Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Republican Lawmakers See Opening In Spending Bills To Thwart Obama
From environmental and work force regulations to health care and contraception, congressional Republicans are using spending bills to try to dismantle President Obama鈥檚 policies, setting up a fiscal feud this fall that could lead to a government shutdown. ... In the House, one bill prohibits any federal money from being spent on the Affordable Care Act. Funds for the enforcement of new labor rules would be drastically reduced. The main federal family planning program, Title X, would be eliminated. ... A 鈥渃onscience鈥 rider would let employers in the District of Columbia refuse health insurance coverage for any service on moral grounds, and hire and fire based on women鈥檚 use of health services. (Weisman, 7/7)
Meanwhile, hospitals fight back against聽the GAO's criticism聽of their use of a聽drug聽discount聽program.
Hospitals say the Government Accountability Office used faulty methodology when it found that hospitals that serve high numbers of low-income patients abuse a federal drug discount by overprescribing medications. HHS raised similar concerns about the findings. Hospitals that serve a disproportionate number of low-income patients have access to discounted prices on outpatient drugs through the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which is administered by HHS. (Dickson, 7/7)
