Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Director's Compensation To Be Cut Following Questions About $375,000 Salary
The New York Times: C.D.C. Director’s $375,000 Salary Will Be Cut
The government will lower the $375,000 salary of the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert R. Redfield, after reports that he was being paid considerably more than previous directors, the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed on Monday, though it declined to say what his new pay will be. Dr. Redfield, who became the C.D.C. director in March, had been given the higher salary under a provision called Title 42. It was created by Congress to allow federal agencies to offer compensation that is competitive with the private sector in order to attract top-notch scientists with expertise that the departments would not otherwise have. News reports of his earnings sparked complaints from Senate Democrats and watchdog groups. (Belluck, 4/30)
The Associated Press: CDC Chief Asks For, And Gets, Cut To His Record $375K Pay
On Monday, HHS officials said Redfield has asked for a pay reduction because the topic had become a distraction. They said his compensation will be adjusted accordingly, but did not answer questions about what the new sum is or when it will be announced. Redfield has not been doing media interviews since taking the CDC job, and he didn't immediately comment on the pay cut. A top HIV researcher, Redfield had no experience working in public health or managing a public health agency. (Stobbe, 4/30)
The Washington Post: CDC Director Asks That His $375,000 Salary Be Cut After Questions Raised
In a letter Friday to Azar, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) asked for the justification for offering Redfield “a salary significantly higher” than that of his predecessors and other leaders at HHS. Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, noted news reports last week that Redfield was being hired under a special salary program. Title 42, as it is known, was established by Congress to attract health scientists with rare and critical skills to government work. It grants federal agencies authority to offer salary and benefit packages that are competitive with those offered in the private sector and academia. (Sun, 4/30)
The Hill: CDC Director Asks For Salary Reduction After Questions Raised
The use of Title 42 to justify Redfield's $375,000 annual salary was first reported by The Associated Press. Redfield’s predecessor Brenda Fitzgerald was not paid under the program, and made $197,300 annually. Neither was her predecessor, Tom Frieden, whose compensation in 2016 was $219,700. (Weixel, 4/30)
In other news from the Trump administration —
CNN: Mike Pence's Doctor Alerted White House Aides About Ronny Jackson Concerns Last Fall
Vice President Mike Pence's physician privately raised alarms within the White House last fall that President Donald Trump's doctor may have violated federal privacy protections for a key patient -- Pence's wife, Karen -- and intimidated the vice president's doctor during angry confrontations over the episode. The previously unreported incident is the first sign that serious concerns about Ronny Jackson's conduct had reached the highest levels of the White House as far back as September -- months before White House aides furiously defended Jackson's professionalism, insisted he had been thoroughly vetted and argued allegations of misconduct amounted to unsubstantiated rumors. (Raju, 4/30)
