Big pharma attacks Clinton’s plan to combat drug prices

Big pharma attacks Clinton’s plan to combat drug prices-thehill: The leading pharmaceutical lobbying group is lashing out against Hillary Clinton’s soon-to-be-released plan to combat rising drug prices. The head of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) released a statement Tuesday rebuking her proposals, which he warned would kill jobs, risk patient safety and halt investment in new cures for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cancer.

Hillary Clinton Proposes Cap on Patients’ Drug Costs as Bernie Sanders Pushes His Plan

Hillary Clinton Proposes Cap on Patients’ Drug Costs as Bernie Sanders Pushes His Plan-newyorktimes: With voter fury rising over the high cost of prescription drugs, Hillary Rodham Clinton proposed capping out-of-pocket drug expenses at $250 a month on Tuesday while a rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, extolled his own plan and long record for pushing to lower drug costs.

FDA Forms Patient Advisory Committee For Medical Device Reviews

FDA Forms Patient Advisory Committee For Medical Device Reviews-meddevice: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) has formed the first-ever Patient Engagement Advisory Committee (PEAC) with the purpose of focusing on patients' perspectives on medical device development and regulation.

F.D.A. Nominee Califf’s Ties to Drug Makers Worry Some

F.D.A. Nominee Califf’s Ties to Drug Makers Worry Some-newyorktimes: President Obama’s nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration could face scrutiny over his ties to the pharmaceutical industry. Robert M. Califf, who has consulted for seven drug companies and a device maker, was described by one expert as the “ultimate industry insider.”

Don’t Delay News of Medical Breakthroughs

Don’t Delay News of Medical Breakthroughs-newyorktimes: In this age of instant information, medicine remains anchored in the practice of releasing new knowledge at a deliberate pace. It’s time for medical scientists to think differently about how quickly they alert the public to breakthrough findings.

With Boehner Squeezed, Pelosi, Reid, Obama Unified on Shutdown Strategy

With Boehner Squeezed, Pelosi, Reid, Obama Unified on Shutdown Strategy-rollcall: While Republicans are splintering into factions and debating the merits of another shutdown fight and yet another coup attempt against Speaker John A. Boehner, Democratic leaders put forward a united front Thursday after huddling with President Barack Obama for an hour and a half.

This time, Trump is grounded by barrage from his GOP rivals

This time, Trump is grounded by barrage from his GOP rivals-latimes: All summer long — including in last month's first presidential debate — Donald Trump has floated above the rest of the Republican presidential field, like a malevolent puppeteer pulling everyone else's strings. On Wednesday night, in an often bludgeoning debate at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, the New Yorker was forced earthward by a blast of criticism from most of the rest of the field.

Senate Eyes Continuing Resolution Into December

Senate Eyes Continuing Resolution Into December-morningconsult: Senate negotiators are eyeing a stopgap funding bill that would keep the government operating into mid-December as House Republican leaders struggle to find their own path forward before the end of the fiscal year later this month.

Donald Trump’s Grand Inquisitor - POLITICO Magazine

Donald Trump’s Grand Inquisitor - POLITICO Magazine: "Hugh Hewitt will be the only person in the debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library who has already managed to get the best of Donald Trump."

New Heart Failure Treatments Would Drive Up Short-Term Health Spending, Report Says

New Heart Failure Treatments Would Drive Up Short-Term Health Spending, Report Says-kaiserhealthnews: Two new treatments for congestive heart failure cost too much in the short term and would drive up spending by insurers and government programs, a nonprofit group said in an analysis released Friday, just days after the same researchers took similar aim at expensive new cholesterol drugs.

Wary of shutdown, GOP leaders try to refocus

Wary of shutdown, GOP leaders try to refocus-washingtonpost: Republican congressional leaders, hoping to avert another government shutdown in two weeks, have embarked on a series of maneuvers in hopes of quelling the conservative anger in their party that is threatening to blow up plans to keep the government funded and functioning.

Rep. Loretta Sanchez gains ground on Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris in Senate race, poll shows

Rep. Loretta Sanchez gains ground on Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris in Senate race, poll shows-latimes: Attorney General Kamala Harris (D) "is holding her lead in the race to succeed" Sen. Barbara Boxer (D), "but strong support among Latinos has enabled" Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D) to establish herself as a serious rival, according to a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll." Harris leads Sanchez 26% to 17% in the all-party primary matchup, with two Republicans tied for third and "more than a third of voters still undecided." Sanchez carried Latinos 34% to 18% over Harris.

One Symptom in New Medical Codes: Doctor Anxiety

One Symptom in New Medical Codes: Doctor Anxiety-newyorktimes: The nation’s health care providers are under orders to start using a new system of medical codes to describe illnesses and injuries in more detail than ever before. The codes will cover common ailments: Did a diabetic also have kidney disease? But also included are some that are far less common: whether the patient was crushed by a crocodile or sucked into a jet engine.

California Senate Passes Right-to-Die Legislation

California Senate Passes Right-to-Die Legislation-wallstreetjournal: California lawmakers on Friday approved legislation that would make the state one of only a handful to grant terminally ill patients the authority to end their lives with the assistance of a physician.

Democrats Prepare for the Unlikely in Senate Races

Democrats Prepare for the Unlikely in Senate Races-rollcall: Arizona, Arkansas and Missouri look like unlikely pickups for Democratic Senate candidates to win in 2016. But Democrats are preparing for the unlikely. You don’t need to look any further back than 2012, when despite a favorable GOP climate, mistakes by two favored Republican candidates kept Republicans from winning control of the Senate.

