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A coalition of Democrats and activist groups are using a recent procedural maneuver as a means to reopen the debate on controversial Medicaid cuts and will target numerous House Republicans that they believe may change their vote, various sources say.
A $40 billion budget reduction bill that narrowly passed both houses late last month is drawing strong criticism from Democrats and senior groups, who contend the legislation spared drug manufacturers from higher costs at the expense of Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries.
Building on its restructuring plan announced late last month, Merck said yesterday it is refocusing its R&D operations in an effort to increase profitability and become more competitive in the marketplace.
Merck intends to shutter manufacturing facilities in Georgia, Pennsylvania and Canada as part of its sweeping corporate restructuring announced earlier this week.
An effort by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to reduce the federal budget by cutting up to $25 billion from the Medicare and Medicaid programs will likely fail because of Republican committee members' concerns with spending increases for doctor reimbursement and an expansion of Medicaid coverage, a source close to the negotiations says.
The full Senate has approved an agriculture spending bill that sets the FDA’s fiscal 2006 budget at $1.841 billion — slightly more than what the House approved in June.
The House passed an FDA spending proposal June 8 that gives the agency $1.5 billion in fiscal 2006 — roughly $14 million less than President Bush’s request.
House appropriators have doubled the proposed funding levels for the FDA’s oversight of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising and provided an additional $5 million for the agency’s drug-safety program.
The House and Senate have approved a $2.6 trillion fiscal 2006 budget blueprint that reflects President Bush’s funding requests for FDA, including an increase of $26 million for agency drug programs.
The pharmaceutical industry stands to gain financially under new costs estimates for the Medicare Rx drug benefit, but the plan’s significantly higher price tag also gives new ammunition to lawmakers who want HHS to negotiate drug prices.