Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Millions In Funding For Gun Violence Research Rejected By Republican Appropriators
Politico: House GOP Appropriators Block Funding For Gun Violence Research
House Republican appropriators Wednesday rejected a proposal to designate millions of dollars for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for gun violence research, voting 32-20 to keep the language out of a fiscal 2019 spending bill. The party-line vote marked Democrats’ latest failed bid to spur studies into preventing firearm-related injuries and deaths — and comes despite a bipartisan agreement earlier this year that the CDC is permitted to conduct such research. The agency's ability to study gun violence had been limited by a 1996 provision that prevented the CDC from collecting data to advocate for gun control. (Cancryn, 7/11)
CQ: Ways And Means Advances Four Health Savings Account Bills
The House Ways and Means Committee approved four bills on Wednesday intended to expand health savings accounts before recessing until Thursday morning, when the panel will consider seven additional measures with similar objectives. Several of the bills had bipartisan support, but Wednesday’s markup immediately took a partisan turn and the tallies fell mostly along party lines. Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, said the markup was about providing patients with more choice, while ranking member Richard E. Neal, D-Mass., said the bills would not address the health care challenges Americans are facing. (McIntire, 7/11)
Politico Pro: 4 HSA Expansion Bills Clear Ways And Means
The legislation that advanced mostly on party-line votes includes a bill, H.R. 6301 (115), written to permit wider HSA use by those who hold high-deductible health plans. It would allow insurers to offer coverage for low-cost services for chronic disease management, such as diabetes testing strips, below the deductible, for example. They also cleared another bill, H.R. 6317 (115), that would let HSA account holders use them on direct primary care services, as well as legislation, H.R. 6305 (115), to permit HSA use for employment-related services like onsite clinics and allow eligible individuals to make HSA contributions if a spouse has a flexible spending account. (Lorenzo, 7/11)
The Hill: Lawmakers Worry About Rise In Drugged Driving
Lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing Wednesday on the dangers of drug-impaired driving. There is growing concern in Congress over the issue as data from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility finds that accidents from drugged driving have been on the rise over the last 10 years. (Goodman, 7/11)
