Trump To Give Speech On Drug Prices, But No New Policies Are Expected To Be Unveiled
President Donald Trump's remarks are expected to coincide with a formal request for information from HHS on various ideas related to the cost of prescription drugs.
Politico:
Trump Plans First Major Speech On Drug Prices Next Week
President Donald Trump is set to deliver his first major speech on drug prices on April 26, revisiting an issue he campaigned on but that is unlikely to yield major legislative changes. The strategy is unlikely to call for actions of the sort Trump touted on the campaign trail like allowing the government to negotiate the cost of drugs for Medicare, but based on the president’s fiscal 2019 budget request could advocate for Medicare and Medicaid demonstrations to test new ways of paying for drugs on a smaller scale, like allowing some states to try negotiating drug costs in Medicaid. (Karlin-Smith and Cancryn, 4/16)
In other national health care news —
Stat:
Nursing Homes Routinely Refuse People On Addiction Treatment
Nursing facilities routinely turn away patients seeking post-hospital care if they are taking medicine to treat opioid addiction, a practice that legal experts say violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. After discharge from the hospital, many patients require further nursing care, whether for a short course of intravenous antibiotics, or for a longer stay, such as to rehabilitate after a stroke. But STAT has found that many nursing facilities around the country refuse to accept such patients, often because of stigma, gaps in staff training, and the widespread misconception that abstinence is superior to medications for treating addiction. (Bond, 4/17)
The Hill:
Opioid Crisis Takes Personal Toll On Washington
Deaths involving opioids have been rising since 1999. They increased nearly 28 percent from 2015 to 2016, an increase largely driven by a synthetic opioid packing up to 50 times more power than heroin. An estimated 115 people are dying of an opioid-related overdose every day. When members of Congress return to their districts, they say they hear first-hand how painkillers, heroin and fentanyl are wrecking lives — and that’s resulted in a sea change in attitudes about drug abuse. (Roubein, 4/16)
The Associated Press:
AP Investigation: #MeToo Has Little Impact On Medical World
The first time that Dr. Anthony Bianchi came onto a patient, California's medical board alleged, the gynecologist placed a chair against the exam room door, put his fingers into the woman's vagina and exposed his erect penis. The second time, the board claimed, he told a patient that he couldn't stop staring at her breasts and recounted a dream in which he performed oral sex on her in the office. (4/16)
Kaiser Health News:
Barbara Bush’s End-Of-Life Decision Stirs Debate Over ‘Comfort Care’
As she nears death at age 92, former first lady Barbara Bush’s announcement that she is seeking “comfort care” is shining a light — and stirring debate — on what it means to stop trying to fight terminal illness. Bush, the wife of former President George H.W. Bush, has been suffering from congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to family spokesman Jim McGrath.In a public statement Sunday, the family announced she has decided “not to seek additional medical treatment and will focus on comfort care.” (Bailey and Aleccia, 4/16)
Reuters:
Drug Suppliers' Shares Rise As Looming Amazon Threat Appears To Ease
Shares of U.S. drug suppliers rose on Monday after a report that Amazon.com Inc had dropped plans to sell drugs to hospitals, in a boost to a pharmaceutical supply chain rattled by the looming threat of competition from the online retailer. Stocks of drug distributors McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health rose 2 to 3 percent, while drugstore chains Walgreens Boots Alliance and CVS Health each advanced about 5 percent. (Mishra, 4/16)
Kaiser Health News:
Congressional Advisers Urge Medicare Payments To Many Stand-Alone ERs Be Cut
The woman arrived at the emergency department gasping for air, her severe emphysema causing such shortness of breath that the physician who examined her put her on a ventilator immediately to help her breathe. The patient lived across the street from the emergency department in suburban Denver, said Dr. David Friedenson, who cared for her that day a few years ago. The facility wasn’t physically located at a hospital but was affiliated with North Suburban Medical Center several miles away. (Andrews, 4/17)