Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Crazy Coincidence'? Sanders Jabs At Timing Of Moderna's Vaccine Pricing Announcement
Politico: 'Amazing Coincidence' Moderna Offered Free Vaccines When Asked To Testify, Bernie Sanders Says
It “maybe was just a wild and crazy coincidence” drug company Moderna announced a plan to give free Covid vaccines to uninsured Americans right as a Senate committee asked them to testify — but it was “a step in the right direction,” Sen. Bernie Sanders said Sunday. (Olander, 2/19)
Roll Call: Biden Administration Open To Legislation After Ohio Derailment
Biden administration officials said Friday they would welcome congressional action to ramp up safety measures for trains carrying highly hazardous materials following a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. (Yurk, 2/17)
The Wall Street Journal: Sen. John Fetterman Set For Lengthy Hospital Stay
Sen. John Fetterman could remain hospitalized for more than a month as the Pennsylvania Democrat undergoes treatment for depression, a senior aide said, following a series of health setbacks. (Hughes, 2/18)
From the Biden administration —
AP: FDA’s Own Reputation Could Be Restraining Its Misinfo Fight
The government agency responsible for tracking down contaminated peanut butter and defective pacemakers is taking on a new health hazard: online misinformation. It’s an unlikely role for the Food and Drug Administration, a sprawling, century-old bureaucracy that for decades directed most its communications toward doctors and corporations. (Perrone, 2/20)
Stat: Cereal, Pasta Companies Blast FDA For Strict Definition Of ‘Healthy’
General Mills, Kellogg’s, and the rest of the country’s cereal makers are mad at the FDA. So are the packaged food companies, the pasta industry, and the pickle lobby (yes, it exists). The companies behind America’s favorite culinary indulgences are worried their products wouldn’t be considered “healthy” under a recent Food and Drug Administration proposal — and they’re urging regulators to reconsider. (Florko, 2/21)
The Wall Street Journal: EPA Reinstates Tougher Rules On Mercury, Other Toxins Eased Under Trump
The Biden administration has reinstated an Obama-era rule on mercury and other toxic chemicals that are emitted from coal-fired and oil-fired power plants, pollutants that the Environmental Protection Agency says are a health risk to people who live near these facilities. EPA officials said Friday that the rule, known as the 2012 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, is “appropriate and necessary” to regulate emissions from power plants under the existing 1990 Clean Air Act. (Niiler, 2/17)
Meanwhile, concerning Medicaid and Medicare —
Fierce Healthcare: Majority In Survey Not Aware Of Medicaid Redeterminations
A recent survey of adults found more than 60% are not aware their eligibility for Medicaid could be in danger, underscoring the massive task states and managed care plans face ahead of an April 1 deadline. The analysis, published Thursday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, looks at the awareness of the looming Medicaid eligibility redeterminations at the end of 2022. The survey, conducted by the think tank Urban Institute, showed awareness was lacking across the country regardless of the area. (King, 2/17)
KHN: Why Do Politicians Weaponize Medicare? Because It Works
The Medicare wars are back, and almost no one in Washington is surprised. This time it’s Democrats accusing Republicans of wanting to maim the very popular federal health program that covers 64 million seniors and people with disabilities. In the past, Republicans have successfully pinned Democrats as the threat to Medicare. (Rovner, 2/21)
Also —
KHN: A Law Was Meant To Free Sick Or Aging Inmates. Instead, Some Are Left To Die In Prison
Jimmy Dee Stout was serving time on drug charges when he got grim news early last year. Doctors told Stout, now 62, the sharp pain and congestion in his chest were caused by stage 4 lung cancer, a terminal condition. “I’m holding on, but I would like to die at home,” he told the courts in a request last September for compassionate release after serving about half of his nearly 15-year sentence. (Clasen-Kelly, 2/21)
