On January 24, 2017, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the nomination of Dr. Tom Price (R-GA) to be Secretary of HHS.  The Committee has scheduled a vote for today, January 30, on his nomination. 

Congressional Republicans held a retreat at the end of the week in Philadelphia, where Speaker Ryan outlined a timetable for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal and replace. 

• Although the budget resolution, S. Con. Res. 3, directs four committees with jurisdiction over health care policy (House Ways & Means; House Energy & Commerce; Senate Finance; and Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions) to submit legislation to the House and Senate Budget Committees by January 27, 2017, Congress is realistically looking at action taking place by mid-February/March, with the goal of getting a reconciliation bill to the President by mid-April.
• The House is expected to take the lead on reconciliation legislation, and the goal is to get as much of the “replace” in the reconciliation package as possible.  However, new House Energy and Commerce Chairman Greg Walden cautioned:  “Don’t wait for a big bill; we’re going to take this a piece at a time.” 
• Two new Senate proposals for replace were floated from Senators Cassidy, Collins, Capito, and Isakson, and from Senator Rand Paul, but no firm “replace” plan is in place yet.  (The Cassidy/Collins/Capito/Isakson proposal is addressed in a separate Health Headline published today and available here. 
• Even Medicaid reform may not be so easily accomplished; Governors want flexibility but do not want less money, and there is no agreement on how to treat states that expanded Medicaid and those that did not.

This week, the House and Senate will hold hearings on various health issues expected to be considered in the ACA repeal and replace:

• Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee:  February 1 hearing, “Obamacare Emergency: Stabilizing the Individual Health Insurance Market.”
• House Education and the Workforce Committee:  February 1 hearing, “Rescuing Americans from the Failed Health Care Law and Advancing Patient-Centered Solutions.”
• House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health:  February 1 hearing, “Strengthening Medicaid and Prioritizing the Most Vulnerable.”
• House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health:  February 2 hearing, “Patient Relief from Collapsing Health Markets.”