With Testing Demands Down, Half Of Free Government Kits Go Unclaimed

AP: Nearly Half Of 500 Million Free COVID Tests Still Unclaimed
Nearly half of the 500 million free COVID-19 tests the Biden administration recently made available to the public still have not been claimed as virus cases plummet and people feel less urgency to test. Wild demand swings have been a subplot in the pandemic, from vaccines to hand sanitizer, along with tests. On the first day of the White House test giveaway in January, COVIDtests.gov received over 45 million orders. Now officials say fewer than 100,000 orders a day are coming in for the packages of four free rapid tests per household, delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 2/27)

The Hill: Advocates Criticize 'Tepid' Biden Request For Global COVID-19 Funding
Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups say the Biden administration's request for $5 billion from Congress for efforts to fight COVID-19 globally, including vaccinations, falls far short of what is needed. They had been pushing for months for $17 billion to step up global vaccination and treatment efforts, but the White House asked for less than a third of that amount in informal talks with Congress last week, without offering an explanation. “Honestly, it’s not enough,” said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), who has been helping lead the push in Congress for more funding. (Sullivan, 2/27)

In preparation for the State of the Union address —

The Hill: House Lifting Mask Mandate Ahead Of State Of The Union Address
The House is lifting its mask mandate ahead of President Biden’s State of the Union address this week, making mask wearing optional throughout the Capitol complex. In a letter on Sunday, Capitol Physician Brian Monahan shared the changes with lawmakers returning to Washington this week. "Individuals may choose to mask at any time, but it is no longer a requirement," he wrote. Monahan said positive COVID-19 test rates at the Capitol are down to 2.7 percent in the last two weeks, below the current rate for the DC-Metropolitan area (4.7 percent). (Oshin, 2/27)

MarketWatch: Ahead Of Biden's State Of The Union, Here's How He's Delivered On His Priorities So Far
President Joe Biden is slated to deliver his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, a speech coming just under a year since his last remarks before a joint session of Congress. In that prior address, in April 2021, Biden laid out priorities for U.S. infrastructure, child care, COVID-19, taxes and other areas. So how’s he doing? (Reklaitis, 2/25)

Pew Research Center: State Of The Union 2022: How Americans View Major National Issues
President Joe Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address on Tuesday night. The speech comes as the country approaches the third year of the coronavirus pandemic, and amid rising concerns about the economy and challenges from abroad. Here’s a look at public opinion on some of the key issues facing the country, drawn from recent Pew Research Center surveys. (Schaeffer, 2/25)

More from the Biden administration —

Politico: FTC’s Top Economist Resigned Amid Dispute Over Pharma Study
The Federal Trade Commission’s top economist abruptly quit last week amid internal disagreements over a proposed study into pharmacy benefit managers, three people familiar with the situation said. Marta Wosinska, the FTC’s Bureau of Economics director, resigned on Feb. 16, a day before the FTC was set to vote on a study into PBMs, the companies that negotiate rebates from pharmaceutical manufacturers and develop lists of prescription drugs that health insurers will cover. Wosinska — who specializes in health care economics and previously worked for the Food and Drug Administration — had served as the FTC’s top economist since April 2021. (Nylen, 2/25)

Stat: NIH Official Accused Of 'Bias' Against Applying March-In Rights 
The campaign to use so-called march-in rights to widen access to a cancer drug is getting personal. Universities Allied for Essential Medicines, one of several advocacy groups backing the use of a controversial U.S. law to counter high drug prices, is arguing that an official at the National Institutes of Health should be recused from any decision-making role in responding to a petition to sidestep patents for the Xtandi prostate cancer drug. (Silverman, 2/25)

Politico: WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Calls For More 'Political Will' On Covid, Future Pandemics
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the director-general of the World Trade Organization, told POLITICO that member states are still in “difficult” conversations about a potential agreement on an intellectual property waiver that would allow countries to more easily manufacture the Covid-19 vaccine. For more than a year, WTO members have discussed a possible agreement on a Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights waiver. In recent weeks, Okonjo-Iweala and a small group of representatives, including those from the U.S., European Union, South Africa and India, have held targeted talks about a potential agreement. Okonjo-Iweala met with the organization’s general council this week in Geneva to discuss what she described in an interview as a “landing zone.” (Banco, 2/25)

KHN: Journalists Discuss The Cost Of Service Dogs And Medicaid Coverage For People With HIV
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances. (2/26)