Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
ACA Could See Boost From Biden Administration Shift On Immigrant Insurance
Modern Healthcare: Biden Lifting Green Card Insurance Requirements Could Boost ACA, Analysts Say
President Joe Biden on Friday rescinded a Trump-era rule that required green card applicants to provide proof of health insurance, or evidence they could pay for it, before entering the country, saying the move does not advance the interests of the U.S. "My administration is committed to expanding access to quality, affordable healthcare," Biden said in a statement. "We can achieve that objective, however, without barring the entry of noncitizens who seek to immigrate lawfully to this country but who lack significant financial means or have not purchased health insurance coverage." (Tepper, 5/17)
Forbes: Biden Strikes Down Trump Rule Requiring Immigrants To Buy Health Insurance
The health insurance requirement was part of a wave of Trump-era policies seeking to tighten standards for legal immigration. Most notably, Trump aimed to reject green card applicants if they’ve used a wide array of government programs like Medicaid or public housing in the past, or if their incomes put them at risk of needing public assistance in the future. This “public charge rule,” proposed in 2019, was cast as a way of ensuring immigrants are self-sufficient, but critics blasted it for excluding productive low-income immigrants. Federal courts struck down the rule last year, and Biden chose not to appeal their decision. (Walsh, 5/14)
KHN: The Great Undoing: Which Of Trump’s Policies Will Biden Reverse?
KHN has put together an interactive tool of significant health policies implemented by the Trump administration using its own authority — executive orders, agency guidance or formal regulations — and is tracking Biden administration and court actions. (Rovner)
In other news from the Biden administration —
CNN: 'Havana Syndrome': US Investigates Second Suspected Case Of Mystery 'Syndrome' Near White House
Two White House officials were struck by a mysterious illness late last year -- including one who was passing through a gate onto the property -- newly revealed details that come as investigators are still struggling to determine who or what is behind these strange incidents. Multiple sources tell CNN that the episodes affected two officials on the National Security Council in November 2020, one the day after the presidential election and one several weeks later. The cases are consistent with an inexplicable constellation of sensory experiences and physical symptoms that have sickened more than 100 US diplomats, spies and troops around the globe and have come to be known as "Havana Syndrome." (Williams, Herb and Bertrand, 5/17)
CNBC: Covid-19: Patent Waivers And Impact On Global Vaccine Supply Shortages
Waiving intellectual property protections for Covid-19 vaccines will not help to address the global supply shortage, the co-founder of a Massachusetts-based biopharmaceutical company told CNBC. The push for patent waivers is “political theater” and does not inherently allow others to create safe and effective vaccines, which are already very difficult to make, said Jake Becraft, CEO and co-founder of Strand Therapeutics. (Choudhury, 5/17)
