Congress is Back – What’s Their Priority?

As is the tradition, Members of Congress went back to their home states in August for their summer recess, where many of them faced constituents with questions. There were noticeably fewer town hall meetings and those lawmakers that held them often found they regressed into unruly and non-productive affairs. Many opted for smaller invitation only events, virtual formats or social media Q&As that helped them control the interaction. This constituent unrest in indicative of the worries that envelop most of us as we face the uncertainties of our finances and our healthcare in the present political environment. Now they’ve all returned to the relatively safer environment of Washington D.C. only to be faced with a full plate of important issues and deadlines.

First up is the yearly funding of the government, which should be completed by September 30th. The last time they funded the country on time was almost 30 years ago and has only been done four times since 1976. I have no hope that Congress will pass all 12 appropriation bills by the 30th. The House has passed three and the Senate three, but none of them have been passed by the other chamber and none signed by the President.

Congress must also deal with the debt ceiling, which was raised in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) but is quickly reaching its limits. As I’ve said before, it is unconscionable that our lawmakers cannot do this most basic of jobs, but the worst part is all of the political posturing that will result, as each side blames the other as they approach the point of shutting down the government. This will only serve to divert their attention from the more important things that affect each of us. While another continuing resolution is the most likely short-term solution, the result of which will just continue spending at current levels. This is a lose/lose proposition for our critical healthcare programs. Not only does it keep Congress from limiting the funding of inefficient and wasteful programs, it also stops them from increasing the funding for beneficial and efficient programs or funding any new preventative programs that will have long term health and financial benefits for us and our country. There are many other issues that they need to focus on.

I’ve discussed different fixes that need to be implemented in an earlier blog and those are important and need to be done. There is an opportunity now, with the deadlines that lawmakers are facing, to pass some legislation that has had bipartisan support in the past or has gained favor with the current administration. From what I can see, the following issues should be considered as prime candidates to be passed or included in whatever legislative vehicle is appropriate.

Pill Penalty – I wrote about the pill penalty in this blog and the chilling impact it will have on innovation. Historically it has had bi-partisan support and recently the President issued an Executive Order that directed the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to work with Congress to facilitate correcting this oversight. While I am in no way condoning the use of Executive Orders, I am a big fan of using proper order to turn proposed legislation into law. It seems working with Congress has gone out of style but here is a chance to do the right thing and get this unintended consequence corrected. Passing the EPIC Act or including it in another appropriate piece of legislation will be a boon to the discovery of new medicines.

I have always been leery of continuing programs that were initiated as part of an emergency situation. Much has been written about the huge sums of money that were fraudulently paid to businesses during the pandemic. There were also regulations that were eased and new healthcare programs that were initiated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While there were certainly many of these emergency changes that needed to be ended there are a few that have proven to be in our long-term interest to keep.

Telehealth & Hospital-at-Home Programs – A silver lining of the pandemic was it forced us to learn how to use telehealth and migrate some hospital care to the home. We shouldn’t waste the experience gained by ending these programs. They both should  be extended.

Enhanced Premium Tax Credits (EPTCs) – These increased tax credits were part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which expanded the eligibility to the program to help citizens deal with the pandemic. There should be a rigorous review of the program to insure those that need the help are continued and others are removed. The most important priority is that the renewal of the program should be thoughtfully implemented, ensuring a smooth transition.

Finally, there seems to be some appetite to reconsider some of the Medicaid and Medicare cuts that are part of the OBBB.  While I’m a big believer in eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in any government program, I think there has got to be a better, more thoughtful, and less impactful way to ferret out the fraudsters and the inefficiencies. If there’s one thing I’ve found as I’ve attended the healthcare conferences, the caregivers that actually work with older Americans are dedicated and empathetic. We need to find  ways to give them the tools to better serve their patients. I hope a more thoughtful approach bubbles up through the political rhetoric to ensure that those that need care get it.

There’s a lot that can be accomplished if our lawmakers can focus on the issues that deserve their attention. Click this link to contact your lawmakers and tell them what is important to you.

Best, Thair