Issues

Health Care

RSC Policy Brief: The Case for Medicaid Reform (9/15/08)
While Congressional Democrats have discussed providing $10-15 billion in federal
Medicaid payments to states as part of an economic “stimulus” package, many
conservatives may believe that Congress should instead address the significant flaws within
the current Medicaid program.

RSC Policy Briefs on SCHIP (9/8/08)
In light of discussions surrounding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the RSC has prepared the following two Policy Briefs – this one providing an update on program enrollment statistics, and the second analyzing proposals to provide premium assistance as part of SCHIP reauthorization.

RSC Analysis of Census Uninsured Data (8/26/08)
In light of the Census Bureau releasing its data on poverty, income, and health insurance this morning, RSC prepared this Policy Brief analyzing the impact of illegal aliens on health care, as today’s Census Bureau report estimates that 9.7 million uninsured individuals are foreign-born non-citizens.

RSC Policy Brief (8/26/08)
Deconstructing the Uninsured–UPDATED

Tobacco Bill Q & A (7/25/08)
The House may soon be faced with a vote on a measure (H.R. 1108) to include tobacco products under the regulatory authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  The RSC has prepared this analysis providing background information on the legislation, as passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on April 2, 2008.

Turning Off the Trigger (7/24/08)
Conservatives rallied against the ultimately successful Democrat effort to turn off the Medicare cost-containment “trigger” that the RSC had inserted into the infamous Medicare prescription drug law in 2003.  Read the statement from RSC Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) here.  Read a statement from Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) here.  Access RSC talking points on the “trigger” here.  See a list of questions that the RSC posed to Democrats who wanted to turn off the “trigger” here.

Health Care Reform Proposals (7/21/08)
As part of discussions surrounding various health care reform proposals, the RSC has prepared this Policy Brief analyzing various proposals to construct a health insurance “Connector” or Exchange and this Policy Brief providing background and analysis on the tax treatment of health insurance.

Medical Loss Ratios (6/30/08)
In light of proposals by House Democrats and several state Governors to regulate insurers’ expenditures on administrative expenditures and profits, the RSC has prepared this Policy Brief analyzing the issue.

Medicare and the Physician Reimbursement (6/24/08)
The RSC prepared this one-pager, “Medicare: How Big is It?” to put into perspective the costs of Medicare.
 
The RSC also prepared this Policy Brief exploring current policies regarding Medicare physician reimbursement

The CompetitiveBidding for Durable Medical Equipment (6/16/08)
The RSC prepared this Policy Brief providing background information on the competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment.

Nominal Drug Pricing (6/12/08)
Next week, the House may consider the Senate amendments to H.R. 2642, the Iraq/Afghanistan Supplemental Appropriations bill.  The Senate has included a provision in H.R. 2642 which would undo a provision in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) that removed university clinics and private birth control clinics—including many Planned Parenthood clinics—from the list of entities entitled to receive “nominal” drug pricing under the Public Health Service Act of 1944.

Update: The Supplemental passed by the House on June 20, 2008 did not include this provision. 

Medicare Advantage and Comparative Effectiveness Institute (6/9/08)
In light of potential floor action during the upcoming Congressional work period on legislation covering the sustainable growth rate (SGR) reimbursement mechanism for physicians and other related Medicare topics, the RSC has prepared these Policy Briefs providing background on both Medicare Advantage insurance plans and the creation of a comparative effectiveness institute.

Certificate of Need Programs (5/13/08)
The RSC has prepared this Policy Brief analyzing state Certificate of Need programs and their impact on health care policy.

The Pitfalls of Guaranteed Issue (4/30/08)
The RSC has prepared this Policy Brief analyzing the consequences of “guaranteed issue” regulations that force insurance carriers to accept all applicants, regardless of health status.

Individual Mandate to Purchase Health Insurance (4/30/08)
The RSC has prepared this Policy Brief analyzing the implications of various health care reform proposals requiring individuals to purchase and maintain health insurance coverage.

Specialty Hospitals (3/10/08)
In light of the Democrat financial attack on specialty, physician-owned hospitals in last week’s mental health parity bill, the RSC prepared this Policy Brief on specialty hospitals.

Children’s Health Insurance in Bush Budget (3/3/08)
The RSC has prepared this Policy Brief analyzing proposals regarding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in President Bush’s Fiscal Year 2009 Budget.

Top Ten Reasons NOT to Support the Mental Health Parity Act (3/3/08)
In light of pending floor consideration of H.R. 1424 the RSC released this one-pager outlining the top ten reasons NOT to support the Mental Health Parity Act.

