Health Policy Update

It has been another busy couple of weeks for health care policy legislation as health care reform continues to be quite fluid. Here we present you with a few of the highlights that have been happening on The Hill

I. Senate Defeats Antiabortion Amendment
II. Health Care Reform looking to alter Public Option and expand Medicare
III. House approves Appropriations Package, including Global Health Programs and Food Security
IV. Senators at Odds over Drug Importation Amendment
V. Nearly $600 million being directed to community health centers and medical record conversion
VI. Recommended Reading

I. Senate Defeats Antiabortion Amendment
H.R 3962 The Senate voted 54-45 to repeal an amendment that was intended to strengthen restrictions for federal funding of abortion. Under the current bill, an insurer is not allowed to use any federal money to pay for an abortion. However, subscribers to insurance plans may themselves purchase additional coverage for the procedure or pay for the procedure out of pocket. The amendment proposed by Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) stated that no federal money could be "used to pay for any abortion or to cover any part of the costs of any health plan that includes coverage of abortion," except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the woman.
Senate majority leader and driving force behind government based health care reform, Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), himself pro-life, commented that this bill is not intended to resolve the abortion debate, but "If we still truly value life in America — and I believe we do — if we still truly value the life of every American, we cannot turn our backs on the 14,000 of us who lose health coverage every single day of every single week of every month of every year in this country."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/173543.php
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/us/09health.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1260367207-Znb+jFilGZhHYKrHxcuK9Q
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121229936

II. Health Care Reform looking to alter Public Option and expand Medicare
In an effort to gain more ubiquitous support, Senate Democrats are pushing proposals that would alter the public option plan by creating several national insurance policies administered by private companies but negotiated by the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees health policies for federal workers. If private firms were unable to deliver acceptable national policies, a government plan would be created. Within the Democratic party, there has been active debate as to whether a bill with a public option 'trigger' rather than a definitive government run plan represents sufficient reform.
Additionally, part of the above proposal would allow persons aged 55-64 to buy into Medicare. The buy in would have higher premiums than that for persons aged 65 and above. Proponents believe that lowering the age of Medicare is justified and could help defray some of the costs with healthier, younger persons buying into the government plan. Opponents believe the Medicare system is broken and payment is so minimal that lowering the Medicare age would hurt hospitals, doctors, and the health economy as a whole. It has also been pointed out that persons that buy into the Medicare system will likely be heavy users leading to increase cost.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/08/AR2009120804388_2.html?sid=ST2009120900068
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2009/December/09/medicare-expansion-public-option-health-bill.aspx
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/12/health/policy/12health.html?ref=politics
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/health/policy/11insure.html

Upon mailing of this legislative update, it appears that the above sections of health care reform are quickly shifting with Senate Democrats looking to scrap the reduction in Medicare age and coming to another impasse at the public option. Additionally, the debate over how abortion will be handled in a national health care plan will continue to influence voting both from both sides of the aisle.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/14/health.care/index.html

III. House approves Appropriations Package, including Global Health Programs and Food Security
The House approved, 221-202, a nearly $450 billion spending package including six of the seven annual appropriations bills Congress has yet to enact. The $48.7 billion State and Foreign Operations bill was included in this package. This bill provides nearly $5.7 billion for international HIV/AIDS programs, $2.4 billion towards "USAID Global Health and Child Survival Programs," $315 million to improve access to safe drinking water, and a variety of other humanitarian endeavors.
The appropriations package was opposed by all Republicans and 28 Democrats chiefly because the bill would increase foreign aid and funding for the State Department by approximately 33 percent. The bill will next move to the Senate for approval.
http://globalhealth.kff.org/Daily-Reports/2009/December/11/GH-121109-Foreign-Ops.aspx
http://globalhealth.kff.org/Daily-Reports/2009/December/10/GH-121009-Foreign-Ops.aspx

IV. Senators at Odds over Drug Importation Amendment
Voting on an amendment that would allow Americans to buy cheaper drugs from Canada and certain other countries has been delayed by a variety of Democrat and Republican leaders. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill could save the federal government $19.4 billion over the next decade by allowing the purchase of cheaper medications.
Some parties have stated concern that the amendment is not being voted on because it threatens to break an $80 billion deal between the White House and the pharmaceutical industry that was crafted in an effort to involve all groups in health care reform. However, opposition contends that drugs imported will be unsafe and not meet standards set by the FDA. Senator Dorgan (D-ND), who proposed the amendment, has stated that the "amendment includes strong safeguards to prohibit drug counterfeiting and other practices that would put the consumer at risk. It applies only to F.D.A.-approved prescription drugs produced in F.D.A.-approved plants from countries with comparable safety standards.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/health/policy/11health.html?_r=1&ref=politics
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30505.html

V. Nearly $600 million being directed to community health centers and medical record conversion
President Barack Obama pledged $509 million to repair, rebuild, and update community health centers nationwide and $88 million to health care facilities to "transfer old paper files to electronic medical records" and to upgrade technologies. The funding for these projects will come from the $787 billion stimulus package that was approved earlier in the year. Many of the details are still being hammered-out.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/09/AR2009120900774.html

VI. Recommended Reading
Can't get enough legislative affairs? Try these recommended articles covering health care reform and what it means to our medical profession and health care system:
Atul Gawande elegantly discusses how governmental involvement in the health care system can potentially curtail cost and increase efficiency
Jonathan Gruber attempts to set the record straight on health care reform
Health care lessons from Europe and the pitfalls to which America must take caution
Opinion piece on health care reform and illegal immigrants


As always, if you have any questions about these or any other legislative issues please contact your regional Legislative Affairs Representative. We are happy to hear from you!

Nathan Copeland, Southern Region

nathan.copeland@gmail.com

Amanda Mure, Central Region
amanda.mure@utoledo.edu

Ryan Padrez, Western Region
ryan.padrez@ucsf.edu

Matt Reilley, Northeast Region
reimat@gmail.com

Thure Caire, National Delegate
mcaire@health.usf.edu