First Edition: July 25, 2018
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
Déjà Voodoo: Pharma’s Promises To Curb Drug Prices Have Been Heard Before
Prescription drug prices were soaring. Angry policymakers swore they’d take action. Pharma giant Merck responded by promising to address the problem voluntarily, vowing to keep price increases under the overall rate of inflation. “We believe these moderate increases are a responsible approach, which will help to contain costs,” the Merck CEO said at the annual shareholders meeting. That assurance wasn’t made last week, when multiple drug companies offered similar pledges amid similar criticism. It was nearly three decades ago, in 1990. (Hancock and Tribble, 7/25)
Kaiser Health News:
Purdue Pharma Edits Public Service Ad In Washington Post
In a new public service ad, drugmaker Purdue Pharma suggested that taking opioids such as its painkiller OxyContin even as prescribed can prove dangerous — then appeared to backtrack a few days later. “We are acutely aware of the public health risks opioid analgesics can create, even when taken as prescribed,” Purdue wrote in a full-page advocacy ad published July 19 in The Washington Post. (Schulte, 7/24)
Kaiser Health News:
How To Save A Choking Senator: Heimlich Heirs, Red Cross Disagree On Technique
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) found herself in a dangerous situation last month when she started choking during a Democratic members’ luncheon. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) swooped in, grabbed her around the middle and squeezed her, performing the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge the food. Manchin’s act likely saved McCaskill’s life. But in Washington, where no topic seems immune to controversy, Manchin’s use of the well-known technique has resurfaced a decades-old debate about whether to slap or squeeze. (Heredia Rodriguez, 7/25)
The New York Times:
Trump Administration, In Reversal, Will Resume Risk Payments To Health Insurers
The Trump administration, in an abrupt reversal, said Tuesday that it would restart a program that pays billions of dollars to insurers to stabilize health insurance markets under the Affordable Care Act. The administration suspended the program less than three weeks ago, saying it was compelled to do so by a federal court decision in New Mexico. But the administration said Tuesday that it would restore the program because otherwise health plans could become insolvent or withdraw from the market, causing chaos for consumers. (Pear, 7/24)
The Associated Press:
Trump Administration To Resume 'Obamacare' Insurer Payments
About $10 billion is at stake through a premium stabilization program. Insurers with healthier-than-average customers pay into the program, and the money goes to insurers with sicker patients. No taxpayer subsidies are involved. The administration had faced widespread criticism for its original move, with insurers warning of premium increases and exits from the market. Republican lawmakers were concerned about political fallout affecting the midterm elections. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 7/24)
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump Administration To Resume ‘Risk Adjustment’ Payments To Insurers
The new rule appears to clear the way for the planned flow this fall of risk-adjustment money tied to the 2017 plan year, a total that CMS had said amounted to $10.4 billion. “This rule will restore operation of the risk adjustment program, and mitigate some of the uncertainty caused by the New Mexico litigation,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “Issuers that had expressed concerns about having to withdraw from markets or becoming insolvent should be assured by our actions today.” (Wilde Mathews, 7/24)
Politico:
Trump Administration To Resume Obamacare’s Insurer Payments
The risk adjustment program, created to protect Obamacare insurers that attract sicker and more expensive customers, has been targeted in court by some companies that allege it penalizes smaller startup health plans. A federal judge in one case partially agreed, ruling in February that HHS erred in requiring that the risk adjustment program be budget neutral. (Cancryn, 7/24)
The New York Times:
A Vote Expanded Medicaid In Maine. The Governor Is Ignoring It.
