#BuildBackBetter: The Sausage-Making Continues!
Here's a bunch of changes I found in the *revised* version of the #BBB bill...since Friday!
acasignups.net/21/11/03/build…
Here's a bunch of changes I found in the *revised* version of the #BBB bill...since Friday!
acasignups.net/21/11/03/build…
Yes, it includes the Big Ticket items like...
--small-ball version of Medicare Part D drug negotiation!
--penalty if drugmakers increase prices more than inflation!
--$2,000 Part D out-of-pocket cost cap!
--$35/mo cap on insulin costs!
...but there's more!
--small-ball version of Medicare Part D drug negotiation!
--penalty if drugmakers increase prices more than inflation!
--$2,000 Part D out-of-pocket cost cap!
--$35/mo cap on insulin costs!
...but there's more!
A lot of these changes are just clerical/typo corrections or slight legalese tweaks to pass legal muster (think the #KingvBurwell debacle!).
Other changes are literally just bumping funding up a bit for one program or down a bit for another.
Other changes are literally just bumping funding up a bit for one program or down a bit for another.
I've found at least 2 instances where funding for a program is reduced by just $5 million...each of which amounts to 1/350,000th of the total scope of the bill.
This would be the equivalent of a family with a $60,000/yr income finding ways to save 1.4¢ per month.
This would be the equivalent of a family with a $60,000/yr income finding ways to save 1.4¢ per month.
Besides the Big Ticket stuff, other notable changes I've found include:
--Medicare hearing aid coverage would start in 2023 instead of 2024
--Federal Health Center funding would be doubled from $1B to $2B
--Nat'l Health Service Corp. funding would be tripled from $650M to $2.0B
--Medicare hearing aid coverage would start in 2023 instead of 2024
--Federal Health Center funding would be doubled from $1B to $2B
--Nat'l Health Service Corp. funding would be tripled from $650M to $2.0B
--The #AmRescuePlan's Unemployment Benefit would only be extended thru 2022 instead of 2025 (but honestly, I was surprised it was included at all in the first place).
--There's a whole new section re. oversight on Pharmacy Benefit Manager services (I don't know much about PBMs)
--There's a whole new section re. oversight on Pharmacy Benefit Manager services (I don't know much about PBMs)
--$50M to help states develop #ACA Section 1332 Waivers, (doesn't mean much if you aren't a healthcare wonk but it's a big deal if you follow the ACA)
--Acouple billion dollars in funding to help beef up nurse staffing and medical/nursing schools in rural/underserved areas
--Acouple billion dollars in funding to help beef up nurse staffing and medical/nursing schools in rural/underserved areas
I've probably missed dozens of big changes &hundreds of minor ones, plus there will be more changes once it gets to the Senate, both via the parliamentarian and whatever else Joe Manchin or Kyrsten Sinema insist on stripping out of it before it goes back to the House...
This is exactly why I *didn't* do any blog updates on the ever-changing language over the summer/early fall; it'd be a futile effort trying to keep up with every tiny change, especially when some stuff might be removed and then re-added before you're done writing about it!
And for anyone wondering: Yes, THIS IS HOW MAJOR LEGISLATION IS DEVELOPED. Much of this is A NORMAL PART OF THE PROCESS.
As Otto von Bismarck said, "Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made."
As Otto von Bismarck said, "Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made."
Having said that, the clock is very much ticking. It’s time to wrap it up, pass the bill out of the House and pray that Manchinema doesn’t alter the deal too much more when it hits the Senate.
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