Overnight Healthcare: Conservatives warn against weakening ObamaCare repeal | House considers replacement bills

Two top House conservatives are calling on Republican leadership to bring up for a vote the ObamaCare repeal bill that passed early last year, worrying that the party could pass a smaller bill that repeals less of the law.

The bill that passed early last year and was vetoed by President Obama repeals many core elements of ObamaCare, including its subsidies, mandates, taxes and Medicaid expansion.

Conservatives are now arguing that last year’s bill should be the minimum that Republicans pass this year, fearing that the party could decide to keep more elements of ObamaCare as it faces the political and policy complexities of repealing the law.

{mosads}”We committed to the American people to repeal every tax, every mandate, the regulations, and to defund Planned Parenthood,” Reps. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the former chairman, said in a statement Thursday.

“That’s what the American people expect us to do — and they expect us to do it quickly. Therefore we strongly encourage Republican leadership on Capitol Hill to take up the Affordable Care Act repeal bill that already passed the House, the Senate, and went to President Obama’s desk in early 2016.”

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2kv1ULg

House considers elements of ObamaCare replacement

Republicans have begun considering a handful of bills that could make up part of their plan to replace ObamaCare.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee, a key player in the fight over ObamaCare, is considering legislation that will likely serve as guidance for the GOP as lawmakers seek to dismantle the healthcare law they vowed to repeal.   

The drafts would change ObamaCare provisions related to pre-existing conditions and the age rating, which determines how much older people can be charged for insurance.

Another measure would shorten the “grace periods” for people who fail to pay their premiums.

Republicans say the measures aim to lower premiums and expand access to healthcare.

The bills fit into the Republicans’ shift toward “repairing” ObamaCare in a step-by-step fashion, rather than completely repealing the massive healthcare law.

“We want to repair the ACA. I’ve never said repeal without replacing it. It has to be repaired, and we are trying to focus on repairing it, and that is why we are conducting this hearing,” said Rep. Leonard Lance (R-N.J.).

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2kmKb6x

House panel to consider bill to spur generic drug development

The House Energy and Commerce Committee will take up bipartisan legislation next week aimed at incentivizing generic drug development, Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) said Thursday.

Walden announced the bill at a hearing Thursday, saying it aims to increase competition.

“Specifically the bill will require the [Food and Drug Administration] to prioritize, expedite and review generic applications of drug products that are currently in shortage, or where there are few manufacturers on the market,” Walden said.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2jCjw8l

Medical device companies see momentum for device tax repeal

AdvaMed, the trade group for medical device companies, is seeing some momentum for repeal of ObamaCare’s medical device tax, long a priority for the group. The tax, as well as other ObamaCare taxes, could be taken away as part of a larger repeal of the health law, though there has been some debate about whether to keep the taxes to provide revenue for an ObamaCare replacement. 

JC Scott, chief advocacy officer at AdvaMed, said in an interview that those Republicans advocating for keeping the ObamaCare taxes “seem to be in a minority.” Still, the group is keeping up its efforts as it hopes to avoid a sense of complacency setting in.

“It’s not used to fund a specific provision of ObamaCare, and it directly hurts American manufacturers this Congress and president want to help,” said AdvaMed CEO Scott Whitaker. 

What we’re reading:

Paring the Affordable Care Act raises questions on what a health plan should cover (Wall Street Journal)

Another warning sign for Republicans trying to repeal ObamaCare (The Huffington Post)

HHS nominee Tom Price bought stock, then authored bill benefiting company (USA Today)  

State by state:

Amid heated rhetoric, Iowa Senate votes to halt Planned Parenthood funding (Des Moines Register)

Record 3.6 million New Yorkers sign up for ObamaCare (New York Daily News)

Indiana looks to extend Medicaid experiment started under ObamaCare (NPR)

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