From Capitol Hill, Roll Call reports
West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin III is yet again upending his party’s priority economic package, jettisoning climate measures and tax increases he previously favored and leaving only provisions focused on lowering health care costs.
Manchin communicated the decision to his negotiating partner, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, on Thursday, according to two Democratic sources familiar with the situation.
The move came one day after Manchin expressed heightened anxiety about inflation, after the June consumer price index data released that morning showed inflation climbed 9.1 percent on an annualized basis over the previous year.
The House on Thursday passed, 329-101, its version of the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, which would authorize $840.2 billion in national defense spending, after sifting through hundreds of amendments and hours of debate.
The sprawling Pentagon policy bill, which has been enacted into law every year for the past 61 years, would authorize funds for the Defense Department and national security programs within the Department of Energy. * * *
In the coming months, the Senate will take up its own version of the annual defense policy bill.
This must-pass bill typically includes significant federal procurement changes that can impact FEHB contracts.
From the Omicron and siblings front, MedPage Today offers an expert opinion on whether to get a second Covid booster or wait until the fall for potentially improved Covid shots?
For those still deciding, the CDC’s booster calculator provides guidance for anyone unsure about their eligibility. Generally speaking, for people age 60 and older, a first booster is recommended for those who received primary immunization more than 5 months previously, and a second booster is recommended for those who received their first booster more than 4 months ago.
James Grisolia, MD, a San Diego neurologist, described it as a physician’s dilemma. “While we were between surges, I would have given similar advice (to wait before getting the second booster) but as of several weeks ago, it was obvious we were going into another surge. I began encouraging older folks to get their second booster.”
From the FEHB front —
- Fedweek discusses the differences in levels of FEHB coverage.
- Benefits consultant Tammy Flanagan wraps up her three-part series on one federal employee’s journey into retirement with an article on FEHB issues.
From the telehealth front, Healthcare Dive offers an interview with Teladoc’s chief medical officer, Vidya Raman-Tangella.
From the mental healthcare front, here is a link to SAMHSA’s 988 nationwide suicide/mental healthcare crisis hotline which becomes available on Saturday, July 16.
From the reports department
- CVS Health released its Health Care Insights 2022 report.
- The Kaiser Family Foundation issued a report on the cost of delivering a baby in the U.S. “This analysis examines the health costs associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and post-partum care using a subset of claims from the IBM MarketScan Encounter Database from 2018 through 2020 for enrollees in large employer private health plans. It finds that health costs associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and post-partum care average a total of $18,865 and the average out-of-pocket payments total $2,854.”
From the U.S. healthcare business front, MedPage Today identifies the largest physician groups in our country.