Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
145 Companies Call On Congress To Act On Gun Violence: 'Doing Nothing ... Is Simply Unacceptable'
The New York Times: Business Leaders To Call On Congress To Act On Gun Violence
In a direct and urgent call to address gun violence in America, the chief executives of some of the nation’s best-known companies were set to send a letter to Senate leaders on Thursday, urging an expansion of background checks to all firearms sales and stronger “red flag” laws. “Doing nothing about America’s gun violence crisis is simply unacceptable and it is time to stand with the American public on gun safety,” the heads of 145 companies, including Levi Strauss, Twitter and Uber, say in the letter, a draft of which was shared with The New York Times. (Sorkin, 9/12)
The Associated Press: Abortion, Border Wall Put Major Spending Bills Into Disarray
Fights over abortion and President Donald Trump's U.S.-Mexico border wall have thrown Senate efforts to advance $1.4 trillion worth of agency spending bills into disarray, threatening one of Washington's few bipartisan accomplishments this year. A government shutdown remains unlikely, but agencies face weeks or months on autopilot while frozen at this year's levels if the logjam isn't broken. (Taylor, 9/11)
Modern Healthcare: House Committee Throws Spotlight On Prior Authorization Burden
Physician associations on Wednesday called on U.S. House of Representatives lawmakers to pass legislation to streamline prior authorization, claiming it places undue burden and costs on physicians. During a hearing before the House Committee on Small Business, four doctors representing physician associations said onerous prior authorization requirements delay necessary patient care, lead to burn out in physicians and result in worse outcomes. (Livingston and Luthi, 9/11)
Kaiser Health News: Legislation To End Surprise Medical Bills Has High Public Support — In Both Parties
Nearly 8 in 10 Americans support legislation to protect people from surprise medical bills, a new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows. That support persisted no matter which party was asked: 84% of Democrats, 78% of independents and 71% of Republicans said they support surprise billing legislation, according to the poll. (Huetteman, 9/12)
