Wide-Ranging Package To Lower Health Costs Passes Senate Health Committee With Surprisingly Few Partisan Bumps

The New York Times: With Rare Comity, Senate Panel Advances Bills To Lower Health Costs
The Senate health committee approved a package of bills on Wednesday aimed at lowering the cost of medical care, from ending surprise medical bills to curbing prescription drug price surges, with a rare bipartisan vote that could vault it toward final passage. Still, even some Democrats who supported the legislation couched it as cold comfort as the Trump administration prepares to argue before a federal appeals court next month that the entire Affordable Care Act should be struck down as unconstitutional. (Goodnough, 6/26)

CQ: Senate Panel Approves Health Cost Bill But Plans Changes
Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., hopes to bring the bill (S 1895) to the Senate floor for a vote in mid-to-late July, which will likely set up a flurry of lobbying and debate among lawmakers over changes to it. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told CQ Roll Call that the package was on the priority list for floor time. "We haven't made a decision on exact timing yet, but it's for early consideration," the Kentucky Republican said. Two of the three committee members who voted against the bill — Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. — did so by proxy, likely because they are seeking the Democratic party’s presidential nomination and participating in the Miami debates on Wednesday and Thursday. Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul also opposed the bill. (McIntire, 6/26)

Modern Healthcare: Senate Health Committee May Change Surprise Billing Proposals Ahead Of Floor Vote
The Senate health committee approved its major healthcare package on Wednesday, but with one change to the proposed ban on surprise medical billing and potentially more to come ahead of a full Senate vote expected later this month. As it stands, the provision on surprise medical bills would cap out-of-network physician or hospital charges at a rate already negotiated by insurers. An amendment to that provision came from Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and would make insurers post all the physician and hospital options in their networks so patients could see their choices of doctor before deciding on a plan. (Luthi, 6/26)

Stat: Senate Committee Votes To Force Pharma To Justify Large Price Hikes
A key Senate committee on Wednesday voted to require drug companies to justify price hikes to the federal government if they exceed 10% in a year or 25% in a three-year span, advancing a proposal that also enjoys bipartisan support in the House. The measure, spearheaded by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), was offered as an amendment to a broader health care bill being considered by the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Three other senators — two Republicans and one Democrat — co-sponsored the legislation, which the committee voted to include by a 16-7 margin. (Facher, 6/26)

The Hill: Senate Health Committee Advances Bipartisan Package To Lower Health Costs
Warren said that while the bill had "important provisions" it failed to address GOP "sabotage" of ObamaCare or soaring drug costs. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a strong conservative, also voted "no." Otherwise, the committee was remarkably united. Alexander purposely steered the bill to avoid the polarizing issue of ObamaCare and to focus on other areas. (Sullivan, 6/26)

In other news from Capitol Hill —

The Hill: Senate Finance Leaders In Talks On Deal To Limit Drug Price Increases
The leaders of the Senate Finance Committee are in bipartisan talks on a potentially sweeping deal to limit drug price increases in Medicare, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. Sen. Ron Wyden (Ore.), the top Democrat on the panel, is pushing to make drug companies pay back rebates to Medicare’s prescription drug program, called Part D, if their prices rise faster than inflation. Another measure would force drug companies to pay money back to Medicare if they launch a new drug with a high price.  (Sullivan, 6/26)

The Hill: Congresswoman Opens Up On House Floor About Partner's Suicide 
Rep. Susan Wild (D-Penn.) opened up about the death of her life partner Monday evening on the House floor to draw attention to the "national emergency" of suicide. Monday was the one-month anniversary of Kerry Acker's death, Wild said. "What most people don't know is that Kerry's death was a suicide," she said in a tearful floor speech. (Hellmann, 6/26)

The Hill: Manchin On 'Medicare For All': 'We Can't Even Pay For Medicare For Some' 
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Wednesday embraced the GOP’s line of attack on “Medicare for All” proposals, arguing that the government can’t even pay for the program it has now. “We can’t even pay for Medicare for some and to go Medicare for All, we can’t take care of those who are depending on it right now,” Manchin said at The Hill’s Future of Healthcare Summit. (Hellmann, 6/26)