Washington Brief - March 2017

March 2017

First off, I would like to personally thank all the students that attended the Medical Student Advocacy and Region Conference (MARC) this past March. It was the biggest MARC we’ve ever had (>400 students) and definitely one of the most inspiring with speakers such as the Surgeon General, Senator John Barrasso, and our DACA student panel.

Both the timing and political climate was perfect for you to have the most impact. We were likely some of the first constituents to meet with Congress about the AHCA which gives us huge influence. Nearly every Congress member that vowed to vote against this bill cited constituent stories as a major reason why. Both the lobbying team and I think you truly had a great impact on your legislators and influenced the conversation in our favor. Thank you so much for all the work and time you have put into our cumulative mission. You are an inspiration to us all.

If you were unable to attend the conference, then I encourage you to set up meetings of your own at your legislator’s local office. Please contact me via email (christopher.clifford@ama-assn.org) and I will provide you with the official handouts so that you may use them as talking points and/or leave behinds.

With the Medical Student Advocacy and Region Conference behind us, we can now take a step back and look at our overall advocacy plan for 2017. The first half, I will summarize where we are currently with the ACA repeal/replace debate. The second half I will highlight two major issues coming down the pipe line, prescription drug pricing and funding for the government.

Health Care Reform:

Most of you know the House of Representatives leadership pulled the AHCA from the House floor when it became apparent they did not have the votes to pass it. The administration has told reporters that they are working with Congress on a new Obama care repeal bill, this time spear headed by the Vice President Mike Pence. There are rumors of reopening essential health benefits and pre-existing condition protections as a give to the more conservative Congress members. However, latest reports suggest that the same republican ideological rifts still exist. Many feel like the Republicans simply have too many fundamental disagreements on the role of health care in government for them to push another bill forward. More importantly, Congress may not have time to revisit Obama care repeal. Congress is currently on recess for two weeks and once they return they have to immediately start work on funding the government before the April 28^th deadline.

It remains unclear whether an ACA repeal bill can pass the House, let alone the Senate, in 2017; so what is next for Obama care? Most of the discussion has now turned to the Administration. Right now the insurance market is generally stable, but if the administration wants, they can have a huge effect here. Specifically we are watching to see what the Administration does with cost sharing reductions (CSRs). If the Administration no longer supports funding CSRs then insurers may pull out of certain markets. We will also be watching to see if Congress addresses the funding issue.

As always, keep up to date on our latest efforts regarding healthcare reform at PatientsBeforePolitics.org

Prescription Drug Pricing:

We have recently created a list of three objectives that will help guide us this upcoming year regarding drug pricing reform. The objectives are as follows:

1. Increase pricing transparency - You can keep up with our latest efforts on this front by visiting our website at TruthInRx.org
2. Incorporate value into drug pricing - This is a complicated topic. We have not identified any specific legislation or regulations but will continue to stay up to date with the conversation around Washington
3. Decrease prior authorization burdens - This argument mainly revolves around standard electronic transactions. We will be working with multiple federal regulatory agencies to alleviate this barrier in the coming year.
4. Miscellaneous - Many of you probably have seen headlines with “drug price negotiations” or “re-importation” in the news. These items are not currently on our agenda, but you can rest assured that we will be watching these issues and will inform you if our position/priorities change.

Budget:

The funding debate warrants a couple clarifications. First, the last Congress failed to pass a full budget for the fiscal year (FY) of 2017. What they did instead was pass a “continuing resolution” that is funding the government until April 28, 2017. Congress is now considering how to fund the government for the rest of the FY 2017. Most think this bill to finish out the FY 2017 will not be controversial. Some conservative factions have hinted at potentially voting no on the bill if it supports sanctuary cities, Planned Parenthood, etc. However, most political analysts think the bill will pass without these provisions.

The real battle starts in the fall of 2017 when Congress will be debating funding for the FY 2018. The president has come out with his budget proposal, which has both favorable and unfavorable parts:                                

It is important to remember that the Administration’s proposal is just a suggested starting point. The real bill will likely look a lot different from this. We will be sure to inform you of any potential problem areas as the bill starts to take shape later this year.

Christopher Clifford, MS IV
American Medical Association
Government Relations Advocacy Fellow
Division of Legislative Counsel
25 Massachusetts Avenue, NW | Suite 600
Washington, DC 20001
T: (202) 789-7424
F: (202) 789-7472
christopher.clifford@ama-assn.org

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