Trending News Today: AHCA Passes House Budget Committee

The American Health Care Act is moving forward in Congress after a 19-17 victory in the House Budget Committee. Opposition to the bill included Democrats and Republicans Dave Brat (R-VA), Mark Sanford (R-SC), and Gary Palmer, (R-AL), who voted to keep the bill from advancing, according to USA Today. The conservatives said the bill does not repeal enough of the Affordable Care Act and does not do so quickly enough.

Texas altered their Medicaid program to refuse reimbursement for providers who induced labor early or performed a medically unnecessary cesarean section before full term. Within 2 years, the rate of unnecessary early delivery in Texas dropped by 14%, according to Kaiser Health News. Prior to the law, more than 10% of all births were early elective deliveries, which can lead to adverse events for the infant, including respiratory issues, sepsis, and feeding problems.

Marathon Pharmaceuticals’ Emflaza (deflazacort) made headlines when it received approval to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and again when it came with a price tag of $89,000 per year, despite its status as a generic drug in other countries. This week, PTC Therapeutics announced plans to purchase the drug for $140 million from Marathon, according to Kaiser Health News. While PTC has not announced the drug’s new price, it may be reduced due to the concerns expressed by lawmakers and families, according to the report.