Congress

The moderate New Democrat Coalition has endorsed a slate of bills that aim to improve the Affordable Care Act and hope the measures, along with a number of others the group previously endorsed, will be included in a health reform package that Democratic leadership hopes to unveil around the 10th anniversary of the ACA this March.

Two bipartisan Ways & Means Committee members, Reps. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) and John Larson (D-CT), introduced legislation aimed at preventing surprise medical bills by improving provider directories.

The House voted Thursday night (Feb. 6) to condemn CMS’ plan to allow Medicaid block grants, calling it an illegal policy and a “cruel attack on a program that provides for the health and well-being for some of our most vulnerable citizens.”

The head of e-cigarette maker Logic Technology Development told lawmakers Wednesday (Feb. 5) that he disagrees with FDA’s upcoming ban on certain flavored electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) because it exempts disposable products.

Lawmakers and experts are pushing for reforms to stop alleged gaming of the Orphan Drug Act’s cost recovery pathway, which is designed to let drug makers obtain an orphan drug designation if they show they won’t recover their development costs.

The heads of five major e-cigarette manufacturers, including Juul, Reynolds American and NJOY, will testify before the House Energy & Commerce oversight subcommittee Wednesday (Feb. 5), a day before FDA’s partial ban on unapproved flavored cartridge-based electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products goes into effect.

Members of the House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee discussed myriad food-focused bills, including proposals to ban perfluorinated substances (PFAS) from foods, prevent non-dairy products from being labeled as milk and add sesame to the list of major allergens -- at a hearing last Wednesday (Jan. 30).

The House Ways & Means Committee plans to release its surprise billing legislation next week and to mark up the bill Feb. 12, according to a committee staffer.

House Democratic leadership is pushing committee chairs to conclude work on surprise billing legislation by Feb. 13 so they have enough time to negotiate a drug pricing deal before the May 22 deadline for renewing health care extenders, sources say.