Ten Senate Democrats have asked President Bush to extend transitional drug coverage now set to expire April 1 for millions of Medicare beneficiaries, so seniors and the disabled have access to necessary drugs. "We're very concerned that many elderly and disabled citizens will not be able to obtain the drugs they desperately need if the transition policy ends," the senators wrote. "There has still been little or no education as to what happens when the transition policy ends, including how to file appeals." Read more »
The House Budget Committee worked Wednesday on a fiscal 2007 budget resolution that would endorse President Bush's proposed discretionary spending limit and seek $6.8 billion savings over five years from mandatory spending. The plan presented by Chairman Jim Nussle, R-Iowa, would stick to Bush's proposed $873 billion discretionary spending cap, a 3.6 percent increase over fiscal 2006, and assumes a $347 billion deficit. Although appropriators allocate the spending under the overall cap, Nussle's mark assumes they will fully fund the president's request for a 7 percent increase in Defense spending while making cuts to domestic discretionary programs. The markup wrapped up Wednesday evening, and House floor consideration will likely take place this week. Read more »
The number of states that require insurance companies to cover colorectal preventive screening according to the "best clinical guidelines" has grown to 15, while five states have more limited provisions for colorectal cancer screening, according to an analysis compiled by colorectal cancer groups. While three states encourage insurance companies to provide coverage, they do not require it; 28 states do not address the issue, according to the 2006 Colorectal Cancer Legislation Report Card. Read more »
While praising state laws designed to increase public disclosure of infection rates in hospitals, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe L. Barton, R-Texas, also voiced concern at a hearing of the Oversight Subcommittee about the impact on consumers and hospitals. Barton said varying state laws could confuse consumers and impose wasteful administrative costs on hospitals. Rep. Edward Whitfield, R-Ky., who chaired the subcommittee hearing, noted that six states have passed laws to increase public disclosure and that another 20 to 30 have legislative proposals pending. Read more »
House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairwoman Nancy L. Johnson, R- Conn., sent a letter to the head of the Medicare program questioning him on various aspects of the sometimes troubled drug benefit enrollment process, a move into oversight Democrats say should have happened months ago. The letter avoided criticism of Medicare's handling of the drug benefit while asking some two dozen specific questions seeking details on how the program is handling various aspects of implementation. Read more »
Sen. Michael B. Enzi, R-Wyo., and Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., made another pitch for their small business health plan bill (S 1955), unveiling a poll they said showed broad public support for their legislation. The poll, conducted by Democratic pollster Celinda Lake and GOP pollsters Public Opinion Strategies, was done on behalf of the National Association of Realtors, a strong supporter of the bill. The survey found a total of 89 percent of voters favored a small business health plan when presented as a bill that "requires congressional approval so that private health insurance companies can sell insurance across state lines to the self-employed and small businesses in multiple states." Read more »