Burwell urges GOP to ‘move beyond’ ObamaCare arguments

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell on Thursday promised a “vigorous” defense of ObamaCare this Congress as she outlined policy priorities she said could receive bipartisan support, such as addressing prescription drug abuse and accelerating the development of medical cures.

“I hope we can move beyond the back and forth of the Affordable Care Act,” Burwell said at the New America Foundation. 

{mosads}She also downplayed Republican plans to target pieces of the healthcare law now that the GOP is in control of both chambers on Capitol Hill.

“We want to find the places where the Act can be improved. We welcome that conversation; we look forward to it. But we want to make progress on issues where we know there is common ground,” she said. 

The speech gave a sense of where Burwell will focus her energy for the duration of her time at HHS, and also underscored the Obama administration’s disinclination to accommodate the fiercest GOP critics of the healthcare law. 

When asked about areas of the law in which the administration might be able to find common ground with Republicans, Burwell mentioned an effort to exempt certain veterans from the employer mandate — a minor issue by comparison with looming fights over the medical device tax and other provisions.

“These efforts [to undo pieces of ObamaCare] are happening despite increasing evidence that the law is working,” she said. “[Americans] want us to stop the back and forth, and to move forward and to focus on the substance.”

Burwell, who has strong relationships with some congressional Republicans, vowed to support the House’s 21st Century Cures initiative as well as bills to address opioid abuse, a rising cause of deaths around the country.

The speech did not address two healthcare policy fights expected this year on Medicare’s sustainable growth rate and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, though Burwell said later that both provide the opportunity to “work together.”

The former Clinton administration official also promised to continue working with Republican-led states on creative ways to expand Medicaid coverage.

State officials can collaborate with HHS on a variety of issues, she said, including modernizing Medicaid enrollment systems and improving patient outcomes under managed care.

On Capitol Hill, Burwell encouraged lawmakers to strengthen investments in global health and take steps toward accelerating scientific discoveries that help patients.

“We want to work with Congress to secure the investments in science, research, and innovation that will allow our nation’s scientists and researchers to continue the progress they’ve been making on new and improved vaccines, cures, therapies, and rapid diagnostics,” she said.