March 30, 2001 - The Kaiser Network is reporting that two House committees are debating over control of Medicare reform. The Ways and Means Committee has sole jurisdiction over Medicare Part A (which covers hospital, home health, skilled nursing facility and hospice care) but it shares authority over Part B (which funds doctors' bills and other outpatient expenses) with the Energy and Commerce committee.

March 17, 2001 - The Kaiser Network is reporting that House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chair Nancy Johnson said that she expects Congress to pass another Medicare "giveback" bill this year. Her comments are also summarized in this story from Reuters Health/Yahoo.

She also stated the need for Medicare reform to shift emphasis towards preventive care and management of chronic conditions, instead of treating illnesses.

February 23, 2001 - There is a growing gap between the number of organ transplants and the number of patients waiting for an organ transplant.

Citing that growing gap, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said that he would make increasing the nation's supply of donor organs a focus of his initial months in office.

Here is the current transplant waiting list numbers from the United Network Organ Sharing (UNOS) web site.

January 25, 2001 - Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate as the new secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

January 16, 2001 - With a new federal administration coming this week and several new committee heads in Congress, this Modern Healthcare magazine article discusses the major healthcare legislators and their agendas.

The Democrats have announced their Senate committee assignments.

January 12, 2001 - Here is an opinion piece from the Philadelphia Inquirer about the possible direction of US healthcare policy under the new Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas.

January 6, 2001 - US House of Representatives Republicans have chosen Bill Thomas of California to be the chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee.

Thomas, previously head of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, supported the dialysis composite rate increases recently passed by Congress.

Thomas will be succeeded as chairperson on the Health Subcommittee by Rep. Nancy Johnson (CT). Joining Rep. Johnson on the health subcommittee are fellow Republicans Jim McCrery (LA), Philip Crane (IL), Sam Johnson (TX), Dave Camp (MI), Jim Ramstad (MN), Philip English (PA), and Jennifer Dunn (WA). The House Democrats have not yet released their committee appointments.

Here is the web site for Rep. Bill Thomas.

Here is the web site for Rep. Nancy Johnson.

US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary-nominee Tommy Thompson is facing a federal investigation into his own state's program to help the disabled find jobs.

With the Senate split 50/50 between Republicans and Democrats, a plan has been agreed to that will share power.

In the Senate, Sen. Charles Grassley, a Iowa Republican who has been Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, will become chairman of the tax-writing Finance Committee.

Last summer, Senator Grassley chaired the hearings entitled, "Kidney Dialysis Patients: A Population At Undue Risk?".

The Finance Committe has a Health Subcomittee which generally controls the Senate's input on ESRD-related spending.


November 8, 2000 - The election results have found several legislators who have been leaders in crafting healthcare legislation losing their races:

Delaware Republican Senate Finance Committee Chairman William Roth, chief proponent of his committee's Medicare relief package, has lost to Thomas Carper.

Another Finance Committee member, Virginia Democratic Senator Chuck Robb, has lost to George Allen.

Missouri Republican Senator John Ashcroft, who wrote the Senate-passed Medicare and Social Security lock-box legislation, has lost to deceased Democrat Gov. Mel Carnahan, whose widow will serve in the Senate.

The Michigan Republican Senator, Spencer Abraham, a long-time health provider advocate and key member of the Budget Committee, has lost to Debbie Stabenow.

Hillary Clinton, who is likely to have an interest in healthcare legislation, won a Senate seat in New York.

With the Republicans retaining control of the House of Representatives, two fellow Ways and Means Republican members, health subcommittee chairman William Thomas (CA) and Phillip Crane (IL), are both looking to replace retiring Rep. Bill Archer as full committee chair.

Rep. Karen Thurman (D-FL), who is active in ESRD issues, won reelection with 64% of the vote.

[This message has been edited by Gary Peterson (edited 03-30-2001).]