Overnight Health Care: ObamaCare mandate repeal would put pressure on states | GOP senator says funding bill to include ObamaCare fix | Dems demand answers on CDC 'banned words' — Presented by The Children’s Hospital Association

View in your browser     The expected repeal of the ObamaCare mandate to buy health insurance means that states will soon have to step in and decide whether to create their own mandates.  The requirement that everyone must purchase insurance or pay a fine is a bedrock principle of ObamaCare, but it's also one of the most unpopular parts of the law. Premiums are expected to rise significantly and insurers could leave the marketplace. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that about 13 million more people would be without insurance in 10 years. States have the power to potentially blunt the damage if they choose to enact their own mandate penalties, but even officials in the most liberal states could face a bruising political battle. "The idea of penalizing people for not getting insurance is controversial, even in blue states," said Larry Levitt, a senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation. "The debates on reimposing the mandate are not the same as opposing Republican efforts to repeal it. It's a different dynamic." Read more here.     Dems demand answers on CDC 'banned words' list  Two senior Democrats in the House and Senate are demanding more information about why Trump administration officials have reportedly told staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other agencies to avoid using certain words or phrases in official budget documents. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) said in a letter sent Monday to acting Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Eric Hargan that the policy "sends a clear message that the Trump Administration is yet again prioritizing ideology over science." The Washington Post reported Saturday that the Trump administration has informed multiple divisions within HHS that they should avoid using certain words or phrases in official documents being drafted for next year's budget. The phrases include "vulnerable," "entitlement," "diversity," "transgender," "fetus," "evidence-based" and "science-based." "The prohibition has the potential to freeze scientific advancement at the agency and across the Department," the letter said. Pallone and Murray called on HHS to explain the rationale for the prohibition, whether it applies to all agencies and divisions within HHS, and for the full list of words that agency staff is prohibited from using. Read more here.   HHS is also pushing back on the reports that it has blocked CDC from using certain words. "The assertion that HHS has 'banned words' is a complete mischaracterization of discussions regarding the budget formulation process," HHS spokesman Matt Lloyd told The Hill on Saturday. Read more here.   GOP senator says must-pass funding bill to include ObamaCare fix  Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) says that his bipartisan ObamaCare insurer fix will be added to a government-funding bill this week, potentially setting up a showdown with House conservatives who oppose the measure. Alexander told local reporters on Friday that the bill aimed at stabilizing insurer markets -- from him and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) -- would be added to a stop-gap government funding bill that must pass before this Friday's funding deadline, according to a pledge from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).  "Senator McConnell has pledged to put Alexander-Murray on the spending bill that will also pass next week," Alexander told reporters Friday, according to audio posted by Nashville Public Radio. McConnell previously pledged to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) that he would support passage of Alexander-Murray, and another bipartisan ObamaCare bill from Collins and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), before the end of the year, in exchange for her vote on the GOP tax-reform legislation.  Attaching the measures to the government funding bill sets up a possible showdown with House conservatives, who oppose the ObamaCare measures as propping up the health-care law. Read more here.   Alabama to freeze enrollment in children's health program in two weeks  Alabama will freeze enrollment in its children's health insurance program soon if Congress doesn't reauthorize funding for the program.  The state announced Monday that it would no longer enroll children in its "ALL Kids" program for low-income children, starting on Jan. 1, because Congress has not yet reauthorized funding for the program.  Federal funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) expired at the end of September, but states weren't expected to run out of money until the end of the year or early next year.  Alabama is the first state to announce an enrollment freeze. All applications received on or after Jan. 1 will be processed for Medicaid eligibility or the health insurance marketplace.  Read more here.   Pennsylvania governor vetoes 20-week abortion ban Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed a bill Monday that would have banned abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.  The bill, passed by the state's Republican-controlled legislature last week, is a "vile assault on women's ability to make their own decisions about their own health care," Wolf, a Democrat, said at a press conference.  Under current Pennsylvania law, abortions aren't permitted after 24 weeks, but there are exceptions if the life of the mother is endangered.  Read more here.         SPONSORED CONTENT   6 Million Kids Can’t Afford to Wait — Extend CHIP Now! The deadline to protect America’s Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP expired. Now, states are preparing to shut down programs – parents have even been notified their kids could lose coverage just after the holidays. Learn more.         What we're reading  When you hospital is the debt collector (Bloomberg) CDC chief asserts commitment to science (Stat) FDA takes more aggressive stance toward homeopathic drugs (The Washington Post)   State by state  State rules affect survival of immigrants with kidney failure (HealthDay) South Carolina Medicaid ushers in changes to autism services (The Post and Courier) McAuliffe takes one more swing at Medicaid expansion in final state budget (The Washington Post)   Opinions from TheHill.com Newt Gingrich: Repeal the ObamaCare mandate, but do it smart  Federal policy is changing for the better on mental health     Send tips and comments to Jessie Hellmann, jhellmann@thehill.com; Peter Sullivan, psullivan@thehill.com; Rachel Roubein, rroubein@thehill.com; and Nathaniel Weixel, nweixel@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @thehill, @jessiehellmann, @PeterSullivan4, @rachel_roubein, and @NateWeixel.         Did a friend forward you this email? 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