Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Dems Work To Quickly Push Health, Climate, And Tax Bill Through House
Reuters: Pelosi To Urge House To Pass Biden Inflation-Reduction Bill As Is
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Tuesday she will ask members of the House of Representatives to pass without changes a $430 billion climate and prescription drug bill approved by U.S. Senate over the weekend, calling it a historic piece of legislation. Asked if she would ask lawmakers to pass the sweeping legislation as is, Pelosi said "yes." (8/9)
The Hill: GOP Physicians In Congress: Drug Price Control In Reconciliation Bill Will Impact Patient Care
A group of Republican physicians in Congress are voicing their “strong opposition” to the prescription drug pricing control policies that were included in Democrats’ massive reconciliation package that cleared the Senate over the weekend. The members of the GOP Doctors Caucus cited concerns from health care providers that the policies would result in limited access to care as well as a drastic drop in provider reimbursement. (8/8)
NPR: Sen. Schumer Talks On What The Inflation Reduction Act Means For Americans
NPR's Juana Summers speaks with Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., about what it was like passing the Inflation Reduction Act and what it means for Americans. (Summers, Contreras and Brown, 8/8)
FiveThirtyEight: Democrats Have A Lot Riding On The Inflation Reduction Act
On Sunday the Senate passed the largest climate-change-intervention bill in American history, the Inflation Reduction Act. In Part 1 of this installment of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast, the crew discusses whether Democrats could turn around President Biden’s approval rating with this newest piece of legislation, assuming they can get it past the House. (8/9)
How the bill could affect you —
The Washington Post: How The Inflation Reduction Act Might Affect Your Health Care
The spending package includes a three-year extension of enhanced financial aid for roughly 13 million Americans who buy health coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges. Last year, Democrats passed the beefed up tax credits in their coronavirus aid bill, but such subsidies are slated to expire at the end of this year. The economic package poised for final passage this week extends the aid through 2025. (Roubei, 8/9)
CBS News: Inflation Reduction Act Could Be "Game-Changing" For Millions Of U.S. Seniors
The Inflation Reduction Act represents the most important effort in decades to reform how drug prices are set in the U.S., experts say. "This is going to be game-changing," Rena Conti, an associate professor at Boston University's Questrom School of Business who studies drug pricing, said of the bill, which passed in the Senate on Sunday and which House lawmakers could vote on as early as Friday. (Ivanova, 8/9)
Bangor Daily News: Democrats’ Spending Bill Is Expected To Keep 14K Mainers Insured
An item in the Democratic spending bill that would extend subsidies to lower-income people in the Affordable Care Act marketplace could keep thousands of Mainers insured and stabilize costs for others if it passes. The Inflation Reduction Act, passed by the Senate this weekend, is headed to a vote in the House on Friday. While significant future drug-pricing reforms have gotten more attention, the measure’s immediate effect on the health care market is in continuing large subsidies for people at or above the poverty line put into place in 2021 by the American Rescue Plan Act. (Andrews, 8/10)
Houston Chronicle: Democrats' New Spending Package Could Make Texas Health Care Cheaper. Here's How
The law could make health care more affordable and accessible in places like Texas, which has the nation’s higher rate of people without health insurance. It is one of 12 states that have not expanded Medicaid, the federal insurance program for the poor. Under the new law, Medicare, federal insurance for the elderly, would be allowed to negotiate with drugmakers for the first time. Health policy analysts say it's a step toward lowering prescription drug costs, but somewhat limited. (Carballo, 8/9)
In related news from the campaign trail —
Roll Call: Climate, Health And Tax Debate Moves Quickly To Campaign Realm
The debate over the sweeping climate, health and tax bill passed by Senate Democrats last weekend is already moving to the campaign trail, even before the House has cleared it for President Joe Biden's signature. One Nation, the nonprofit associated with the Senate Leadership Fund — the super PAC run by allies of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. — on Tuesday announced an ad blitz against the package, passed Sunday. (Lesniewski, 8/9)
The Hill: Johnson Steps On Political Land Mine With Social Security, Medicare Comments
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), a stalwart Senate ally of former President Trump, is facing fresh uncertainty in his race for reelection after telling a podcast last week that Social Security and Medicare should be classified as discretionary spending, with Congress authorized to set their budgets every year. Johnson had been cruising to reelection in a favorable political climate for Republicans, who expected to take control of the House and possibly the Senate as well. (Bolton, 8/9)
In other news, President Joe Biden will sign the burn pit bill today —
Fox News: Biden To Sign Bipartisan Burn Pits Legislation Designed To Support Veterans
President Joe Biden will sign bipartisan legislation into law on Wednesday aimed at helping military veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits during their time in service. Biden will sign the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promises to Address Comprehensive Toxics, or PACT Act of 2022 in the East Room of the White House. The bill is expected to assist more than five million veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. (Mion, 8/10)
