Clinton Joins Lawmakers Slamming EpiPen Pricing, Endorses Creation Of Emergency Health Fund
Prescriptions drug costs, how to handle public health crises like Zika and Ebola and the candidates' health records all make headlines from the presidential campaign trail.
Bloomberg:
Clinton’s Attacks On Drug Pricing Leave Health Stocks Reeling
Drugmakers are learning to duck for cover when Hillary Clinton puts them in her sights. The Democratic presidential nominee’s influence was on display again Wednesday, when she sent Mylan NV’s shares plummeting as much as much as 6.2 percent within minutes of calling for the company to drop prices of its EpiPen emergency allergy shot. It marked the third time over the past year that Clinton’s comments roiled drug stocks. (Edney, 8/24)
Morning Consult:
Clinton Joins Outcry Against EpiPen Price Hike
Hillary Clinton called the massive increase in the price of EpiPens “outrageous” on Wednesday, joining a growing group of lawmakers and industry groups responding to the latest drug pricing scandal. Mylan Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of EpiPens, has raised the price of the drug/dispenser used for emergency allergic reactions by more than 400 percent since 2009, even though the product remains unchanged. It now costs as much as $600 for a pack of two EpiPens, which must be replaced every 12 to 18 months. (Owens, 8/24)
The Hill:
Clinton Sides With GOP On Emergency Health Fund
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton vowed Wednesday to create a public health emergency fund that she says would have averted the yearlong fight in Congress over funding to combat the Zika virus. Clinton is endorsing an idea long supported by Democrats — and, more recently, by Republican leadership in Congress. Last month, GOP leaders set aside $300 million for the nation’s first emergency public health fund in one of the pending government spending bills for next year. The proposal is dubbed the “FEMA for public health,” a reference to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which helps communities hurt by disasters. (Ferris, 8/24)
Morning Consult:
Clinton Proposes Fund For Public Health Emergencies
Hillary Clinton on Wednesday proposed the creation of a public health emergency fund to help the U.S. more quickly respond to emergencies like the Zika virus. A Public Health Rapid Response Fund with an annual budget allocation would help federal agencies more quickly respond to public health crises and could support research for emerging diseases, Clinton said in a statement. The proposal comes as lawmakers have been at odds over allocating funding for the Zika virus, as the number of people infected with the mosquito-borne virus continues to grow. (McIntire, 8/24)
The Associated Press:
Clinton Proposes New Federal Fund To Combat Zika Virus
As the Zika virus continues to spread, Hillary Clinton is proposing a new fund to improve the federal government's response to major public health crises. The Democratic presidential nominee says the U.S. is failing to sufficiently invest in public health preparedness, not only for Zika, but health threats from potentially pandemic diseases, climate change and possible bioterrorism. (Lerer, 8/24)
The Washington Post:
Trump Wanted To Keep Americans Critically Ill With Ebola Out Of The U.S.
Two years ago this month, the Ebola crisis in West Africa burst into American consciousness when a pair of U.S. health workers became critically ill battling the epidemic and health officials raced to bring them home for treatment. The pair, physician Kent Brantly and nurse Nancy Writebol, almost surely would have died if they hadn’t been airlifted from Monrovia, Liberia, to a special facility in Atlanta, where they eventually regained their health. Or if U.S. officials had listened to one of the loudest voices of opposition to that move: Donald Trump. (Bernstein, 8/24)
The Hill:
Trump Campaign Manager: 'Perhaps' He Should Release Medical Records
Donald Trump's new campaign manager on Wednesday night acknowledged that the GOP presidential candidate may need to release a more detailed medical statement than the glowing report previously published. "Doesn't he owe it to the American people to release an actual medical report, a more credible, more complete statement?" Rachel Maddow asked Kellyanne Conway on her MSNBC show. "Perhaps," Conway responded, before quickly moving onto discussing Hillary Clinton's health. (Byrnes, 8/24)
