Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Bill Proposes Rewards For Hospitals Who Demonstrate Drug Stewardship
Stat: Senate Drug Shortage Bill Would Pay Hospitals Bonuses For Good Contracting Practices
The Senate Finance Committee has drafted a bipartisan bill to mitigate drug shortages by rewarding hospitals for business practices that ensure an adequate supply of drugs. Drug shortages have been a persistent problem for years, and they’re worse than ever, according to a recent report by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Shortages are primarily a problem for hospitals and doctors who regularly administer drugs, including oncologists who have been running out of common chemo drugs. Generic injectables account for 67% of shortages, and more than half of drugs in short supply cost less than $1 per unit, according to the Finance Committee. (Wilkerson, 5/3)
On health care cyberattacks —
CNBC: U.S. Intelligence Chief Warns Congress Of Rise In Cyberattacks
The top U.S. intelligence official warned Congress of an alarming rise in cyberattacks at a hearing on global threats Thursday. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said the number of ransomware attacks worldwide grew as much as 74% in 2023. The comments from Haines come as various companies, such as UnitedHealth Group, MGM Resorts and Clorox, have been disrupted by cyberattacks in the past year. (Anastasio, 5/2)
Military.com: Veterans Health Information Feared To Be Stolen In Cyberattack That Shut Down Pharmacies
A top lawmaker is demanding answers on whether veterans' private health information was stolen in a cyberattack earlier this year after the company that was hacked acknowledged that a "substantial proportion of people in America" may have had sensitive information taken. In a letter to UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty that was publicly released Thursday, House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill., demanded the company be more cooperative with the Department of Veterans Affairs and immediately tell the VA whether any veterans' information was stolen in the attack on subsidiary Change Healthcare, or CHC. (Kheel, 5/2)
On fentanyl trafficking and marijuana research —
The Wall Street Journal: TD Bank Probe Tied To Laundering Of Illicit Fentanyl Profits
A Justice Department investigation into TD Bank’s internal controls focuses on how Chinese crime groups and drug traffickers used the Canadian lender to launder money from U.S. fentanyl sales. The investigation was launched after agents uncovered an operation in New York and New Jersey that laundered hundreds of millions of dollars in proceeds from illicit narcotics through TD and other banks, according to court documents and people familiar with the matter. In that case and at least one other, prosecutors also allege the criminals bribed TD employees. (Tokar, Baer and Monga, 5/2)
Modern Healthcare: How Marijuana Reclassification Could Spur Clinical Research
The federal government is poised to remove marijuana from the most dangerous class of drugs, which could open up more clinical treatments and research opportunities. The Justice Department is recommending reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug, down from a Schedule I drug. Its proposal, which would need to be cleared by the White House Office of Management and Budget, could allow researchers to investigate marijuana’s clinical applications more broadly. (Kacik, 5/2)
