OVERNIGHT HEALTH: Dems vow to protect Medicaid

By Julian Pecquet - 07/25/11 06:41 PM ET

Congressional Democrats displayed the strongest support yet for Medicaid on Monday as House and Senate leaders work around the clock to strike a debt-ceiling deal.

Forty House Democrats signed onto a letter spearheaded by Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) urging leaders of both parties to hold children harmless in any deal to raise the debt ceiling, including cuts to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Read the letter here.

Meanwhile, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.) — the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee — penned a passionate op-ed in the Baltimore Sun outlining the economic impact of the Medicaid program. "We must protect Maryland and the nation from the devastating cuts that have been proposed to Medicaid," Van Hollen concludes.

The show of support comes as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) unveiled a new debt deal that wouldn't touch Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Reid's proposal, compared to the plan that House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) released, is "the only one that's reasonable." The Hill has the story.

Coverage conundrum: A new report by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) says the healthcare law's tax credits for small businesses are too small to boost coverage. The report led the day's Republican talking points, but healthcare reform proponents question its validity. Healthwatch's Sam Baker has the story.

Battling for brokers: Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Monday urging her to exclude agents and brokers when calculating the healthcare law's medical loss ratio requirement.

Part D pandemonium: Five years after the launch of Medicare prescription drug coverage, many beneficiaries are still struggling to sign up, according to a new report from the Medicare Rights Center. Read the Healthwatch post.

Life Sciences boost: A bipartisan group introduced legislation granting temporary tax relief for life-sciences companies. The "Life Sciences Jobs and Investment Act" would allow companies engaged in life sciences research to either double their Research and Development tax credit on the first $150 million invested or repatriate part of their foreign earnings at a reduced tax rate. Read co-sponsor Rep. Allyson Schwartz's (D-Pa.) press release.

The cost of privacy: Stakeholders are beginning to object to proposed regulations requiring that patients be notified when anyone accesses their medical records. The deadline for comments is Aug. 1.

Tuesday's agenda:

Driving the deficit: The Senate Finance Committee at 10 a.m. reviews the key issues driving the deficit.

Also in the morning, HHS's Sebelius will make an announcement regarding the healthcare law.

Lobbying registrations:

Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville / Remote Cardiac Services Provider Group (Medicare payments)

Tauzin Strategic Networks / Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare

The Madison Group / Philadelphia College of Osteophathic Medicine (appropriations)

Tuck's Professional Services / CERBE (dietary supplements)

Tuck's Professional Services / BIE Health Products (dietary supplements)

Artemis Strategies / Scrips America (DESI drugs, approved for safety but not efficacy)

Reading list:

Conservative health policy blogger John Goodman ponders whether burdening Medicaid patients with long wait times rather than medical bills is really in their best interest.

Low-wage workers are getting shafted under San Francisco's paid leave ordinance, says a new piece in The Wall Street Journal.

The conservative Daily Caller continues to draw attention to AARP's financial stake in Medicare policy.

What you might have missed on Healthwatch:

CBO predicts high savings, small drawbacks to healthcare reform fix

FDA develops research agenda

Local health departments get grants to prepare for accreditation

Comments / complaints / suggestions?

Please let us know:

Julian Pecquet: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / 202-628-8527

Sam Baker: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / 202-628-8351