Week ahead: 100 days to key ObamaCare deadline

{mosads}In the meantime, the White House and its allies are gearing up for an aggressive public relations effort over the summer to explain the law and encourage people to enroll. The effectiveness of that push — particularly the sales pitch to young, healthy consumers — will play a big role in whether the law ultimately works.

Congressional Republicans have criticized the public relations effort and will surely continue to do so. They’re also raising questions about the organizations that will help people navigate their options under the new law.

A powerful House committee will hold an ObamaCare oversight hearing this week, and lawmakers also have a full agenda on entitlement issues.

On Monday, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on proposals to curb prescription drug abuse in Medicare. And on Tuesday, the Finance Committee is scheduled to discuss possible improvements in the contracting program Medicare uses to recover excessive payments to doctors.

The House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee will also study Medicare next week, with a Wednesday hearing on “bipartisan proposals to redesign the program’s outdated benefit structure.”

At the same time Wednesday, the panel’s oversight subcommittee is holding a hearing on the effects of the Affordable Care Act on businesses. The National Federation of Independent Business, which represents small businesses, is slated to testify.

The House Small Business Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing Thursday on mobile healthcare apps. And on Friday the focus returns to entitlements, as the Energy and Commerce health subcommittee reconvenes for a hearing on the Medicare benefit that covers doctors’ visits and some drugs.