Insight Entries – Page 17

WHG - Side-by-Side of House and Senate Tax Reform Proposals

It’s another crucial week for Congressional Republicans, as the majority party tries to expedite its major tax overhaul through both chambers of Congress in an effort to reform the tax code by the end of the year. Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) (H.R. 1) out of committee on a... Read More

WHG - Issue Brief: Section 1332 Waiver Activity in 2017 and Potential Legislative Reforms

Effective January 1, 2017, Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) permitted states to waive certain provisions of the law in order to pursue alternate strategies for providing access to health insurance in the individual and small group markets. However, potential changes to the Section 1332 waiver statute have been a central focus of the 2017 health reform debate,... Read More

WHG - Status Update on the Children’s Health Insurance Program

This past Saturday marked three weeks since federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) expired. In recent weeks, committees of jurisdiction in both the House and the Senate have advanced legislation to reauthorize the program for five years, though the process has stalled, primarily in the House, over partisan disagreement on how the package should be paid for... Read More

WHG - Health Policy: Update on Graham-Cassidy

With the House and Senate now in recess and Graham-Cassidy not yet dead, we thought it important to provide an update on the outlook for this and other healthcare legislation. Because the Graham-Cassidy “bubble” has not yet popped, we believe stakeholders have no choice but to address the process head on and express their positions on the legislation to lawmakers... Read More

WHG - Special Report: Lawmakers Scramble on Health Care Amid Failure of 'Skinny' Repeal

The Senate’s floor consideration on healthcare came to an abrupt end when three Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and John McCain (R-AZ) — joined all 48 Democrats in opposing a vote to adopt a “skinny” Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal bill. While many lawmakers responded with a renewed call for bipartisanship, key conservatives continue to seek... Read More

WHG - TRP Special Report: What Could Happen Next Week on ACA Repeal?

Following a week of high-level negotiations among GOP senators, Republican leadership is planning a vote onTuesday on a motion to proceed to the House-passed American Health Care Act (AHCA). The process has been shrouded in confusion and uncertainty, as it remains unclear what bill Senate leaders ultimately hope to move forward. Knowing what the Republican health care bill will be... Read More

WHG - Side-by-Side Comparison of House-Passed AHCA and Senate Discussion Draft

TRP Health Policy has prepared a side-by-side comparison of the House-passed American Health Care Act and the Senate’s discussion draft, known as the Better Care Reconciliation Act. The chart compares the two bills and illustrates where they align and diverge... Read More

WHG - Trump's Drug Pricing Executive Order May be 'Industry-Friendly'

The Trump administration is a considering issuing an executive order to address to rising costs of prescription drugs which is likely to be “industry-friendly,” as reported by Kaiser Health News (KHN) and Politico. Notably, the order will not allow the government to negotiate drug prices or allow importing of drugs from other countries, both solutions Trump proposed during his campaign... Read More

WHG - TRP Special Report: Senate Eyes Late-June Vote on AHCA

While significant uncertainty remains as to the Senate’s efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), we’re learning more this week about Republican leadership’s anticipated plans for passage. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) fast-tracked the House bill (H.R. 1628) today, placing it on the Senate calendar and allowing it, as had been expected, to skip over the committee... Read More

WHG - White House Unveils $4.1 Trillion Budget Proposal

The Trump Administration unveiled its $4.1 trillion budget for the 2018 fiscal year (FY), dubbed “A Foundation for American Greatness.” Though the Budget aims to balance the budget over the customary 10-year window, the Administration’s underlying economic grown assumptions have been questioned by critics. Increased investments in national defense and infrastructure, as well as enhanced border security and immigration policies, come... Read More

WHG - Senate GOP Considering Auto-Enrollment Policy in AHCA

Senate Republicans spent significant time last week discussing their plans to amend or rewrite the American Health Care Act (AHCA), and one emerging idea has shown some potential to take hold: automatically enrolling people in a basic health plan. The policy could vastly reduce the number individuals expected to lose coverage under the House-passed version of the bill (an estimated... Read More

WHG - TRP Health Policy: Mock Byrd Rule Review of the AHCA

TRP Health Policy has prepared a section-by-section chart that provides a brief synopsis of each provision of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) and assesses their probability of surviving Byrd Rule review in the Senate. We indicate in green, yellow, or red the likelihood each section will satisfy the Byrd Rule’s criteria for budget reconciliation measures – and avoid being... Read More

WHG - TRP Special Report: What's Next on the AHCA?

Shortly after House passage of the American Health Care Act (AHCA), it quickly became clear that the Senate plans to chart their own path forward on healthcare reform – rather than moving to advance the version drafted in the lower chamber. “We’ll be informed by what the House did,” HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said. “But we’ll write a... Read More

WHG - Congressional Leaders Agree to $1.07 Trillion FY17 CR; Funding Boosts for NIH, Opioid Abuse

After weeks of negotiations, an agreement on funding the government for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 was struck last night. The $1.07 trillion continuing resolution (CR) does not provide funding for construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border or eliminate money for Planned Parenthood or so-called sanctuary cities – issues that were previously key sticking points for... Read More

WHG - GOP Leaders Release Updated ACA Repeal Plan; Fate Still Uncertain

House Republican leaders released an updated plan to revive the American Health Care Act (AHCA) (H.R. 1628). As reported by Politico, the White House is optimistic that these latest changes to the stalled AHCA – put forward in the amendment by Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ), co-chair of the moderate Tuesday Group – will serve as the impetus to secure the roughly 15-20 additional House Freedom Caucus... Read More

WHG - TRP Health Policy Issue Brief: Status Update on Drug Pricing and Transparency Legislation

TRP Health Policy has prepared an issue brief that provides background and a status update on drug pricing and transparency legislation. Topics include Medicare Part D price negotiation, drug importation, price transparency and PBM transparency, among others... Read More

WHG - Issue Brief: MedPAC's Part B Drug Pricing Proposals

TRP Health Policy has prepared an issue brief dedicated to MedPAC’s recent recommendations to revise Part B reimbursement. The recommendations were approved by the Commission during an April 6, 2017, meeting and will appear in MedPAC’s June 2017 report to Congress... Read More

WHG - Issue Brief on What's Next: Administrative Actions on ACA Following AHCA's Demise

TRP Health Policy has prepared an issue brief on “what’s next” in terms of the Trump Administration’s regulatory actions addressing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the wake of the American Health Care Act’s demise. The brief explores potential next steps for the Administration in addressing the ACA through its broad regulatory authority. This includes proactive issuance of notice-and-comment rulemaking and subregulatory... Read More

WHG - Issue Brief: Overview of Telemedicine Policy and Reimbursement

In light of recent federal developments on the telemedicine front – including provisions in the 21st Century Cures Act – TRP Health Policy explores the reimbursement and regulatory landscape for telemedicine services. We begin with a brief definition of telemedicine, in contrast to broader telehealth services (sec. II), before outlining how government and private payers reimburse providers for certain telemedicine services... Read More

WHG - Side By Side Comparison: Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP) and Drug Value Program (DVP)

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is expected to vote later this week on a series of Medicare Part B reform recommendations. One component of these recommendations will be to implement a Drug Value Program (DVP), a market-oriented alternative to the current average sales price (ASP) system. Ahead of that session, we wanted to share a side-by-side comparison of key... Read More