Brandy Staples, a 39-year-old breast cancer survivor, had expected to become eligible for Medicaid coverage this month after Maine voters approved an expansion of the program last fall. Instead, she found herself in a courtroom here on Wednesday, watching the latest chapter unfold in a rancorous, drawn-out battle over whether she and thousands of other poor people in the state will get free government insurance after all. Ignoring the binding vote, Gov. Paul LePage has refused to expand the program, blasting it as a needless, budget-busting form of welfare. He vetoed five expansion bills before the issue made the ballot, plus a spending bill this month that provided about $60 million in funding for the first year. (Goodnough, 7/24)
The Wall Street Journal:
House Votes To Repeal Tax On Medical Devices
The House voted Tuesday to repeal a 2.3% excise tax on medical devices, again showing bipartisan support for eliminating the levy. Congress created the tax in the 2010 Affordable Care Act to help pay for expanding health insurance, but medical-device companies and their home-state allies in both parties have been fighting against it ever since. (Rubin and Andrews, 7/24)
The Associated Press:
GOP, Dems Focus On Messages As Summer Recess, Elections Near
One House bill, backed mostly by Republicans, would repeal a tax imposed on some medical devices to help pay for President Barack Obama's health care law, a statute they despise. With another, still a bare-bones outline, the GOP would make last year's $1.5 trillion tax cut permanent and expand reductions for families, homeschooling and businesses. (Fram, 7/25)
The Associated Press Fact Check:
Trump Exaggerates VA Gains In Veterans Speech
President Donald Trump is exaggerating the progress he's made on his campaign promise to provide veterans with quick medical treatment from private doctors if they're dissatisfied with Department of Veterans Affairs care. Speaking at a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention Tuesday, Trump prematurely described VA benefits that have yet to be implemented as immediately available and a "big success." (Yen, 7/25)
The New York Times Fact Check:
Trump’s Confusing Claim About The Veterans Choice Program
Mr. Trump is confusing an existing program for veterans’ health care with recently enacted reforms, and exaggerating the impact of the changes. The Veterans Choice Program was created in 2014 — not under Mr. Trump — after the scandal of hidden waiting lists at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals. Under the program, veterans who do not live within 40 miles of a department hospital or face wait times of more than 30 days for care could seek private health care funded by the government. (Qiu, 7/24)
The Wall Street Journal:
Congress Passed VA Bill But Now Debates How To Pay For It
A dispute has broken out among lawmakers and the White House over how to pay for a newly expanded Department of Veterans Affairs health-care program, stalling negotiations over the first big chunk of the next fiscal year’s government funding. The fight centers on whether Congress should go around a two-year budget deal to pay for the overhaul of veterans’ health-care programs signed into law last month or cut money elsewhere to stay within budget limits lawmakers agreed to in February. (Peterson and Kesling, 7/24)
The New York Times:
V.A. Shuns Medical Marijuana, Leaving Vets To Improvise
Some of the local growers along the coast here see it as an act of medical compassion: Donating part of their crop of high-potency medical marijuana to ailing veterans, who line up by the dozens each month in the echoing auditorium of the city’s old veterans’ hall to get a ticket they can exchange for a free bag. One Vietnam veteran in the line said he was using marijuana-infused oil to treat pancreatic cancer. Another said that smoking cannabis eased the pain from a recent hip replacement better than prescription pills did. Several said that a few puffs temper the anxiety and nightmares of post-traumatic stress disorder. (Philipps, 7/25)
The Washington Post:
Government On Track To Reunite Most Families, But Judge Chides ‘Troubling’ Process
The Trump administration said Tuesday it is on track to reunite the majority of separated migrant families ahead of a July 26 court deadline, but workers are still sorting through case files to determine whether hundreds of parents were deported without their children. Government attorneys told U.S. District Court Judge Dana M. Sabraw, who mandated the reunifications last month and has overseen the process, that the government has given 1,012 parents their children back so far, out of 2,551 who were separated. Hundreds more families are due to be reunited by the judge’s Thursday deadline, the attorneys said, which Sabraw praised as “a remarkable achievement.” (Miroff, 7/24)
The Washington Post:
Reunited: What Comes Next For Parents And Kids Separated By Trump's Immigration Crackdown
Two by two, they came through the double doors of the shuttered retirement home: mothers tightly clutching their children, fathers holding fast to small hands. They had been among the more than 2,500 parents stripped of their children and imprisoned after illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. But now, after outrage and protests and a class-action lawsuit, the Trump administration was being forced to reunite the families ahead of a court-ordered deadline Thursday. (Miller, 7/24)
The Washington Post Fact Checker:
