First Edition: September 30, 2015

Kaiser Health News: Poll Finds Overwhelming Support For Medicare Paying For End-Of-Life Talks
The public overwhelmingly supports Medicare’s plan to pay for end-of-life discussions between doctors and patients, despite GOP objections that such chats would lead to rationed care for the elderly and ill, a poll released Wednesday finds. (Rau, 9/30)

Kaiser Health News: Think Health Prices Are High Near You? Maybe Yes — And No
A long-established belief about health costs is that some areas of the country, like McAllen, Texas, are expensive, while others like San Francisco are cheap. But an analysis released Wednesday provides evidence that prices can be exorbitant for some medical services and bargains for others—all in the same place. (Rau, 9/30)

Politico: GOP Full Throttle On Obamacare Repeal
Congressional Republicans have agreed on a plan to use a fast-track budget procedure to send an Obamacare repeal to the president’s desk, a largely symbolic move – given an expected veto – but one conservatives have been pushing for since the GOP took control of Congress. House Republican leaders are planning to put the bill – which is being crafted in three committees this week – up for a vote as early as next month, according to House aides. After it is approved, Senate leaders are expected to put the legislation on the floor in the upper chamber. (Haberkorn and Kim, 9/29)

The Associated Press: House Republicans Advance Bill To Undo Health Law
House Republicans advanced legislation Tuesday to dismantle President Barack Obama's health law that could actually reach the president's desk. The House GOP has voted more than 50 times to repeal all or parts of the health law. Almost all the bills died in the Senate. (9/29)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. To Give Almost $700 Million In Grants To Improve Patient Care
Dozens of hospital groups, health departments, doctor associations and others will get almost $700 million to improve patient care as part of the Obama administration’s initiative to overhaul payment methods for medical providers. The grants, unveiled Tuesday and funded under the Affordable Care Act, coincide with discussions between Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell and congressional lawmakers on changing health-care delivery. (Armour, 9/29)

The Wall Street Journal: Republicans, White House In Fresh Budget Talks
The preliminary talks are geared at finding a way around discretionary spending caps outlined in a 2011 budget law that many lawmakers see as draconian. ... The House and Senate are expected Wednesday to pass a stopgap spending measure to keep the government running through Dec. 11. ...The chances of a two-year deal are uncertain and could depend on whether House conservatives balk at negotiating an agreement with Democrats. Conservative suspicion that establishment GOP leaders are too willing to give in to Democrats has already delayed passage of an interim spending bill. Social conservatives don’t have the votes to stop the short-term bill, which is a plain-vanilla measure that extends government funding at current levels and doesn’t include language to end funding for Planned Parenthood. (Hughes and Peterson, 9/29)

Politico: White House, GOP Weighing Big Budget Talks
A major budget deal could be elusive, however. Democrats and many Republicans are eager for a broader agreement that would lift federal spending for domestic programs — the top demand of congressional Democrats — while hawkish GOP lawmakers want more money for defense programs. But many conservatives want to keep strict spending caps in place, praising them as a measure of fiscal discipline. In exchange for increasing some key spending levels, McConnell will insist on offsetting those costs and will take a hard line against any tax hikes. (Kim, 9/29)

Politico: How McConnell Outfoxed Ted Cruz
McConnell may not like to talk about [Texas Sen. Ted] Cruz, but he and his leadership lieutenants have quietly and methodically worked to isolate the conservative senator and minimize his effect on the critical fall spending debate. The end result, in spite of Cruz’s invective toward Republican leaders, is music to McConnell’s ears: no government shutdown. ... By moving to quarantine Cruz from the rest of the conference over the past three months, the majority leader demonstrated that he’s learned the lessons of the Cruz-backed government shutdown in 2013 and the Texas senator’s rogue strategy last winter that helped Democrats confirm a raft of judges in the lame duck session. (Everett, 9/29)

