Kavanaugh Hints He’s Skeptical Of Republicans’ Legal Claims Against Health Law In Private Meetings With Dems
After failing to pass a repeal plan last year, Republicans have turned to the courts to challenge the health law. But they may not have an ally in Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's nominee for the open Supreme Court seat.
Los Angeles Times:
Trump's Supreme Court Pick Signals Skepticism Over GOP's Latest Bid To Repeal Obamacare
If Republicans are hoping Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will help them knock down Obamacare in the courts, they might be in for a disappointment. Kavanaugh has signaled in private meetings with Senate Democrats that he is skeptical of some of the legal claims being asserted in the latest GOP-led effort to overturn the Affordable Care Act. (Haberkorn, 8/29)
In other national health care news —
The Associated Press:
Even A Small Amount Of Medical Debt Can Trigger Headaches
It doesn't take a huge unpaid medical bill to make a collection agency come calling ... and calling. Researchers found in a study of credit reports that more than 2 percent of adults had medical bills under $200 sent to a collection agency. Over half of the annual medical collections were for less than $600, according to the study, which examined 2016 credit reports for more than 4 million unidentified people. (8/29)
The Washington Post:
‘We Did A Fantastic Job In Puerto Rico’: Trump Defends Response Despite Spike In Deaths After Hurricane Maria
President Trump on Wednesday defended his administration's response to a devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico last year, despite a study released this week that said there was a spike in deaths on the island in the six months that followed. “I think we did a fantastic job,” Trump said, responding to a question from a reporter at the White House. He called the emergency on the island “by far the most difficult” of the areas of the United States and its territories ravaged by hurricanes. (Nakamura, 8/29)
Stat:
U.S.-Mexico Trade Deal Is Criticized For Allowing High Drug Prices To Continue
FacebookLinkedInEmailDoximityPrintAlthough details of the new trade deal between the U.S. and Mexico have not yet been released, a fight is already brewing among some drug makers and consumer advocates over one provision. At issue is a sentence in a fact sheet that was released this week by the U.S. Trade Representative. A section concerning intellectual property noted there will be 10 years of data protection for biologic drugs and an “expanded scope” of products that will be eligible for protection, although the meaning of this last phrase was not fleshed out. (Silverman, 8/29)
The Associated Press:
Know What To Say When Postpartum Depression Hits A Loved One
Gwyneth Paltrow, Chrissy Teigen, Adele: The charge to destigmatize postpartum depression has never before had so many high-profile sufferers willing to share their stories. Add Serena Williams to the list. The 23-time Grand Slam champion playing in the U.S. Open took to Instagram to share her story after a loss in San Jose, California, last month. She said she has been struggling with feelings of inadequacy as a mother since the birth last September of her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. (8/30)
The Washington Post:
FDA Pushes For Development Of Non-Opioid Pain Medications
The Food and Drug Administration is planning new steps to encourage the development of nonaddictive alternatives to opioid pain medications, Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in an interview. As part of the effort, the agency plans to withdraw its existing 2014 guidance to the drug industry on pain medicines. That document is overly broad, Gottlieb said, and is sometimes a barrier to new products and innovations. The current guidelines call for a large number of studies to get FDA approval for general use for chronic pain, he added. (McGinley, 8/29)
The New York Times:
These Companies Really, Really, Really Want To Freeze Your Eggs
Jennifer Lannon lay, her feet propped in stirrups, on an examining table at Extend Fertility, an egg-freezing clinic in Midtown Manhattan. A screen at her right displayed the results of her ultrasound, the image closely monitored by Ms. Lannon and her doctor, Joshua Klein. How many eggs could she expect to see? she asked. She would likely end up with some 20, Dr. Klein told her. He was making no promises. “But to the extent you can ensure fertility later,” he said, “you are in very good shape.” She ought to be. (La Ferla, 8/29)
The New York Times:
Posters Suggesting That Women Can Drink While Pregnant Stir Backlash
On posters distributed to medical facilities across Australia, large type over an image of a pregnant woman read: “It’s safest not to drink while pregnant.” Good so far. It was the next line, in smaller type, that alarmed medical professionals: “It’s not known if alcohol is safe to drink when you are pregnant.” Public health groups responded with resounding protests — drinking alcohol while pregnant is very definitively known to be unsafe, they said. (Victor, 8/29)
The Wall Street Journal:
Starbucks’ Frappuccino Gets A Sugar Makeover
Starbucks Corp. is putting its decadent Frappuccino on a diet, looking to reduce the drink’s high sugar levels, which have scared away increasingly health-conscious consumers and hurt sales. Some versions of the drink contain more than twice as much sugar as a standard Snickers bar and far more calories. A 16-ounce Mocha Frappuccino contains 410 calories, compared with 250 in a 1.86-ounce Snickers. (Jargon, 8/30)