Overnight Health Care: Trump floats repealing ObamaCare mandate in tax bill | ObamaCare’s fifth open enrollment period begins | Trump opioid commission backs more drug courts, media blitz

by Jessie Hellmann and Rachel Roubein - 11/01/17 5:19 PM ET

Trump suggests repealing ObamaCare mandate in tax bill

President Trump on Wednesday suggested using the GOP tax bill to repeal ObamaCare’s individual mandate.

“Wouldn’t it be great to Repeal the very unfair and unpopular Individual Mandate in ObamaCare and use those savings for further Tax Cuts,” Trump tweeted.

The idea is being pushed by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). A Cotton spokeswoman told The Hill that Cotton and Trump spoke by phone about the idea over the weekend and “the President indicated his strong support.”

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) this week said that he wouldn’t rule out including repeal of the mandate in the tax legislation.

But other top Republicans have rejected the idea, including House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas), Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). They fear adding the ObamaCare change would jeopardize tax reform.

“Look, I want to see that individual mandate repealed,” Brady said during an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt on Tuesday. “I just haven’t seen, no one has seen, 50 votes in the Senate to do it.”

Read more here.

It’s ObamaCare open enrollment time

Open enrollment for ObamaCare begins on Wednesday, opening a new chapter in what has been a tumultuous year for the health-care law.

The frenzy over health care this year has stoked public confusion about ObamaCare, with some people erroneously stating in polls that the law has been repealed or that they no longer have to pay a fine for not having insurance.

Read here for five things to know about the first sign-up period under President Trump.

Meanwhile, President Trump’s health chief says he wants ‘consumer friendly’ ObamaCare signups following a tumultuous year for the health care law.

Read more here.

And former President Obama jumped back into the spotlight to urge people to sign up for plans.

“You can shop for a health insurance plan that’s right for you and your family,” Obama said in a video released Wednesday morning.

“It only takes a few minutes and the vast majority of people qualify for financial assistance.”

Read more on the former president’s pitch here.

Trump opioid commission backs more drug courts, media blitz

President Trump’s opioid commission laid out 56 recommendations for how the nation should combat the epidemic, including drug courts and a national media campaign, days after the crisis was declared a national public health emergency.

Members voted to approve the report, which was due Nov. 1, at the end of a meeting on Wednesday.

The commission didn’t weigh in on the specific amount of money needed to combat the health crisis. President Trump’s declaration of a national health emergency, which doesn’t free up millions of extra cash, sparked calls for more funding by Democrats and advocacy groups.

But the report calls on Congress to determine the funding required.

Read more here.

Trump officials approve Medicaid waivers for opioid treatment

The Trump administration approved Medicaid waivers in Utah and New Jersey to help improve access to treatment for opioid addiction, according to the states’ governors.

The waivers were the first to be approved under a new policy from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that will allow states to design demonstration projects to let Medicaid to pay for opioid use disorder treatments.

CMS called for more states to apply in a Nov. 1 letter to Medicaid directors.

“Previous policies ignored the growing urgency of the national opioid epidemic and instead put onerous requirements on states that ultimately prevented individuals from accessing these needed services,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said in a statement. “The Trump administration’s approach reflects the pressing nature of the issues states are facing on the ground.”

In Utah, the waiver approval is a limited expansion of Medicaid that will expand treatment to up to 6,000 childless adults who are either homeless, involved in the criminal justice system or need substance abuse treatment.

Read more here.

200 health, business groups endorse bipartisan ObamaCare bill

More than 200 health and business groups have endorsed a bipartisan bill to shore up ObamaCare’s insurance markets.

Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and ranking member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) announced the support Wednesday as part of their latest push to get the bill passed.

Those in support include influential groups such as the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association.

But the bill still faces an uphill battle to becoming law. While it appears to have the support needed to pass the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said he won’t call it for a vote without approval from President Trump.

Read more here.

GOP bill would ban abortions when heartbeat is detected

A House committee on Wednesday considered a bill that would make it illegal for doctors to perform abortions after a heartbeat is detected.

The “Heartbeat Protection Act,” authored by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), would make it a crime for a doctor to perform an abortion if the fetus has a “detectable” heartbeat.

King acknowledged that such a bill, if signed into law, would face legal challenges, possibly going all the way to the Supreme Court.

Read more here.

Trump talks tough, but little action seen on drug prices

President Trump blasted the pharmaceutical industry for “getting away with murder” with steep drug prices during the campaign and since, but his administration has done little to force the industry to change its ways.

As recently as Oct. 16, the president repeated the “getting away with murder” line and promised to bring prices “way down.” But despite the rhetoric, Trump has not acted on most of the drug pricing promises he made during the election.

Activists said they are disappointed.

Read more here.

The Hill event

Join The Hill on Tuesday, November 7, for America’s Opioid Epidemic: Strategies for Prevention featuring FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). Topics of conversation include the response to the opioid crisis, prevention initiatives, and the role education might play in lowering addiction rates.

Opinions in The Hill

We have to stand up to Trump’s health insurance bullying

What we’re reading

How to be a smart ObamaCare shopper (The New York Times)

Preterm births in the U.S. rise again, signaling worrisome trend (statnews.com)

ObamaCare’s rising premiums will hurt the middle class the most (Bloomberg)

State by state

Wait for mental health treatment in Mass. can take months, study says (Boston Globe)

Ballot measure to cap Ohio drug prices unleashes expensive ad battle (Wall Street Journal)

Bill to establish paid family, medical leave in NH moves forward (Union Leader)

Send tips and comments to Jessie Hellmann, jhellmann@digital-staging.thehill.com; Peter Sullivan, psullivan@digital-staging.thehill.com; Rachel Roubein, rroubein@digital-staging.thehill.com; and Nathaniel Weixel, nweixel@digital-staging.thehill.com.