Medicare Trigger (2/25/08)
The RSC has prepared this Policy Brief summarizing President Bush’s proposals to address the Medicare funding warning issued by the Medicare trustees, as required by the Medicare Modernization Act.  RSC Chairman Hensarling (R-TX) also wrote this op-ed in The Washington Times on the looming financial crisis in Medicare.

SCHIP Veto (1/22/08)
In anticipation of the House vote dispensing with the President’s veto of SCHIP legislation (H.R. 3963), the RSC has prepared a revised legislative bulletin and background policy brief reflecting developments since the House last considered the legislation.

To read the RSC's Legislative Bulletin on H.R. 3963, click here.

To read the RSC's Q & A document reflecting developments since the House last considered the legislation, click here.

RSC Policy Briefs: Medicare funding (1/22/08)
In light of discussions about additional Medicaid funding as part of an economic “stimulus” package, and the President’s impending release of Medicare cost-containment legislation as part of provisions in the Medicare Modernization Act, the RSC has prepared two policy briefs regarding these issues.

To read the RSC's Policy Brief on the Medicare funding warning incorporated into the Medicare Modernization Act, click here.

To read the RSC's Policy Brief on current Medicaid Funding Issues, click here.

House Stops Veto Override on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)  (10/22/07)
The House recently defeated a Democrat effort to override the President’s veto of the SCHIP expansion bill that would have created a new entitlement program.  For more information on SCHIP, read this RSC bulletin on the flawed legislation or this comprehensive Q and A document.

SCHIP Conference Report (9/20/07)
As the House prepares to consider the conference report for the reauthorization of SCHIP, the RSC is highlighting this Q & A document on the program's reauthorization.

State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) (7/16/07) 
In light of imminent legislation to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the RSC released this Policy Brief. 

Entitlements on the Road to Bankruptcy (4/30/07)
The RSC issued this report on the annual report of the Medicare and Social Security Trustees, which showed the troublesome state of these entitlements and their effects on the federal budget.

Federal Government Finances National Health Museum (8/29/06)
This three page brief outlines both fiscal and social conservative concerns with the effort to establish a national health museum. 

Durable Medical Equipment and the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005
The RSC has prepared this release regarding Medicaid provisions in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (S. 1932), related to durable medical equipment (DME) and ownership of oxygen tanks. The document explains in detail current law related to DME rental and oxygen tanks and the related provisions in S. 1932. In addition, the House Committee on Ways and Means released a document on this topic, which can be accessed at: http://waysandmeans.house.gov/media/pdf/healthdocs/013106oxygenfaq.pdf.

The 2004 Medicare and Social Security Trustees Report
The Medicare and Social Security Trustees released their annual report on the financial status of the Social Security and Medicare trust funds. The Medicare report shows the fund approaching a deficit and insolvency quickly, with a deficit in the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund by 2010 and bankruptcy in 2019, seven years earlier than last year's report predicted.

• RSC analysis of the Trustees report
• RSC analysis of how the Trustees report relates to the recently enacted Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act
• The "Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003" Conference Report:  Summary
• RSC compares the House-passed version of H.R. 1 and the Conference Report: Side-by-Side 

Medicare: Charts

Why we must reform Medicare: One pager

National Institutes of Health

The RSC prepared a detailed report on certain grants made by the federally-funded National Institutes of Health (NIH):  RSC Report of NIH grants

• For example, did you know that millions of your taxpayer dollars have funded studies on the sexual habits of older men, reactions to pornography, American Indian transgendered people, and Chinese pandas?

The RSC prepared a document highlighting the Clinton-era "Milk Matters" campaign--complete with taxpayer-funded coloring books and stickers--run by the National Institutes of Health's Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Click here to view the document.

Some Key Provisions in U.S. Law Regarding International HIV/AIDS Prevention: (pdf)

H.R. 1298 "United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003" passes the House. (5/1/03)

Amendments adopted:

• Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA), amendment ensuring that at least one-third of the HIV prevention spending be earmarked to abstinence.
• Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) "conscience clause" amendment makes it possible for faith-based organizations to participate in the $15-billion/five-year initiative without being forced to furnish condoms or otherwise violate their principles.
• Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) amendment imposes a ceiling on Global Fund officials' and staff salaries providing that none of the Fund's personnel can earn more than the salary of the Vice President of the United States.

Abstinence Education

• 2002 Federal Sex-Ed/Contraception vs. Abstinence Funding
• Federal Abstinence Programs Policy Brief 
• Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs Policy Brief
• Federal HHS Programs with Teen Pregnancy Prevention Components  

Mexico City Policy : US Involvement in International Population Control and the History of the Mexico City Abortion Policy

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