CQ's Carey Talks About Medical Malpractice, HSAs, FY 2007 Budget, Biodefense Spending

Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Litigation / Medical Malpractice;  Health Insurance / Medical Insurance;  Bio-terrorism / Terrorism
Article Date: 12 Apr 2006 - 23:00 PDT

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Mary Agnes Carey, associate editor of CQ HealthBeat, discusses expected congressional action on health issues following the two-week spring recess, the status of the fiscal year 2007 budget resolution in the House and funding for biodefense in this week's "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork.org and CQ." According to Carey, senators during the week of May 1 are expected to introduce legislation that would cap noneconomic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits to $750,000, up from a cap of $250,000 previously proposed in the House. Further, lawmakers will "showcase" legislation that would help small businesses purchase health insurance for their workers and make health savings accounts "more appealing to consumers," Carey says. Carey also notes that House members adjourned for recess without passing a FY 2007 budget resolution, after "intense disagreement among appropriators, conservatives and moderates ... sank the effort." She also talks about a House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing in which biosecurity experts called for the Bush administration to spend more on biodefense efforts (Carey, "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork.org and CQ," 4/10).

The complete audio version of "Health on the Hill," transcript and resources for further research are available online.

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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