Dear listmembers,
I am forwarding 2 items regarding health care and research funding
legislation - while our thoughts prayers remain with the victims of last
week's attack, and what lies ahead for our country, Congress still has to
complete the budget appropriations process and there are many unsettled
health care issues. Parkinson's disease and other medical research will
continue, but to what extent will health care and research be funded?
from kaisernetwork.org Daily Reports.
CAPITOL HILL WATCH
Despite New Focus on Anti-Terrorism, Disaster Relief Efforts, Congress
May 'Tackle' Some Health Issues
Despite last week's terrorist attacks, several lawmakers have indicated
that Congress intends to press on with domestic issues, including health
care, the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports (Heath, Binghamton
Press & Sun-Bulletin, 9/18). Still, health aides and lobbyists believe
that the only measures likely to prevail by the end of the year are those
with "broad, bipartisan support," while debate on more contentious
issues, such as a patients' bill of rights and Medicare reform, is
"likely to be postponed," Bloomberg reports. Those measures with greater
chances of passing include the allocating $28 billion over three years to
reduce the number of the uninsured through tax credits and CHIP and
Medicaid expansions; increasing Medicare reimbursement rates for rural
hospitals; giving the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services greater
discretion in choosing Medicare contractors; and allowing for the
reimportation of U.S.-made prescription drugs (Hallam/Dixon, Bloomberg,
9/17).
Congress last week set aside $40 billion for counter-terrorism programs
and rebuilding lower Manhattan; with more spending in this area expected,
other priorities will face increased budget pressures. Still, Rep.
Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) said, "You can't just sweep everything off the
agenda. To say that we can just ignore the needs of our elderly or
ignore the need for improved health care is, I think, irresponsible"
(Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, 9/18).
'Thanks for Playing'
Enacting patients' rights legislation and a Medicare prescription drug
benefit will still prove difficult, however, given the controversial
nature of the issues and both parties' desire to show unanimity in the
wake of last week's attacks. Christin Tinsworth, a spokesperson for the
House Ways and Means Committee, said that the panel has postponed
introducing a Medicare drug benefit bill -- which is estimated to cost up
to $300 billion over ten years -- "until next month at the earliest."
Jeff Myers, a lobbyist for Pharmacia Corp., said, "I went to dinner with
some health staffers last night, and the general consensus was that we're
done, thank you for playing. [A drug benefit] was in trouble to begin
with." Similarly, it is uncertain the House and Senate will have time to
reach a compromise on the patients' rights bills that each passed earlier
this summer. "Anything that's going to move with any speed has to be
bipartisan," Tinsworth said (Bloomberg, 9/17).
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