Los Angeles Times: McConnell's Old-School Style Could Make Him GOP Conservatives' Next Target
But with the abrupt resignation of House Speaker John A. Boehner, McConnell's pragmatic goals are suddenly looking like political liabilities. ... The GOP leader's old-school strategy of getting the Senate back to "regular order" with committee hearings and amendment votes is too timid for conservatives who just kicked his top colleague out the door and prefer bold, unconventional methods. ... In many ways, McConnell, like Boehner, rose to the job just as the political ground shifted beneath him. ... And despite the pressure, Boehner and McConnell are expected this week to shepherd a temporary spending bill through Congress, bypassing conservatives who want a veto showdown with Obama over Planned Parenthood funding. That will assure the government stays open past Wednesday's fiscal year deadline. (Mascaro, 9/29)

The New York Times: Planned Parenthood’s Leader Pushes Back Against G.O.P. Critics
The embattled president of Planned Parenthood on Tuesday forcefully disputed what she called “outrageous accusations” by Republicans that her organization profits from the sale of fetal tissue, telling Congress that the charges were “offensive and categorically untrue.” (Shear, 9/29)

The Wall Street Journal: Planned Parenthood Head Testifies On Capitol Hill
Ms. Richards defended Planned Parenthood’s practices and management throughout her testimony, largely avoiding missteps that could be quoted later by opponents. In her first appearance on Capitol Hill since the release of the videos, she described allegations that clinics profited from the use of fetal tissue as “outrageous” and untrue, and said they were part of a broader campaign aimed at rolling back abortion rights. (Armour and Radnofsky, 9/29)

The Washington Post: House GOP Hard-Liners Agitate To Have One Of Their Own In A Leadership Role
A generation of House Republicans who have spent the past five years trying to shake up Washington spent Tuesday trying to shake up their party’s leadership contests that have moved coolly toward reinforcing the status quo. They had little success. A campaign to draft one prominent, relatively young conservative, Rep. Trey Gowdy (S.C.), into the race for majority leader was extinguished before day’s end, leaving restless conservatives to continue their search for a standard-bearer. (DeBonis and Costa, 9/29)

Los Angeles Times: Planned Parenthood Chief Takes On Republican Critics In Emotional Hearing
She fought back against allegations that Planned Parenthood profits from such donations, noting that it provides an array of healthcare services. Any charges for procuring the fetal tissue merely cover its costs, the organization says. Federal law bans the sale of fetal tissue for profit. (Howard, 9/29)

USA Today: Planned Parenthood's Cecile Richards Mounts Defense Before Congress
Richards argued that most of the federal funding Planned Parenthood receives is reimbursement under Medicaid and other programs for health care services like birth control, cancer screenings, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections."No federal funds pay for abortion services," she said in written testimony, "except in the very limited circumstances permitted by law — when the woman has been raped, has been the victim of incest, or when her life is endangered." But Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, said it appears to him "this is an organization that doesn't need federal subsidy." He said the group has its own revenue streams, and "Planned Parenthood is an organization with massive salaries... (and) exorbitant travel expenses." (Singer, 9/29)

The Associated Press: House Chair: Planned Parenthood Doesn't Need Federal Money
[A] House committee chairman insisted Tuesday that the organization does not need federal money and spends much of it on political activities. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, made the remarks to Cecile Richards, the group's president, as she waited to testify before his House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. ... Chaffetz lashed out at the organization for what he called "exorbitant" spending for salaries, travel, parties and lobbying. "That's money that's not going to women's health care," said Chaffetz. He added, "It's a political organization." (Fram, 9/29)

Politico: GOP Chair Attacks Planned Parenthood President's Salary
Committee Democrats labeled the hearing as the latest in a long GOP war against women and abortion rights. The lengthy hearing broke little new ground but is unlikely to quiet calls from House Republicans to eliminate the organization's federal funding. While the organization will be spared from cuts in the latest stopgap government spending bill expected to pass Congress this week, both opponents and proponents know that defunding efforts will return. The hearing started just hours before the House approved a bill that would let states block Medicaid funds to providers who perform abortions. (Haberkorn, 9/29)

