As many of you know, Galen has facilitated for decades conversations in the market-based policy community through the Health Policy Consensus Group.
We had our latest meeting last week and, I have to tell you, I was blown away by current action on health policy in the House of Representatives.
The leadership is seizing the health reform agenda, and Members are engaged. One reason for this progress is that the legislative process is going through “regular order” for the first time in a very long time.
That means that a Member proposes a legislative idea, hearings are held, the relevant subcommittee considers the bill and reports it to the full committee. The full committee then debates the measure and, if approved, it goes to the Floor for a vote, after passing through the Rules Committee which decides the process for offering amendments. This is what’s happening now, straight out of Civics 101.
Strong-Arm Nancy Pelosi didn’t do it this way. Legislation emitted from the Speaker’s office, and Members were expected to fall in line.
Debate in this session of Congress is more raucous, granted, but it also is MUCH more engaged and productive. Speaker McCarthy’s strategy seems to be paying off.
The three major committees with jurisdiction over health policy issues have produced a dizzying number of bills, many with bi-partisan support, to advance choice and competition in the health care space. How refreshing it is!
And now that health care has moved off center stage, there is an opportunity to get more done. We’re not talking about a big Repeal and Replace effort which would never pass in the Senate and probably not the House at this point—but rather a series of important improvements that, together, can lead to meaningful change.
How much of the legislation will get through the Democrat-controlled Senate? Hard to know, but the House is engaged in the health care space and is ready to make positive changes when/if the political forces are favorably aligned.
So just to give you a sense of the action taking place and bills that are being moved forward, here is a partial list:
The Ways and Means and Education and the Workforce committees worked together to send four important health reform measures to the floor, with votes expected this week.
The CHOICE Act (“Custom Health Option and Individual Care Expense Arrangement Act” or the “CHOICE Arrangement Act”) recognizes the difficulties small businesses have in providing health coverage to their workers and gives new options to businesses in vulnerable small group markets. The bill includes the Self-Insurance Protection Act and would codify access to more and more affordable coverage options through Association Health Plans.
It also would codify and improve the Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements that would give employees more options of health coverage with tax-preferred dollars.
Energy and Commerce Committee: The PATIENT (Promoting Access to Treatments and Increasing Extremely Needed Transparency) Act was reported out of committee on a unanimous vote last month.
This bill incorporates 15 separate sections, almost all with bipartisan support, focusing primarily on lowering health costs, including:
- Requiring hospitals, health insurers, and clinical diagnostic laboratories to make accessible price information available to patents and consumers
- Addressing hospital consolidation that is creating monopolies in cities across the nation
- Monitoring pharmacy benefit managers to, among many other things, assure that patients don’t pay more for a prescription than the price their insurance company has negotiated for that drug
- Providing transparency in generic drug applications
The bill is awaiting Floor action.
In addition, the Health Subcommittee of the Education and the Workforce Committee
will hold a hearing on Wednesday on “Competition and Transparency: The Pathway Forward for a Stronger Health Care Market.”
“One of the greatest challenges the health care market faces is rapid consolidation, which obscures the prices and quality of services. Thanks to Federal Government overreach, Americans are missing new opportunities to increase innovation, raise the quality of care, and access affordable drug prices,” said Chairman Bob Good. “Patients and consumers should have all information necessary for them to make the best health care choice possible.”
“One of the greatest challenges the health care market faces is rapid consolidation, which obscures the prices and quality of services. Thanks to Federal Government overreach, Americans are missing new opportunities to increase innovation, raise the quality of care, and access affordable drug prices,” said Chairman Bob Good. “Patients and consumers should have all information necessary for them to make the best health care choice possible.”
Finally, individual members are stepping forward with their own health reform legislation, most recently Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) with The Health Care Fairness for All Act. We were pleased to have him join us for the Consensus Group meeting last week.
The energy, ideas, and hard work that Members and staff are putting into advancing market- based health policy is exciting. With Republicans in a position to call hearings and set the legislative agenda, they are offering solid ideas through a targeted approach, and they are working through regular order to get legislation done—with a much greater chance of success.
