Health law implementation deadlines missed, GOP offers repeal bill

May 29 2010

Politico reports that the Obama administration has missed a health reform law deadline to set up a task force on breast cancer and another on health care in Alaska.

"The health care law required Health and Human Services to establish the breast cancer task force by last weekend and the Alaska task force by the first week of May. But sources familiar with the situation said the department isn't even close to having the two panels ready." The difficulty is highlighting the challenges the administration faces in implementing the law. "The plan for a breast cancer task force was part of the bill's Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young, or EARLY, Act. 'Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this section,' it says, 'the secretary, acting through the director of the Centers for Disease Control [and Prevention], shall establish an advisory committee to assist in creating and conducting the education campaigns.'" The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that it has started work on putting together the committee, which it says will meet for the first time this fall (Kliff, 5/28).

The Hill reports that House Republicans introduced a bill Thursday to repeal the law altogether. "According to Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), the measure would repeal the current law and replace it with the alternative the minority party offered to the original healthcare legislation last November. … Chances are slim Republicans could get their measure to the floor, given the Democratic majorities in the chamber, but it could make a useful campaign tool for the party" (Hooper, 5/27).