Overnight Healthcare: Administration sparks debate on end-of-life care

The Obama administration is again wading into the debate over end-of-life care, more than six years after “death panel” claims nearly derailed talks about the president’s healthcare law.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is considering new rules that would pay Medicare doctors to discuss end-of-life options for their patients, a move that advocates say would cause a ripple across the private insurer market.

{mosads}A change in policy has been endorsed by dozens of leading hospice groups, who say it’s important for doctors to ask patients, for example, whether they prefer to die at home or in the hospital.

Under current rules, Medicare doctors are only reimbursed for end-of-life consultations if they take place during a patient’s annual wellness visit.

The American Medical Association formally asked the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to alter the policy last fall. Since then, several states, such as Colorado, have moved to compensate doctors. Read more here.

GOP THREATENS SUBPOENA FOR OBAMACARE EVIDENCE: The Republican chairmen of the Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce committees on Wednesday released a letter to the administration reiterating a request made in February for documents related to the program.  

The documents, which are related to an ObamaCare program at the center of the House GOP’s lawsuit against President Obama, must be received by July 21. The letter was sent by Reps. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.).

The pair first asked for the documents in February. The letter reiterating the request was sent to Health Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell and Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew. Read more here. 

MARIJUANA FOES AGREE ON MORE RESEARCH: Reps. Andy Harris (R-Md.) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) — who stand on opposite sides of the legalization debate — are co-sponsoring an amendment that would help scientists study medical marijuana.

The partnership between Harris and Blumenauer, who are both among the most outspoken advocates for their respective camps, is unexpected.

Harris, who once said “even medical marijuana legalization increases drug use,” has given no previous indication that the drug could have benefits. Blumenauer, who has called for the end of federal marijuana bans, once blasted Harris for treating the city of D.C. “like a plantation.”

The amendment will be debated as part of the bipartisan medical cures legislation, the 21st Century Cures Act, which is slated for a vote this week. It was also supported by Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) and Sam Farr (D-Calif.). Read more here.

OBAMA GIVES EARLY OK FOR 21ST CENTURY CURES: The White House released a statement late Wednesday that largely backs the multi-billion dollar medical cures bill, which is designed to speed up drug development.

The administration praised the legislation’s support for Obama’s precision medicine initiative, electronic health records and making it easier and cheaper to run medical trials. But it also laid out concerns with some of the Republican-sponsored provisions in the bill, including reforms to the Food and Drug Administration’s approval process. Read more here. 

Thursday’s schedule

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan will speak at a Politico Morning Money event.

State by state

Utah fails to expand Medicaid

Patients urge Cuomo to hasten medical marijuana in NY 

What we’re reading

For Democrats, the politics of ObamaCare are still dismal

45 states get F on healthcare price transparency

What you might have missed from The Hill

GOP rejects proposal to allow FDA to regulate e-cigs

Conservative defies Heritage on cures bill

House panel advances bill targeting FDA regulations

Please send tips and comments to Sarah Ferris, sferris@digital-release.thehill.com, and Peter Sullivan, psullivan@digital-release.thehill.com. Follow on Twitter: @thehill, @sarahnferris, @PeterSullivan4