SIGN UP! If you’d like to continue receiving Washington Examiner’s Daily on Healthcare newsletter, SUBSCRIBE HERE: http://newsletters.washingtonexaminer.com/thank-you/
Will healthcare get Comey-ed? With President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey now sucking all of the political oxygen out of Washington, the looming question is whether there will be a spillover effects on Republican efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare. The Democrats blocked Senate hearings yesterday to focus on the Comey firing. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she was frustrated that a hearing she planned for the Aging Committee had been blocked. “We have witnesses who have come here from four different states,” she said. “How does that contribute to solving anything that has to do with Jim Comey’s firing? I mean, it’s just ridiculous.” Several members were worried that the political fallout of the firing, and a potentially nasty confirmation battle for Comey’s successor, will derail repeal efforts. When asked whether the Comey firing could cause a distraction, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, responded that “is always a concern.” On the other hand, it’s possible that the firing could have no effect or even come with unexpected ancillary benefits. On the House side, after the high-profile push on healthcare initially collapsed, the bill was resurrected when key players quietly continued negotiations and hashed out a compromise under the radar. It’s possible that having all of the media attention focused on Comey could give Senate negotiators more space to reach a deal out of the spotlight. Though it could drain the influence of President Trump among Republican senators, the dampened political prospects for Republicans could make them more eager to score a legislative win.
Republican negotiators to turn focus to regulations: After meeting Tuesday to discuss changes to Medicaid, Senate Republican negotiators will resume their talks at noon today to hash out ideas on what to do about Obamacare’s regulations. Conservatives in the group, which includes Cruz and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, are expected to push hard for stripping away regulations to reduce premiums and open up a broader variety of choices of plans. In any arrangement that gives flexibility to states on regulations, conservatives would prefer a system in which states had to “opt in” to keep the Obamacare regulations, as opposed to the House-passed compromise that would make states lobby the secretary of Health and Human Services to “opt out” of regulations. But more liberal Republicans in the Senate, including Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, have been critical of the House-passed plan for going too far. Settling the regulatory issue ultimately will determine whether a bill gets passed the Senate.
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.
Aetna says goodbye to Obamacare. The company made its announcement Wednesday, saying that it would not be participating in the exchanges in 2018. Earlier this year it announced plans to pull from Iowa and Virginia, and the latest states include Nebraska and Delaware, bringing the total to zero. “Our individual commercial products lost nearly $700 million between 2014 and 2016, and are projected to lose more than $200 million in 2017 despite a significant reduction in membership,” T.J. Crawford, Aetna spokesman, said in an email. The company did not cite uncertainty about the future of Obamacare, as it has before and as other companies have when they talk about their decisions to exit the exchanges or raise rates.
Senate panel rejects Canadian drug re-importation amendment: The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee advanced legislation Thursday to the Senate floor that reauthorizes the Food and Drug Administration’s user fee program. But it goes to the floor without an amendment that would set up a system to enable Americans to buy cheaper drugs from Canada, with the committee voting 13-10 to table the amendment.
Rep. Tom MacArthur faced an angry town hall over his involvement in the American Health Care Act. The New Jersey Republican authored an amendment that would allow states to apply for waivers that would let them opt out of certain Obamacare protections, which angered constituents who worried that they would lose coverage if they had a pre-existing illness. “Death pools!” one attendee shouted, as the second-term congressman detailed how the high-risk pools covering Americans with pre-existing conditions would work. The town hall was flooded mostly with Democrats.
Patty Murray steamed Dems are being cut out of Trumpcare talks: Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., used a legislative hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee about the Food and Drug Administration to blast the GOP-controlled Senate’s process for repealing Obamacare. “It is disappointing … that this committee charged with legislating the health and well-being of the people of this country has yet to hold a single hearing about what Trumpcare would mean,” Murray said Thursday.
Pro-Obamacare group amps up attack ads: The ads will appear on TV, online and on the radio, as well as on mobile billboards that will drive through the districts of representatives who voted to pass the American Health Care Act. One mobile billboard criticizing House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., for leading the Obamacare repeal vote will circle a Columbus, Ohio, event scheduled for Wednesday. Save My Care will partner with the National Council of La Raza Action Fund, a Latino advocacy organization, to release Spanish-language ads.
Trump’s opioid task force take shape: In a statement from the White House Wednesday evening, Trump announced his intent to designate New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie chairman of the Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. The other new members announced are Gov. Roy Cooper, D-N.C.; Gov. Charlie Baker, R-Mass.; former Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I.; and Bertha Madras, a psychobiology professor at Harvard Medical School. The announcement comes after a leaked memo calling for a 94 percent cut in the anti-drug abuse office, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, that has lawmakers pushing back.
