Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Lawmakers Optimistic For Action This Year On Bills Cracking Down On PBMs
Modern Healthcare: PBM Reform Bills Likely To Pass Congress In 2023, Lawmakers Say
Historic levels of dysfunction and infighting may be roiling Congress these days, but there is at least one area where lawmakers appear primed to act as soon as they can: Cracking down on pharmacy benefit managers. Members of Congress, Capitol Hill staffers and industry stakeholders put high odds on some suite of healthcare bills winding up on President Joe Biden's desk before the legislative session ends. ... And lawmakers are always eager to brag to voters that they took action against high prescription drug prices. (McAuliff, 10/12)
Stat: States Are Taking Their Own Steps To Lower Drug Costs
Anticipation may be high that Medicare can wring lower prices out of drugmakers, but a handful of states are moving aggressively to slash costs for their residents, a clear sign the battle over affordable medicines in the U.S. is only going to escalate further. (Silverman, 10/11)
KFF Health News: Health Funding In Question In A Speaker-Less Congress
A bitterly divided Congress managed to keep the federal government running for several more weeks, while House Republicans struggle — again — to choose a leader. Meanwhile, many people removed from state Medicaid rolls are not finding their way to Affordable Care Act insurance, and a major investigation by The Washington Post attributes the decline in U.S. life expectancy to more than covid-19 and opioids. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Victoria Knight of Axios, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews physician-author-playwright Samuel Shem about “Our Hospital,” his new novel about the health workforce in the age of covid. (10/12)
The Hill: Biden Campaign Bashes Scott For Touting Drug Price Caps That He Voted Against
President Biden’s reelection campaign bashed presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) for touting drug price caps for seniors after voting against the Inflation Reduction Act. In a video first shared with The Hill, the campaign mashed up clips of Scott celebrating capping costs for seniors and saying that the Inflation Reduction Act, which Scott voted against, should be eliminated. (Gangitano, 10/11)
In related news about the high cost of medical care —
The New York Times: Mary Lou Retton Crowdfunded Her Medical Debt, Like Many Thousands Of Others
When Mary Lou Retton, the decorated Olympic gymnast, accrued medical debt from a lengthy hospital stay, her family did what countless Americans have done before them: turned to crowdfunding to cover the bills. On Tuesday, Ms. Retton’s daughter started a fund-raising campaign on social media for her mother, who she said was hospitalized with a rare pneumonia. ... The public swiftly responded, with thousands donating $350,000 in less than two days, shattering the goal of $50,000. (Kliff, 10/12)
