Congress reaches bipartisan agreement on health bill

After months of unsuccessful negotiations to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies that have since expired, congressional leaders announced this week that they’d reached a bipartisan agreement to overhaul other parts of the health care system (Source: “Lawmakers reached a surprise bipartisan health deal. Now they have to keep it.” Politico, Jan. 22).
 
The agreement, attached to a government spending bill, would implement long-sought changes to the way pharmacy benefit managers operate, as well as extensions of public health programs and increased funding for community health centers. But even with strong support in both chambers, the bill faces significant hurdles.