OVERNIGHT HEALTH: Reports clash over law’s impact on employers

An ounce of prevention: More than 5 million people have taken advantage of a provision in healthcare reform that offers free preventive care, the Medicare agency said Monday. Healthwatch’s Sam Baker reports.

Global standards: The Food and Drug Administration warned Monday that the explosion of products, manufacturers and countries involved in FDA-regulated markets has created a “perfect storm” for the agency, and called for a “dramatic change in strategy.” Healthwatch has more on the agency’s new “Pathway to Global Product Safety and Quality.”

Kids and Medicaid: A coalition of doctors and children’s advocates wants CMS to bolster new rules for the processes states use to set Medicaid payment rates. The regulation requires states to conduct a detailed analysis of proposed changes to their Medicaid programs to ensure that the changes don’t undermine access to care.

Pediatric specialists and children’s advocates suggested several changes to the proposed rule, such as extending it to cover Medicaid managed care plans. Their letter to CMS is here.

Over-the-counter: Makers of over-the-counter medications are ramping up their lobbying efforts as lawmakers consider eliminating a provision of the healthcare reform law that requires a prescription before Health Savings Accounts can be used to buy OTC medicines. On Monday, the industry group Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) said greater use of over-the-counter medicines could eliminate more than 26 million doctors visits every year, for annual savings of more than $5 billion. Healthwatch’s Sam Baker has more.

Tuesday’s agenda:

Debt talks resume: Bipartisan negotiations on raising the debt ceiling resume at 1 p.m., with both parties increasingly looking at Medicaid cuts that don’t affect seniors. This is the first of three bipartisan meetings hosted by Vice President Biden scheduled through Thursday this week.

With Medicare apparently off the table following the public backlash against the GOP’s plan to replace it with subsidies for private insurance, some Democrats are taking on the mantle of Medicaid champions. On Monday, The Arc, an advocacy group for people with disabilities, applauded Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) for vowing to fight against cuts to programs for people with disabilities.

“We thank Senator Franken for his willingness to be a champion for people with disabilities by protecting Medicaid,” said Pat Mellenthin, CEO of The Arc Minnesota. “The proposed cuts to Medicaid at the federal level are a double blow to people with disabilities, as they are already being targeted for drastic cuts in their services at the state level.”

Dual eligibles: The House Energy and Commerce Health subcommittee holds a hearing on how to improve care and lower costs for the so-called “dual eligibles” — low-income elderly or disabled Americans who are on both Medicare and Medicaid and have some of the highest healthcare costs. 

Witnesses include Melanie Bella, the head of HHS’s new office for dual eligibles, and state officials from Texas and North Carolina. Read the internal hearing memo.

Public health: The Institute of Medicine will recommend ways that federal, state and local health agencies can use legal means to bolster public health policies, much as has been done with efforts to decrease tobacco use and reduce drunken driving. The report — “For the public’s health: Revitalizing law and policy to meet new challenges”— will be released at 11 a.m.

Tobacco warnings: The FDA is due to release final regulations regarding color graphic health warnings required on cigarette packs and advertisements.

Lobbying registrations:

Trimpa Group / Rocky Mountain Health Plans (nonprofit community health plan)

Reading list: 

Hospitals are courting primary-care doctors as they seek to create the healthcare teams called for by the healthcare reform law, The Washington Post reports.

Federal regulators on average approve drugs more quickly than their European counterparts, according to a new study in Health Affairs.

The California Supreme Court unanimously ruled that residents can sue doctors, debt collectors and others who disclose their confidential medical information to a credit reporting agency, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

What you might have missed on Healthwatch: 

Changes to Medicare, Medicaid to be discussed in hearings, debt talks

Comments / complaints / suggestions? Please let us know:

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

Sam Baker: sbaker@digital-staging.thehill.com / 202-628-8351

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