Rep. Price, Health and Human Services Nominee, Confirmation Expected Mid-February

  

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.

Vote-a-rama Starts Tonight – Affordable Care Act Repeal Debate

  

The Senate started considering amendments to the fiscal 2017 budget resolution, a process known as budget reconciliation, which will pave the way for repeal of large sections of the Affordable Care Act including: premium subsidies, cost sharing subsidies, contraception coverage, Medicaid expansion, the individual mandate, and the employer mandate.

What is the budget reconciliation process?
The budget reconciliation process is used to address tax and spending matters, including entitlement spending (i.e. Medicare, Medicaid). The process is an effective legislative tool as it is not subject to the Senate’s typical 60-vote threshold for passage. Rather, the bill can be passed by a simple majority of 50-votes.

Policy experts assert that repealing ACA’s unpopular provisions, like the individual and employer mandates as well as the law’s accompanying tax revenue, make it nearly impossible to preserve its most popular provisions – preexisting condition protections, subsidies that make quality coverage affordable, Medicaid expansion to 10million Americans.

Republican lawmakers are increasingly expressing public concern over plans to use the reconciliation process to repeal without a replacement.

ANA is actively engaged in these ongoing discussions, meeting and working with Members of Congress and coalition partners throughout the health care community to ensure the nursing profession’s voice is heard loud and clear.

Check back in to stay up to date on the latest health care reform developments.

Health Outlook in DC – Jan 9-13

  

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