- Robert Pear, who died this week, was the dean of health policy reporters and will be remembered not just for the many front-page stories he produced for The New York Times, but also as a generous and kind colleague who helped mentor many reporters new to the beat.
- The Trump administration’s announcement last week of new regulations to protect health care workers from having to do anything they believe violates their religious beliefs is a stronger policy than past Republicans have adopted. But it follows other efforts to expand past conservative policies, such as the current administration’s more stringent Title X family planning rules.
- The administration’s new rule requiring drugmakers to add list prices to their TV ads could confuse some consumers, since few of them actually pay that price. Their insurers often negotiate better prices, and other factors, such as geography and type of pharmacy, affect the consumer’s bottom line.
- President Donald Trump this week told Health and Human Services officials to work with Florida on its plan to import drugs from Canada to take advantage of lower prices there. HHS Secretary Alex Azar said he would see if it can be done without jeopardizing the safety of the drugs. That is the rub that his predecessors have used to stop importation efforts, dating to the 1990s.
- The increasing interest in Democratic proposals such as “Medicare for All,” which would set up a government-run health care system, and “Medicare for America,” which would offer a government-run option for consumers and businesses, suggests that a public option is not the political hot potato it was during the debate setting up the ACA. It’s also not clear whether consumers are ready to give up their current insurance.
- Tennessee is getting ready to ask federal officials for a major change in its Medicaid system. The state wants to switch to a block grant, in which its federal funding would be limited but would come with much more flexibility for spending. The proposal is likely to end up in court because advocates for the poor argue the change would cut off services to some people and would violate laws that have defined Medicaid.
