GOP House opens with abortion program

Guest

After spending an entire first week choosing a speaker, the Republican-led House of Representatives finally got down to legislative business, including passing two bills backed by anti-abortion groups. None of them are likely to become law because they will not be passed by the Senate or signed into law by President Joe Biden. But the move underscores that abortion will no doubt remain the focus of the nation’s capital.

Meanwhile, as open registration for the Affordable Care Act draws to a close on Jan. 15, a record number of people have registered, taking advantage of renewed subsidies and other help with medical costs.

Julie Rovner of KHN, Margo Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Alice Miranda Olstein of Politico and Sarah Carlin-Smith of Pink Sheet took part in the panel this week.

Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:

• The House of Representatives now has a Speaker after 15 rounds of roll call votes as a whole. This paved the way for the swearing in of members, the appointment of committees, and the appointment of new committee chairs. Kathy McMorris Rogers (R-Wash.) and Jason Smith (R-M.) will chair the major health committees.
• McMorris Rogers to chair House Energy and Commerce Committee; Smith will be chairman of Ways and Means. Unlike McMorris Rogers, Smith had little knowledge of health issues and focused primarily on tax issues in his public appearances. But Medicare is likely to be on the agenda, which will require the chairs of both committees.
• One thing is certain: the new GOP-controlled House will do a lot of investigation. Republicans have already re-established a committee to investigate COVID-19, though unlike the Democratic group, that committee is likely to spend time trying to figure out the origin of the virus and track down what federal dollars might have been spent on.
• The House of Representatives this week began considering a series of abortion-related bills — “statements” or “messaging” — that are unlikely to see the light of day in the Senate. However, some faction members question the wisdom of holding a vote on such issues, which could leave their more moderate members more vulnerable. So far, the bills have enjoyed mostly unanimous support from the Republican Party. Disagreements are more likely to arise over topics such as the national ban on abortion. Meanwhile, the Title X program, which pays for things like contraception and testing for sexually transmitted infections, is becoming a hot topic at the state level and in some lawsuits. The Texas case will limit the availability of contraceptives to minors under this program.
• It is becoming increasingly clear that abortion pills will become an even bigger part of the abortion debate. On the one hand, the FDA has loosened some risk assessment and mitigation strategies (REMS) from the rules for prescribing abortion pills. The FDA puts these additional restrictions or warranties on certain drugs to provide additional protection. Some advocates say these pills simply don’t carry that level or risk.
• Anti-abortion groups are planning protests in early February at major pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens to try to get them to drop plans to distribute abortion pills in states where they are legal.
• A growing number of states are putting pressure on the Department of Health and Human Services to allow them to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada, or more specifically, to import Canadian price controls. While the issue has long been bipartisan, it has also long been controversial. FDA officials remain concerned about the disruption of the supply chain between the manufacture of drugs and their delivery to approved buyers in the US. However, this policy is popular because it promises lower prices for at least some drugs.
• Also in news from the FDA: The agency has granted expedited approval to Lekambi for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Lekambi is another expensive drug that seems to work but also comes with big risks. However, it is generally seen as an improvement over the even more controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm. It remains to be determined whether Medicare, which provides insurance for most people with Alzheimer’s disease, will cover the drug.
• Because the Affordable Care Act is reaching a record number of Americans, it’s notable that repealing the law was not mentioned as a priority for the new GOP majority in the House of Representatives. Rather, the main health issue is likely to be how to lower the cost of Medicare and other “right to health” programs.

In addition, as an added bonus, panelists recommend their favorite health policy articles of the week that they think you should also read:

Julia Rovner: The Washington Post “Social Security Denies Disability Benefits Based on Job List Since 1977” by Lisa Rein.

Margo Sanger-Katz: Roll Call “Providers Say Medicare Benefit Bars New Methadone Benefit” by Jesse Hellmann

Alice Miranda Allstein: The New York Times “Grant Wahl was a loving husband. I will always protect his legacy.” Celine Gounder

Sarah Carlin-Smith: “Experts say using volunteers in hospitals risks circumventing labor laws” KHN, Lauren Sosser

Also mentioned in this week’s podcast:

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