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Federal Health Policy Updates for the Week of February 24, 2020

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The Headlines

  1. The White House requested emergency funding from Congress to address the COVID-19 virus.
  2. The "public charge" rule took effect on Monday.
  3. The HHS Secretary defended the FY 2021 budget request on Capitol Hill.
  4. The House voted on anti-vaping legislation.

The Details

1. Emergency funding request for possible outbreak
This week, the White House requested $2.5 billion in emergency supplemental funding from Congress for addressing the COVID-19 virus within the country. Leaders of both parties in the House and Senate expressed concerns that the funding request is too low and would redirect resources from some existing funding streams, pledging to put forward their own supplemental spending plans. Discussions among Congressional leaders suggest a supplemental funding agreement could range between $6 and $8 billion, and work has begun on a bipartisan package with hopes that it is ready for votes in the next couple of weeks.

2. "Public charge" rule goes into effect
On Monday, the Trump administration's public charge rule took effect, expanding the government's ability to deny green cards or visas for legal immigrants who depend on or are likely to need public assistance like Medicaid or food stamps. In January, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 along ideological lines that the controversial immigration rules should go forward while lower courts continue to wrestle with multiple legal challenges against them.
 
3. HHS Secretary on the Hill
This week, Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar testified at four congressional hearings regarding the president's FY 2021 budget request. While Azar was tasked with explaining the Administration's recommended funding priorities with respect to public health and medical research, he was also pressed by lawmakers to provide insight on plans to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, enforcement of the Affordable Care Act, and response to the emerging coronavirus threat. 

4. Anti-vaping legislation
The US House approved legislation on Friday that aims to curb vaping usage, specifically among young people. H.R. 2339 and H.R. 4742 would ban some popular flavored tobacco products, such as mint and menthol, and assess an excise tax on tobacco alternatives equivalent to the $1.01 federal levy per pack. The expected $10 billion in proceeds over the next ten years would be invested in other health initiatives, including providing colorectal cancer screenings for Medicare users and requiring that high-deductible plans cover inhalers for people with chronic lung disease. The bills would also apply tobacco advertising rules on vaping products and require HHS to promulgate regulations on synthetic nicotine products. 

Rep. GK Butterfield (D-NC-01) joined 16 other Democrats in opposing the bill after raising concerns about the impact that measures like a menthol ban would have on African American communities. The bills are unlikely to be considered by the Senate.