Health Care Checkup
September 10, 2021
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This week, House Committees began assembling their portions of the broader $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill, titled the “Build Back Better Act.” A major proposal of the Ways and Means (W&M) Committee is to expand Medicare coverage to include dental, vision, and hearing benefits. These benefits would go into effect over a six-year period, with vision benefits starting in 2022, hearing benefits starting in 2023, and dental coverage starting in 2028. The W&M Committee began marking up its portion of the bill on Thursday and will continue Friday. The Committee voted on Thursday to approve a 12-week paid family and medical leave benefit, as well as childcare and retirement provisions. The full text of the W&M Committee’s measures can be found here.
Next week, the Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee will mark up its portion of the bill, which is aimed at lowering prescription drug prices and expanding access to Affordable Care Act coverage. The E&C Committee will also mark up the Medicare expansion provisions. A full list of the E&C Committee’s text can be found here, along with the committee memo and fact sheet.
On Friday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it is making $25.5 billion in new funding available for health care providers who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. $8.5 billion will be available from the American Rescue Plan for providers who serve Medicare and Medicaid patients in rural areas and $17 billion will be available through the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) for providers “who can document revenue loss and expenses associated with the pandemic.”
On Thursday, President Joe Biden gave a speech to the American people, discussing new strategies to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Biden announced that he will sign an executive order that requires all federal employees and contractors to be vaccinated against COVID-19. He also said that his administration will issue rules mandating large private employers to require shots or testing for their employees. Additionally, the President will require that health care workers at Medicare and Medicaid participating facilities get vaccinated.
Also on Thursday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra released a comprehensive plan to lower the cost of prescription drugs. The plan calls for “bold legislative action,” including reforming Medicare Part D, and allowing for drug price negotiation in Medicare Parts B and D. The proposal also discusses administrative tools that HHS can use, such as collecting data from insurers and Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) to improve transparency about prices, testing value-based payment models in Medicare Part B and working with states to develop drug importation programs. The full plan can be found here and a fact sheet can be found here.
On Tuesday, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent Congress a request for a short-term extension in government funding to avoid a partial government shutdown on October 1. Specifically, OMB requested $6.4 billion to resettle Afghan allies and partners in the U.S., $10 billion for the destruction caused by Hurricane Ida, and $14 billion for natural disasters that occurred before Ida. Additional requests include funding for COVID-19 testing at the southern border and funding to improve the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
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What to Expect Next Week: Next week, House committees will continue markup efforts of their potions of the Build Back Better Act.
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House Unveils Key Details of $3.5 Trillion Budget Reconciliation Package
Note: Please see an appendix at the end of the Health Care Checkup that links to each committee’s individual portions of the Build Back Better Act.
This week, House Committees began assembling their portions of the broader $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill, titled the “Build Back Better Act.” A major proposal of the Ways and Means (W&M) Committee is to expand Medicare coverage to include dental, vision, and hearing benefits. These benefits would go into effect over a six-year period, with vision benefits starting in 2022, hearing benefits starting in 2023, and dental coverage starting in 2028. The W&M Committee also proposes to provide all U.S. workers with up to 12 weeks of universal paid family and medical leave. Additionally, the plan would address staffing shortages in long-term care facilities by incentivizing workers with wage subsidies and access to childcare. The W&M Committee began marking up its portion of the bill on Thursday and will continue Friday. The Committee voted on Thursday to approve the paid family and medical leave benefit, as well as childcare and retirement provisions. In the coming days, the W&M Committee will also markup proposals aimed at lowering the cost of prescription drugs. The full text of the W&M Committee’s measures can be found here.
The Education and Labor Committee also began its markup on Thursday. The Education and Labor Committee seeks to include funding to make childcare more affordable, to offer universal pre-kindergarten, and to impose civil monetary penalties on health insurance plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. The Committee is on track to approve $761 billion in benefits on Friday, including $450 billion for the childcare and universal pre-kindergarten provisions. The full text of the Committee’s portion of the Build Back Better Act can be found here.
Next week, the Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee will mark up its portion of the bill, which is aimed at lowering prescription drug prices and expanding access to Affordable Care Act coverage. The E&C Committee will also mark up the Medicare expansion provisions. A full list of the E&C Committee’s text can be found here, along with the committee memo and fact sheet.