The Washington Post: Planned Parenthood Leader: Video Allegations Are ‘Offensive’ And ‘Untrue’
Meanwhile, several House committees began taking steps to implement a separate legislative strategy that could draw President Obama into the dispute. Later this week, they will begin assembling a budget-reconciliation bill that would cut off Planned Parenthood’s funding, as well as repeal Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Because legislation moved through the reconciliation process cannot be filibustered, it is likely to be approved by both chambers, forcing Obama to veto the bill. The wrangling could keep the congressional debate over Planned Parenthood alive into next year, keeping the organization — and the abortion issue — in the spotlight through the Republican presidential primaries. (Somashekhar, 9/30)

The Washington Post's The Fix: 5 Moments When Congress’s Planned Parenthood Hearing Got Heated
Tuesday's showdown between House Republicans and Planned Parenthood was a battle some conservatives hoped to be having on a much larger scale this week. But they got a battle nonetheless. (Phillips, 9/29)

The Washington Post's Morning Mix: In Planned Parenthood’s Cecile Richards, GOP Faces Formidable Fan Of ‘Kick-Butt’ Politics
Republican lawmakers have an incentive to make these hearings as contentious as possible: abortion rights and Planned Parenthood’s funding are likely to be sticking points in budget negotiations this December and major election issues after that. The account of Richard’s performance and who came out on top depended on who was reporting the hearing. “Planned Parenthood blasted over salaries, expensive parties,” was the headline at the Washington Examiner. “Planned Parenthood boss clashes with lawmakers over taxpayer $$, videos,” reported Fox News. But according to MSNBC, it was a triumph for Richards. “Planned Parenthood chief embarrasses GOP rep.” (Kaplan, 9/30)

The Washington Post: Carly Fiorina Emerges As The Right’s New Champion On Abortion Issues
On the facts, Carly Fiorina has been proved wrong. But on the politics, her impassioned condemnation of a Planned Parenthood video has turned her into a champion of the antiabortion movement and given her outsider candidacy new momentum. Republicans have rallied to her side, not just to defend one of their own against fact checkers and attacks from Democrats for misrepresenting what was in the video, but also because she brings a fresh voice and perspective to what has long been a predictable debate over abortion. (Rucker, 9/29)

Politico: Paul On Cruz: He's Pretty Much Done For In The Senate
Rand Paul on Tuesday had a blunt message for his presidential rival and fellow Republican senator Ted Cruz: You're a hack. In no uncertain terms, Paul called out Cruz for trying — and failing — to disrupt GOP leadership's efforts to fund the government without attacking Planned Parenthood, as well as past name-calling from the Texas senator. (Collins, 9/29)

The New York Times: Hillary Clinton To Propose Scrapping Health Law’s ‘Cadillac Tax’
Hillary Rodham Clinton will in the coming days speak out against the so-called Cadillac tax on certain health care plans, a move that is part of a series of reforms she’s suggesting for the Affordable Care Act, according to a union official briefed on her plans. Mrs. Clinton’s campaign aides informed Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, of her intentions in the last few days, according to a senior official with the labor group. The union made an early endorsement of Mrs. Clinton in July. (Haberman, 9/29)

The Associated Press: Clinton Calls For Repeal Of Health Care Law's 'Cadillac Tax'
Many unions have held off from endorsing Clinton, often because their rank-and-file members prefer her primary opponent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and their leadership wants to wait and see if Vice President Joe Biden decides to enter the 2016 race. Last week, Sanders and seven other Democratic Senators introduced a plan to repeal the tax. (9/29)

The Wall Street Journal: Hillary Clinton Supports Repealing ‘Cadillac Tax’ On Health Plans
Mrs. Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, has attempted to strike a balance on the 2010 health law. She has vigorously defended the law while also promising to address what are seen as its shortcomings. Last week, she proposed new caps on out-of-pocket costs on private insurance plans. On Tuesday, she described repealing the tax as “strengthening” the law while reiterating her view that the law is working well. (Meckler and Armour, 9/29)

