Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As GOP Eyes Procedure To Assail Health Law, Senate Parliamentarian Takes On Key Role
Politico: Obamacare's Little Secret
Elizabeth MacDonough holds no elected office. Few people outside of Capitol Hill even know her name. And forget about knowing her political leanings or loyalties. But she may very well be the most powerful person in Washington in determining how far Republicans can go in trying to repeal Obamacare. (Haberkorn, 1/14)
The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire: Republicans Consider ‘Reconciliation’ In Taking On Health Law
Republicans head to an annual retreat this week wrestling with a subject that many within the caucus have preferred to avoid: whether to use a divisive procedural tool to attempt to repeal President Barack Obama‘s signature health law. On Thursday, the chairmen of the six relevant committees–Senate Finance, Senate Commerce, and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees, and their House counterparts–will headline a panel discussion about health policy. (Hughes, 1/14)
Politico Pro: Burwell To GOP: Let’s Work Together On Health Issues
HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell plans to extend a hand today to the new Republican-controlled Congress to work together on health care issues, sans Obamacare repeal. It’s an effort to move beyond the contentious politics of the Affordable Care Act and onto issues where both parties typically agree, such as improving health care quality, strengthening global health security and improving research capabilities and innovation. (Haberkorn, 1/15)
The Hill: Chamber Of Commerce Leader Vows Repeal Of ObamaCare Taxes
The head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce made a pitch Wednesday to repeal multiple taxes under ObamaCare as well to change the law's much-criticized definition of a full-time employee. “In healthcare, we support congressional efforts to restore the 40-hour workweek to define who must be covered under the employer healthcare mandate," the group’s president and CEO, Thomas Donohue, said during the annual State of American Business address. (Ferris, 1/14)
In other Capitol Hill news -
The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire: Americans Want Congress To Focus On The Basics, Poll Shows
Republicans and Democrats alike want Congress to pass an annual budget, drive down college costs and preserve Medicare for future generations. Splits emerge over more divisive issues like approving the Keystone XL pipeline, changing the Affordable Care Act, or repealing it entirely. Those are just some of the conclusions from a recent nationwide poll commissioned by Crossroads GPS and the American Action Network, two groups that back congressional Republicans. (O'Connor, 1/15)
CQ Healthbeat: GOP To Weigh 'Doc Fix' Options At Policy Retreat
Republicans are reviving efforts to replace Medicare’s oft-criticized physician payment formula before scheduled cuts take effect April 1, with plans to discuss the path forward at their retreat this week and a two-day House hearing the next. (Attias, 1/14)
CQ Healthbeat: Symbolic Abortion Vote To Coincide With Annual March
Women’s reproductive rights are in danger of being rolled back with a new Republican-led Congress, Planned Parenthood says — as House lawmakers prepare to vote on abortion curbs the same day as an annual anti-abortion rally next week. (Zanona, 1/14)
The Associated Press: Paul: Some Game System To Get Undeserved Disability Payments
Republican Sen. Rand Paul said Wednesday that some people “game the system” to receive disability payments they don’t deserve and later criticized the federal government for not doing an adequate job policing a system he says needs reform. During a meeting with Republican state lawmakers, Paul said fraud is a widespread problem in disability programs that help people who are injured at work. He joked that “half the people on disability are either anxious or their back hurts.” (1/14)
