 Health Care |
Health Care |
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House Republicans tee up another abortion fight |
Republicans are potentially heading toward another showdown over abortion, as lawmakers set up a vote on legislation to fund the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services. |
Lawmakers on Tuesday in a party-line vote adopted a rule setting up debate on the appropriations bill. A vote on the actual bill could happen as early as Wednesday, but it's far from a sure thing.
The Labor-Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) bill has historically been one of the more difficult pieces of legislation to pass, and GOP leaders have been unable to pass other spending bills amid divisions on abortion-related provisions. Republicans have inserted anti-abortion language into almost every appropriations bill.
The Republican-led, Labor-HHS bill would slash or eliminate funding from a range of programs that deal with everything from family planning to teen pregnancy and even the HIV epidemic.
The bill would eliminate the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, cut all federal funding to Planned Parenthood, eliminate Title X family planning grants and stop the implementation of two Biden administration executive orders intended to increase access to abortion care.
The legislation maintains the Hyde Amendment, a provision that prohibits certain federal funds from being used on abortion procedures.
If the vote occurs, it would come a week after voters in elections across the country showed that abortion continues to be a losing issue for Republicans. It also doesn't stand much of a chance in the Democratic-controlled Senate, where appropriators crafted a separate, bipartisan bill free from any "poison pill" provisions.
House Republicans are looking to stake out what they've described as the most conservative starting point before negotiations ramp up with the Democratic-led Senate. And Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is an outspoken abortion opponent.
Still, the dynamics of a likely doomed bill coming on the heels of the election losses make it more likely that moderate Republicans will not cave to the conservatives and vote on the legislation. |
Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. |
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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: |
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The American Medical Association wants insurance companies and federal payers to fully cover a new class of obesity treatments like Wegovy and Ozempic, even as plans search for ways to avoid paying for the high cost of the drugs. The organization voted Monday to pass a resolution supporting "health insurance coverage parity for evidence-based treatment of obesity, including FDA-approved medications without exclusions or additional … |
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| State Medicaid officials anticipate sharp enrollment declines and increases in state spending on Medicaid as pandemic-era policies further unwind, according to a KFF survey. Medicaid enrollment spiked to nearly 95 million Americans — an increase of more than 23 million people— between February 2020 and this April because of pandemic-related rules. In exchange for enhanced federal fund-matching, states couldn't kick anybody … |
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A North Dakota judge has denied a request to temporarily block a state law preventing transgender minors from accessing gender-affirming medical care, leaving one of the nation's most stringent transgender health care bans intact. District Judge Jackson Lofgren on Monday denied a temporary restraining order requested by three North Dakota families with transgender children and a physician who treats transgender … |
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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Oklahoma Supreme Court keeps anti-abortion laws on hold while challenge is pending |
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma Supreme Court reiterated its position on Tuesday in a 5-4 opinion that the state constitution guarantees a woman’s right to an abortion when necessary to preserve her life, although the procedure remains illegal in virtually all other cases. In a case involving a legal challenge to five separate … | |
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Local and state headlines on health care: |
- More women join lawsuit challenging Texas' abortion laws (Texas Tribune)
- Pace of Medicaid disenrollments in Maryland slowed in October, lowest since 'unwinding' began (MarylandMatters)
- Flu season is hitting the Bay Area earlier than usual. Here's what to know (SF Chronicle)
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Health news we've flagged from other outlets: |
- Biden's limit on drug industry middlemen backfires, pharmacists say (KFF Health News)
- UnitedHealth pushed employees to follow an algorithm to cut off Medicare patients' rehab care (Stat)
- China and US to agree crackdown on fentanyl trade (Financial Times)
- Facing financial ruin as costs soar for elder care (New York Times)
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Most read stories on The Hill right now: |
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The House on Tuesday passed a stopgap bill to prevent a government shutdown, sending the unconventional two-step continuing resolution to the Senate … Read more |
| Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R), a former mixed martial arts fighter, nearly came to blows with the president of the Teamsters at a Senate hearing … Read more |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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