Once all House committees have marked up their individual sections of the reconciliation bill, the House Budget Committee will assemble the bill and report it to the full House for consideration. The House then plans to pass the reconciliation bill at the end of this month or early next month before sending it to the Senate.
HHS Makes $25.5 Billion in COVID-19 Funding Available for Providers
On Friday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it is making $25.5 billion in new funding available for health care providers who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. $8.5 billion will be available from the American Rescue Plan for providers who serve Medicare and Medicaid patients in rural areas and $17 billion will be available through the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) for providers “who can document revenue loss and expenses associated with the pandemic.” Providers must apply for the funds through an application portal that will open on September 29, 2021. More information about eligibility requirements and the documents needed for providers to apply can be found here.
President Biden Imposes New COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates
On Thursday, President Joe Biden gave a speech to the American people, discussing new strategies to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Biden announced that he will sign an executive order that requires all federal employees and contractors to be vaccinated against COVID-19. He also said that his administration will issue rules mandating large private employers to require shots or testing for their employees. Additionally, the President will require that health care workers at Medicare and Medicaid participating facilities get vaccinated. To further help stop the spread of the virus, Biden said that the U.S. will continue to ramp up testing efforts and will use the Defense Production Act to expand the manufacturing of tests. President Biden also called on states to require vaccinations in schools and large entertainment venues.
White House Submits ‘Urgent’ Spending Request to Congress
On Tuesday, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent Congress a request for a short-term extension in government funding to avoid a partial government shutdown on October 1. Specifically, OMB requested $6.4 billion to resettle Afghan allies and partners in the U.S., $10 billion for the destruction caused by Hurricane Ida, and $14 billion for natural disasters that occurred before Ida. Additional requests include funding for COVID-19 testing at the southern border and funding for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. OMB Acting Director Shalanda Young said, “A short-term [continuing resolution] is necessary not only to provide Congress additional time to pass full-year appropriations bills that make bold, forward-looking investments in our future, but also to address the specific, urgent needs facing our country right now.” OMB’s full spending request can be found here.
Biden Administration Releases Plan to Lower Prescription Drug Prices
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra released a comprehensive plan on Thursday to lower the cost of prescription drugs. The plan calls for “bold legislative action,” including reforming Medicare Part D, and allowing for drug price negotiation in Medicare Parts B and D. The proposal also discusses administrative tools that HHS can use, such as collecting data from insurers and Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) to improve transparency about prices, testing value-based payment models in Medicare Part B and working with states to develop drug importation programs. The full plan can be found here and a fact sheet can be found here.
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Build Back Better Committee Documents
House Ways and Means Committee:
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Subtitle A: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Universal Paid Family and Medical Leave
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Subtitle B: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Retirement
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Subtitle C: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Child Care Access and Equity
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Subtitle D: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Trade Adjustment Assistance
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Part 1 of Subtitle E: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Pathways to Health Careers
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Part 2 of Subtitle E: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Elder Justice
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Part 3 of Subtitle E: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Skilled Nursing Facilities
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Part 4 of Subtitle E: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Medicare Dental, Hearing, and Vision Coverage
House Energy and Commerce Committee:
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Subtitle A: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Air Pollution
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Subtitle B: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Hazardous Materials
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Subtitle C: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Drinking Water
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Subtitle D: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Energy
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Subtitle E: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Drug Pricing
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Subtitle F: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to the Affordable Care Act
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Subtitle G: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Medicaid
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Subtitle H: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to CHIP
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Subtitle I: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Medicare
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Subtitle J: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Public Health
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Subtitle K: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Next Generation 9-1-1
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Subtitle L: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Wireless Connectivity
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Subtitle M: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Distance Learning
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Subtitle N: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Manufacturing Supply Chain
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Subtitle O: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to FTC Privacy Enforcement
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Subtitle P: Budget Reconciliation Legislative Recommendations Relating to Department of Commerce Inspector General
House Education and Labor Committee:
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SENATE HEARINGS AND EXECUTIVE SESSIONS |
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HOUSE HEARINGS AND EXECUTIVE SESSIONS |
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ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCEMENTS |
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Food and Drug Administration
Guidance Documents from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Institutes of Health
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