in physician staffing in our nation's hospitals, and the potential impact these firms are having on our rising healthcare costs." (Luthi, 9/16)

There's legislation in Congress to curb surprise medical billing. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with Emmarie Huetteman of Kaiser Health News. (9/15)

The good news is that it doesn't look like a bitterly polarized Washington will stumble into another government shutdown. But as Democrats controlling the House unveil a stopgap, government-wide spending bill to keep the lights on and pay the troops, there's scant evidence that power sharing in the Capitol will produce further legislative accomplishments anytime soon. (Taylor, 9/17)

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) on Monday raised concerns over allegations of wrongdoing and retaliation against employees working to protect whistleblowers at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In a letter sent to VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, the incoming House Freedom Caucus chairman said he was approached by two high-profile employees in the agency's Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP) alleging they have been the victims of retaliatory acts. (Brufke, 9/16)

Access to affordable housing remains one of the biggest challenges to ending homelessness among veterans in Tampa Bay, experts said Monday at a congressional hearing.But members of a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on Veterans’ Affairs also heard encouraging news. (Najarro, 9/16)