OVERNIGHT HEALTH: Looking to the supercommittee for answers

Jobs report: President Obama’s jobs council released an interim report that mirrors venture capitalists’ demands for FDA reforms. The report blames the “uncertain [Food and Drug Administration] regulatory environment” for the U.S.’s decline in biotechnology, and recommends several changes to the approval process for pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Read the Healthwatch story.

He’s baaack: The former CLASS Act actuary who caused a small panic inside the administration when he announced that the long-term care program was being put on ice returns to town next week to let a few more cats out of the bag, The Hill has learned. Bob Yee is on a panel of healthcare experts invited to a CLASS Act Briefing and Policy Forum as part of LeadingAge’s 50th Anniversary annual meeting at the Washington Convention Center. 

{mosads}Separately, more than 100 national and local groups wrote to President Obama on Tuesday urging him to make the CLASS Act work.

Wednesday’s agenda

A House hearing on voluntary restrictions on food marketing for children promises a showdown between public health advocates and the food and marketing industries. The joint hearing by the Energy and Commerce Health panel starts at 10 a.m. in the Rayburn House Building.

The Senate HELP Committee holds a hearing on “The State of Chronic Disease Prevention” at 2:30 p.m. in Dirksen Room 430; Assistant Secretary for Health Howard Koh will testify.

National Journal hosts a panel on “The cost equation: Affordable, efficient and high quality care for improved outcomes.” The event starts at 8 a.m. at the Columbus Club at Union Station.

The House Rules Committee decides how to proceed with the Protect Life Act, which is scheduled for a floor vote Thursday.

Medicare open enrollment starts Saturday; HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius kicks things off early with an appearance at the Mohler Senior Center in Hershey, Pa.

State by state

Republican Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead “strongly supports” a recommendation to pursue a state-run health insurance exchange, Mead wrote in a letter to state lawmakers.

Lobbying registrations

Georgia Health Sciences University (self-registration) / School of medicine and health sciences

Lobbyit.com / Spondylitis Association of America (association for ankylosing spondylitis and related diseases)

McDermott Will & Emery / TearLab Corp (diagnostic laboratory test system developer and manufacturer)

McDermott Will & Emery / Abbott Laboratories (diagnostic & therapeutic medicines & devices)

Fraud fight

U.S. Marshals seized foods stored at a Washington State facility at the request of FDA food inspectors. This is the first food seizure subject to a detention order under the food-safety bill enacted earlier this year.

A Detroit-area clinic owner was sentenced to 10 years in prison for role in a $9.1 million Medicare fraud scheme.

{mossecondads}A Louisiana personal care attendant was charged with 10 counts of Medicaid fraud for allegedly filing false claims.

Reading list

Newly released White House visitors’ logs reveal just how much former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s former healthcare advisers helped shape the federal healthcare reform law, NBC News reports.

The Washington Post gets an advance look at health economist Jonathan Gruber’s new comic book on healthcare reform.

Two new reasons to worry about air pollution: obesity and diabetes, says Forbes.

Kaiser Permanente is rolling back rates by 1.2 percent for some small California employers under pressure from newly empowered state regulators, the Sacramento Business Journal reports.

What you might have missed on Healthwatch

Administration touts early success of Medicare/Medicaid coordination

FDA earns plaudits for flexible approach to approval of drugs for rare diseases

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

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

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