Mary Agnes Carey, associate editor of CQ HealthBeat, discusses Senate action on various health care bills this week, the Medicare trustees' report, the Government Accountability Office report on the Medicare prescription drug benefit and the Bush administration's plans to prepare for pandemic flu in this week's "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork and CQ." Carey notes that the Senate this week is expected to consider medical malpractice legislation (S 22) that would cap noneconomic damages in lawsuits to $750,000 or $250,000 per plaintiff, as well as a bill (S 23) that would apply to cases brought against ob-gyns. She also says that Senate Democrats would support floor debate on legislation (S 1955) by Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) that would make it easier for small businesses to pool together to purchase health insurance if they can have an up-or-down vote on a substitute version of the bill. In addition, Carey addresses the Medicare trustees' report, which says expenses will exceed income in the Medicare hospital trust fund by 2010 and the fund's assets will be exhausted by 2018. She also talks about a GAO report that sheds doubt on how CMS has explained the drug benefit and the accuracy of information provided through the Medicare hotline. Finally, Carey addresses the Bush administration's plan for preparing for pandemic flu, which includes guidance to local governments on how to protect against an epidemic, distribution of vaccines and other medications and how to address the flu abroad to limit its arrival in the U.S. (Carey, "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork and CQ," 5/8).

The complete audio version of "Health on the Hill," transcript and resources for further research are available online.

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