Overnight Healthcare: House to vote on ObamaCare repeal in February

House Republicans will start February off with a defiant vote to repeal ObamaCare, a symbolic move that allows new members to solidify their opposition to the healthcare law. It will mark nearly the 60th time that the House has voted to repeal ObamaCare, but the bill's sponsor, Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.), believes this time it will be different. To start, it will be the first ObamaCare repeal bill that actually stands a chance of passing the Senate, Byrne's spokesman Seth Morrow said. "Harry Reid can no longer stand in the way," Morrow said Thursday. The bill also includes a crucial difference: It would allow congressional Republicans to draft a replacement plan in open committee, rather than pushing through a bill approved only by a handful of party leaders. "We need to have some sort of idea on an alternative solution. This is a way to have that without picking one without the input of all members," Morrow said. "This gives all members the chance to weigh in on a way to move forward." Read more here. Modernizing the FDA and NIH: Senate Republicans are pledging to reform two of the government's largest health agencies as part of their effort to fix a medical industry that they say "takes too long and costs too much" to find new cures. In a wide-ranging report released Thursday, the GOP leaders of the Senate Health Committee announced plans to modernize both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), two agencies they said "every American is personally affected by." The two agencies have major roles in healthcare: The FDA is responsible for regulating all drugs and treatments, while the NIH is responsible for helping to create them. But Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) warn that the "regulatory realities" of these agencies, particularly the FDA, often hinder private companies that are trying to create or sell their products. Read more here. Docs see win on meaningful use: Federal regulators announced their intention Thursday to ease up on the meaningful use electronic health records (EHR) program, one week after a coalition of 35 medical societies called for major changes. In a blog post, senior Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) official Patrick Conway said the agency is working on "multiple rulemaking tracks" to adjust the program based on provider feedback. "The new rule, expected this spring, would be intended to be responsive to provider concerns about software implementation, information exchange readiness, and other meaningful use related concerns in 2015," wrote Conway, the agency's deputy administrator for innovation and quality. Read more here. CDC warns against anti-vaccine movement: A top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday said the country's anti-vaccine movement has been a driving force in this year's measles outbreak. "This is not a problem of the measles vaccine not working. This is a problem of the measles vaccine not being used," Anne Schuchat, the head of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a briefing with reporters Thursday. The briefing marks the first time that CDC has spoken publicly about the measles outbreak that has erupted over the last month, with nearly all of the 84 cases stemming from the Disneyland theme park in California. Read more here. A Senate subcommittee also announced Thursday that it will discuss the 14-state measles outbreak at a hearing later this month. GOP demands answers about HealthCare.gov: The head of the House Science Committee is demanding the Obama administration explain why companies were allowed to gather information about people visiting HealthCare.gov. "Data mining companies gather and sell personal information without our knowledge or consent," Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) wrote to the heads of the Health and Human Services Department, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the White House's chief technology officer. "It is astonishing that the Obama administration has allowed scores of these companies to take up permanent residence on the Healthcare.gov website." Read more here. Uninsured bemoan cost of coverage: Federal health officials have their work cut out for them to convince the uninsured that ObamaCare discounts can make medical coverage affordable. New survey data released Thursday found that a majority of people -- 53 percent -- who were eligible for financial assistance but still remained uninsured in 2014 said the price of health coverage was the main reason. Many eligible people who remained uninsured also did not research their coverage options, according to the survey, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Fifty-nine percent never shopped on their state's marketplace, HealthCare.gov or through their state's Medicaid agency, they said. Read more here. Friday's schedule President Obama will discuss his precision medicine initiative during an event at the White House. Democrats will continue the third day of their annual retreat in Philadelphia. State by state Wyoming headed toward Medicaid expansion Haslam's Medicaid plan faces long odds in House Indiana Medicaid expansion may tempt other states Md. gov to implement Medicaid reg banning LGBT discrimination Wis. GOP seeks audit of family planning clinics NC GOP expected to propose additional abortion restrictions La. regs become latest abortion flashpoint What we're reading Panel unanimously OKs bill easing employee healthcare count   Battle over Medicare Part D rebates begins ahead of Obama budget Medicare payments surge for stents to unblock blood vessels in limbs Survey: All states, DC have online Medicaid or CHIP applications What you might have missed at The Hill: Recession drove more companies to scrap healthcare coverage Boehner: GOP will have ObamaCare alternative this year Murray: EEOC regs on wellness programs coming soon Obama's budget $74B above caps Please send tips and comments to Sarah Ferris, sferris@thehill.com, and Elise Viebeck, eviebeck@thehill.com. Follow on Twitter: @thehill, @sarahnferris, @eliseviebeck