Trump Points To Britain’s Protest Over Health System As Proof Universal Coverage Doesn’t Work
President Donald Trump's tweet drew immediate backfire from British officials who prize their health system that offers free coverage to millions of citizens. The push for universal coverage in America has been gaining momentum, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) as one of the leading voices in the movement.
The Washington Post:
Trump Uses Britain's Protests To Jump Back Into Health-Care Fray At Home
Though congressional Republicans agreed last week to back off the contentious politics of the Affordable Care Act this year, President Trump began Monday morning by stirring the health-care policy pot anew. In a tweet shortly after 7 a.m., the president lashed out at Democrats, saying they “are pushing for Universal HealthCare while thousands of people are marching in the UK because their U system is going broke and not working.” (Goldstein, 2/5)
Los Angeles Times:
Trump Stirs A Hornet's Nest In Britain By Blasting Its National Health Service
Virtually no one in Britain considers the NHS perfect: The need for urgent reforms, such as reducing waiting times and adding doctors and hospital beds, was the declared point of the weekend demonstrations. But Trump's critique touched a raw nerve in a country that considers universal access to medical services to be something akin to a national treasure, under a system created just after World War II and now relied on by millions of people. (King, 2/5)
In other national health care news —
The Associated Press:
$300M Health Care System Cost To Protect Religious Rights
President Donald Trump's new effort to protect the rights of health workers who object to participating in abortions and other procedures will cost the health care system more than $300 million to set up, according to a government estimate. More than 40 complaints have been filed since Trump's election, alleging violations of conscience and religious rights. An estimated 18 million people work in the nation's health care system. (2/5)
Politico:
Kellyanne Conway’s 'Opioid Cabinet' Sidelines Drug Czar’s Experts
President Donald Trump’s war on opioids is beginning to look more like a war on his drug policy office. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway has taken control of the opioids agenda, quietly freezing out drug policy professionals and relying instead on political staff to address a lethal crisis claiming about 175 lives a day. The main response so far has been to call for a border wall and to promise a "just say no” campaign. (Ehley and Karlin-Smith, 2/6)
McClatchy:
Trump Administration Ponders Lifetime Benefit Limits For Medicaid
After allowing states to impose work requirements for Medicaid enrollees, the Trump administration is now pondering lifetime limits on adults’ access to coverage. Capping health care benefits — like federal welfare benefits — would be a first for Medicaid, the joint state-and-federal health plan for low-income and disabled Americans.If approved, the dramatic policy change would recast government-subsidized health coverage as temporary assistance by placing a limit on the number of months adults have access to Medicaid benefits. (Pugh, 2/5)
Stateline:
Trump Administration: Let States Decide If Health Plans Have Enough Doctors
The Affordable Care Act required that health insurance plans sold on the marketplaces in every state maintain a sufficient number of in-network hospitals and physicians, including specialists, in their service area — essentially, that they have an adequate network of providers. Policyholders spend less to see doctors in their network. But the Trump administration last month weakened that federal oversight, potentially forcing patients to turn to more expensive providers, travel long distances for cheaper care, endure long waits for medical appointments or, critics worry, forgo care altogether. (Ollove, 2/6)
Stat:
A Compromise 'Right-To-Try' Bill Proceeds With Help From FDA, But Could Be A Hard Sell
A bipartisan bill aimed at helping terminally ill patients gain access to experimental medicines would leave intact the controversial role of the Food and Drug Administration, a notion that will likely upset backers of the so-called right-to-try movement. The draft legislation, which is being developed with help from the FDA, also includes a provision that seeks to reassure anxious drug makers about making their treatments available, but to what extent this move makes the effort easier to forge a compromise is uncertain. (Silverman, 2/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
The Chase For A Permanent Flu Vaccine
As doctors struggle with the worst flu season in nearly a decade, some are racing to answer a question: Can they find a more permanent solution than variably successful annual vaccines? Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles have developed a new approach for a vaccine that tested successfully in animals. GlaxoSmithKline is in the early stages of testing another promising approach in people. (Reddy, 2/5)