As Gas Stove Chatter Roils Lawmakers, Biden Administration Clarifies
“To be clear, I am not looking to ban gas stoves and the [U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission] has no proceeding to do so,” Chairman Alexander Hoehn-Saric told the Wall Street Journal. Also in the news: First Lady Jill Biden's Mohs surgery; Obamacare's popularity in South Florida; CAR T-cell therapy in doctors' offices; and more.
Politico:
Talk Of Gas Stove Rules Angers Manchin, Republicans
"The federal government has no business telling American families how to cook their dinner," Manchin said in a statement. "If this is the greatest concern that the Consumer Product Safety Commission has for American consumers, I think we need to reevaluate the commission." A peer-reviewed study released last month found that nearly 13 percent of childhood asthma rates in the United States are attributable to gas stove usage. (Portuondo and Wittenberg, 1/11)
The Wall Street Journal:
Gas Stoves Don’t Face Ban From Biden Administration
“To be clear, I am not looking to ban gas stoves and the CPSC has no proceeding to do so,” said Chairman Alexander Hoehn-Saric. He said the CPSC is researching emissions from stoves and “actively engaged in strengthening voluntary safety standards.” (Collins and Blunt, 1/11)
In news about the First Lady —
The New York Times:
Jill Biden Has Surgery To Remove Two Cancerous Lesions
The White House physician, Dr. Kevin C. O’Connor, said in a statement that the tissue from two sites — above her right eye and on her chest — was tested and confirmed to be basal cell carcinoma, a common and relatively unaggressive form of skin cancer. All the cancerous tissue was removed, Dr. O’Connor said, and doctors did not expect any further procedures to be necessary. (Montague, 1/11)
Reuters:
U.S. First Lady Had All Cancerous Tissue Removed After Surgery - White House
"All cancerous tissue was successfully removed and the margins were clear of any residual skin cancer cells," White House physician Kevin O'Connor said in a letter, adding that no further procedures were anticipated. (1/11)
On other political, legal developments relating to health and care —
AP:
Arkoosh To Lead Shapiro's Sprawling Human Services Agency
Dr. Val Arkoosh, an anesthesiologist who led Pennsylvania’s third-most populous county through the pandemic before mounting a failed run for U.S. Senate, will be nominated to lead the sprawling Department of Human Services under the incoming Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro. Wednesday’s announcement by Shapiro also included his picks to lead the departments of Health, Drug and Alcohol Programs, Aging and Insurance. (Levy, 1/11)
The New York Times:
Obamacare Is Everywhere In The Unlikeliest Of Places: Miami
Lídice Hernández opened an insurance agency last year on a busy street, affixing to the storefront a logo that has become deeply familiar in South Florida: a white sun rising over the red stripes of the American flag, all encased in a big, blue O.“Obamacare,” it read underneath. (Mazzei, 1/11)
Stat:
Medicare Paves The Way For CAR-T In Doctors Offices
Medicare officials have taken a step toward making a cutting-edge cancer treatment called CAR T-cell therapy available in doctor offices, in anticipation of the procedure being used for increasingly common cancer types. (Wilkerson, 1/12)
Politico:
Bill Seeking To Charge Retirees For Health Insurance Is Unlikely To Pass Council
Legislation backed by Mayor Eric Adams to charge municipal retirees, who don’t select the Medicare Advantage plan, is facing significant opposition in the City Council, the lawmakers told POLITICO. (Touré, 1/11)
The Wall Street Journal:
Veterans Affairs Agency Waives Doctor Copays For Native Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs said it would waive all copays for eligible American Indian and Alaska Native veterans, in an effort to boost use of primary-care medicine among traditionally underserved populations. (Kesling, 1/11)