No, HHS Secretary Azar Did Not Say ‘Zero Tolerance’ Children Received A ‘Great Act Of American Generosity’
Equity Forward, an abortion-rights group, placed what it claimed was a “heavy six-figure” television buy via an affiliate that attacks Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar for comments made during an interview on July 10 with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. The group, as part of its HHS Watch project, has increasingly highlighted the department’s role in the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy of separating children from families seeking asylum at the U.S. border. (Kessler, 7/25)
The Wall Street Journal:
School Districts Prepare For New Immigrant Children
Some school districts are preparing for more immigrant students than usual this fall due to children who were separated from their parents at the border and others who came alone and are settling in their areas. Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools in Florida, wrote Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in June about not being told that 1,000 children were being housed at a shelter in his area. It isn’t clear if the children were separated from parents or came unaccompanied, or both. (Hobbs, 7/25)
The Hill:
Eli Lilly CEO Denounces Plan To Consider Drug Imports
Executives at Eli Lilly, one of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical companies, are denouncing the Trump administration’s proposal to consider ways to import prescription drugs from other countries. During the company’s second quarter earnings call Tuesday, executives said the idea of importing drugs from abroad, even in narrow circumstances, is concerning. (Weixel, 7/24)
The Associated Press:
FDA Approves New Pill To Reduce Pain From Endometriosis
A new treatment for pain caused by endometriosis was approved Tuesday by U.S. regulators. The common condition involves abnormal tissue growth from the uterus that can cause severe pain and infertility. Drugmaker Abbvie said the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug, Orilissa, for pain during menstruation and intercourse and at other times. Abbvie says it's the first new pill for endometriosis in a decade. (Johnson, 7/24)
Stat:
Prescription Apps Are Gaining Ground — And Drug Makers' Backing
Click Therapeutics, based in New York, announced Monday that Sanofi (SNY) Ventures would be providing $17 million in funding, in exchange for equity in the company and a seat on its board. In April, Pear Therapeutics and Sandoz, a division of Novartis (NVS), established a partnership to commercialize their prescription app for substance abuse, which received FDA clearance in September after going through the agency’s digital health pre-certification program. And Akili Interactive closed a $55 million Series C funding round that included Merck’s (MRK) corporate venture capital fund in May. (Sheridan, 7/25)
Stat:
IBM's Watson Recommended 'Unsafe And Incorrect' Cancer Treatments
Internal IBM documents show that its Watson supercomputer often spit out erroneous cancer treatment advice and that company medical specialists and customers identified “multiple examples of unsafe and incorrect treatment recommendations” as IBM was promoting the product to hospitals and physicians around the world. The documents — slide decks presented last summer by IBM Watson Health’s deputy chief health officer — largely blame the problems on the training of Watson by IBM engineers and doctors at the renowned Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The software was drilled with a small number of “synthetic” cancer cases, or hypothetical patients, rather than real patient data. Recommendations were based on the expertise of a few specialists for each cancer type, the documents say, instead of “guidelines or evidence.” (Ross and Swetlitz, 7/25)
Politico:
The One Republican Who Could Pay Dearly For Backing Kavanaugh
Democrats are determined to make exactly one Republican senator pay in November for supporting President Donald Trump’s new Supreme Court nominee: Nevada Sen. Dean Heller. Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement last month jolted the battle for the Senate, and it is likely to be a central issue this fall as Republicans defend their 51-49 majority. Democrats are overwhelmingly on defense: Their vulnerable incumbents are under withering pressure from conservatives to back Brett Kavanaugh or be painted as obstructionists in pro-Trump states. (Arkin and Everett, 7/25)
The New York Times:
Demi Lovato Is Said To Be Hospitalized For Drug Overdose
Demi Lovato, the Grammy-nominated pop singer known for her big voice and confessional nature, was rushed to a Los Angeles area hospital on Tuesday afternoon after experiencing what the authorities said was a drug overdose, according to news reports. Representatives for the Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments said that officers responded just before noon local time to a medical emergency in the Hollywood Hills. Paramedics transported a 25-year-old woman in stable condition to the hospital, a Fire Department spokesman said, though the authorities declined to identify the person. (Coscarelli, 7/24)
The Washington Post:
Demi Lovato Recovering Following Reports Of Hospitalization For Drug Overdose
The pop singer has been open about her struggles with addiction, as well as her bipolar-disorder diagnosis, and has become an outspoken mental-health advocate. (Izadi, 7/24)
Stat:
Can Gene Therapy Halt Diseases In Babies Before They're Even Born?