Tax Reform Efforts Show Momentum, If Nothing Else

Tax Reform Efforts Show Momentum, If Nothing Else-morningconsult: House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan is going to try. That’s the word on the street from tax analysts, lawmakers and congressional aides. At some point between now and Thanksgiving, we’ll know whether the Wisconsin Republican has succeeded in cobbling together enough support to rework the international tax code and keep highways and transit funded for four to five years.

Judge Rules House Can Sue Obama Administration on Health Care Spending

Judge Rules House Can Sue Obama Administration on Health Care Spending-newyorktimes: A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the House had the right to sue the Obama administration over billions of dollars in health care spending, a decision that poses a new legal threat to the health care law and gave congressional Republicans a victory in their claims of executive overreach by the White House.

When The Hospital Is Boss, That’s Where Doctors’ Patients Go

When The Hospital Is Boss, That’s Where Doctors’ Patients Go-kaiserhealthnews: Why did hospitals binge-buy doctor practices in recent years? To improve care coordination, lower costs and upgrade patient experiences, say hospitals. To raise costs, gain pricing power and steer patient referrals, say skeptics.Researchers at Stanford University tested those opposing arguments by comparing referral patterns between independent doctors and those working for hospitals.

Medical Innovation Bill Passed the House With 344 Votes; Now It’s On Life Support

Medical Innovation Bill Passed the House With 344 Votes; Now It’s On Life Support-nationaljournal:Fred Up­ton al­most made passing his med­ic­al-in­nov­a­tion bill through the House look easy. After more than a year of work, the bill soared through Up­ton’s En­ergy and Com­merce Com­mit­tee with a 51-0 vote. It then moved to the House floor, where a last-minute hic­cup over fund­ing cost it 70 votes from Up­ton’s fel­low Re­pub­lic­ans, but it ul­ti­mately over­whelm­ingly passed with 344 votes.

Hospital Payments Under Medicare Will See Committee Action

Hospital Payments Under Medicare Will See Committee Action-morningconsult: If all goes as planned for Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), it will be a busy fall for the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, which he chairs. It may come as a surprise that Affordable Care Act fixes are not the forefront of Brady’s agenda, although the committee will certainly be examining those issues. But they could quickly become tangled in other tax-code proposals, and they could also become mired in the political back-and-forth about an all-out repeal of Obamacare.

Republican Leaders’ Stressful September

Republican Leaders’ Stressful September-nationaljournal: Re­pub­lic­an Con­gres­sion­al lead­ers are fa­cing a stress­ful Septem­ber, burdened with a best-case out­come of main­tain­ing the status quo in gov­ern­ment fund­ing and a worst-case out­come of an­oth­er gov­ern­ment shut­down.

What Are a Hospital’s Costs? Utah System Is Trying to Learn

What Are a Hospital’s Costs? Utah System Is Trying to Learn-newyorktimes: Only in the world of medicine would Dr. Vivian Lee’s question have seemed radical. She wanted to know: What do the goods and services provided by the hospital system where she is chief executive actually cost?

Health plans come out against tax bills

Health plans come out against tax bills-sacramentobee: California’s largest health plan group this week declared its opposition to both of the healthcare special session bills that would impose new taxes on managed-care organizations, the latest sign that a replacement for a soon-to-expire health plan tax is unlikely to emerge before lawmakers adjourn next week.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article33756375.html#storylink=cpy

White House Takes Aim At Medicare And Medicaid Billing Errors

White House Takes Aim At Medicare And Medicaid Billing Errors-npr:White House budget director Shaun Donovan called for a "more aggressive strategy" to thwart improper government payments to doctors, hospitals and insurance companies in a previously undisclosed letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell earlier this year.

Democrats Balk at ‘Cadillac-Tax’ Repeal Without Offsets

Democrats Balk at ‘Cadillac-Tax’ Repeal Without Offsets-morningconsult: Momentum is building in Congress to repeal Obamacare’s so-called “Cadillac tax” on expensive health plans. But finding cost offsets to satisfy Democrats could be a problem.

Reconciliation Could Leave Obamacare Insurance Expansion Alone

Reconciliation Could Leave Obamacare Insurance Expansion Alone-morningconsult: A September reconciliation bill being drafted by congressional Republicans would repeal a handful of Obamacare provisions, but it might leave the insurance expansion alone. The bill would repeal the individual and employer mandates, the Independent Payment Advisory Board, the so-called “Cadillac tax” and the medical-device tax.

Fewer Americans skipping medical care for cost reasons

Fewer Americans skipping medical care for cost reasons-washpost: During the first three months of the year, just 1 in 20 Americans said they did not get medical care they needed because they could not afford it, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sanders to introduce bill targeting high drug prices

Sanders to introduce bill targeting high drug prices-thehill: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is introducing legislation aimed at fighting high prescription drug prices, as he attacks pharmaceutical companies for their “outrageous profits.”

Lawmakers enlist researchers and patient advocates to support 21st Century Cures bill

Lawmakers enlist researchers and patient advocates to support 21st Century Cures bill-modernhealthcare: Congressman Bob Dold of Illinois on Monday tapped researchers and patient advocates in Chicago to help support the 21st Century Cures Act. Nearly $9 billion in funding for the National Institutes of Health is meant to advance medical innovations.

McConnell Expects to Cut Budget Deal, Avert Shutdown

McConnell Expects to Cut Budget Deal, Avert Shutdown-rollcall: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday that funding the government is the top challenge facing him when he returns to the Capitol next week. The Kentucky Republican said he would work with the White House to come up with budget levels to keep the government open past Sept. 30, conceding that President Barack Obama won’t sign a measure with a rider defunding Planned Parenthood.