ObamaCare not high on voters' priorities, poll finds

ObamaCare not high on voters' priorities, poll finds-thehill: ObamaCare is not of central importance to voters ahead of the coming election, according to a new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The poll finds that the 2010 healthcare law ranks eighth on voters’ list of issues important to them in the election. Twenty-three percent of registered voters said ObamaCare is extremely important to their vote, compared to 38 percent who said terrorism and 34 percent who said the economy.

Study: GOP win in ObamaCare suit would hike spending

Study: GOP win in ObamaCare suit would hike spending-thehill: A new study indicates that a favorable ruling for House Republicans in their ObamaCare lawsuit would cause a large disruption, but would not cripple the law.  The study from the Urban Institute finds that if Republicans win in the case of House v. Burwell, cutting off certain payments to insurers under the health law, insurers would face a major adjustment and have to hike premiums, but government subsidies would increase to help make up the difference and the system would likely not face major negative consequences.

Sanders places hold on Obama's FDA nominee

Sanders places hold on Obama's FDA nominee-thehill: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is formally blocking President Obama’s pick to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after announcing his opposition late last year.  "Dr. [Robert] Califf’s extensive ties to the pharmaceutical industry give me no reason to believe that he would make the FDA work for ordinary Americans, rather than just the CEOs of pharmaceutical companies,” Sanders, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, said Tuesday.

Congress May Speed Overhaul of Payments for Post-Hospital Care

Congress May Speed Overhaul of Payments for Post-Hospital Care-rollcall: Health providers who care for discharged hospital patients are bracing for changes to government payment policies that could come sooner than expected as Congress looks for billions of dollars in estimated savings.

GOP Corporate Tax Overhaul Would Place 25 Percent Levy on Companies’ Cash Flow

GOP Corporate Tax Overhaul Would Place 25 Percent Levy on Companies’ Cash Flow-rollcall: Senior House tax writer Devin Nunes is making an opening bid in the GOP’s hunt for a viable tax overhaul with a proposal to replace the 35 percent corporate rate with a 25 percent levy on cash flow, a measure of funds typically available after expenses, financing and investment.

Booming health care costs and growing deficits create budget headache for Republicans

Booming health care costs and growing deficits create budget headache for Republicans-washingtonpost: Congressional Republicans have promised to include deep spending cuts in their upcoming budget proposals and new data showing rising federal health care costs and a looming deficit increase will likely add to conservatives hunger for big funding reductions.

Federal healthcare spending tops Social Security for the first time

Federal healthcare spending tops Social Security for the first time-thehill: Spending on federal healthcare programs outpaced spending on Social Security for the first time in 2015, according to an expansive report from the congressional budget scorekeeper released Monday.  The government spent $936 billion last year on health programs including Medicare, Medicaid and subsidies related to the Affordable Care Act, a jump of 13 percent from 2014, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Seven-day sprint to Iowa

Seven-day sprint to Iowa-thehill: The 2016 presidential candidates are entering the final sprint to the Iowa caucuses, which take place one week from today.  The fight for outright victory is fierce in both parties, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) apparently gaining steam against Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, while Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) duke it out on the Republican side.

Shkreli to remain silent at House pharma hearing

Shkreli to remain silent at House pharma hearing-thehill: Former drug company executive Martin Shkreli’s much-anticipated appearance on Capitol Hill next week may be a let-down. Shkreli, who has become a nationwide poster child for greed after he hiked the price of one drug 5,000 percent overnight, has been ordered by the House Oversight Committee to appear at a hearing Tuesday.

Clinton: ObamaCare was originally 'Hillarycare'

Clinton: ObamaCare was originally 'Hillarycare'-thehill: Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton is out with a new defense of her healthcare record — rival Bernie Sanders may have helped write ObamaCare, but it was her idea first. "It was called Hillarycare before it was called Obamacare,” Clinton told a crowd of supporters at a country club in Vinton, Iowa. “I don't want to start over."

The Associated Press: Sanders health plan would be more generous than Medicare

The Associated Press: Sanders health plan would be more generous than Medicare-ap: Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders says his plan for a government-run health care system from cradle to grave is like Medicare for all. But with full coverage for long-term care, most dental care included, no deductibles and zero copays, the Sanders plan is considerably more generous. Think of it as Medicare on growth hormones.

GOP eyes election-year tax deal

GOP eyes election-year tax deal-thehill: Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) are eyeing a new round of election-year talks aimed at winning a deal on international corporate tax reform. The plunging stock market is being cited as a new reason to move quickly on reform as a way to boost U.S. companies and jobs in a suddenly shaky global economy.

Bernie Sanders Is Bringing Back Liberals’ Health Care Dream

Bernie Sanders Is Bringing Back Liberals’ Health Care Dream-morningconsult: As unrealistic as Bernie Sanders’ Medicare-for-all plan may be, it could also be the key to winning over primary voters. The polling numbers are on the Vermont senator’s side. A healthy majority of Sanders supporters (61 percent), but also a majority of Hillary Clinton’s supporters (53 percent), say they support “a system where most Americans get their health care coverage through the federal government.”

