Title: 5 Health Care Policy Issues To Follow In 2018 | Publications and Presentations | Arnold & Porter
Headings: 5 Health Care Policy Issues To Follow In 2018
5 Health Care Policy Issues To Follow In 2018
Affordable Care Act "Repeal and Replace"
Entitlement Reform
Prescription Drug Pricing
340B Drug Pricing Program
Opioids
Potential Legislative Vehicles
Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act
President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
Health Care Workforce Programs
People

Content: Legislation, which would block implementation of the Medicare payment cuts for drugs purchased under the 340B program, has strong bipartisan support. 2
Opioids
Rates of opioid misuse and addiction continue to skyrocket, with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) estimating that over 91 Americans die from an opioid overdose each day. 3
The White House declared the opioid epidemic a national emergency in October, and there is broad agreement among policymakers that increased funding and policy solutions are needed. Two signature achievements of the 114th Congress – the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) of 2016 and the 21st Century Cures Act – authorized federal grants to states to supplement opioid abuse prevention and treatment activities, including improving prescription drug monitoring, training for health care providers, and expanding access to opioid treatment programs. The 21st Century Cures Act provided funding authorization for such programs during the 2017 and 2018 fiscal years. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chair Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., has called for additional funding, though it remains unclear how much Congress will authorize and appropriate. In addition to funding, we expect lawmakers to explore policy solutions, which could include requiring health care providers who prescribe opioids to complete continuing education, expanding the Drug Enforcement Administration's enforcement authority, and strengthening requirements for state prescription drug monitoring programs. Potential Legislative Vehicles
There will be no shortage of legislative vehicles for these policies, as several federal health care programs will be up for reauthorization next year. Programs set to expire at the end of the 2018 fiscal year include: