Congress’s health-care deadlines are looming

Preparing for Congress: Emergency Preparedness and Community Health Centers

Congress is back. And there are only three weeks before lawmakers return home again for the August recess.

That makes K Street nervous. The reauthorization of major health programs, which expire at the end of September, is imminent. This includes comprehensive emergency preparedness legislation, billions of dollars for community health centers, and a range of other programs.

This morning, we’ll take a look at the status of two major items on Congressman’s to-do list.

Strengthening national defense has become even more important since the COVID-19 pandemic.

of Laws on Pandemics and Preparedness for All Dangers The law was first signed into law in 2006 and has had far-reaching implications for the Federal Health Service’s preparedness and response efforts. If Congress does not renew, the power will expire on September 30.

The current status of these efforts is as follows.

in house: Republicans and Democrats are Energy and Commerce Commission There are conflicts over whether policies aimed at addressing domestic drug shortages belong to PAHPA.

A few prominent Democrats – for example, Congressmen. Frank Pallone Jr. A New Jersey legislator, a prominent member of the committee, is urging Republicans to agree to include some drug shortage measures in the emergency preparedness bill, saying such a policy is the norm. claim.

• “It’s utterly frustrating,” said the congressman. Cathy Castor Rep. of Florida, a Democrat on the Commission Oversight Subcommittee, said of the Republican position:

On the other hand, top Republican lawmakers, such as the panel chair, Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-wash), discuss policy Anything related to drug shortages is outside the scope of PAHPA reauthorization.

• “Continued focus on policy within the existing framework is the best way to get the bill signed into law by September 30,” an aide to the Republican committee said in a statement.

👀 One of the things we’re looking at is: Officials said the health subcommittee could raise prices for PAHPA and other measures this week. We’ll be watching to see if the Republican majority notices such price increases within a day or two. Politico first reported news.

Meanwhile… in the Senate: comment It’s due today bipartisan debate draft It was released last week. However, the law from Senate Support Committee Leadership has a partisan preoccupation.

chairman staff Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Bureau It will be sold at the lowest price among the group’s seven countries. It’s hard to imagine a sufficient number of Senate Republicans supporting such a proposal.

On the other hand, the senator’s staff Bill Cassidy The commission’s Republican supporter (Louisiana) is seeking comment on the proposal to extend and expand the Priority Review Voucher Program for Health Care.program get faster FDA review of such products is also due to expire by October.

The House of Commons is a long way from here, even further than the Senate.

At issue is a large sum of money with approximate content. 70 percent Provide federal funding for community health centers that provide care to the most vulnerable people in the country. The incontrovertible clause was originally Act on Adjustment of Medical Expenses, And the latest funding extension expires on September 30.

in house: of Energy and Commerce Commission progressed Broad Bipartisan Bill In late May 5 percent There will be a surge in funding for health centers over the next two years. that is, $4.2 billion per year.

But the Senate has not issued a bipartisan plan. Saunders launched this spring An infusion of cash well in excess of what the House Energy and Commerce Representatives claimed. $130 billion Over 5 years. Cassidy said last month that it was “unlikely” to “vet and operate” a payment method for such a large price increase before the start of the recess in August, suggesting the idea could have momentum. was criticizing.

Several advocates in the community health sector told Health202 that the uncertain funding environment could have immediate repercussions.

“As the deadline approaches, it will only become more difficult for health centers to plan how best to meet patient needs,” he said. Joe Dunn senior vice president of National Association of Community Health Centers.

spokesperson for Management of medical resources and services The agency said it did not expect this much flexibility used to have To replace lapsed funds if Congress does not renew the program on time. This is partly due to higher costs and uncertainties around discretionary spending in FY2024.

• “Even if HRSA were able to provide limited resources on a short-term, monthly basis, health center grantees shared significant concerns about the impact of uncertainty, particularly on staff retention,” the spokesperson said. a representative said.

From reporter’s note

our colleagues Dan Diamond Send this dispatch:

The “big medical ass” it wasn’t.

