Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Omnibus Deal Delays Some Medicare Pay Cuts, Moves Up Medicaid Cutoffs
Stat: Congress Reaches Major Health Policy Deal On Medicare, Medicaid
Leaders in Congress have reached a sweeping deal to ease Medicare pay cuts to doctors, make major changes to post-pandemic Medicaid policy, and to help prepare for future pandemics. Lawmakers are aiming to pass a health care policy package along with legislation to fund the federal government by Friday. (Cohrs and Owermohle, 12/19)
Axios: Congress Saves Big Health Care Decisions For Last
There's plenty for health care interest groups in Congress' year-end spending package, but some had to make significant concessions: There will be no pandemic commission, doctors will have to swallow some Medicare payment cuts and FDA oversight of diagnostic tests will not change. The health care riders in the year-end spending package reflect which health care interests have clout, and which issues lawmakers want to punt into next year, when Congress will be divided and deals may be more elusive. (Knight, Sullivan and Goldman, 12/20)
Roll Call: Both Parties Claim Wins In Massive Omnibus Spending Bill
Both parties praised the inclusion of nearly $119 billion for veterans medical care, a 22 percent increase over fiscal 2022, not counting a $5 billion infusion for the toxic exposure benefits law enacted over the summer. ... During negotiations, the two sides tussled over the classification of veterans health care costs as Democrats aimed to make some existing funds mandatory to free up additional discretionary nondefense spending for other priorities. The GOP won that fight, although Democrats got some funds for the new toxic exposure law deemed "mandatory," or exempt from appropriations limits. (McPherson and Quigley, 12/20)
The Washington Post: Congress Unveils $1.7 Trillion Deal To Fund Government, Avert Shutdown
The omnibus also proposed nearly $773 billion for domestic programs, which included a significant increase in federal funding for veterans and new money meant to improve child-care programs, combat substance abuse and help needy families access food. (Romm, 12/20)
More on the looming impact to Medicaid and Medicare —
Politico: Why Democrats Warmed To Severing Medicaid Eligibility From The Covid Public Health Emergency
Republicans have long demanded an end to the Covid-era Medicaid policy that gives states more funding and bars them from kicking people off the rolls. Now, Democrats are prepared to join them — four people close to the negotiations tell POLITICO. Congressional negotiators are set to unveil the text of the 2023 omnibus spending bill on Monday. Lawmakers and staff have been scrambling for weeks to find ways to pay for a slew of health care programs, such as permanent telehealth flexibility, providing longer Medicaid coverage for new mothers and avoiding scheduled cuts to doctors’ payments, prompting formerly resistant Democratic members to take a fresh look at moving up the end-date of the Covid-19 Medicaid policy by at least three months — to April 1. (Ollstein, 12/19)
Stat: Congress Falls Short On Medicaid Postpartum Care
As part of a sweeping end-of-year package, Democrats struck a deal with Republicans to let states begin kicking ineligible people out of the Medicaid program in April — before a freeze linked to the public health emergency ends — as long as children now enrolled in the program were covered for a year after their circumstances change, and recent states’ moves to cover people for a year postpartum were made permanent. But the ultimate agreement is a far cry from Democrats’ desire to require every state, including 17 holdouts, to cover postpartum care through Medicaid for a year. (Owermohle, 12/20)
The Washington Post: Congress Clinches Deal To Fund Medicaid Programs In Puerto Rico, Other Territories
Congress has clinched a deal to avert a lapse in critical dollars for Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program for five years and permanently beef up federal dollars for the other U.S. territories, according to two people familiar with the negotiations. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the negotiations. (Roubein, 12/19)
KHN: Medicare Pay Cuts Will Hurt Seniors’ Care, Doctors Argue
Doctors are urging Congress to call off cuts scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1 in the reimbursements they receive from Medicare. In what has become an almost yearly ritual, physician groups are arguing that patients will have greater difficulty finding doctors who accept Medicare if lawmakers allow the pay cuts to happen. Whether doctors’ efforts to stave off the cuts will succeed as in past years remains to be seen. (McAuliff, 12/20)
Also —
The Hill: Medicaid Expansion Linked With Improved Cancer Survival In Young Adults
Expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is linked with better survival outcomes for young Americans newly diagnosed with cancer, research shows. The two-year survival benefit was most pronounced among individuals who identify as Hispanic or Black and those with breast cancer or stage IV cancers. (Melillo, 12/19)
