Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The Ripples Of GOP's Tax Bill Would Be Felt Across Health Industry
PBS NewsHour: How Will The Tax Bill Impact Health Care? 5 Experts Weigh In
As House and Senate negotiators put the finishing touches on their tax plan, one thing is clear: the legislation will likely have a big impact on health care. The tax bill could repeal the individual mandate — a centerpiece of the Affordable Care Act — and could also trigger cuts in Medicaid and Medicare funding down the line. (Bush, 12/14)
Reuters: As Republican Tax Vote Nears, More Senators Waver
President Donald Trump's drive to win passage of a sweeping Republican tax bill in the U.S. Congress hit potential obstacles on Thursday as two more Republican senators insisted on changes, joining a list of lawmakers whose support is uncertain. (12/14)
The Associated Press: Illness Sidelines McCain, Cochran As Tax Vote Nears
Senate Republicans rushed toward votes next week on their sweeping $1.5 trillion tax package, hopeful ailing Sens. John McCain and Thad Cochran will be back and well enough to cast their votes. The 81-year-old McCain, of Arizona, is at a Washington-area military hospital being treated for the side effects of brain cancer treatment. Cochran, 80, of Mississippi, had a non-melanoma lesion removed from his nose earlier this week. (Lardner and Daly, 12/14)
Kaiser Health News: Listen: Collins Plays Let’s Make A Deal On ACA Mandate Repeal
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was a deciding vote that kept the Affordable Care Act standing last summer, and she has had a lot of leverage in negotiations on the GOP tax bill this fall. Collins says she will vote for the bill even though it repeals the ACA’s mandate that most people buy insurance or pay a penalty. In exchange for that vote, she has assurances that payments for low-income consumers called cost-sharing subsidies will be restored and that a bill to stabilize the markets will move forward. (Wight, 12/15)
In other health tax news —
State House News Service: Return Of Medical Device Tax Causing A Stir
The failure of Republicans in Congress this year to repeal the Affordable Care Act means that a controversial tax on medical device sales will return in 2018 unless legislators intervene in the next couple weeks, putting a major Bay State industry on edge. The tax, which was included in the 2010 health care reform law as a way to help pay for an expansion of Medicaid, puts a levy of 2.3 percent on devices like X-ray and MRI machines, surgical instruments and pacemakers. (Murphy, 12/14)
