Here is a quick update on health care reform and next steps from the Community Oncology Alliance (COA).

As you know, the House passed its version of health care reform.  On the COA website at www.communityoncology.org in the Breaking News and Of Interest sections we post the most germane articles.  There is a lot of good reporting on the topic, so rather than repeat that here, we will simply give you our insight from Capitol Hill and COA next steps.

The House Bill is Going Nowhere Fast

The House barely passed its version of health care reform by a margin of three votes.  In the end, House Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) gained the votes of pro-life Democrats threatening to not vote for the bill unless it contained stiff language restricting federal health care funding for abortion.  Although pro-abortion Democrats vehemently objected to this tactic, they nonetheless voted for the House bill.

This has now made abortion a primary issue in health care reform, in both the Senate and the House.  Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) is intending to start the process of bringing health care reform legislation to the Senate floor next week.  This is in spite of the fact that the abortion issue has now been added to the public insurance option debate as a wedge dividing Democrats.  As a result, it is unclear how Senator Reid will find the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster and advance legislation in the Senate.

What is clear is that in no way will the liberal (except for the abortion funding restrictions) House bill ever make it through the more moderate Senate.  The Senate is not only taking a different approach on key issues such as mandated insurance coverage and government involvement in the insurance market, but is also varying from the House on how to pay for reform legislation.

It is difficult to see how the Senate can get a bill passed anytime before Thanksgiving.  That puts Senate floor action likely into December, with the next task being the merging of the House and Senate bills.  And given the differences between the bills, the conference committee charged with the merging process will take weeks.  Expect the president to do everything possible to push the Congress, specifically his party, to deliver final health care reform legislation passed by the Congress before Christmas Day.

What COA is Doing

In general, COA continues to fight harder than ever on the Medicare reimbursement cuts and health care reform legislation.  Even though community oncology practices came together to avert the severe cuts for 2010, the cuts being phased in over the next four years are unacceptable.  These need to be fought.

In terms of immediate specifics, COA will be holding a House Capitol Hill briefing on cancer care next Wednesday, 11/18.  At that briefing, Dr. David Eagle will present the results from the Components of Care Study and Dr. Patrick Cobb will be presenting the impact of the Medicare cuts on oncology.  Results from the study will be released before the briefing to all participating practices.

In an email tomorrow, we will be providing specific talking points for practices to invite health care staff from their Representatives’ offices.  (Today is a federal holiday and all congressional offices are closed.)  Last week, COA sent invitations to all House legislative directors and health legislative staff inviting them to the briefing.

Additionally, in the email tomorrow, we will be sending talking points and materials for you to reach out to your Senators.  This specific ask is for them to sign onto a letter that Senators Specter (D-PA), Brown (D-OH), Casey (D-PA), and Stabenow (D-MI) will be sending to the Senate leadership asking for the prompt pay solution to be included in the Senate health care reform bill.  Click here for a copy of that letter.      
Look for an email tomorrow to please help with these two specific action steps.

Thank you.