Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: January 13, 2016
Kaiser Health News: Making The Most Of Military Medics’ Field Experience
WFAE's Michael Tomsic, working in partnership with Kaiser Health News and NPR, reports: "Veteran Dave Manning served two combat deployments in Iraq and was the sole medical provider for more than 100 people on a Navy ship. But as he contemplated his post-military job prospects, he struggled. 'Trying to find something in the medical field without any credentials, without any licensure is tough. There's nothing out there.' Manning is in the inaugural class of a physician assistant training program launched this month by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and geared at recruiting non-traditional students -- specifically, veterans, as the country seeks to improve health care by expanding the number of primary care providers." (Tomsic, 1/13)
The New York Times: In State Of The Union Address, Obama Confronts Americans’ Fears
President Obama on Tuesday set forth an ambitious vision for America’s future but conceded his own failure to heal the political divisions holding back progress, calling it a lasting disappointment of his tenure. “It’s one of the few regrets of my presidency, that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better,” Mr. Obama said, adding that “a president with the gifts of Lincoln or Roosevelt might have better bridged the divide.” (Davis and Shear, 1/12)
The Washington Post: Obama Urges Nation Not To Fear Future
Obama gave passing mention to a handful of policy priorities — including promoting trade, curbing prescription-drug abuse, reforming the criminal-justice system and curing cancer — but he devoted more of the speech to talking to the nation rather than the House and Senate members before him. (Mufson and Eilperin, 1/13)
The Associated Press: Obama Summons Americans To Compromise And Change
Addressing a hostile Republican-led Congress and a country plunged in a tumultuous, at times angry presidential campaign, Obama used his final State of the Union address to summon an affirmative vision of his administration and for the future. ... Obama defended his health measure Tuesday night, claiming that millions have gained coverage "and our businesses have created jobs every single month since it became law." Delivering the GOP response, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley reiterated the party's pledge to "end a disastrous health care program, and replace it with reforms." (1/13)
USA Today: Vice President Biden Will Head Pursuit Of Cancer Cure
President Obama announced during his State of the Union Address that he’s putting Vice President Biden in charge of carrying out the “moonshot” to cure cancer that Biden called for following his son’s death. "Last month, [Biden] worked with this Congress to give scientists at the National Institutes of Health the strongest resources they’ve had in over a decade," Obama said. "Tonight, I’m announcing a new national effort to get it done. And because he’s gone to the mat for all of us, on so many issues over the past forty years, I’m putting Joe in charge of Mission Control. For the loved ones we’ve all lost, for the family we can still save, let’s make America the country that cures cancer once and for all." (Gaudiano, 1/12)
The Washington Post: Cancer ‘Moonshot’ Will Actually Be A Collection Of Smaller Initiatives
President Obama called Tuesday for a stepped-up war on cancer, but with hundreds, even thousands, of types of cancer and an ever-increasing number of specialized therapies for them, experts say there is no true “moonshot” approach to tackling the nation’s second-leading cause of death. “A single approach to cancer...ain’t going to happen,” said Jose Baselga, president of the American Association for Cancer Research and chief medical officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. “Cancer, we’ve learned, is far more complex than we’ve ever imagined. Every single tumor is different.” Yet top cancer specialists agree on several big ideas that might push the boundaries of research and therapy for the 1.7 million people diagnosed each year. (Bernstein, 1/12)
The New York Times: Obama, In Nebraska And Louisiana, Aims To Kick Off Discussions On Future
While President Barack Obama's speeches and engagements in both states will cover a variety of subjects, Nebraska and Louisiana are fitting places for him to press for a continuing expansion of his health care law. To date, 30 states and the District of Columbia have expanded their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act. But the refusal of many states with large uninsured populations to accept the money and offer health care to millions more has been a source of frustration for the president. With new legislative sessions about to begin across the country, Republican governors in two holdout states — Matt Mead of Wyoming and Dennis Daugaard of South Dakota — are trying to persuade their legislatures to expand the program. (Harris and Goodnough, 1/13)
The Associated Press: House GOP In Election-Year Probe Of Presidential 'Overreach'
House Republicans said Tuesday that they will launch an election-year study of what they say has been executive overreach by President Barack Obama and other recent presidents. ... The House GOP is pursuing a federal lawsuit accusing the president of unconstitutionally spending money that Congress has not approved for his health care overhaul. (Fram, 1/12)
Reuters: Obama Nominee To Lead FDA Wins Backing From Senate Committee
