Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Senate Passes Bill To Avoid Government Shutdown; White House Says Trump Will Sign It
The Senate passed a temporary government-wide funding bill on Thursday that staves off the risk of a government shutdown through Nov. 21. The measure would buy additional time for lawmakers to work to unclog a $1.4 trillion bundle of yearly spending bills that is hung up amid fights over President Donald Trump鈥檚 border wall and abortion. Those measures face a variety of obstacles, and it鈥檚 not clear whether Congress will pass them. (Taylor, 9/26)
The stopgap bill, which passed the House last week, would keep the government open through Nov. 21 as lawmakers of both parties try to pass new annual-spending legislation. A White House official said Mr. Trump would sign the temporary bill by Tuesday, but the exact timing was unclear. The measure also extends a number of health-care programs and other expiring measures, including the National Flood Insurance Program. (Duehren, 9/26)
A bipartisan bill to help ensure drug companies don't overcharge taxpayers for drugs in the Medicaid program is headed to President Donald Trump's desk as part of the continuing resolution to fund the government through Nov. 21. The Fair and Accurate Medicaid Pricing Act, H.R. 3276 (116), cleared the Senate today as part of the continuing resolution. It is expected to save about $3.1 billion over the next decade by closing a loophole that allowed authorized generic drug prices to be used when calculating a brand drug's Medicaid rebates. (Karlin-Smith, 9/26)
Senate Democrats聽took action this week that will force a floor vote on a Trump administration rule that loosens ObamaCare waiver restrictions. The move by Democrats, led by Sen. Mark Warner (Va.), paves the way for a recorded vote on whether to roll back a rule that makes it easier for insurance plans to qualify for waivers from ObamaCare鈥檚 requirements. (Carney, 9/26)
Consumer groups launched a campaign Thursday calling on Congress to end surprise medical bills, seeking to counter a push from private equity-backed physician staffing firms against legislation. The coalition of 14 groups is urging lawmakers to swiftly vote on legislation to prohibit surprise medical bills, which patients receive for unexpected out-of-network care. While lawmakers and the Trump administration have called for legislation, the effort has essentially stalled since two congressional committees approved legislation over the summer and industry groups have criticized the measures. (McIntire, 9/26)
The Senate defeated a bid to authorize paid family leave for federal employees but on a narrow vote that supporters view as leaving an opening for the benefit to yet be approved. The Senate voted 48-47 on Wednesday against accepting House-passed language to turn into paid time the unpaid leave available to federal workers under the Family and Medical Leave Act. That law entitles them, along with many other workers, to up to 12 weeks per 12 months of unpaid time for parental leave and personal or family medical conditions. (Yoder, 9/26)
The House passed a Democratic bill Thursday, 230-184, to improve medical screening of migrants in U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody by directing research and creating a DHS electronic health record system. (Mueller, 9/26)
