Poison Pills In Zika Bill Likely Too Bitter For Democratic Senators To Swallow
The Senate is expected to take a procedural vote this week on a broad veterans and military spending bill that includes $1.1 billion to combat the Zika virus. But Democrats are balking at the deal due to provisions such as a cut to Planned Parenthood grants.
The Associated Press:
Congressional Dysfunction Likely To Stall Zika Funding Bill
President Barack Obama's $1.9 billion emergency request to combat a potential public health crisis from the Zika virus is more than 4 months old, but congressional dysfunction appears likely to scuttle a scaled-back version of the president's request, raising the prospect that Congress may leave on a seven-week vacation next month without addressing Zika. (Taylor, 6/28)
In other national health care news —
Modern Healthcare:
CMS Proposes $180 Million Pay Cut For Home Health
Home healthcare agencies may see a 1% drop in Medicare reimbursement in 2017, the final year of cuts meant to recoup previous overpayments. The proposed rates—which would mean Medicare would pay home health agencies $180 million less next year than in 2016—were published the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear a case challenging a federal labor rule that home health providers say is harming their businesses. ... The proposed payment reduction is not the only financial challenge facing home healthcare providers. On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court decided it would not hear a case challenging a new Department of Labor rule that requires higher wages for many home healthcare workers. (Dickson and Schencker, 6/27)
Bloomberg:
Pharmacy Managers Unleash Big Data
Historically, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have been known more for their relentless supply efficiency than their tech chops. But with the easiest savings already in the past, OptumRx and rivals such as CVS Health and Express Scripts have begun mining their huge troves of prescription data in search of economies. “Lowering costs now means having to make really difficult decisions about having to cover one drug vs. another,” says Walid Gellad, who heads the Center for Pharmaceutical Policy and Prescribing at the University of Pittsburgh. (Tracer, 6/27)
Stat:
Health Experts Offer Their Support For — And Skepticism Of — The Cancer Moonshot
The National Cancer Moonshot Summit, to be held on Wednesday, is an effort by the White House to promote efforts championed by Vice President Joe Biden to find a cure for cancer. At the same time, dozens of associated regional conferences will take place around the country, bringing together scientists, patients, and health care experts. In advance of the summit, STAT reporters interviewed various individuals in the worlds of science, medicine, and health for a sampling of opinion on Biden’s initiative. They range from skepticism to support. (Skerrett, 6/28)
Stat:
The Supreme Court Decision That’s Shaking Up Biotech
In biotech, your company is only as good as its intellectual property. And the Supreme Court on Monday left a whole lot of biotech entrepreneurs fearful that their inventions may not be worth all that much after all. The justices spooked the industry by declining to hear an appeal from Sequenom, a California company that markets a prenatal test based on screening fetal DNA. A lower court had ruled that Sequenom couldn’t patent the test because it was based on a natural biological process. (Garde, 6/27)