Category: Health Care

Dr. Tom Price, President-elect Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary, is slated to testify at a courtesy hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on January 18th at 10:00am. Price (GA-6), an orthopedic surgeon, is currently Chairman of the House Budget Committee. The  Senate Finance Committee, which has primary jurisdiction of Price’s confirmation, has not yet set a date for their hearing.

Trump has said that his administration will propose a repeal and replacement plan for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) once Price is confirmed. While Trump has shared no details, his plan may resemble legislation which Rep. Price has introduced in every Congress since 2009. In addition to questions around Price’s legislation, the confirmation hearings may also examine his trading of healthcare stocks while serving as a member of the House Ways and Means Health subcommittee. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Chairman of the HELP Committee, suggested that Price wouldn’t be confirmed until mid-February. Should this timeline hold true, Price would not likely present the Trump administration’s plan to replace the ACA until the beginning of March.

ANA is closely working with coalition partners to protect access to affordable healthcare. In advance of the confirmation hearings, we are meeting with Senate champions on both the HELP and Finance Committees to share our priorities and offer questions to get Price on record affirming his support for improving access, quality, and affordability of healthcare — and his commitment to further advance value-based payment.

Monday, January 9 – the National Press Club holds a Newsmaker Luncheon address by HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell on the consequences of potential Affordable Care Act repeal

The National Academy of Sciences holds an embargoed release, “Accounting for Social Risk Factors in Medicare Payment“

Tuesday, January 10 – The Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University Medical Center and the Harvard Global Health Institute hold a symposium on “Pandemic Preparedness in the Next – Administration“

CDC Director Tom Frieden and Indian Health Service Principal Deputy Director Mary Smith hold an embargoed briefing, to discuss a new Vital Signs report on “What approaches from the Indian Health Service can be applied to other populations to reduce kidney failure and prevent diabetes deaths?”

Tuesday and Wednesday, the EPA will review the draft Biologically Based Dose-Response Model for perchlorate in drinking water and a draft model report, “Biologically Based Dose-Response Models for the Effect of Perchlorate on Thyroid Hormones in the Infant, Breast Feeding Mother, Pregnant Mother, and Fetus: Model Development, Revision, and Preliminary Dose-Response Analyses”

Thursday, January 12 – the NIH holds a meeting of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences

The Office of Representative Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, hosts a briefing on “Physician Assisted Suicide: Dangers for U.S. Health Care”

Thursday and Friday, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health holds a meeting of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee

Friday, January 13 – AEI, the Pacific Buisness Group on Health, and the Center for Health Policy at Brookings hold a discussion on “Fixing Health Care: Practical Lessons from Business Leaders“ – ANA will be attending this meeting.

The NIH holds a meeting of the NIH Clinical Center Research Hospital Board

The NIH holds a meeting of the National Institute of Mental Health’s Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee

 

There is still time to fight for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) inclusion in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) final rule during its second public comment period which ends this Friday, January 13. Help us advocate for CRNAs by clicking here to customize and submit a pre-written comment letter which will be sent directly to the VA.

Since its announcement on December 13th, ANA has been highlighting the VA’s groundbreaking rule which would allow nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists and certified nurse-midwives to work independently without physician supervision in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). As the nation’s largest employer of nurses, this rule will allow APRNs full practice authority regardless of state or local law restrictions, but excluded over 900 CRNAs currently employed by the VA. While we commend VA Secretary McDonald and Under Secretary Shulkin for taking this critical step to ensure our nation’s Veterans receive the high quality health care they have earned and deserve, we continue to stress our extreme disappointed that the VA failed to extend full practice authority to CRNAs. Check out ANA’s press release for more background.

ANA has written a letter to the VA urging them to implement and include CRNAs in its final rule. ANA is also co-signing comment letters with the Nursing Community and APRN coalition to aggressively fight for CRNA inclusion in the VA’s final rule. Please join us in advocating for CRNAs by submitting a personal comment letter by Friday, January 13th.