Overnight Health Care: Senate confirms Trump health secretary | Cruz wants to revisit ObamaCare repeal | Groups sue over Medicaid work rules

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has a new boss, Alex Azar, after nearly four months without a permanent leader.

The Senate confirmed Azar, a former pharmaceutical executive, on Wednesday by a 55-43 vote with six Democrats and Independent Sen. Angus King (Maine) joining all but one Republican to support the nominee.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the lone Republican to vote against his confirmation, after having previously expressed concern over Azar’s reticence to let drugs be imported from overseas.

Azar replaces Tom Price, who resigned in September after Politico detailed repeated trips he took on private and military jets, costing taxpayers more than $1 million.

Democrats attacked Azar over drug prices — saying the cost of several drugs more than doubled during his time at Eli Lilly — and expressed concern that he would continue what they view as the Trump administration’s attempts to sabotage ObamaCare.

Meanwhile, Republicans cast Azar’s nearly 10 year tenure at Eli Lilly, where he served as president of Lilly USA from 2012 to 2017 years, as an asset because he already knows the ins and outs of such a complex industry.

Azar will take the helm of the massive department at a critical juncture for ObamaCare. It’s unlikely congressional Republicans will return to the difficult task of repealing and replacing President Obama’s signature health-care law, leaving the White House to seek changes on its own through administrative action.

Read more here.

 

Cruz pushes to revisit ObamaCare repeal this year 

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said Wednesday that he is pushing to revisit the repeal of ObamaCare this year.

Cruz told reporters that he thinks GOP leadership is interested “if we can get 50 votes.”

“We have to bring the conference together to be able to move forward,” he added.

ObamaCare repeal has largely faded as a GOP priority. Republican leadership has not expressed interest in diving back into the fight, given that it failed last year and there is no indication that the votes have shifted in the Senate. Senate leaders instead have said they want to focus on bipartisan issues this year.

Cruz acknowledged those difficulties.

“I don’t think leadership is interested in going down this road again until we can get 50 votes and so we need to do the hard work of bringing the rest of the conference together,” Cruz said Wednesday. “I think we’re still quite close.”

Read more here.

 

Groups file lawsuit against Trump Medicaid work rules 

Three groups are leading a lawsuit filed Wednesday against the Trump administration’s approval of major changes to Medicaid, including allowing work requirements.

The litigation challenges a waiver the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently approved in Kentucky allowing the state to institute first-of-its-kind changes to the Medicaid program, arguing the measures are inconsistent with the purpose of the program.

Fifteen Kentuckians joined in the class action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Three major groups are representing them — the National Health Law Program (NHeLP), Kentucky Equal Justice Center and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Top CMS official Seema Verma has argued the administration has “broad authority” under current law to let states alter their Medicaid programs through waivers. Earlier this month, the administration released guidance on work requirements in Medicaid, marking a major shift for the program.

Read more here.

 

Mississippi pushes for Medicaid work requirements 

Thousands of Medicaid recipients in Mississippi would be required to work to be eligible for the program if the Trump administration approves a controversial state waiver request that recently opened for public comment.

The proposal is likely to set off a firestorm of criticism from Democrats and health advocates, who argue that work requirements, combined with Mississippi’s strict Medicaid eligibility requirements, will result in thousands of people losing their coverage.

The five-year waiver request from Republican Gov. Phil Bryant seeks to require nondisabled adults, including low-income parents and caretakers, to participate in at least 20 hours per week of “workforce training.”

Read more here.

 

Texas governor asks Trump to approve funds for program that excludes Planned Parenthood 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is urging President Trump to approve federal funding for a family planning program that excludes Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers, a move that could set off a wave of similar actions in other red states.

Abbott argued that his state’s program is consistent with policies the Trump administration announced last week, when it rescinded Obama-era guidance protecting abortion providers from such actions. 

“The approval of Texas’ waiver is not only consistent with the policies you announced last week, but also will set a powerful example of the impact of your decision to rescind previous guidance from the Obama administration,” Abbott wrote in a letter to Trump on Tuesday.

The Obama administration withheld $35 million a year in Medicaid family planning funds from Texas after the state began excluding Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers from the program.

Read more here.

 

Short-term spending bills leave public health agencies in suspense 

Congress’s inability to pass a long-term spending bill has major ramifications for public health, advocates and former agency officials warn.

The short-term measures hinder efforts to play ahead and recruit staff even as they keep the government open, the advocates say. They have left public health agencies “treading water,” said Ellie Dehoney, vice president of policy and advocacy at Research!America. “It’s just a state of suspended animation.”

Congress passed its fourth stopgap measure in nearly four months on Monday after a brief shutdown, and more could be on the way. The measures, known as continuing resolutions, keep government spending consistent at current levels, but leave agencies facing uncertainties over their long-term budgets. 

Read more here.

 

What we’re reading: 

Idaho to insurers: Give us plans that don’t follow ObamaCare (Associated Press)

The first cloned monkeys are born. Will they speed research? (STAT)

Cecil Richards plans to step down as Planned Parenthood president (Buzzfeed)

 

State by state 

Safe-injection sites to fight opioid overdose deaths get green light from Philadelphia officials (philly.com)

Oregon voters overwhelmingly pass health care taxes (OregonLive.com)

Baker calls rollout of health insurance changes for state workers ‘flawed’ (The Boston Globe)

 

Op-eds in The Hill 

HSAs can be fixed through bipartisan support — millions depends on it