Rep. Michael Burgess. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images
The GOP Doctors Caucus is pressing to get its retiring members' priorities in a year-end health package, realizing that the political and policy landscape could shift dramatically next session.
Why it matters: With veteran Reps. Brad Wenstrup, Michael Burgess and Larry Bucshon set to leave Congress at year's end, the immediate focus is on health cost transparency measures, reforms to PBM business practices and a bill that could change how the cost of some health legislation is calculated.
- They're also trying to ensure the remaining GOP doctors in Congress are positioned to keep engaging on health care policy, no matter who has the majority in the next session.
What they're saying: "We're going to continue in the next Congress what we have started in this Congress," Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks said at a Doctors Caucus policy forum last week, citing legislation that "puts patients first, not insurance companies, not pharmaceutical companies, not PBMs."
- If former President Trump returns to the White House, Republican physician-lawmakers could be key to helping negotiate a new health care plan, if Trump decided to pursue such a route.
Zoom in: Lawmakers at the forum discussed several key pieces of legislation they are prioritizing to get over the finish line this year. They included the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act, and bills to change up CBO scoring for preventive health and on prior authorization in Medicare Advantage.
- Burgess said he's continuing to push for the Senate to take up the Preventive Health Savings Act since it's already passed the House. He said it's "probably the most transformative piece of legislation coming through Congress in my time here" because it changes how health care legislation is scored by the CBO.
- Bucshon said lawmakers were still waiting on an updated CBO score for the Medicare Advantage prior authorization bill but were hopeful the legislation could see action before the end of the year.
- The doctors predicted that a short-term patch will avert Medicare physician payment cuts, but they highlighted the need for a longer-term solution that could include an automatic inflationary update and eliminating the budget-neutral threshold.
What we're watching: Rep. Greg Murphy will continue to be one of the chairs of the caucus during the next Congress and serve for the next two years, spokesperson said.
