[UPDATED at 3 p.m. ET]
Almost exactly a year after the GOP-led Senate killed a bill to 鈥渞epeal and replace鈥� the Affordable Care Act, the Republican House this week passed bills that would tinker around the edges of the health law. While none of the bills is expected to pass the Senate, House Republicans hope their action can help blunt Democratic attacks over health care in the midterm elections this fall.
Meanwhile, officials in Washington continue to react to recent court decisions regarding work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries and payments to insurers under the Affordable Care Act.
This week鈥檚 panelists for KHN鈥檚 鈥淲hat the Health?鈥� are Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner.
Among the takeaways from this week鈥檚 podcast:
- The House Republican health bills would extend the reach of 鈥渉ealth savings accounts,鈥� which are tax-preferred vehicles for self-funding medical expenses, and repeal or delay two unpopular taxes imposed to help pay for the benefits included in the Affordable Care Act. Those taxes on health insurers and medical device makers have been delayed by Congress in the past.
- The administration鈥檚 startling about-face to continue the risk-adjustment payments to insurance companies is easing concerns about those firms participating in the ACA鈥檚 marketplaces next year. The program, which does not use federal funds, is designed to take payments from insurers who have fewer high-cost members than expected and give it to plans that see heavier costs than expected.
- Federal Medicaid officials have reopened public comments on a plan to implement work requirements for adults who gained coverage under Kentucky鈥檚 expansion program.聽Officials say that effort may satisfy the concerns expressed by a judge who threw out the work requirements earlier.
- The Trump administration announced that it will study some limited uses of drug imports to lower prescription costs. It is part of a promise by the president to help keep drug prices in check.
Plus, for 鈥渆xtra credit,鈥� the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week they think you should read, too:
Julie Rovner: FiveThirtyEight.com鈥檚 鈥�,鈥� by Anna Maria Barry-Jester and Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux
Anna Edney: Kaiser Health News鈥� 鈥�D猫j谩 Voodoo: Pharma鈥檚 Promises To Curb Drug Prices Have Been Heard Before,鈥� by Jay Hancock and Sarah Jane Tribble
Alice Ollstein: The New York Times鈥� 鈥�,鈥� by Abby Goodnough
Kimberly Leonard: The Associated Press鈥� 鈥�,鈥� by Tom Murphy
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