Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Repeal Of Individual Mandate Not In Senate's Tax Plan, But Could Still Be Added Down The Road
The Hill: Initial Senate Tax Bill Does Not Repeal ObamaCare Mandate
The tax-reform bill that Senate Republicans are releasing Thursday does not repeal ObamaCare's individual insurance mandate, though the provision could be added down the line, GOP senators said. Senators leaving a briefing about the legislation said repealing the mandate is not in the initial text of the legislation, but cautioned that the issue is still under discussion. (Sullivan, 11/9)
CQ: Health Care Mandate Repeal Not In GOP Tax Proposals
Senate Republicans say they are still considering adding the provision, which conservative lawmakers and President Donald Trump have pushed to include in a tax overhaul. “At this point it’s not but there’s a lot of discussion on that and we're looking at it very seriously,” said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. GOP leaders have resisted including changes to the Democrats’ health care law in tax legislation over concerns that could complicate its passage. Senate Republicans can only lose two votes under the budget reconciliation process to pass a tax bill without any Democratic votes.(McIntire, 11/9)
Politico Pro: GOP Still Considering Mandate Repeal In Tax Bill
Repealing the mandate would result in $338 billion in extra revenue Republicans could use to make some of their tax cuts permanent, according to several GOP sources. It would also allow Republicans to make a down payment on undoing Obamacare, the campaign pledge they worked at unsuccessfully for nine months of the year. (Haberkorn, 11/9)
The Hill: Senate Keeps Medical Expenses Deduction In Break With House
The Senate GOP tax bill will retain a key deduction for qualified medical expenses that was excluded from the House version, according to a Republican senator on the Senate Finance Committee. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) told reporters that the deduction will remain in the initial version of legislation the Senate is set to unveil today. (Weixel, 11/9)
And in other news from Capitol Hill —
CQ: Energy And Commerce Chair Pushes Ambitious Health Care Agenda
The head of a powerful House committee on Thursday promised to review an array of health care issues ranging from Medicare to the exchanges to prescription drugs. Energy and Commerce Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., told physicians at a conference that he plans to examine issues such as broadening Medicare Advantage’s role in the new Medicare payment system for doctors, permanently authorizing Medicare plans for patients with complex medical histories and scrutinizing health care middlemen like pharmacy benefit managers. (Clason, 11/9)
