OVERNIGHT HEALTH: Where does 1099 go from here?

What
about the Senate bill?: The Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill two
weeks ago that paid for repeal by tapping the Office of Management and
Budget to identify unobligated funds for elimination. Rep. Ron Kind
(R-Wis.) pushed the Ways and Means panel to take on the Senate bill, but
Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) opposed the bill’s pay-for.

On Wednesday night, Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) introduced a bill that
mirrors the House language, but it’s unlikely to get anywhere near the
81 votes tallied in the last Senate vote.

No hurry?: It may be a while until the 1099 saga unfolds again. House
Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said in a Thursday statement that
Republicans “hope to bring it to the floor this spring.”

GOP wants to starve IRS: As Republicans aim to choke off funding for the healthcare reform law, they are targeting the IRS. The House is expected to vote on an amendment from Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-Wash.) that would prevent the IRS from hiring employees to enforce the law’s individual and employer mandates, and she also introduced a similar bill two weeks ago. The agency, in its 2012 budget request, is asking for $62 million and 65 employees to get the ball rolling on the mandates, which go into effect in 2014. 

Women’s groups slam CR: The House is expected to take up a seven-month continuing resolution Thursday night or Friday, and women’s groups are ripping GOP cuts to family planning and women’s health programs. “It is crystal clear that the new House is aiming for women’s health and they’re taking no prisoners,” the Center for Reproductive Rights said in a Thursday statement.

FDA defends device-approval record: The Food and Drug Administration defended its approval process for medical devices during a congressional hearing Thursday and said industry comparisons with Europe are off the mark.

Device director Jeffrey Shuren also made the case for an increased budget during the Energy and Commerce health subcommittee hearing. Instead of cutting the FDA’s budget by $220 million as proposed in House Republicans’ Continuing Resolution, lawmakers should approve the request in the president’s budget to increase user fees.

“This is not the time to short-change the FDA,” Shuren told reporters after the hearing. “Investing in the FDA is an investment in innovative technologies; it’s an investment in patients.”

Minnesota expands Medicaid: Minnesota got a nod from the feds to expand its Medicaid rolls ahead of the healthcare reform’s required 2014 date. The move makes Minnesota a significant outlier. Most states are asking the Obama administration to relax Medicaid requirements as they grapple with major budget deficits. 

Mental health gets celeb boost: L.A. Laker Ron Artest and champion boxer Mia St. John were on the Hill Thursday to back Rep. Grace Napolitano’s (D-Calif.) bill that would provide more mental health professionals in public schools. Mental health issues have taken on greater visibility since the Arizona shooting tragedy last month.

Senators back Medicare mental health: Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) reintroduced a bill to eliminate a Medicare lifetime cap of 190 days of inpatient psychiatric hospital care.

Stimulus turns 2: HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius marked the two-year anniversary of the stimulus act by listing
some of the law’s “successes.” Included in the list: $84 billion in
Medicaid assistance, expansion of community health centers, electronic
health record incentives, and fraud, waste and abuse prevention efforts.

Senate
Finance announces GOP health team: Senate Finance Committee Ranking
Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) announced his health policy team on Thursday. Here’s the
breakdown:

Friday’s agenda:

Medicare reform: The conservative American Enterprise Institute hosts a panel on what it would take to overcome roadblocks to reforming Medicare. Among the panelists: Former Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.).

Generically speaking: Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg will deliver the keynote speech to the Generic Pharmaceutical Association. Look for her to talk about the White House budget proposal to bring generic biologic drugs to market faster and to end “pay-for-delay” agreements between generics and brand-name drug makers. 

EHR incentives: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will host a provider call on how to qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentives for using certified electronic health record technology.

Reading list:

The Justice Department racked up its largest Medicare fraud scheme ever, the Wall Street Journal writes.

Most states do not comply with a mental health gun law enacted after the Virginia Tech massacre, the Associated Press reports.

Five years after former governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney (R) passed universal healthcare, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) unveiled a plan to lower healthcare costs, WBUR reports.

The Florida Senate proposed shifting millions of people into HMO-like plans, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Americans are more optimistic about their ability to pay for healthcare services, particularly elective surgeries, Reuters reports. 

Health Affairs looks at Congress’s role in shaping essential benefits. 

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Julian Pecquet: jpecquet@digital-staging.thehill.com / 202-628-8527

Jason Millman: jmillman@digital-staging.thehill.com / 202-628-8351