Trump To Take Office Amid Deep Uncertainty Surrounding Future Of Health Care
It's still unclear how Donald Trump's views on health care will mesh with congressional Republicans' ideas, but the eyes of a nation are watching as they navigate dismantling Barack Obama's signature legislation.
The Wall Street Journal:
Donald Trump’s Presidency: A Look At His Proposed Policy Shifts
Mr. Trump takes office grasping a lightning rod of American domestic policy—health care. His party has already begun on the repeal, and potential replacement, of Barack Obama ’s signature health-care law, but the task of reworking a sweeping social program six years into its lifespan is proving messy. Republicans, including Mr. Trump, have put forward various ideas to serve as alternatives to the major provisions of the Affordable Care Act, which extended insurance to millions of Americans but also triggered criticism over rising premiums for some users and insurer withdrawals from the individual market. The party has yet to unify behind a single plan, and it remains unclear how much influence will be exerted by Mr. Trump and his administration and how much they will leave to four congressional committees and other groups of interested lawmakers to hash out in the House and Senate. (1/20)
In other national health care news —
The Associated Press:
Company That HHS Pick Invested In Faced Criminal Penalty
A medical device company in which Rep. Tom Price purchased stock last year has faced years of legal problems and agreed in December to a $17 million Justice Department criminal penalty in a foreign bribery case. (1/19)
ProPublica:
When A Study Cast Doubt On A Heart Pill, The Drug Company Turned To Tom Price
The $3 pill known as BiDil was already a difficult sell when a Georgia-based pharmaceutical company bought the marketing rights a few years ago. A treatment for African Americans suffering from heart failure, BiDil had never really caught on, forcing the drug company that developed it to take a buyout offer. One strike against the drug was a 2009 study that raised questions about its safety and effectiveness. So last summer, the new owner of the drug, Arbor Pharmaceuticals LLC of Atlanta, sought to get the study taken down from a government website. For help, the company turned to the office of a congressman to whom the CEO had given the maximum $2,700 campaign donation — Rep. Tom Price, the Georgia Republican nominated by Donald Trump to become head of the Department of Health and Human Services. (Faturechi, 1/19)
Stat:
NIH Director Francis Collins To Stay On, At Least For Now, Under Trump
Dr. Francis Collins is being held over as the director of the National Institutes of Health by the Trump administration, his office announced Thursday afternoon. Collins had been prepared to step down from the post on Friday, after Trump’s inauguration, and return to his lab at the NIH Bethesda campus. However, with Thursday’s news, he will remain as director for the time being. (Scott, 1/19)
Stat:
Your Guide To The Weird World Of Obamacare Rhetoric
The Obamacare repeal effort is just getting underway and already the political wordplay is dizzying. On the GOP side, the rhetoric has gone from “repeal and replace” to “insurance for everybody” to “repair and rebuild.” Meanwhile, Democrats continually warn that the Republicans are trying to “rip apart our health care system.”To help you keep pace with the debate, we’ve assembled this handy glossary of buzzwords and talking points. (Ross, 1/19)
USA Today:
Anthem To Change Opioid Treatment Policy Under Deal With NY Regulators
Anthem, the nation's second-largest insurance company, has ended its policy of pre-authorizations for drugs to treat opioid use disorder following an agreement with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, his office said Thursday. The agreement, which affects Anthem plans across the United States and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield customers in New York, followed an investigation into Empire's practices in New York. (O'Donnell and DeMio, 1/19)
USA Today:
EpiPen Competitor Will Be Out In February, Free To 200M People
Five months after the CEO of Mylan faced an irate House panel over price increases for its EpiPen auto injectors, a former competitor will be back next month — at a far higher list price, the company announced Thursday. Kaleo, the maker of the Auvi-Q, says the price paid by consumers with commercial insurance will still be far lower for its reintroduced epinephrine auto injector than any of its brand name or generic competitors. (O'Donnell, 1/19)