News in Brief

Congressional outlook: Health care issues on the docket

During the second session, Congress may vote on legislation on higher education costs and mental health reform.

As the second session of the 114th Congress begins, here’s an overview of recent actions related to health care and activities that are likely to occur.

  • Education: The House Ways and Means Committee hopes to hold a hearing in February on graduate medical education. Also, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee will continue its bipartisan effort this year to reauthorize the Higher Education Act by creating legislation that will simplify federal grant and loan programs available to students, encourage colleges and universities to control their costs, and help students graduate with less debt.
  • Electronic health records: In 2015, the Senate HELP Committee held a series of hearings to address concerns raised by physicians and patients regarding electronic health records. This year, the committee’s goal is to produce legislation to address these concerns.
  • Mental health reform: Legislative committee action is possible this month in both the House and Senate for mental health reform bills offered by U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa.; U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La.; and U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
  • Affordable Care Act: The House of Representatives reconvened earlier this month to pass the Senate-amended “reconciliation” package to repeal major provisions of the ACA. President Barack Obama has since vetoed the legislation. House Speaker Paul Ryan has signaled that House Republicans are crafting their own health care legislation to replace the ACA, but most recent reports indicate it is unlikely such a bill would be voted on prior to the 2016 presidential election.

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