National Journal Examines November Election’s Potential Effect on Health Issues

The current issue of National Journal examines the impact that the outcome of next month's elections could have on a number of health care issues, such as:

• Abortion: Republicans support legislation that would ban so-called "partial-birth" abortion, but they have failed to move a bill out of the Democratic-controlled Senate. National Journal reports that "even if Republicans win back the Senate" in November, they would not likely have the 60 votes required to move such a bill to the floor for a vote. Although "partial-birth" abortion legislation has some Democratic supporters, the bill could not overcome a filibuster in the Senate "if a Republican majority were small," National Journal reports. In addition to a "partial-birth" abortion bill, Douglas Johnson, legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee, said he "isn't optimistic" about the future of the "Abortion Non-Discrimination Act," legislation passed in the House this year that would mandate that states could not pass legislation to require hospitals to provide abortions (Zeller, National Journal, 10/19).
  
• Health Care Costs and the Uninsured: In the event that Democrats take control of the House and retain control of the Senate, health care costs could become "higher on Congress' to-do list," National Journal reports. A Senate-passed bill (S 812) that would increase access to generic drugs "might make it through the House if Democrats were in charge," and Congress would approve a House-passed Medicaid and CHIP expansions, National Journal reports. However, a Republican-controlled Congress would likely pass a bill that would limit non-economic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits to $250,000. In addition, a GOP-controlled Congress might support a proposal by President Bush to provide tax credits to the uninsured to help cover the cost of private health insurance.
  
• Patients' Rights: Under a Democratic-controlled Congress, patients' rights legislation "might get moving again," National Journal reports. Both the Senate and House have passed patients' rights bills, but negotiators have failed to resolve differences in the legislation. A Republican takeover of the Senate "probably wouldn't do much to change the status quo" on the issue, National Journal reports. Ed Howard, executive vice president of the Alliance for Health Reform, said, "If the House changes hands, (patients' rights legislation) might move. If the Senate changes hands, we still have a stalemate."
  
• Prescription Drug Benefit: According to one health care lobbyist, "Prescription drugs is the most obvious example of where (change of party control) makes a difference," National Journal reports. A Democratic-controlled Congress would likely pass legislation that spends government funds for a Medicare prescription drug benefit. However, a Republican-controlled Congress would likely pass a bill that would use private insurers to provide a prescription drug benefit to Medicare beneficiaries. Many lawmakers won election in 2000 on promises to pass a prescription drug benefit and will "be under pressure to produce," National Journal reports (Werber Serafini, National Journal, 10/19).

White House, GOP 'Optimistic'
Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports that White House officials and congressional Republicans "are so optimistic about winning control" of Congress that they have begun to make plans on a number of issues, such as a Medicare prescription drug benefit. They said that Republican control of Congress would help win passage of a prescription drug benefit bill supported by the Bush administration, a move that would "rob Democrats of a potent issue and help the president in Florida in 2004," the Post reports (Allen, Washington Post, 10/20).