Overnight Healthcare: GOP digs in against Planned Parenthood

The House Judiciary Committee heard new claims against Planned Parenthood on Thursday, including allegations that the group has illegally billed Medicaid for abortion-related services.

An ex-employee of Planned Parenthood told lawmakers that she had first-hand knowledge of $28 million worth of improper billing — resurfacing claims that have been the subject of a drawn-out court battle in Iowa.

{mosads}”Because I had access to the billing system for the whole affiliate, I also know that Planned Parenthood would bill Medicaid for abortion-related services — ultrasounds, office visits, blood tests, medications, and other services that were part of an abortion,” Susan Thayer told the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

But the witness’s testimony is controversial: After multiple back-and-forth rulings, an appeals court in Iowa ruled in fall 2014 that Thayer did not have detailed enough evidence to accuse Planned Parenthood of submitting false claims. Read more here. 

DEMS CATCH GOP IN ‘OOPS’ MOMENT AT PLANNED PARENTHOOD HEARING: Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee temporarily overpowered their GOP colleagues to block testimony from an anti-Planned Parenthood witness during a hearing Thursday.

Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), protested a graphic video about abortion procedures, which was shown to the committee by a former abortion doctor Dr. Anthony Levatino. In a rare move, Cicilline called a vote to strike the video from the hearing’s record, and with more Democrats in the hearing room than Republicans at the time, it passed nine to seven.

Their victory, however, was short-lived. About five minutes later, several of the committee’s Republican members – including its Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) returned to the hearing and called another vote.

The testimony is now allowed to stay on the record. Read more here.

OBAMA QUIETLY APPROVES CHANGE TO OBAMACARE: President Obama has signed into law a bipartisan change to ObamaCare, marking a rare instance that he and Congress have agreed on a tweak to his signature legislative accomplishment.

The president announced late Wednesday that he had signed that bill, alongside eight other bills, without releasing a public statement.

The legislation, called the Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employees (PACE) Act, had been approved overwhelmingly in both GOP-led chambers, which some members of both parties have hailed as a thawing of political tension over “fixes” to the Affordable Care Act.  

The PACE Act deals with an obscure provision in ObamaCare that changed the definition of a small employer from one with 50 employees or fewer to one with 100 employees or fewer, beginning in 2016.

The move was intended to stabilize the group market under ObamaCare, but had been protested by small businesses across the country that feared higher premiums for their workers. Read more here. 

US SPENDS FAR MORE ON HEALTH, BUT LESS HEALTHY: The United States spends far more per person on healthcare than other wealthy countries, but often has worse health outcomes, according to a new report.

The report from the Commonwealth Fund, a health research group, reinforces a critique that reformers have long pointed out about the U.S. health system.

The study finds that the U.S. spent $9,086 per person on healthcare in 2013. In a comparison group of 12 other wealthy countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada and France, the next closest country to the U.S. was Switzerland, which spends about $6,325 per person.

But all of this extra healthcare spending does not appear to lead to better results across the board.

Life expectancy in the U.S., at 78.8 years, is a few years lower than that in all 12 other countries. The U.S. also has by far the highest percentage of people 65 or older with two or more chronic conditions, at 68 percent. Read more here.

Friday’s schedule

The House Budget Committee will mark up a reconciliation that will repeal much of ObamaCare.

What we’re reading

Republicanas turn to props in Planned Parenthood hearing

ObamaCare mandated better mental healthcare coverage. It hasn’t happened.

Doctors Without Borders says it received no advance warning of bombing

State by state

Oklahoma may have used the wrong drug to execute an inmate this year

Blue Cross Blue Shield of California gives up tax break to win OK for acquisition 

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