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After spending the entire first week picking speakers, the Republican-led House finally got down to legislative work, including passing two bills backed by anti-abortion groups. Neither will pass the Senate or get the signature of President Joe Biden, so it’s unlikely to become law. I am emphasizing something.
Meanwhile, when general registration for the Affordable Care Act closed on January 15, a record number of people registered to take advantage of new subsidies and other health care assistance.
This week’s panelists are KHN’s Julie Rovner, The New York Times’ Margot Sanger-Katz, Politico’s Alice Miranda Ollstein, and Pink Sheet’s Sarah Karlin-Smith.
This week’s episode takeaways:
- The House now has a speaker after 15 rounds of full-chamber roll call voting. This paved the way for members to take office, committee quotas to be made, and new committee chairs to be nominated. Kathy McMorris Rogers (Republican Washington) and Jason Smith (Republican-Missouri) will lead the major health boards.
- McMorris Rodgers heads the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Smith will become chairman of Ways & Means. Unlike McMorris Rodgers, Smith has little background on health issues and has focused on tax issues in his public forums. But Medicare is likely to be on the agenda, and it needs input from both committee chairs.
- One thing is certain, the new Republican-controlled House of Representatives will have a lot of investigations. The commission will likely spend its time pinpointing the origin of the virus and tracking down where federal funds have been wasted.
- The House of Representatives this week began consideration of a series of abortion-related bills that are unlikely to see the light of day in the Senate, or “statement” or “message” bills. However, some in the caucuses question the wisdom of having a vote on such issues that could make more moderate members more vulnerable. has received almost unanimous support from Topics like a national abortion ban are more likely to cause divisions. Meanwhile, the Title X program, which pays for things like birth control and STD testing, has been a topic of discussion at the state level and in some lawsuits. The Texas case limits the contraception available to minors through this program.
- It is becoming increasingly clear that abortion drugs will become an even bigger part of the abortion controversy. FDA uses these additional restrictions or safeguards to provide additional protection for certain pharmaceutical products. Some proponents say these pills simply don’t pose that level or risk.
- Anti-abortion groups are planning protests at large pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens in early February to force them to back off plans to distribute abortion pills in states where they are legal.
- A growing number of states are pressuring the Department of Health and Human Services to allow them to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. More precisely, importing Canadian price controls. This has long been a bipartisan issue, but one that has also long been controversial. I continue to be concerned. But the policy is popular and promises to bring down the price of at least some drugs.
- Also, news from the FDA: The FDA has granted accelerated approval of Leqembi as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Leqembi is another expensive drug that appears to work, but it also comes with significant risks. However, it is generally seen as an improvement over the even more controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm. , has not yet been determined.
- With the Affordable Care Act enrolling a record number of Americans, it’s notable that repeal of the law is not mentioned in the House as a priority for the new Republican majority. Rather, the biggest health issue is likely to be how to reduce the price of Medicare and other health “entitlement” programs.
Plus, as extra credit, the panelists recommended their favorite health policy articles of the week that they think you should read.
Julie Robner: The Washington Post, “Social Security Denies Disability Benefits Based on List of Jobs from 1977,” by Lisa Raine
Margot Sanger-Kutz: Roll Call’s “Healthcare Providers Say Medicare Benefits Banish New Methadone Benefits” by Jesse Hellman
Alice Miranda Allstein: The New York Times, “Grant Wall was a loving husband. I will always uphold his legacy.” Celine Gunder
Sarah Carlin Smith: KHN’s ‘Hospital use of volunteer staff risks circumventing labor laws, expert says’ by Lauren Saucer
Also mentioned in this week’s podcast:
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