Short-Term Plans Are Same Ones Obama Had For Eight Years, HHS Secretary Says In Face Of Criticism
Democrats say the Trump administration's proposal to extend short-term plans will weaken the marketplace by allowing healthy people to buy coverage that's not compliant with the health law. But HHS Secretary Alex Azar says it's just returning to a status quo that only changed in 2017.
The Hill:
Trump Health Chief Defends Short-Term Insurance Plans
President Trump’s goal of expanding short-term health plans will not harm the insurance marketplace, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar said Thursday. Under questioning from Senate Democrats during a hearing on the HHS budget, Azar repeatedly defended a proposed rule from the administration that would allow the sale of short-term health plans for up to an entire year. (Weixel, 5/10)
In other national health care news —
Politico:
Trump Challenge To Native Americans' Health Splits HHS, Alarms Hill GOP
HHS leaders want states to settle the contentious question of whether Native Americans should get jobs in order to keep their health care — a move that likely won't resolve the underlying challenge to tribal sovereignty and was sparked by an unusual split between the agency's politically appointed administrators and legal counsel. The agency's position that tribes are a racial group and not separate governments — a determination by Trump administration lawyers that POLITICO first detailed last month — has raised concerns in Congress and alarmed the tribes, who say it reverses centuries of protections enshrined in the Constitution and upheld by the Supreme Court. (Diamond and Pradhan, 5/10)
The Washington Post:
Top White House Official In Charge Of Pandemic Response Exits Abruptly
The top White House official responsible for leading the U.S. response in the event of a deadly pandemic has left the administration, and the global health security team he oversaw has been disbanded under a reorganization by national security adviser John Bolton. The abrupt departure of Rear Adm. Timothy Ziemer from the National Security Council means no senior administration official is now focused solely on global health security. Ziemer’s departure, along with the breakup of his team, comes at a time when many experts say the country is already underprepared for the increasing risks of a pandemic or bioterrorism attack. (Sun, 5/10)
Bloomberg:
Native Americans Demanding Chance To Try Opioid Suits Separately
Native American tribes devastated by the U.S. opioid epidemic asked a judge set up a separate track for their lawsuits targeting makers and distributors of the painkillers for creating a public-health crisis. Santee Sioux Nation of Nebraska, the Winnebago Tribe and others feel “marginalized’’ by having their cases lumped in with states’ opioid claims, David Domina, a lawyer for the tribes, told U.S. District Judge Daniel Polster Thursday. Polster, who has been pressing for a quick resolution of the suits, said he’d consider the request. (Feeley, 5/10)
Stat:
Artificial Intelligence May Not Be Curing Cancer, But It's Changing Medicine
As recently as a year ago, artificial intelligence was still an amorphous concept in medicine. Almost every major hospital was tinkering with it, but hype about algorithms replacing doctors — or curing cancer — was outrunning reality. Now many hospitals are moving swiftly to incorporate the technology into daily practice, promising to harness patient data to improve certain aspects of care and make medical services cheaper and more efficient. (Ross, 5/11)