From Repeal Of Individual Mandate To CHIP: Health Measures At Center Of Congress’ End-Of-Year Legislative Push

The Wall Street Journal: Health-Care Clashes Loom Over Republican Legislative Agenda
Congress is headed for a showdown on whether to insert several pressing health measures in year-end bills, reviving partisan fights that threaten to derail Republicans’ goal to close out the year with a raft of legislative successes. The looming health-care issues include funding for a children’s health program, the possible delay of certain taxes by the Affordable Care Act and the fate of a bipartisan plan to bolster fragile insurance markets. (Armour and Peterson 11/29)

The New York Times: Republicans Clear Major Hurdle As Tax Bill Advances
Senate Republicans took a significant step toward passing a sweeping tax overhaul on Tuesday, with a key panel giving its approval and several wavering senators indicating they would support the tax package, helping clear the way for full Senate consideration later this week. ... Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee, said that Senate Republicans were increasingly united about repealing the requirement that most people have health insurance or pay a penalty. (Rappeport and Kaplan, 11/28)

Bloomberg: Trump Backs Bipartisan Obamacare Market Bill, Boosting Tax Plan
President Donald Trump told Republican senators on Tuesday he supports an Obamacare market stabilization bill offered by Republican Lamar Alexander and Democrat Patty Murray, which may help bolster support for the tax-cut legislation headed for a vote this week. Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota quoted Trump as telling Republican senators, “I support the Alexander-Murray bill.” (Kapur and Edney, 11/28)

The Hill: Trump Backs Bipartisan Fixes To ObamaCare Markets
President Trump at a closed-door meeting with GOP senators on Tuesday said he would support two proposals meant to stabilize ObamaCare’s insurance markets in exchange for a repeal of the law's individual mandate, several Republicans in attendance said. The two bills would fund key ObamaCare insurer payments, and provide billions to help states create reinsurance programs for high-cost patients. (Hellmann, 11/28)

The Washington Post: Senate Republican Tax Plan Clears Hurdle With Help From Two Key GOP Holdouts
In a private meeting with [Sen. Susan] Collins before lunch, and again in front of the larger group of Republicans, Trump signaled openness to Collins’s demands, which include paying federal subsidies to help lower-income Americans afford health coverage and allowing Americans to continue deducting up to $10,000 in property taxes from their taxable income. “It’s certainly progress,” said Collins, who played a central role in derailing GOP health-care bills this year. (DeBonis, Werner and Paletta, 11/28)

News organizations examine how specific tax bill proposals could impact the health industry —

The Hill: Patient Groups Urge Senate To Reject ObamaCare Mandate Repeal
A coalition of 19 patient groups warned Republican senators on Tuesday against repealing ObamaCare’s individual mandate as part of tax reform. The coalition's letter, signed by groups including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association, warns of “coverage losses and higher premiums” from repealing the mandate.(Sullivan, 11/28)

Modern Healthcare: GOP Tax Overhaul Could Diminish Research Institutions
Both versions of the Republican-led Congress' tax overhaul levy a new tax on the endowments of major private health-research institutions, and critics say it could have a lasting impact on these facilities and the broader U.S. health research landscape. Republicans have proposed a 1.4% "excise" tax on the net investment income from large endowments of private institutions. Endowments at public universities—including any privately funded endowments for certain research centers at those public universities—will not be affected by the bill. (Luthi, 11/28)