President Barack Obama's nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Robert Califf, won backing from a Senate committee on Tuesday as its members shrugged off criticism from consumer watchdogs that he is too closely linked with the pharmaceutical industry to lead the agency impartially. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions voted to confirm Califf as FDA Commissioner, a position that has been open since Dr. Margaret Hamburg stepped down last February. The nomination must now be approved by the full Senate. He is widely expected to be confirmed. (Clarke, 1/12)
The New York Times: Louisiana’s New Governor Signs An Order To Expand Medicaid
On Tuesday, his second day in office, Gov. John Bel Edwards signed an executive order expanding Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act, fulfilling a campaign promise that will expand health coverage to hundreds of thousands of people in one of the nation’s poorest states. The action by Mr. Edwards, a Democrat, under President Obama’s health care law was expected to be one of the most significant and immediate results of his election in November, when he defeated Senator David Vitter, a Republican whose campaign was tainted by a prostitution scandal. (Fausset and Goodnough, 1/12)
The Associated Press: Kansas Cutting Off Medicaid Funds For Planned Parenthood
Kansas will prevent Planned Parenthood from receiving any funds through its Medicaid program, Gov. Sam Brownback announced Tuesday in a State of the State address that encouraged state legislators to enshrine such a policy into law. Brownback used his speech to outline a broad legislative agenda on multiple issues and announced his action against Planned Parenthood near the end. (Hanna, 1/12)
Reuters: Aetna CEO Sees Humana Deal On Track To Close This Year
Aetna Inc Chief Executive Mark Bertolini said on Tuesday that he still expects the company's $37 billion acquisition of rival Humana Inc to close this year. The deal is being reviewed by the U.S. Department of Justice, which has been seeking documents about Aetna's and Humana's business as it assesses how the deal, and a pending $47 billion combination of Anthem Inc and Cigna Corp, could affect consumers. (Humer, 1/12)
The Wall Street Journal: Anthem Says It Enrolled More Members Than Expected In 2015
Health insurer Anthem Inc. offered 2016 earnings guidance roughly in line with analyst expectations and said it enrolled more members than it expected last year. The company said in its filing that it enrolled a slightly more-than-expected number of customers in 2015. Anthem said 2015 enrollment is expected to be about 38.6 million members, above the 38.3 million to 38.5 million range it predicted in October. (Beilfuss, 1/12)
The Wall Street Journal: Anthem’s Rising Tide Lifts Health Insurer Boats
With a strong forecast for 2016 results, Anthem helped ease investor angst around health insurance stocks. Anthem said Tuesday during a presentation at the J.P. Morgan healthcare conference that it expects adjusted earnings per share of “greater than” $10.80 in 2016, before any costs associated with its acquisition of Cigna. That floor, which would mark more than a 6% increase over last year’s expected earnings, was close enough to the analyst consensus of $10.87 to lift its stock. (Grant, 1/12)
The Associated Press: Pfizer, Allergan CEOs: Tie-Up Aims For Growth, Not Cost Cuts
The heads of drugmakers Pfizer and Allergan said Tuesday that the record $160 billion combination they’re planning is meant to produce more medicines and boost revenue, not to just slash jobs and other costs as the companies previously have done. (Johnson, 1/12)
The Associated Press: FDA Panel Favors Approval For Drug-Oozing Addiction Implant
Federal health advisers recommended approval Tuesday for an experimental implant designed to treat patients recovering from heroin and painkiller addiction. Despite shortcomings in company studies, a majority of Food and Drug Administration advisers said the implant offers important benefits not currently available. The drug-oozing device is intended to be a safer, more reliable approach to controlling cravings and withdrawal symptoms. (Perrone, 1/12)
Los Angeles Times: Bill That Aimed To Shed Light On Specialty Prescription Drug Pricing Is Shelved
In a battle between two Capitol lobbying heavyweights — health insurers and pharmaceutical companies — the latter scored a major win Tuesday, beating back a measure designed to provide more transparency on prescription drug pricing. Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) declined to put his transparency measure up for a vote in a key committee Tuesday, effectively killing the bill. (Mason, 1/13)
The Wall Street Journal: Kindred Healthcare To Pay $125 Million To Settle U.S. Allegations Over Therapy Services
Kindred Healthcare Inc. agreed to pay $125 million to settle federal allegations it provided unnecessary therapy services to nursing-home patients as part of a scheme to overbill the federal Medicare program, according to the agreement finalized on Tuesday. Several nursing homes that hired Kindred’s therapy unit, RehabCare, to provide services to their residents separately agreed to pay the federal government about $8 million for their role in the alleged scheme. (Weaver, 1/12)
The Associated Press: Nursing Home Therapy Provider Settles Lawsuit For $125M
The U.S. attorney's office in Boston says RehabCare and four nursing facility operators submitted Medicare claims based on therapy services that were "unreasonable, unnecessary ... or that never occurred." The government's complaint alleges among other things that RehabCare reported that therapy had been provided to patients who were asleep or unable to benefit. (1/12)
