Overnight Healthcare: Dems call for end to blood donation ban from gay men

Leading gay rights advocates in Congress plan to ask the White House to end a decades-old policy that prohibits many gay men from donating blood in the wake of the deadly Orlando, Fla., shooting at a gay nightclub.

Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), the vice chair of the House LGBT Equality Caucus, is drafting a letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf urging him to strike down the rule they have long called outdated and discriminatory.

{mosads}Quigley is joining three other longtime critics of the ban — Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) — to call for the end of the ban following the Orlando shooting.

The FDA announced in December that it would now allow gay men to donate blood, but only if they have been celibate for a year. Under previous rules, men who have had sex with men were banned from donating indefinitely.

Quigley and other opponents of the ban blasted the FDA’s move, which they said left in place a “de facto” ban. Read more here. http://bit.ly/1PYEAAj

Repealing ObamaCare would increase uninsured by 24 million

That’s according to a new study from the Urban Institute. The study finds that 14.5 million fewer people would have coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program and 8.8 million fewer people would have individual private coverage like that offered on the health law’s marketplaces. Another 700,000 fewer people would have health insurance through their jobs.

At the same time, repeal would reduce federal government spending on healthcare by $927 billion over 10 years, the study finds.

State health spending would also increase without the Affordable Care Act (ACA), by $68.5 billion, as states would have to pick up more of the cost of care for people who lacked insurance. Read more here. http://bit.ly/1XSVHqg

Ways and Means to take up small scale health tax bills

One bill, from Reps. Charles Boustany (R-La.) and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), would exempt small employers from steep ObamaCare penalties for offering tax-free Health Reimbursement Accounts to their employees.

Another, from Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), would exempt colleges from having to provide health insurance to student workers who work more than 30 hours per week, under ObamaCare’s employer mandate. The bill’s lone Democratic cosponsor is Rep. Patrick Murphy (Fla.), who is running for Senate in Florida.

GOP looking at smaller changes to ObamaCare

The Ways and Means bills fit with smaller ObamaCare changes that the House Energy and Commerce Committee considered last week. Read our story on that surprising development here: http://bit.ly/1UgvtcW  

White House trying to reduce organ waitlist  

• New goals to increase organ registration, including partnerships with Facebook and Tinder.  

• $200 million in private and public investments, including from the Department of Defense and American Society of Nephrology.

Read more here. http://bit.ly/1Yo7Bam

ON TAP TOMORROW:

The House Energy and Commerce Committee convenes for opening statements on its mental health bill, after lawmakers hold a press conference on it in the morning.

The Energy and Commerce Committee also holds a hearing on “superbugs” and antibiotic resistance.

American Medical Association continues its annual policy conference in Chicago.

The World Health Organization holds its third emergency meeting on the Zika virus, followed by a virtual press conference ; 

WHAT WE’RE READING

After resisting ObamaCare, state GOP leaders are finding fewer tools to fight the opioid addiction epidemic (LA Times)

Rising premiums rattle ObamaCare enrollees paying their own way (Associated Press)

U.S. announces health collaboration with Cuba (CNBC)

IN THE STATES

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona looking to raise premiums by 64.9 percent (AZCentral)

Abortion providers brace for the worst with upcoming Supreme Court ruling (Reuters)

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