With Republicans taking control of both chambers of Congress, many new committee chairs will be wielding gavels with major influence over healthcare policy and finance in 2015. They'll set the agenda on what bills get heard and what issues get aired.
The Senate will have a whole new roster of committee chairs.
Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah will head the influential Finance Committee, which would play a leading role in any changes to Medicare or Medicaid. Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee will helm the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which has jurisdiction over most HHS programs.
In the House, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the foremost advocate of restructuring Medicare and Medicaid, will lead the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah will take over the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which likely will pursue investigations into implementation of the healthcare reform law.
Here's a rundown of the key chairs who could influence healthcare issues in 2015 and 2016.
