House Democrats Seek To Broaden Immigrants’ Access To Health Care

Roll Call: Democrats Unveil Bill To Expand Immigrant Health Care Access
A group of Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday are introducing legislation that would make health care coverage more accessible to immigrants, citing the ongoing pandemic and its impact on immigrant frontline workers. The bill would lift a current five-year waiting period legal immigrants must undergo before enrolling in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. It also would expand access to various types of health coverage for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children and protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The measure also would remove restrictions to prevent undocumented immigrants from purchasing health insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. (Simon, 5/12)

The Hill: Almost 20 Advocacy Groups Team Up To Pressure Congress To Pass Health Care Bill For Immigrants
Nearly 20 advocacy, immigration rights and health care groups are teaming up to pressure Congress to pass a health care bill reintroduced Wednesday that would extend access to immigrants. The organizations, including the National Immigration Law Center, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, rallied behind the HEAL for Immigrant Families Act that would grant lawful immigrants eligibility to health care programs. (Coleman, 5/12)

In other news from Capitol Hill —

Politico: Republicans Draw ‘Red Line’ For Biden In Oval Office Showdown
Republican leaders told President Joe Biden on Wednesday that they will draw a hard line on raising taxes to pay for infrastructure, demonstrating the substantial challenges ahead for a potential bipartisan deal on Biden’s infrastructure and jobs plan. Democrats and Republicans left the meeting saying they would try to zero in on areas of agreement they could reach on a bipartisan bill. In reality, they sound like they are starting from scratch. GOP leaders told reporters that they still had to reach an agreement with Democrats over what exactly meets the definition of infrastructure. (Everett, Ferris and Barrón-López, 5/12)

Roll Call: Delayed COVID-19 Worker Protections Attract Crush Of Lobbyists 
A swarm of the most powerful lobbyists in Washington is circling as the White House reviews long-anticipated rules to protect workers from COVID-19 — with meatpacking, hospital and retail industries working to delay the regulations while unions push for more urgency. The businesses have been winning so far on the timing. The rules are meant to respond to the clusters of infections in crowded workplaces that drive up infections and deaths but arrive more than a year after outbreaks began. (Kopp, 5/12)

Roll Call: Medicare Cost Crunch Raises Questions In Telehealth Debate 
Telehealth advocates are struggling to allay lawmakers’ fears about increased Medicare costs as they seek to capitalize on momentum from the pandemic’s shutdown on in-person care. Expanding telemedicine is a rare unifying force among industry giants that want to broaden digital health for the entitlement program’s 61 million enrollees. But telehealth advocates are battling twin fears about potentially higher spending and fraud — two concerns they call unfounded. (Clason, 5/12)

The Hill: More Than 75 Asian, LGBTQ Groups Oppose Anti-Asian Crime Bill
More than 75 Asian and LGBTQ groups are opposing an anti-Asian crime bill that recently passed through the Senate. In a statement posted to the blog “Reappropriate,” the groups said they opposed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act because it “relies on anti-Black, law enforcement responses to the recent rise in anti-Asian bias incidents across the US.” (Williams, 5/12)