Partisan Bickering Threatens Health Law Talks As Political Ramifications Prowl In The Shadows
Lawmakers are trying to stabilize the health law marketplaces but partisan demands may bring the whole thing down during a politically charged election year. Meanwhile, a liberal group is making the argument that Congress funding the cost-sharing subsidies would actually "do more harm than good."
The Associated Press:
Lots Of Talk, Little Action On Curbing Health Care Costs
It started as a bipartisan attempt to curb soaring health care premiums. But Congress' effort to stabilize the nation's insurance markets is faltering amid escalating demands by each party and erratic positions by President Donald Trump. Democrats want bigger federal subsidies for consumers under President Barack Obama's health care law while Republicans, still fighting that statute, aim to relax its coverage requirements and win abortion restrictions. (3/12)
The Hill:
Liberal Group Warns ObamaCare Funds Would Do 'More Harm Than Good'
A liberal group is warning against funding ObamaCare payments that are at the center of a debate in Congress, marking a shift from Democrats’ earlier position on the payments. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities on Friday published an analysis warning against funding the payments, known as cost-sharing reductions (CSRs), which are the at the center of a bipartisan bill aimed at stabilizing the ObamaCare marketplaces. The bill could be included in a government funding measure this month. (Sullivan, 3/9)
In other national news —
The New York Times:
Seeking Cheaper Health Insurance, Idaho Bucks Affordable Care Act
In this rugged state of jagged peaks and black volcanic soils, people struggle to make a living and get good health care. Only Mississippi has lower average weekly wages, and in the last few years, about 110,000 people in Idaho, a state of only 1.7 million, have been priced out of the health insurance market by rising premiums, insurance industry estimates show. This is also a deeply conservative place, where dismantling or weakening the Affordable Care Act — the signature law of the Obama administration — has been a longstanding priority for the governor and the Republican-dominated Legislature. Now those two powerful trends are colliding. (Johnson and Pear, 3/9)
The Hill:
Idaho Governor Not Backing Down From Attempt To Skirt ObamaCare
Idaho's Gov. Butch Otter (R) is not backing down from a plan to skirt ObamaCare rules with new state health insurance plans, despite a letter from the Trump administration saying the plan appeared to violate federal law. Otter said Friday that, despite a letter warning the state about its plans this week, the Trump administration is not asking the state to back down and discussions remain open. (Sullivan, 3/9)
The Associated Press:
Trump Uses Page From 'Smart Policymaking 101' On Health Care
A smartphone app that lets Medicare patients access their claims information. Giving consumers a share of drug company rebates for their prescriptions. Wider access to websites that reliably compare cost and quality of medical tests. The Trump administration is taking a pragmatic new tack on health care, with officials promising consumer friendly changes and savings in areas from computerized medical records to prescription drugs. New Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has been rolling out the agenda, saying it has the full backing of President Donald Trump. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 3/10)
The Associated Press:
Insurers Get Into Care, But Is It Good For Your Health?
In the not-too-distant future, your health insurance, your prescription drugs and some of your treatment may come from the same company. Insurers are dropping billions of dollars on acquisitions and expansions in order to get more involved in customer health. They say this push can help cut costs and improve care, in part by keeping the sickest patients healthy and out of expensive hospitals.That's a huge potential benefit for employers and other customers stressed by rising costs. But is this good for your health? (3/9)
Bloomberg:
Cigna To Draw Antitrust Scrutiny Amid Health-Care Deal Wave
Cigna Corp.’s proposed deal for Express Scripts Holding Co. faces a drawn-out merger review as the Trump administration’s antitrust enforcers weigh the competitive effects of a wave of consolidation sweeping the health-care industry. The tie-up of the insurer and pharmacy benefit manager comes on the heels of CVS Health Corp.’s agreement to buy insurer Aetna Inc. In both combinations, the companies say they’ll become more efficient firms and help lower health-care costs. Whether customers are actually poised to benefit is the key question for antitrust enforcers. (McLaughlin, 3/9)
The Wall Street Journal:
House Introduces ‘Right To Try’ Legislation To Permit Use Of Unproven Drugs For Dying Patients
A House of Representatives committee early Saturday issued its version of “Right to Try” legislation that would enable a terminally ill patient to use an unproven, investigational drug in an effort to save that person’s life. Such legislation was passed in August by the Senate and supported by President Donald Trump in his State of the Union address. The conservative Goldwater Institute, which has helped such bills become law in 38 states, has been a prime driver of the idea. (Burton, 3/10)
Modern Healthcare:
Without The 'Angelina Jolie Effect,' Genetic Testing For Prostate Cancer Languishes
Thanks to actress Angelina Jolie's public announcement about her breast cancer treatment five years ago, there is broad public awareness about the value of gene testing to identify breast cancer risk associated with mutations in the BRCA genes. Since then, demand for BRCA genetic testing among women has increased. Now researchers are finding growing evidence of strong links between prostate cancer in men and mutations in the BRCA 1, BRCA 2 and other genes. A groundbreaking study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2016 found mutations in those DNA-repair genes in 11.8% of men with metastatic prostate cancer, compared with 2.7% of men without a known cancer diagnosis. (Meyer, 3/10)