February 15, 2019
President Trump signs funding bill, avoiding government shutdown
This morning, President Trump signed a compromise funding bill, ahead of the 11:59 p.m. deadline, to avoid another government shutdown. Last month the president ended a 35-day partial shutdown with a temporary spending measure that gave congressional leaders three weeks to come to a compromise on border security spending.
Keeping the government open is critical to protecting the health and safety of Americans. During last month’s shutdown, programs at key health agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Indian Health Service (IHS) were hindered or suspended. Another shutdown would cripple these agencies that provide important health services and surveillance.
House Democrats holding hearing on recent actions on Affordable Care Act
House Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee are expected to hold a hearing to discuss potential legislation to undo some of the actions taken on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), The Hill reports.
Specifically, the committee is considering bills to overturn:
- Short-term, limited duration insurance plans that offer limited coverage
- Reductions to funding for marketing and outreach during open enrollment
- New guidance that makes it easier for states to make changes to marketplace insurance plans
This move comes amidst the appeals process for a ruling by Texas Judge Reed O’Connor (TX) to overturn the ACA.
As the landscape of health care in America continues to evolve, the Prevent Cancer Foundation® will keep you posted on what this means for access to cancer prevention and early detection screenings and services.
House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee holds hearing on drug pricing
Last Thursday, House Democrats introduced a new bill to allow the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate drug prices for Medicare prescription drugs. This new legislation is part of a larger push from both sides of the aisle to lower prescription drug prices for Americans.
This bill lays out some criteria for assessing and negotiating prescription drug prices covered by Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, as well as incentives for drug makers to produce lower-cost generic drugs. Learn more about the proposed bill here.
The House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on Tuesday to discuss this bill and other ways to combat the rising cost of prescription drugs. There will be another highly anticipated hearing on February 26 with the Senate Finance Committee, featuring the testimonies of CEOs from at least six major pharmaceutical companies.
The Prevent Cancer Foundation® supports efforts to lower costs and improve access to prescription drugs. We commend Congress for exploring new ways to help reduce the burden of cost on Americans.
The Prevent Cancer Foundation mourns the loss of former Rep. John Dingell
The Prevent Cancer Foundation is saddened to learn of the death of our dear friend, former Rep. John Dingell of Michigan. As the longest-serving member of Congress in history, Congressman Dingell was a champion for affordable and accessible health care for all, presiding over the House vote that approved Medicare in 1965 and playing an instrumental role in the creation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Congressman Dingell was a longtime friend and supporter of the Prevent Cancer Foundation. His wife, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, whom he affectionately called “The Lovely Deborah,” was one of the co-founders of the Foundation’s Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program in 1991. Our thoughts are with Rep. Debbie Dingell and the entire Dingell family.
Register for the 2019 Advocacy Workshop!
Don’t miss the 2019 Prevent Cancer Advocacy Workshop on April 24, 2019! Network with peers in cancer prevention and early detection as you learn about important advocacy and policy topics.
This year’s panel topics include Access Barriers in Care Delivery and the Economics of Prevention, with panelists from the Arthritis Foundation, Lungevity and Milliman, Inc. See the full agenda here.
Registration is free—sign up today!
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