Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Debt-Limit Talks Continue
The Hill: Biden, McCarthy To Meet Again As Debt Limit Deal Remains At Stalemate
President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) are set to meet for another round of debt ceiling talks this week, as a deal over raising the borrowing limit remains at a stalemate. This week’s meeting — which has not been formally announced yet — comes after a gathering scheduled for Friday at the White House between the president and congressional leaders was postponed. It will be the second meeting of the principals this month: Biden huddled with the top four Capitol Hill figures last Tuesday. (Schnell, 5/15)
NBC News: Social Security Advocates Brace For Debt Default: Seniors Should 'Be Prepared'
With the odds of a U.S. debt default increasing, Social Security advocates warn beneficiaries they should be prepared in case their payments are interrupted. ... The impasse has placed the U.S. in a precarious financial position, and leaves some of the most vulnerable Americans at risk. Wile, 5/13)
Politico: How The Supreme Court Might View The Debt Limit Fight
If Joe Biden and House Republicans fail to reach a debt deal, the crisis could get tossed to the Supreme Court — where it would scramble the usual priorities of the court’s conservatives. The court’s current approach to most cases is overwhelmingly pro-market and business-friendly. The justices would be wary of stoking economic calamity. (Swan, 5/14)
In related news about Social Security payments —
The Hill: Social Security COLA To Drop Significantly In 2024, Senior Group Predicts
Social Security recipients shouldn’t expect 2024’s cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to be as significant as 2023’s, despite warnings that beneficiaries are losing their purchasing power. “The 2024 COLA could be around 3.1%,” Mary Johnson, the Social Security and Medicare policy analyst for the Senior Citizens League, said in a news release issued last week. (Bartiromo, 5/14)
In other health care news from Capitol Hill —
AP: Historically Black Medical Schools Urge More Spending In Hearing With Bernie Sanders
To train more Black doctors, the federal government needs to bolster funding and make more training slots available for historically Black medical schools, leaders of those universities told U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Friday. “Our HBCU medical schools are the backbone of training Black doctors in this country.” Dr. Hugh Mighty, Howard University’s senior vice president of health affairs, said at a hearing in Atlanta. (Amy, 5/12)
AP: Mother Of Honduran Migrant Teen Who Died In US Custody Says He Had Epilepsy But Wasn't Seriously Ill
The mother of a 17-year-old Honduran migrant who died in U.S. custody said Saturday her son had epilepsy but showed no signs of being seriously ill before he left for the United States. The death of Ángel Eduardo Maradiaga Espinoza at a holding center in Safety Harbor, Florida, on Wednesday underscored concerns about a strained immigration system as the Biden administration ends asylum restrictions known as Title 42. (Gonzalez, 5/14)
