We heard rumblings during the recent two-week congressional recess that Capitol Hill staffers remained in Washington and busily worked away on major reform bills. Now, recess is over and we're seeing some movement. Democratic senators say by June they will "markup" - meaning debate and propose - major healthcare reform legislation. That's just two months away... have you ever seen Congress move so quickly on healthcare reform?

The replay of last week's CMS recovery audit contractor (RAC) audio conference should be posted by April 22 on the agency's Web site. We'll keep an eye out for the replay and post a link to it when CMS releases it. In the interim, subscribers can read our coverage of the telephone conference by clicking here.

The Senate Finance Committee will consider "favorably reporting the nomination" of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as HHS secretary on April 21.

The Senate Finance Committee has scheduled three "roundtable discussions" on healthcare reform over the next month. The sessions will be a vehicle for lawmakers to hash out the potential impact of reforms with policy and industry experts.

All signs are pointing toward major healthcare reform this year, the White House's "health czar" Nancy Ann DeParle says. DeParle briefed reporters during a morning forum hosted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington April 15. The former HCFA director under the Clinton administration spoke about her bipartisan efforts to make reform a reality this year as the head of the White House Office of Health Reform. She's met with 40 members of Congress and attending town hall-style meetings with Americans across the country over the last month.