Rep. Walden: What They Are Saying – E&C Health Subcommittee Advances Key Health Bills

WASHINGTON, July 12 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release:

The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health advanced several key pieces of legislation to the full committee such as reauthorizing Community Health centers and public health programs, protecting patients from surprise medical bills and delaying funding cuts to Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH).

The Health Subcommittee forwarded the following legislation to the full committee:

H.R. 2781, the "EMPOWER for Health Act of 2019"

H.R. 728, the "Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2019"

H.R. 1058, the "Autism CARE Act of 2019"

H.R. 2507, the "Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2019"

H.R. 776, the "Emergency Medical Services for Children Program Reauthorization Act of 2019"

H.R. 2035, the "Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act of 2019"

H.R. 2296, the "FAIR Drug Pricing Act of 2019"

H.R. 2328, the "Community Health Investment, Modernization, and Excellence Act of 2019"

H.R. 3631, the "Territories Health Care Improvement Act"

H.R. 3630, "No Surprises Act"

Here's What They Are Saying:

Inside Health Policy: E&C Health Subcommittee Approves DSH Delays, Funds Extenders

The House Energy & Commerce health subcommittee on Thursday (July 11) approved bills that would delay Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) cuts for two years and decrease the cuts in fiscal 2022 as well as fund community health centers, the National Health Service Corps, teaching health center Graduate Medical Education and special diabetes programs through fiscal 2024.

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The DSH cuts delay was approved as part of a revised version of H.R. 2328, the Community Health, Investment, Modernization and Excellence Act, which would reauthorize community health centers at $4 billion annually and the National Health Service Corps at $310 million annually through fiscal 2024.

The tweaked bill would delay the DSH cuts in fiscal 2020 and 2021 as well as reduce the cuts from $8 billion to $4 billion in fiscal 2022. This "will ensure DSH hospitals can continue to serve low-income patients," said Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-MA), who introduced the update to the bill.

Both Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) and E&C ranking Republican Greg Walden (OR) applauded the delay, which they said would give lawmakers more time to improve the DSH formula.

Stat News: Newborn screening saves lives. Congress needs to reauthorize the program

Reauthorization of the national newborn screening program has long been a bipartisan priority. It is a private-public partnership, modest in cost (the current funding is about $30 million), focused, and extremely effective. Newborn screening is credited with saving or improving the lives of thousands of babies each year.

The Washington Post: Puerto Rico corruption scandal ripples through Washington as White House, Congress call for greater spending scrutiny

"Given the news out of Puerto Rico yesterday, we will also need additional program integrity measures in place," Walden said at the House hearing. "I look forward to working with the majority to see what kind of measures we can put in place to prevent these kinds of fraudulent activities, that are alleged, from happening."

Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Fla.), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, also said Thursday lawmakers should add additional funding safeguards, citing the arrests.

The Medicaid package was approved by a House subcommittee on Thursday but still faces a long road to passage, particularly through the Republican-controlled Senate. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) said there would "absolutely" need to be stricter controls for federal spending on the island going forward. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said in a statement he was "very concerned" by the arrests, while Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said Congress must work to ensure taxpayer funding is protected.

Health Leaders Media: HOUSE PANEL ADVANCES SURPRISE BILL PACKAGE

A package of 10 healthcare-related bills, including funding for expiring public health programs and addressing surprise medical billing, was advanced out the House Energy and Commerce (HEC) Health subcommittee Thursday afternoon.

Subcommittee Chairwoman Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and Ranking Member Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., led the effort to pass the bipartisan healthcare package and bring it to the full committee for a vote.

Bloomberg Law: Capsule: Obamacare Uncertainty, Rebate Rule Reversal & Kidney Care

A House panel July 11 advanced legislation to combat surprise medical bills. The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health approved the bill (H.R. 3630) by a voice vote, Alex Ruoff writes.

The legislation would end the practice known as balance billing, where doctors send patients undiscounted bills for their services when insurers won't agree to pay them. To settle these disputes among health-care providers and insurers, the committee's legislation would require doctors to accept a set rate based on what local insurers pay the doctors in their networks.