DCMedical News: Thursday, December 12, 2019
DCMedical News-DCMN
Washington, D.C.
Thursday, December 12, 2019
DCMedical News is published every day both the House and the Senate are in session. The House and Senate adjourn their regularly scheduled sessions today. The next day on which both the House and the Senate are in regularly scheduled session is January 7, 2020, when the 2nd session of the 116th Congress convenes, and DCMN will resume publication.
THE BIG STORY IN HEALTH CARE
End-of-Congressional Session
Surprise medical bill legislation (here) is supported by the President and key legislators, opposed by hospitals. CBO analysis of the issues here, Peterson-KFF study here. Twenty-seven patient and consumer advocacy groups announced their support of the Alexander bill, (here). But the Ways and Means’ Chairman and the Committee’s top Republican threw a spanner into the works late Wednesday, announcing a different measure (here). The House Energy and Commerce Committee (whose leaders joined Senator Alexander in his bill), and the House Ways and Means Committee have historically tussled for jurisdiction, E&C believing health care is theirs, W&M believing tax law—including Medicare—is theirs.
Bloomberg reports that “Health-care price transparency will be a major trend for both consumers and employers in 2020, according to a report from consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers” (see Reading, below).
The House will vote today on the Pelosi drug price control bill, H.R. 3 (here), with passage predicted. STAT discusses the politics (here), calling the bill a “sneak peek” at the Democratic party’s 2020 campaign message.
DOCTORS, NURSES AND OTHER HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Board Certification on the Rise, Unevenly
The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) released its 2018-2019 report (here), showing that 900,000 physicians in the U.S. are board certified, up 2.5% in the last year, with more than half of them in ten states. The 24 “member” boards certify in 40 specialties and 87 subspecialties, from the most numerous (internal medicine, 238,913), to the least (colon and rectal surgery, 2,421).
HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES AND OTHER HEALTH CARE FACILITIES
The Headline, “Modern Healthcare: Hospital Leaders Increasingly Open To Negotiated Price Caps”: “75% of [hospital] CEOs responding to the survey last month said their organization could live with some form of price caps.” But in the article, here, from Modern Healthcare : “The survey was based on a small sample size, with 12 healthcare CEOs responding.” So, 9 out of 4,750 hospital CEOs . . .
MEDICARE, MEDICAID AND COMMERCIAL HEALTH INSURANCE
Supremes Smile on Commercial Health Insurance Risk Corridor Litigants
The American Health Lawyers Association website collected (here) new coverage of Tuesday’s oral arguments before the Supreme Court (see DCMN, 12-10) about Obamacare risk corridor payments.
DRUGS AND DEVICES
Drug Shortages, Safety and China
The U.S.-China Economic Security Review Commission established by Congress in 2000 reports (here) that “China’s pharmaceutical industry “is not effectively regulated by the Chinese government” and has been responsible for drug safety scandals, and drug shortages.
READINGS AND REFERENCES
PwC on Top Health Issues for 2020
Study here, including price transparency and the digital ROI unicorn.
A Day in the Life of the Wall Street Journal
It’s Election Day (in the UK!): Health Care Joins Brexit as Key in Election, here.
Feuding Health Officials Called to White House, here.
Price Transparency Letters to the Editor, including one from New York State Health Foundation CEO David Sandman, here.
Six CEOs and No Operating Rooms—Fixing (or Not) the Indian Health Service, here.
U.S. House of Representatives:
Members at https://www.house.gov/representatives
Committees and Members at https://www.house.gov/committees
U. S. Senate:
Members at https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.
Committees and Members at https://www.senate.gov/committees
House and Senate 2019 Calendar of Regularly Scheduled Sessions, here.
House 2020 Calendar of Regularly Scheduled Sessions, here; Senate schedule subject to Impeachment Debate
PUBLICATION SCHEDULE FOR DCMEDICAL NEWS
January 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 27, 28
February 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 25, 26, 27, 28
March 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31
Notes to: Fred Hyde, MD, JD, MBA; fredhyde@aol.com.