CQ’s Carey Discusses Prospects for Votes on SCHIP, Tobacco Bills, Other Health-Related Legislation

Mary Agnes Carey, associate editor of CQ HealthBeat, discusses the likelihood that Congress will not vote again this year on bills to renew and expand SCHIP, give FDA authority to regulate tobacco products, and the passage of legislation to improve access to health care services for veterans living in rural areas in this week's "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork.org and CQ."

According to Carey, "Before they left for the August break, Democrats had been discussing" another SCHIP vote, but now "several factors, including a tight legislative timetable -- members want to leave town by the end of this month so they can campaign before the November elections -- have led Democrats to change their minds." Other conflicting priorities include the economy and high gas prices, Carey reports. In addition, the increased cost of new SCHIP legislation "also complicates matters," Carey says. She also reports that Democratic lawmakers believe Republicans will "pay a penalty for voting against" SCHIP legislation in the elections. Changes to the children's insurance program are expected to be a high priority during the following session of Congress, as the current temporary expansion for the program expires in March 2009.

The Senate is not likely to vote on a House-approved bill that would allow FDA to regulate the tobacco industry, including restricting labeling and marketing and certain flavored products, according to Carey. Carey says a "crowded Senate calendar" and objections from some members are "likely to delay the action." Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) has said he will extend debate if the bill comes to the Senate floor. He has said the bill is wrong to assign such responsibility to FDA, noting that CDC or the Federal Trade Commission are better suited, Carey notes.

The House last week voted 418-0 to pass a bill that would establish a three-year pilot program allowing "highly rural" veterans -- those who live more than 60 miles from a Department of Veterans Affairs facility, are seeking acute hospital care who live more than 120 miles from a VA facility, or those seeking tertiary care who live more than 240 miles from a VA facility -- to enroll in four of the VA's 21 health care networks to receive covered medical services through independent providers.

According to Carey, several other bills related to health care have been passed, or could be passed, before the session is adjourned. The Senate Finance Committee approved a bill (S 1070) that would provide training and other assistance to long-term care workers to help curb abuse and neglect, and another measure (S 1577) that would expand a nationwide pilot program for conducting criminal background checks of long-term care workers. The House has passed companion legislation, so "there's hope that an agreement can be reached on these bills," Carey says.

Other "potential movement" includes providing additional state Medicaid dollars under a second economic stimulus package that House Democrats expect to pass by the end of the month, and pending health information technology legislation in both chambers. The health IT measures would provide grants and loans to courage health care providers to buy and install equipment for collecting and storing electronic health records. House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee chair Pete Stark (D-Calif.) said he will propose his own version of the IT bill. Mental health parity legislation also "remains in play," according to Carey (Carey, CQ HealthBeat, 9/15).

The complete audio version of "Health on the Hill," transcript and resources for further research are available online at kaisernetwork.org.