December 2015 NADPac Report

NADPac Report December 2015

In this issue: Washington Insider NADPac Stats Advocacy in Action NADPac Contributors & Committee

Political Action Committee

NADPac Report December 2015

Washington Insider Capital Updates with Lisa Layman

With a new Speaker in the House since the last Capital Updates, attention has turned from the near-constant threat of a government shutdown to the impact of Presidential and congressional politics on the remaining items of business for the 114th Congress.

House Tea Party members claimed a long-sought victory in the removal of Speaker Boehner in October. Freed of the need to appease the Tea Party, Boehner secured a two-year budget deal in his last days in office, effectively removing the biggest threat to the government remaining open through the coming campaign season and election.

Yet the presidential and congressional elections – nearly a year away – and the influence of increasingly polarized primary voters impact Senate and House leaders’ decisions and Members’ votes on a daily basis.

In early December the Senate debated repeal of large portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The special rules governing the fasttrack procedure that allow a simple majority to send a so-called ‘reconciliation’ bill to the President’s desk preclude repealing the “root and branch of Obamacare” as Senate Majority Leader McConnell vowed, but the Senate approved repeal of the taxes, individual and employer mandates and subsidies, and a two-year phase out of the Medicaid expansion. Despite initial concerns from the right-wing, McConnell succeeded in ushering through the Senate a broader repeal of the ACA than the House-approved October package. The House is expected to quickly pass the Senate version of the bill so that it may be sent to President Obama.

Understanding that President Obama will not sign into law a repeal of his signature domestic achievement, both the Republican and Democratic parties nonetheless assert Senate action on the ACA will work to their favor in the upcoming elections. GOP leaders will finally send repeal of the highest profile and most-denounced elements of the ACA to the President, and assume they will thus shore up their conservative base prior to the Presidential primary season beginning February 1 with the Iowa caucuses.

In an effort to gain the support of his caucus’s Presidential hopefuls Sens. Cruz (TX) and Rubio (FL), as well as fellow conservative Sen. Lee (UT), Leader McConnell included in his package a repeal of the Medicaid expansion within two years and elimination of subsidies.

Democrats see these provisions of the bill as a political gift and are already writing their campaign ads targeting the ten Republican Senators up for reelection whose states have expanded Medicaid (for example, in Pennsylvania where Sen. Pat Toomey faces the voters next November, 430,000 people have enrolled in Medicaid so far this year).

Following disposition of the ACA repeal effort, Congress must quickly turn to an omnibus spending bill to fund the government. A potential $800 billion tax extender bill is hitting snags over its magnitude (Democrats continue to voice complaints that Republicans are fiscally irresponsible to pass permanent extensions of tax relief provisions without offsetting the cost) and the policies included; it will be a heavy lift for Congress to pass the tax bill before heading home for the holidays.

Iowa officially kicks off the Presidential campaign in less than two months, followed quickly by party caucuses or primaries in Nevada, South Carolina and Washington. More than two dozen additional states choose their delegates in March. We can expect the impact of the elections on Congressional activity to continue to grow.

The “repeal” bills moving through Congress are not the right legislative vehicle for changes to the ACA beneficial to the dental industry.

However, NADP continues to actively engage with key Congressional offices in anticipation of the right set of circumstances to enact such changes. NADPac can be a powerful tool; industry-sponsored events offer valuable opportunities for focused, thorough, and thoughtful discussion of the issues impacting NADP members.

Lisa Layman of Brown Rudnick represents NADP on Capitol Hill and has over two decades of experience in political and legislative affairs, and a comprehensive knowledge of health policy issues. As a senior policy advisor to several U.S. Senators, Lisa has been involved in drafting, analyzing and negotiating legislation involving private health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, prescription drugs, managed care and health information technology.

PAC Stats

Year 2015 NADPac Figures: Beginning cash balance 1/1/15: $20,680.13 Closing cash balance 12/7/15: $21,030.13 Contributions from individuals: $2,350 Contributions from PACs: $7,000 Disbursements to federal candidates: $9,000

Year 2014 NADPac Figures: Beginning cash balance 1/1/14: $15,630.13 Closing cash balance 12/31/14: $20,680.13 Contributions from individuals: $2,050 Contributions from PACs: $17,000 Disbursements to federal candidates: $14,000

NADPac Report December 2015

The Politics of a Vote to Repeal Medicaid Expansion

After years of votes in the House, Republicans in both chambers compromised on measure to repeal major provisions of the ACA. The win could prove a challenge for Republican Senators up for election in states that have expanded Medicaid. Democratic challengers will use this as a wedge issue in 2016—focusing on the thousands of constituents that would lose their health care under the GOP’s bill.

