In an Inside Health Policy article published Monday, Thorn Run Partner’s Senior Vice President Shea McCarthy discusses possible next steps for CMS and the Trump administration following the end of the 2018 Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment period. The article notes that industry lobbysts expect CMS to take some sort of action following the end of the enrollment period, possibly shutting out "in-line" enrollees who are waiting as a result of expected healthcare.gov slowdowns. McCarthy wisely pointed out that the end of the open enrollment period will represent "a key inflection point" for the Trump administration regarding their approach to ACA implementation moving forward. “It stands to reason that regulators will use the end of open enrollment as another opportunity to chip away at the ACA marketplaces," said McCarthy.
Author: Thornrun
Today on the Hill: Alabama Heads to the Polls in Special Election for Senate; Proposed Tax, CR Timelines Emerge
Political observers will be waiting eagerly for the returns from today’s special election in Alabama to select Jeff Sessions’ replacement in the U.S. Senate. The unusually competitive race between Republican Roy Moore and Democrat Doug Jones has attracted national attention and resources, making today’s result another indicator for both parties as they plot their strategies for next year’s midterm elections. However, many commentators have been quick to point out the highly unusual circumstances surrounding the Alabama race: a special election held in December, in a deeply Republican state, but with a controversial Republican candidate that has disavowed the establishment and is fighting off accusations of inappropriate sexual conduct with minors.
Financial Services Report
Our Take
While not known as a prescient sage, back in 2006 John Mayer may have seen the future when wrote
"And when you trust your television
What you get is what you got
Cause when they own the information, oh
They can bend it all they want"
Much has been written about the Balkanization of how people receive their news and we all know of the biases that various sources have that "bend" what we each of us receives. From my cozy perch inside the bubble of Washington, it still surprised me that last week a Pew Research poll was released that showed that a majority of President Trump's supporters (62%) can't think of anything Trump has done that they're unhappy with. Perhaps this may have as much to do with the sense of team as a sense of ignorant bliss. But either way speaks to the new world of tribal politics we may be entering in. Speaking of which, for many liberals their view that this descent into tribal politics will be complete on Tuesday if, as the latest polls are correct and Alabama elects Roy Moore to the Senate. It would be bittersweet irony if, similar to the Presidential campaign, the polling this race was also way off.
This Week on the Hill: Washington to Focus on Tax Reform Conference and Alabama Special Election
While government funding and tax reform remain at the forefront of lawmakers’ concerns, this week’s work is likely to focus on behind-the-scenes negotiations. On tax reform, the first public conference meeting is set for Wednesday and reports suggest that Republicans are making progress in working out the differences between the House and Senate tax bills. President Trump will continue his lobbying campaign for the tax bill with a speech at the Treasury Department on Wednesday. On the current timeline, Republican leaders are aiming to bring the tax bill to the floors both the House and Senate during the week of Dec. 18 and will try to send the bill to the president’s desk before Christmas.
Health Policy Report
The Week in Review
Lawmakers temporarily avoided a government shutdown by passing a two-week continuing resolution (CR) in both chambers last week, setting up Dec. 22 as the new deadline to fund the government. That effort is expected to be a lot more contentious as Democrats will be seeking policy concessions in exchange for their votes, most notably on the deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) program. Conservatives have also threatened to sink a possible package over the continued use of CRs and what they see as excessive government spending. The government funding fight will coincide with expected legislative packages addressing the expiration of funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and a slate of so-called health care “extenders.”
Financial Services Report
Looking Ahead
Near Term
- The House and Senate will commence the first formal conference for a major tax reform bill since the showdown in Gucci gulch. At this point the conference is anticipated to last around a week to give both sides enough time to get a bill to the President before the end of the year.
- There will be two financial services bills up on the floor this week, both requiring a rule for passage. The first, would broaden the registration exemption for merger and acquisition brokers (H.R. 477), while the second aims to provide regulatory relief on escrow requirements for community financial institutions (H.R. 3971). Both are expected to pass.
- The Senate Banking Committee will vote on the nomination of Jerome Powell on Tuesday and then move to take up the Crapo Reg Relief bill.
- Funding for the government is set to expire on Friday.
This Week on the Hill: Tax Reform Goes to Conference; Gov’t Funding Expires Friday
Even after the Senate’s approval of tax reform legislation last week, the issue will remain in the headlines. The House returns ahead of schedule today to consider a motion to go to conference on the tax reform bill, allowing for lawmakers to reconcile the differences between the two versions of the legislation. Republicans hope that the conference process will last about a week, giving lawmakers time to get a bill to the president’s desk before the Christmas holiday.
Health Policy Report
The Week in Review
The tax reform debate in the Senate consumed nearly all of the political oxygen in Washington last week, ultimately culminating in a 51-49 passage of the proposal in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Despite many Republican senators expressing reservations, the only “no” vote from the majority came from Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), who has been adamant that he would not vote for a tax bill that adds to the deficit without measures that could boost revenues in the future. The Senate’s approval marks a significant step forward in the tax reform effort and prospects for its enactment look good barring a serious reversal of fortunes.
This Week on the Hill: Tax Reform Faces Crucial Test on Senate Floor
Last week’s much-needed break comes ahead of an anticipated legislative frenzy for the remainder of the calendar year. Republicans are racing to finish their tax reform push and the legislative calendar will be complicated by the expiration of government funding on Dec. 8. Given that Democratic votes will be needed for any funding package, expect for the minority party to seek concessions on issues such as a possible bipartisan healthcare fix and the protection of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Currently, Congress is slated to be in session only 12 days for the remainder of 2017, but that could change if Congressional leaders want more time to finish their legislative projects.
Continue reading “This Week on the Hill: Tax Reform Faces Crucial Test on Senate Floor”
Health Policy Report
The Week in Review
Both chambers of Congress were in recess for the Thanksgiving holiday. The most notable development in the absence of floor action was the formal release of legislative text detailing the Senate tax reform plan, which will likely appear on the Senate floor this week.