Opioids causing the spike in violent crime, Sessions says: The attorney general said Thursday that the nation’s drug epidemic is to blame for a spike in violent crime. Speaking at a Drug Enforcement Administration 360 Heroin and Opioid Response Summit in West Virginia on Thursday, Sessions said the drug epidemic is a “serious trend” that has to be addressed immediately. He said the most important tool in fighting the crisis is prevention, pointing toward old-school programs such as “Just Say No” from the 1980s and Drug Abuse Resistance Education, known as DARE. “Over time, prevention will help us be most effective,” he said.
Former President Bill Clinton addresses childhood obesity summit. Speaking at an event held by the Partnership for a Healthier America, Clinton invoked themes about mortality rising among middle-aged whites, and said that to solve social issues, collaboration was better than fighting. “I think it’s never as interesting as a knock-down, blood-on-the-floor fight,” he said. “But the truth is, that in the world we live in, creative cooperation involving diverse partnerships of people who both have lived different lives and know different things are the best mechanisms for solving complex social problems.” He continued: “I get what’s going on out there. I understand this tribalism, but it’s a dumb way to run a railroad. It may be emotionally satisfying in the way that eating bad food gives you a sugary high and then leaves you hungry shortly afterward.”
RUNDOWN
Politico 52 ways to repeal Obamacare
The Hill Protesters hold ‘die-in’ outside GOP lawmaker’s town hall
Bloomberg Big medical expenses set women back further than men
MSN Why giving up carbs can make you fat
Associated Press Lawmakers reach agreement on stalled VA accountability bill
New York Times Vape shops want to do good, but fear FDA won’t let them do well
Kaiser Health News CMS gives states until 2022 to meet Medicaid standards of care
Business Insider Tom Price not a fan of ‘gold standard’ substance abuse treatment
Forbes Teen birth rates fallen in the U.S. but still twice national average in some areas
Calendar
THURSDAY | MAY 11
Former President Bill Clinton spoke at the annual summit for Partnership for a Healthier America. Aired at 9:15 a.m. Playback.
Senate HELP Committee hearing on the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act and on the FDA user fee reauthorization. Began at 9:30 a.m. Playback.
Stanford University. Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney will speak on a panel called, “What Happens Now? The Future of Healthcare Delivery.” Aired at 10:30 a.m. EST. Playback.
FRIDAY | MAY 12
10:30 a.m. Renaissance Washington. 999 9th St NW. Former first lady Michelle Obama to make remarks at the closing plenary for Partnership for a Healthier America. Livestream.
MONDAY | MAY 15
Monday to Thursday. Sheraton Pentagon City. “Developing Solutions for the Next Generation of Veteran Care.” Details.
9 a.m. Sheraton Pentagon City. VA Interim Deputy Secretary Scott Blackburn to deliver keynote on “The Future of Healthcare Delivery to Our Nation’s Veterans.” Details.
9:30 a.m. Sheraton Pentagon City. A Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits Thomas Murphy Performing to deliver keynote on” Benefit Delivery: Providing for Those Who Gave the Most.” Details.
10 a.m. Sheraton Pentagon City. Karen Ott, VA Director for Policy, Education and Legislation in the VA’s Office of Nursing Services to appear on panel discussion about addressing the nursing shortage. Details.
1:30 p.m. Sheraton Pentagon City. Tara Galovski, VA director of Women’s Health Sciences Division, to discuss “Identifying and Mitigating the Potential Toll Combat Deployments can have on Women’s Health Functioning and Well-Being.” Details.
TUESDAY | MAY 16
House returns from recess. Schedule.
9 a.m. Sheraton Pentagon City. Curtis Coy, VA Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity, to deliver keynote on “Providing for the Economic Well Being of the Veterans.” Details.
9:30 a.m. HVC 215 Capitol Visitor Center. Avik Roy, President of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity will present a new white paper that will describe how federal policy has artificially driven up the cost of prescription drugs.
9:30 a.m. Sheraton Pentagon City. Dr. Thomas Lynch, VA Assistant Deputy USH for Clinical Operations and Management, to speak on “Managing the Continued Improvement of Clinical Care in Today’s Veteran Population.” Details.
1 p.m. Sheraton Pentagon City. Scott Blackburn, VA Interim Deputy Secretary, to speak on “Update on MyVA and How It Is Affecting Veterans Benefit Delivery.” Details.
1 p.m. Sheraton Pentagon City. Tiffany Love, VA Deputy Associate Director of Patient Care Services, to speak on “Social Media and Its Evolving Impact on Veterans.” Details.
1:30 p.m. Sheraton Pentagon City. Joseph Ronzio, VA Deputy Chief Health Technology Officer, to speak on “Incorporating Wearable and Implantable Technology into the Next Generation of Healthcare Delivery.” Details.