WA

ME MT

OR

ID

NV UT

AZ

MN

NY WI

SD

WY CA

VT

ND

IA

NE CO

KS OK

NM

MI IL

MO

TX

AK

OH

AL

Lisa Murkowski (AK)

VA

DC

DE

John Boozman (AR)

Chuck Grassley (IA)

SC

Rand Paul (KY)

GA

LA

John McCain (AZ)

Mark Kirk (IL)

NC

TN AR

NJ MD

WV KY

MS

MA CT

PA

IN*

RI

Republicans potentially vulnerable after voting to repeal Medicaid expansion:

NH

Kelly Ayotte (NH) John Hoeven (ND)

FL

Rob Portman (OH) Pat Toomey (PA)

HI Expanded Medicaid with Republican Senator up for electon in 2016 (10) Expanded Medicaid and are represented in the Senate by at least one Republican (15) Have expanded Medicaid (31) Have not expanded Medicaid (20)

Senator Kelly Ayotte (NH) “We’ve got 45,000 people now who have access to health care because of Medicaid expansion,” fellow Senator from New Hampshire and Democrat, Jeanne Shaheen explained to Politico. “Those who vote against Medicaid expansion… do it at the peril of it becoming an issue in the campaign… if I were running, I’d make it an issue.”

Senator Pat Toomey (PA) "This is a fatally flawed piece of legislation," Toomey said about the ACA during floor debate last week. Joe Sestak, Katie McGinty and John Fetterman, Democrats seeking to unseat the Senator next year, will likely highlight the repeal vote in 2016 campaigning.

* Indiana adopted the Medicaid expansion. Republican Sen. Dan Coats is retiring.

Senator Mark Kirk (IL) Senator Kirk and Senator Collins (ME) were the only Republicans to vote against the measure to repeal ACA more likely due to the provisions to defund Planned Parenthood.

NADPac Contributors

The following individuals and corporate PACs have contributed funds to support NADPac efforts in 2015.

NADPac appreciates the support of these contributors: • • • • • •

Stacia Almquist, Assurant Employee Benefits Charles Brody, Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina Rob Goren, Delta Dental of Missouri Guardian Life Federal PAC Kris Hathaway, NADP Suzanne Heckenlaible, Delta Dental of Iowa

• • • • • • •

Bruce Hentschel, Principal Financial Group Evelyn Ireland, NADP Theresa McConeghey, Principal Financial Group Kate McCown, Ameritas Principal PAC Gene Sherman, Starmount Life Insurance Company Chris Swanker, Guardian Life Insurance Company

ACTION

in

>>>>>>>>>>>

the dental benefits industry’s advocacy fly-in

For more information, please visit

January 27-28, 2016 Washington • DC nadpadvocacy.org (in conjunction with NADP Leadership Conference)

NADPac Comittee Contributions to federal candidates are overseen by the NADPac Committee, which meets several times a year. The Committee is appointed by the NADP Board to be representative of NADP membership.

Charles Brody VP of Business Development Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC

Chris Payne VP of Federal Government Relations Principal Financial Group

Suzanne Heckenlaible VP of Public Affairs Delta Dental of IA

Jon Seltenheim Sr. VP of Business and Government Strategy United Concordia Companies, Inc.

Evelyn Ireland, CAE NADP Executive Director and NADPac Treasurer eireland@nadp.org

NADP Staff Liaisons: Kris Hathaway Government Relations Director, NADP khathaway@nadp.org

Michael Lewan The Michael Lewan Company

Eme Augustini State Affairs Manager, NADP eaugustini@nadp.org

James Mullen Public and Government Affairs Manager Delta Dental of CA, NY, PA & Affiliates

Advisor: Lisa Layman Principal, Government and Law Strategies

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For more information, please contact

Evelyn F. Ireland, CAE • eireland@nadp.org Executive Director & NADPac Treasurer National Association of Dental Plans P 972-458-6998 x101 12700 Park Central Dr, Ste 400 Dallas, TX 75251-1529