Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Still Long Road Ahead For Cures Bill As Upton Tries To Revive Measure
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton is pushing to get his signature healthcare bill moving again. The Michigan Republican is working on a new version of his 21st Century Cures Act. The revamp could be introduced as soon as next week, though lobbyists and aides say that there is still much work to be done, and it would be tough for the legislation to move before the November elections. (Sullivan, 9/15)
In response to the intensifying outrage over the cost of medicines, a bipartisan group of lawmakers Thursday introduced a bill that would require drug makers to justify their pricing and provide a breakdown of their costs before raising prices on certain products by more than 10 percent. Under the Fair Drug Pricing Act, which is cosponsored by Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) and US Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), drug makers would be required to notify the US Department of Health and Human Services and submit a justification report 30 days before they increase the price of certain drugs by more than 10 percent. (Silverman, 9/15)
To get more doctors to embrace value-based payments, the CMS wants to team up with states to launch multi-payer efforts that could qualify as alternative payment models under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). But some state officials may see the initiative as too closely linked to the Affordable Care Act. Last week, the CMS issued a request for information (PDF) from states on what they would need to implement APMs. Responses to the document are due Oct. 28. (Dickson, 9/15)
The Senate on Thursday approved legislation to spend $270 million to aid the residents of Flint, Mich., and other poor communities that have suffered from lead-contaminated water, attaching the funds to a broader bill authorizing $9 billion to repair ports, dams, levees and other water infrastructure in 17 states. (Davenport, 9/15)
The U.S. Senate passed a bill today that authorizes $10.5 billion for water projects, including millions for cities suffering from water issues, like Flint, Michigan. The funding includes $100 million in loans and grants for replacing lead-contaminated pipes, $50 million for lead testing in schools’ water systems and $70 million for infrastructure loans. The bill will also pay for watershed restoration and repairs for waterways and flood-control systems in other parts of the country. For Flint, the money is sorely needed. (Tam, 9/15)
