Beyond Gun Control: Prescription Drug Prices, Surprise Medical Bills Are At Top Of Congress’ Health Agenda For Fall
“We’re tackling reducing health care costs, and you’re going to have insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, doctors, a whole variety of people affected who have misgivings about it,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), who chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Lawmakers in both chambers are pursuing health care wins ahead of next year's elections.
The Washington Post:
Guns, Government Funding And Calls For Impeachment — Congress Returns To Crowded Agenda
Lawmakers are searching for common ground on lowering prescription drug prices, an issue that has broad bipartisan support and even backing from Trump. Aides to Pelosi and a select group of House Democrats have been working largely behind closed doors on a prescription drug plan — one that would allow the federal government to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies. They face a difficult task crafting a plan that both passes muster with House liberals who want to take an aggressive approach and also allows for potential compromise with Republicans. (Bade and DeBonis, 9/8)
CQ:
Fall Preview: Health Care
Health care costs will be a dominant issue on Capitol Hill this fall, with many lawmakers hoping to pass legislation to lower prescription drug prices and ban surprise medical bills. Each chamber has measures that would address the problems created when insured patients believe they are getting care covered by their insurance but end up paying out-of-network rates. The legislation would prevent hospitals from charging patients for out-of-network care in emergency situations or for out-of-network services at an in-network facility, a practice known as balance billing. (McIntire and Siddons, 9/9)
CQ HealthBeat:
Fall Preview: Appropriations Hurdles
Democrats have added a host of policy provisions to their spending bills that seek to protect funding for organizations — both domestically and abroad — that include abortion as a family planning option. Among the possible fights is a provision in the Labor-HHS-Education bill that would require the Trump administration to distribute Title X family planning grants without considering whether a health care organization offers abortions. The administration had previously finalized regulations to bar federal funds for clinics that perform abortions or refer patients to other providers for abortion services. (Shutt, 9/9)
CQ:
Fall Preview: Legislative Deadlines
Key programs set to expire include funding for type 1 diabetes research and diabetes prevention for facilities serving Native Americans; funding for Community Health Centers, which provide outpatient medical care for low-income individuals; the “Money Follows the Person” program, which provides Medicaid funding to help ease the transition out of nursing homes and long-term care institutions and into home and community-based care. Health care advocates are also pushing to renew the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute funding Medicare and Medicaid improvement research, as well as avert Medicaid cuts to Disproportionate Share Hospitals, which serve predominantly lower-income patients. (Mejdrich, 9/9)
The Associated Press:
Sens. Markey, Warren Press Health Officials On EEE Research
U.S. Sens. Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren are pressing federal health officials on research efforts to combat eastern equine encephalitis. The two Massachusetts Democrats this week sent a letter to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases within the National Institutes of Health seeking the current state of federal research into EEE and whether research into other viruses could help lead to better treatment for the mosquito-borne infection. (9/8)
Politico:
Why The Most Pro-Marijuana Congress Ever Won’t Deal With Weed
This could be a big moment for marijuana and Congress. But Democrats are fighting Democrats over whether to focus on social justice issues or industry priorities like banking. Marijuana advocates are divided among themselves over whether to push for full legalization or settle for less far-reaching legislation. And many Republicans — some of whom are seeing the benefits of cannabis legalization in their home states — are still decidedly against any legalization on the national level, even for medicinal uses. (Demko and Fertig, 9/9)