Election-year rift opens in GOP

Election-year rift opens in GOP-thehill: House Republicans are moving full steam ahead with work on a replacement bill for ObamaCare, an effort that Senate Republicans see as dangerous. House Republicans feel emboldened by last year’s election of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as Speaker to pursue ambitious goals, with none bigger than presenting a conservative alternative to President Obama’s signature law.

Amplifying attacks, Clinton says Sanders wants to 'tear up' ObamaCare

Amplifying attacks, Clinton says Sanders wants to 'tear up' ObamaCare-thehill: Hillary Clinton accused Bernie Sanders of wanting to “tear up” ObamaCare during a combative exchange during Sunday night’s Democratic presidential debate. Assailing Sanders’s “Medicare-for-all” proposal, Clinton said the party should be focused on strengthening and improving the Affordable Care Act, also called ObamaCare. Seeking "to tear it up and start over again," she said, would be taking the country in the "wrong direction."

Team Clinton attacks Sanders on healthcare — from the right

Team Clinton attacks Sanders on healthcare — from the right-thehill: Hillary Clinton is attacking Bernie Sanders from the right on healthcare ahead of next month’s Democratic caucuses in Iowa.  The Democratic presidential front-runner’s campaign is blasting her chief rival’s failure to address how he’d pay for a single-payer healthcare system. She argued he would have to impose steep tax increases to come up with the money.

Senate panel advances FDA nominee

Senate panel advances FDA nominee-thehill: The Senate Health committee on Tuesday advanced to the full Senate the nomination of Dr. Robert Califf to be commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Califf, a cardiologist and longtime Duke University researcher, joined the FDA as a deputy commissioner in February.

Sanders votes against Obama's FDA nominee

Sanders votes against Obama's FDA nominee-thehill: Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) voted Tuesday against President Obama’s nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), citing concerns over his ties to the pharmaceutical industry. A Republican-led Senate panel advanced Dr. Robert Califf’s nomination to the full floor for final approval, despite Sanders’ opposition.

Dems pressure Obama to fight price-gouging by drug companies

Dems pressure Obama to fight price-gouging by drug companies-thehill: More than 50 Democratic lawmakers are calling on the White House to take stronger action against companies accused of price-gouging prescription drugs, suggesting that officials could be doing more with their existing powers.

Heritage Action to GOP: Make healthcare a winning issue

Heritage Action to GOP: Make healthcare a winning issue-thehill: Heritage Action for America is urging GOP leaders to hone in on healthcare affordability ahead of the fall elections, an issue that it says is “overall one of strongest issues on the conservative agenda.” The conservative group, which carries heavy weight particularly among the party's right flank, delivered congressional Republicans a policy to-do list on Monday ahead of their joint retreat in Baltimore.

Week ahead: Obama, GOP offer healthcare promises for 2016

Week ahead: Obama, GOP offer healthcare promises for 2016-thehill: 2016 is here and everyone from President Obama and GOP leaders to the Chamber of Commerce will be laying out their healthcare priorities in the coming week. Expect to hear plenty of new promises on healthcare -- which could be pivotal in an election cycle that stands to permanently cement ObamaCare.

House passes ObamaCare repeal, sending measure to president

House passes ObamaCare repeal, sending measure to president-thehill: The House on Wednesday passed legislation that would repeal much of ObamaCare and defund Planned Parenthood for one year, sending the measure to President Obama’s desk.  The bill passed by a vote of 240 to 181. Rep. Collin Peterson (Minn.), who opposes abortion, was the only Democrat to vote for the measure. Reps. Bob Dold (Ill.), Richard Hanna (N.Y.) and John Katko (R-N.Y.), who all hail from swing districts, were the only Republicans to vote against it.

House poised to pass ObamaCare repeal

House poised to pass ObamaCare repeal-thehill: For the first time, Republicans on Wednesday are expected to send a bill to President Obama’s desk that would repeal most of his signature healthcare law. While the bill faces a certain veto, the vote in the House brings Republicans closer than ever before to dismantling the healthcare legislation that they say has failed the country.

GOP’s 2016 challenge: Keeping Senate majority in November

GOP’s 2016 challenge: Keeping Senate majority in November-thehill: Less than a year out from Election Day, Senate Republicans are nervously watching the twists and turns of the presidential primary, worried it could cost them their majority in November. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has made it his strategy to focus voters’ attention on this year’s accomplishments of Congress and away from the presidential circus.

Republicans Aim to Replace Obamacare

Republicans Aim to Replace Obamacare-morningconsult: The legislative year will kick off with a House vote designed to send a message to voters: Vote for Republicans in November, and Obamacare will be repealed. Late last year, the Senate passed a bill to repeal major pieces of Obamacare and defund Planned Parenthood. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) says the House will vote on the same measure the first week in January. It is a symbolic gesture. President Obama has said all along that he would veto the measure.