Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
21 Drugs Are Cleared For Back-End Payments In Revised Pilot Of 340B Program
Healthcare Dive: HRSA Discloses Manufacturers Approved For Revised 340B Rebate Pilot
The Trump administration has released a highly anticipated list of 10 drugmakers that it will allow to shift discounts on drugs from upfront savings to back-end rebates in a controversial federal program. Starting Jan. 1, major pharmaceutical companies including AbbVie, Merck and Pfizer will only have to pay savings to providers participating in the 340B drug discount program after they verify the transaction qualifies, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration, the HHS subagency that oversees 340B. (Parduhn, 10/1)
Modern Healthcare: HRSA 340B Rebate Model Pressures Rural Hospitals, Clinics
Small hospitals, health centers and clinics are caught in the crosshairs of an intensifying fight over the 340B Drug Pricing Program. In recent years, drugmakers and hospitals have gone head-to-head over 340B. Hospitals argue the program is a critical funding lifeline and stretches their resources, while drugmakers contend its explosive growth and alleged misuse by large health systems necessitate reform. The 340B program, begun in 1992, offers participating providers discounts of 25% to 50% on an array of medications in exchange for manufacturers’ enrollment in the Medicaid program. (Early, 10/1)
More health news from the Trump administration —
Fierce Healthcare: HHS Awards Nearly $250M In Addiction Treatment, Overdose Prevention Grants
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded nearly $250 million in grants Friday aimed at expanding access to mental health services and addiction treatment across the nation. The $247.9 million in funds were distributed through HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The projects receiving the highest amount of grant money are Medication-Assisted Treatment – Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction ($69.4 million); Project AWARE ($54.9 million) National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative – Category III Community Treatment and Service Centers ($41.8 million) and First Responders - Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act ($34.6 million). (Gleeson, 10/1)
Stat: As CDC Redesigns Annual Health Survey, It Removes Questions About Disabilities
A proposed redesign of the federal government’s annual health survey would result in significant undercounting of Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to advocates for the vulnerable population. (Broderick, 10/1)
The New York Times: Housing Official, Who Targeted Trump Foes, Cuts Watchdog Office
Bill Pulte, President Trump’s director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, moved this week to slash the inspector general’s office that scrutinizes his actions, prompting calls from congressional Democrats for his resignation. It was the second time that Trump administration officials have taken steps to limit scrutiny of the federal regulatory agency run by Mr. Pulte, who has become one of the administration's most contentious figures because he prides himself on carrying out investigations into Mr. Trump’s rivals. (Broadwater, 10/1)
The Washington Post: TSA Officers Must Now Stand Up On The Job
The agency announced this week that it is removing chairs at this position in airports throughout the country, requiring staff members to stand for their shift. In a statement, TSA explained the reason as twofold: to ensure its employees meet its fitness standards and to create an amiable environment for travelers. In a Facebook post, the American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100, the union that represents the officers, expressed concern over the agency’s “consequential decision.” The ergonomic chairs, the union argued, provide safety and support for officers who stand and walk on hard surfaces for extended periods. (Sachs, 10/1)
NBC News: Kennedy To Roll Out $10 Million Challenge To Encourage Presidential Fitness Test In Schools
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to announce a new nationwide competition for schools aimed at expanding participation in the Presidential Fitness Test, which President Donald Trump revived last year. The challenge will offer $7 million in prizes to schools, districts and youth organizations that demonstrate effective ways to implement the test, the Health and Human Services Department told NBC News. Another $3 million in awards and vouchers will be available for fitness or sports equipment. (Bendix, 10/1)
KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘What The Health?’: The MAHA Metamorphosis
The big “Make America Healthy Again” summit at a glitzy Washington, D.C., hotel this week highlighted a split in the movement between moms who want pesticides and artificial ingredients out of their kids’ food and wellness entrepreneurs who want to promote their products to government regulators. Meanwhile, as the new fiscal year begins, the Trump administration is refusing for the second year in a row to spend hundreds of millions of dollars Congress approved for the Department of Health and Human Services — and daring lawmakers or the courts to try to do something about it. (Rovner, 10/1)
On the immigration crisis —
The Washington Post: Supreme Court Agrees To Review ICE Mandatory Detention Policy For Immigrants
The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would review the legality of the Trump administration’s novel policy of denying bond hearings to immigrants swept up in its immigration crackdown. The case is one of the first the high court has accepted since its summer recess ended, and it promises to be among the most consequential of the term that officially begins next week. (Mark and Nakamura, 10/1)
The Washington Post: Renée Good’s Family Sues Trump Officials, Saying Death Was ‘Not An Accident’
The family of Renée Good, who was shot and killed by a federal immigration officer during the Trump administration’s enforcement surge in Minneapolis earlier this year, has sued the United States and officials for her death. The family filed two civil lawsuits Thursday seeking accountability for what they described as a wrongful use of force that resulted in Good’s death and a broader effort to undermine the rights of Minneapolis residents. (Foster-Frau, 10/1)
