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Trump: My ‘power of the pen’ will deliver healthcare reform. President Trump signaled Tuesday he’s close to taking executive action to shake up federal healthcare policy, after Congress fails to get anywhere by itself. “Since Congress can’t get its act together on HealthCare, I will be using the power of the pen to give great HealthCare to many people – FAST!” Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. The Trump administration has indicated it’s about to take action to make it easier for people to buy health insurance across state lines. Under the emerging plan, Trump will move to let people buy coverage through association health plans, which is meant to mirror the flexibility companies that operate in several states have to pick the best plan for their employees. Trump is expected to sign an executive order sometime this week to make the change.
Welcome to Philip Klein’s Daily on Healthcare, compiled by Washington Examiner Managing Editor Philip Klein (@philipaklein), Senior Healthcare Writer Kimberly Leonard (@LeonardKL) and Healthcare Reporter Robert King (@rking_19). Email [email protected] for tips, suggestions, calendar items and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list.
Trump golfs with Lindsey Graham. Trump spent Columbus Day golfing with Sen. Lindsey Graham, the White House said Monday. Trump and the South Carolina Republican talked about healthcare, immigration, government funding and tax reform while hitting the links at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va., for a few hours.
Melania Trump to visit drug treatment center for babies in West Virginia. First lady Melania Trump is making her first visit to a drug treatment center on Tuesday. Trump plans to visit Lily’s Place, an infant recovery center in Huntington, W.Va., that treats babies who have been exposed to addictive substances while their mother was pregnant. “To help babies born addicted truly succeed, we must help their parents succeed,” Trump spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham told CNN. “The statistic that 40 percent of babies born addicted to drugs are put into foster care is one that Mrs. Trump would like to see lowered, and Lily’s Place was created with that in mind,” Grisham said. “They recognize that parents who are working hard to overcome addiction will encounter barriers and need support.”
Obamacare architect makes … gourmet chocolate bars? Zeke Emanuel, a key figure in the creation of Obamacare, partnered with a gourmet chocolate company to produce his own “dynamic” Zeke bar. Askinosie Chocolate said it partnered with Emanuel to create the bar, which the company is selling for $12. “Zeke traveled with us to Sambirano Valley, Madagascar, to source these storied criollo beans,” the company said on its website. “He visited our factory and together we handcrafted this bold and fruity chocolate bar.”
Clinton calls for CHIP reauthorization. Hillary Clinton pushed for Congress to work quickly to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which lapsed at the end of September. “Right now many states are getting ready to send out notices to parents, letting them know that their kids’ coverage is in jeopardy,” she tweeted on Monday. While the program wasn’t reauthorized by the Sept. 30 deadline, states won’t start to run out of money until late November to early 2018. Clinton incorrectly stated this is the first time Congress failed to reauthorize CHIP by the deadline, as Congress also missed it in 2007.
No love for the House from Clinton. The 2016 Democratic nominee applauded the Senate Finance Committee for passing a “strong and much-needed bipartisan reauthorization bill.” The House Energy and Commerce Committee also passed a reauthorization bill, albeit by a party line vote. The House panel erupted in partisan rancor over the traditionally bipartisan program due to funding offsets proposed by Republicans. Democrats criticized the GOP for taking money from an Obamacare prevention fund and charging higher Medicare premiums on wealthy seniors.
Bill Frist: ‘I like much of Obamacare.’ The former Senate majority leader indicated Tuesday he disagrees with most of his fellow Republicans on repealing Obamacare, saying instead he liked the law and would work to repair it if he were still in congress. “I like much of Obamacare because of the access issue,” said Frist, speaking at the Permanente Executive Leadership Summit in Washington. “I’m not about throw it out and start over.” Frist, who was majority leader under former President George W. Bush, went even further in his remarks, saying that he not only believed Obamacare’s expansion of Medicaid should continue to exist but also that more states should expand the program, albeit with more flexibility. The comments differ sharply from congressional Republicans, most of whom voted to scale back the Medicaid program. Frist has consistently broken with his party on healthcare, having said in 2009 that he would have voted for Obamacare as it was being crafted. He is also heavily invested in the healthcare sector.
RUNDOWN
The Hill Trump could make waves with healthcare order
Wall Street Journal Pfizer considers a sale or spinoff of its consumer health business
Axios Where repeal and replace rhetoric goes from here
New York Times Trump’s cuts to health law enrollment efforts are hitting hard
Washington Free Beacon Majority of households paying Obamacare are low to middle-income
Forbes Pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts to buy value-based care company
Washington Post Knowingly exposing others to HIV no longer a felony in California
STAT News A veteran New York litigator is taking on opioid makers. They have a history.
Calendar
TUESDAY | Oct. 10
World Mental Health Day.
House in session. Senate not in session.
Oct. 8-10. State Innovation Exchange Legislator Conference. Omni Shoreham Hotel. 2500 Calvert St. NW. Details.
Oct. 10-12. 2101 Constitution Ave. NW. Microbiology of the Built Environment Research and Applications Symposium jointly organized by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Details.
11:30 a.m. 1740 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Women’s Learning Partnership to hold screening on “Equality: It’s All in the Family.” Details.
Noon. 2044 Rayburn. PhRMA Research and Hope Awards Luncheon. Keynote from U.S. Olympian Michael Phelps. Details.
WEDNESDAY | Oct. 11
Oct. 11-13. Second National MACRA MIPS/APM Summit. Details.
10 a.m. 1225 I St. NW. Bipartisan Policy Center event on “An Issue for All Ages: Retirement in America.” Details.
10:15 a.m. Rayburn 2123. House Energy and Commerce Committee, health subcommittee hearing on “Examining How Covered Entities Utilize the 340B Drug Pricing Program.” Details.
10:15 a.m. Rayburn 2322. House Energy and Commerce member day on the opioid crisis. Details.
Noon. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Heritage Foundation event on “Gender Dysphoria in Children: Understanding the Science and Medicine.” Details.
THURSDAY | Oct. 12
8:30 a.m. U.S. Chamber of Commerce event on “The Opioid Epidemic: From the Front Lines to the Boardroom.” Details.
10 a.m. 2154 Rayburn. House Oversight Committee hearing on the 2020 U.S Census. Details.
Noon. G-50 Dirksen. Alliance for Health Policy event on “Measuring Quality for Person-Centered Accountable Care. Details.
Noon. 1 Dupont Circle. Aspen Institute event on “The Caring Economy: How to Improve Service and Work in the Long-Term Care Industry.” Details.
FRIDAY | Oct. 13
10 a.m. 2226 Rayburn. Democrats from the House Energy and Commerce Committee to host forum on traumatic brain injuries.
SATURDAY Oct. 14
Oct. 14-16. National Academy of Medicine Annual Meeting. Details.