On Friday, the world of health policy was briefly transfixed. fox news ‘Exclusive’: Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price He is said to have told the press that he would “no way” endorse the ex-president. donald trump‘s 2024 campaign, he added that his former boss could “kiss” certain parts of Price’s anatomy.

wait a minute: Sources close to Price told Dunn that Price had not heard anything from Fox News, much less wrote or said it.

fox news withdrew the story On Friday night, however, it wasn’t early enough to stop aggregators from repackaging the so-called scoop. As of Saturday, media outlets reported: hill They still shared the retracted quotes on Twitter (although the news outlet after replacing the story One of them shows that FOX News has retracted the story. )

HHS Proposed Way to Pay Back 340 Billion Hospitals

The Federal Health Service announced plans How to Compensate Hospitals Enrolled in the Federal Drug Discount Program After Supreme Court Ruling unanimously opposed This policy resulted in years of underpayment.

detail: of Medicare and Medicaid Service Center We offer a lump sum payment $9 billion It will be provided to approximately 1,600 hospitals participating in the 340B program. The program aims to provide medical facilities that treat low-income patients with discounted drug prices.

The agency said it plans to maintain budget neutrality based on the proposal. This basically means that CMS wants to pay for the remedy by proposing: 0.5 percent Reductions in non-pharmaceutical items and services will begin in 2025 and will last approximately 16 years.

The view from the hospital: America’s essential hospitalsrepresenting hospitals that treat low-income and uninsured patients. Satisfied with the lump-sum payment, but expressing concern about the budget neutrality proposal, “Unnecessarily slow effect of treatment. “

Tap of the Week: Iowa Republicans are calling for a ban on most abortions after fetal heart activity was detected at about six weeks of age, according to the newspaper text. proposed bill Released Friday afternoon. The law includes exceptions for rape, incest, fetal abnormalities, and medical emergencies.

governor Kim Reynolds The (Republicans) called back the Republican-controlled Congress to convene and hold a special session. “sole purpose” On enacting new restrictions on abortion. The session will start tomorrow morning.

timing: The move comes after the state Supreme Court reached a deadlock last month on whether to grant Mr. Reynolds’ request to reinstate a 2018 law banning the procedure in most cases after about six weeks. was broken

• Wisconsin: A Dane County judge said a lawsuit seeking to nullify 19th-century abortion laws could progress. the order shown She did not believe that the law in question prohibited consensual abortion until the life of the fetus (generally considered to be about 22 to 24 weeks). Molly Beck reports of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Tennessee: A court of appeals ruled Saturday that the ban on gender-affirming care for minors can remain in force for the time being.It is the first time a federal court has allowed a ban of this kind to continue after similar laws were blocked in other states, The Post reported. Tamia Forks I wrote.

📅 Did I mention Congress is back? The Senate is in session today. The House of Commons will convene tomorrow. Here’s what happened this week.

on tuesday: of House Select Subcommittee on Coronavirus Pandemic intention hold a hearing On whether federal officials downplayed the lab leak hypothesis.of House Rules Committee plan to meet and National Defense Authorization Actand some lawmakers are proposing abortion-related amendments.

• Opposite the Houses of Parliament, Senate Appropriations Committee discuss Special Diabetes Program.be Senate HELP Subcommittee intention call a public hearing On the impact of antimicrobial resistance.

on wednesday: a House Homeland Security Subcommittee intention hold a hearing About the illegal trafficking of fentanyl into the country.

on Thursday: of House Small Business Committee discuss Federal Inspector General’s Report on Misconduct in Pandemic Assistance Programs.

• Republicans in the House of Representatives The Biden administration claims that He argued that his failure to properly reappoint more than a dozen top leaders at the National Institutes of Health raises questions about the legality of federal grants paid throughout the year.. The Biden administration has refuted accusations of breaking the law. CBS newsof Catherine Herridge and Alexander Ting report.
• Sales of Rekumbi, an Alzheimer’s disease drug may be late Analysts say it will be due to logistical needs at first, but will increase next year. of Food and Drug Administration Last week, it gave traditional approval to the Alzheimer’s drug Rekumbi. CNBCof Anika Kim Constantino I wrote.
• eye stain: The Biden administration on Friday unveiled a proposal to curb a short-term health plan promoted by President Trump and long ridiculed by Democratic lawmakers as silly, according to the Post. Amy Goldstein.

Biden’s NIH Candidate Slumps in Congress — Concerns Public Health Advocates (by Sarah Owermall, Statistics)

Meet the people who will decide how to spend the $50 billion opioid settlement (by Anneli Pattani, KFF Health News)

Substance abuse is on the rise among older adults (Paula Spann, New York Times)

thank you for reading! See you tomorrow.