The Washington Post: Clinton To Call For Nixing ‘Cadillac Tax’ On Health Plans Under Obamacare
Clinton will propose alternative revenue plans to make up for the lost money, her campaign said. ... She had indicated skepticism about the Cadillac tax and said she was examining possible changes. The tax is a major “pay-for” to offset increased costs under the ACA, and was one of the major cost-curbing mechanisms in the law, with then-CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf calling it one of two "powerful policy levers for encouraging changes in medical practice.” (Gearan, 9/29)

The New York Times: Nursing Homes Bill For More Therapy Than Patients Need, U.S. Says
Nursing homes receive far more in Medicare payments than it costs them to provide care, exploiting the billing system in some cases by giving patients more therapy services than they need, federal investigators said in a new report. The report, to be issued on Wednesday by the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services, said that nursing homes regularly filed claims for the highest, most expensive level of therapy, regardless of what patients required. (Pear, 9/30)

The Washington Post: Federal Health-Care Plan Costs To Rise By Most In Five Years
The enrollee share of premiums in the health insurance program for federal employees and retirees will rise by 7.4 percent on average in 2016, the largest increase since 2011, the government announced Tuesday. (Yoder, 9/29)

The Associated Press: Delaware Hospital Agrees To $4 Million Federal Settlement
Federal prosecutors say St. Francis hospital in Wilmington has agreed to a $4 million settlement related to improper Medicare and Medicaid billing. The settlement announced Tuesday involves improperly billing Medicare and Medicaid for patients admitted into a Wilmington inpatient rehabilitation unit between 2007 and 2010 when admission was not medically necessary and services did not fully qualify for reimbursement. (9/29)

USA Today: Houston Tries To Slim Down With Food, Fitness
This sprawling Southwestern metropolis used to have a Texas-sized obesity problem, topping the scales as America’s fattest city. And no wonder — healthy food and safe places to exercise were hard to come by for many residents. But an initiative launched by Mayor Annise Parker in 2012, called Go Healthy Houston, has worked to change that dubious distinction by giving people better access to healthy foods, physical activity and tobacco-free zones. It’s one of many similar initiatives in cities across the nation aiming to improve health and reduce the cost of care among whole populations by creating an environment that makes healthy choices easier. (Ungar and O'Donnell, 9/29)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Forms Health 'Super Agency,' But Some Fear It Will Be Unwieldy
At a time when private healthcare is increasingly connected and holistic, critics complain that Los Angeles County's sprawling public health system is neither. A patient who arrives at a county hospital emergency room with a broken arm faces a bureaucratic maze. If he needs follow-up physical and mental health service, as well as substance abuse counseling through the county system, he might have to fill out different sets of forms at three different clinics. And his health professionals in one department won't have access to health records maintained by the other departments. (Sewell, 9/29)

The Associated Press: El Paso Abortion Clinic Reopens Amid Texas Court Battles
An El Paso clinic shuttered by Texas' tough 2013 abortion law reopened Tuesday, the first in the state to do so since the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked enforcement of some key restrictions three months ago. The Reproductive Services clinic, so close to the Texas-Mexico border that its windows offer views of Ciudad Juarez across the Rio Grande, is taking appointments and expects to begin performing abortions next week. (9/29)

NPR: Telemedicine Expands, Though Financial Prospects Still Uncertain
Say you're a Midwestern farmer in a hospital bed, recovering from surgery or a major illness. It's time for the nurse's check-in, but there's no knock on the door. At Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, a camera attached to the wall over the foot of the bed whirls around, as a video monitor next to the camera lights up to show a smiling face with a headset on. "Good afternoon, this is Jeff with SafeWatch," the smiling face says. "Just doing my afternoon rounds." (Smith, 9/30)