Gregg's Top Three Health Policy Articles

The Top Three...

With so much going on, it can be hard to know what to read. If you can only read three things about health policy this week, I suggest...

Politico: Sinema Signs Onto Dems' Party-Line Bill Ahead Of Momentous Saturday Vote Earlier in the day, Schumer said the chamber would take Friday off as he works to clarify a murky timeline for passing Democrats’ bill, which still faces multiple outstanding issues. Schumer also warned on Thursday of “some late nights and extended debates” as he vowed to pass the legislation in the “coming days.” There’s still more uncertainty to button up in those days. Democrats and Republicans will continue arguing into Friday about what can be included in the bill. But Sinema’s commitment to the package removes a major question mark ahead of an unlimited “vote-a-rama” on amendments. (Everett and Levine, 8/4)

Axios: U.S. Uninsured Rate Hits Record Low As Subsidy Extension Looms The 2021 American Rescue Plan temporarily expanded who was eligible for more generous ACA subsidies, resulting in millions of Americans enrolling in health insurance for the first time. ... Biden urged Congress to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which he said would "lock in an average $800 a year savings in health insurance premiums for 13 million Americans and prevent 3 million Americans from becoming uninsured." (Gonzalez, 8/2)

Roll Call: Veterans Toxic Exposure Bill Clears Senate After Tortuous Path President Joe Biden is certain to sign the bill into law in the coming days. The legislation, long sought by veterans groups, means that millions of veterans suffering health problems will no longer have to prove their illnesses were caused by exposure to toxic substances from military deployments. Many served at bases that used open-air burn pits to dispose of trash and hazardous waste. The bill would make servicemembers who contracted any of 23 conditions — from brain cancer to hypertension — after being deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and other combat zones automatically eligible for VA benefits. (Lerman, 8/2)

For a Deeper Dive...

Modern Healthcare: Inpatient Hospitals Get 4.3% Medicare Reimbursement Bump Medicare payments for hospital inpatient services will rise 4.3% in fiscal 2023 under a final rule the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published Monday. That amounts to (A) pay increase of about $2.6 billion and is higher than the 3.2% rate hike CMS proposed in April. (Goldman, 8/1)

Bloomberg Government: Bipartisan Roe Bill Still Has Uphill Fight Still, the bipartisan measure—titled the ‘‘Reproductive Freedom for All Act”—isn’t likely to have the 60 votes needed to pass most bills in the Senate. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) hasn’t yet said whether the chamber would vote on the bill. NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju in a statement called the bill a “political stunt” and added that “unless these senators are willing to end the filibuster to pass this measure, there’s no reason to take it seriously.” (Lee, 8/2)

AP: Abortion Vote In Kansas Sparks New Hope For Dems In Midterms The Kansas vote suggests that threats to abortion rights may energize Democrats in a way few political leaders can. And it comes at a moment when the party is gaining momentum on other fronts, including a legislative package to reduce prescription drug prices, combat climate change and raise taxes on corporations. The challenge for Democrats will be to maintain the energy for several more months and defy trends that typically trip up the party in power. (Peoples, 8/4)

The Washington Post: FEMA's Fenton To Be Named Monkeypox Response Coordinator The White House is planning to name Robert J. Fenton Jr. as coordinator of the nation’s monkeypox response amid a surging epidemic that has prompted three states to declare health emergencies, according to four people with direct knowledge of the plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment about the pending announcement. (Diamond, 8/1)

Fortune: Increased Healthcare Costs Cause Americans To Cut Spending In Other Ways Gas and groceries aren’t the only necessities costing more these days. In an effort to accommodate higher health care costs, Americans have been delaying or skipping treatments altogether. According to a new survey from West Health and Gallup, 38% of Americans, or roughly 98 million people, cut back on food, gas, utilities, and other costs to pay for health care expenses in the past six months. The poll, which was conducted in June 2022 when inflation reached a 40-year high of 9.1%, included 3,001 adults from all 50 states and the District of Columbia as part of the Gallup panel. (Payton, 8/4)

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KHN: Watch: Explaining The Nitty-Gritty Of Medicare Drug Price Negotiations — And Patients’ Potential Savings

NEJM: Confronting Health Worker Burnout and Well-Being, V.H. Murthy

NEJM: Tackling Implicit Bias in Health Care, J. A. Sabin

JAMA: Public Health and Payers—Bridging the Gap to Boost Public Health Investment. S. Gondi; D. A. Chokshi

JAMA: Hidden Danger: Fragile Markets for Critical Health Care Goods. S. Glied

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