This Week in Congress
This week, the House will consider a national defense bill and several agency spending bills for the federal fiscal year set to begin on October 1, 2012. No health bills are on the House schedule. The only health legislation Senate leaders plan to consider this month is FDA legislation. Last week, the House approved and sent to the Senate major budget legislation that would undo a budget compromise made last August with the President. The Senate immediately refused to consider the House “budget sequester” legislation, setting up another budget showdown with the House later this year. Among the very large disputed cuts in the House sequester bill are reductions in state Medicaid and HHS funding, including all SAMHSA programs and health research.
Behind the scenes, House Republicans continue to struggle with their plan to replace the President’s health reform law, if it is struck down by the Supreme Court next month. There are conflicting reports whether House Republicans will coalesce around an alternative that can also be embraced by presumptive GOP Presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Observers believe it unlikely Republicans will coalesce around an alternative plan that makes significant improvements in health access or costs. However, Republicans may rally around a series of small insurance reform measures that deregulate and privatize decisions in the marketplace.
AMHCA continues to target the Medicare physician fee bill to be written later this year as the only vehicle for attaching any Medicare amendments. Along with our coalition partners, we are currently making visits to House and Senate offices to raise awareness of clinical mental health counselors’ Medicare concerns.
(May 14, 2012)
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