Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
House Subcommittee Slated To Mark Up 'Cures' Legislation
The Hill: E&C Advances Landmark Bill To Overhaul Drug Development
The House Energy and Commerce Committee has planned a markup for its signature legislation to overhaul drug development. The markup, which will take place by the health subcommittee on Thursday, will be lawmakers’ first chance to publicly propose changes to the legislation, known as 21st Century Cures. (Ferris, 5/12)
CQ Healthbeat: Electronic Health Records To Factor In 'Cures' Markup
New language designed to ensure that electronic health information systems talk to each other – an issue known as interoperability – is expected to be added to a package to expedite new medical cures that a House subcommittee is slated to mark up Thursday. The Energy and Commerce Committee tweeted Monday that its Health Subcommittee would hold a markup Thursday on its so-called 21st Century Cures legislation by Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Diana DeGette, D-Colo. (Attias, 5/12)
The Hill: Senators Plan Rival Bill On Medical Cures
The Senate is likely to produce its own version of legislation that would smooth the path for new medical cures, two Republican senators said Tuesday. Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee this week plan to mark up a bipartisan bill called 21st Century Cures. The legislation is aimed at streamlining the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) process for approving new drugs and treatments, and would increase research funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). (Sullivan, 5/12)
And in Capitol Hill news regarding medical devices -
The Fiscal Times: $28 Billion Obamacare Tax On Medical Devices In Jeopardy
For months, lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been rallying around a measure to repeal President Obamacare’s 2.3 percent tax on medical devices. Now, House Democrats are pushing to have the vote approved by Memorial Day. The medical device tax has been the target of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. They have been aggressively lobbied by the medical device industry, which says the tax is bad for business, driving up prices and leading to job losses—especially at smaller companies. (Ehley, 5/12)