Gene therapies — in which a corrective gene hitches a ride on a virus into a patient’s cells — are being tested as potential cures or treatments for sickle cell, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and a range of other diseases. Some patients have already been treated with a gene therapy for an inherited form of blindness, the first to be approved in the U.S. Now, imagine the virus-gene rig slipping into a pregnant woman’s womb, where it would reach the fetus and start remedying a disease before the baby is even born. (Joseph, 7/25)
The Washington Post:
Hospital’s Experiment In Sedating Patients Without Consent Raises Ethical Concerns
Dozens of bioethicists and medical experts are calling for a federal investigation of clinical trials that turned agitated people being treated by paramedics into unwitting research subjects. Minnesota paramedics used either the anesthetic ketamine or a different powerful drug to sedate patients, under research studies run by Hennepin Healthcare System in Minneapolis. Patients or caregivers were not asked for permission to participate, and they were informed only later that they had become part of a medical experiment. (Johnson, 7/25)
The New York Times:
Exercise Makes The Aging Heart More Youthful
For lifelong heart health, start exercising early in life and keep exercising often — ideally, at least four times a week, according to a remarkable series of recent studies involving hundreds of people and their hearts. But even if you have neglected to exercise in recent years and are now middle-aged, it is not too late. The same research shows that you still can substantially remodel your heart and make it more youthful by starting to work out in midlife, provided you exercise often enough. (Reynolds, 7/25)
The Washington Post:
Shingles Vaccine Shortage Delays Shots, But Don't Worry About It
Ann Dieffenbach got her first shot of the new shingles vaccine, Shingrix, at her CVS pharmacy in Bethesda on Feb. 25. It’s a two-injection series, the second shot recommended two to six months after the first. But Dieffenbach, 63, hasn’t yet been able to get that second shot: There has been no vaccine available. She has called numerous stores, only to be told it’s on back order. In a few weeks, her six months will be up. “It’s been frustrating,” says Dieffenbach, a retired National Institutes of Health communications director. “I haven’t even been able to find a place that will put me on a waiting list.” (Cimons, 7/24)
The New York Times:
Cauliflower, Kale And Carrots May Lower Breast Cancer Risk
Eating substantial amounts of fruits and vegetables may lower the risk for breast cancer, a new study has found, and some kinds may be more effective than others. Researchers used well-validated nutrition questionnaires to examine the association of diet with the risk of invasive breast cancer in 182,145 women. They followed them with periodic examinations for an average of 24 years, during which there were 10,911 cases of invasive breast cancer. The study is in the International Journal of Cancer. (Bakalar, 7/24)
The New York Times:
Ebola Outbreak In Congo Has Ended, W.H.O. Says
The Ebola outbreak that began in the Democratic Republic of Congo in April was declared officially over on Tuesday in what appeared to be twin triumphs for a new vaccine and rapid response. Just 33 people died, even though the outbreak reached Mbandaka, a river port city of over one million people. At one point, experts had feared the virus might spread throughout Central Africa. (McNeil, 7/24)
NPR:
What Are The Chances That Tick Gave You Lyme Disease?
So you've found a tick, and it's sucking your blood. After an initial wave of revulsion, you carefully remove it with a pair of tweezers. Now you're probably wondering: What's the chance I have Lyme disease? Nick Berndt found himself in that exact situation earlier this summer. Berndt, 26, of Lancaster, Pa., felt a tick attached to his scalp three days after disc golfing in a forest near his home. (Chisholm, 7/24)
Reuters:
Massachusetts To Probe E-Cigarette Maker Juul Over Sales To Minors
Massachusetts is investigating e-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc and two online retailers to determine whether they violated state law by failing to prevent minors from buying their products, the state's attorney general said on Tuesday. The probe by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey comes as the fast-growing Silicon Valley e-cigarette start-up has faced increased scrutiny due the popularity of Juul's products with teenagers. (Raymond, 7/24)
The Hill:
Cynthia Nixon Endorses Single-Payer Health Care In New York
New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon on Tuesday endorsed a state-wide single-payer health-care system amid her challenge against Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) from the left. ... As single-payer health care gains ground in the Democratic Party, Nixon is one of several governor candidates across the country who has endorsed the idea on a state level, including Gavin Newsom in California and Ben Jealous in Maryland. (Sullivan, 7/24)
The Associated Press:
Hospital Operator Begins Using Temporary Workers Amid Strike
A hospital operator in Rhode Island used temporary workers to care for hundreds of patients Tuesday after nurses went on strike. About 2,400 nurses and other health care workers at Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children's Hospital began what's expected to be a weeklong strike Monday. Local 5098 of the United Nurses and Allied Professionals called for the strike. (7/24)
The Wall Street Journal:
Rutgers University Partners With N.J. Health-Care System In $1 Billion Deal
New Jersey’s largest health-care system and its largest university on Tuesday announced the launch of a partnership that would create one of the biggest health-care systems in the U.S. The agreement, which has been in the final stages for at least a year, has RWJBarnabas Health investing $100 million initially, and more than $1 billion over 20 years, into the partnership with Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. (West, 7/24)
The Washington Post:
In L.A., Skid Row’s Homeless Deal With Yet More Misery As Tents Go Up In Flames
He woke up hot and sweaty in his tent. But when he tried to crawl out for fresh air, he found a ring of flames around the sidewalk where he’d pitched the canvas. “I rolled out and come up fighting through the fire,” 58-year-old Bobby Holiday, a tall man with a Dodgers cap and a faraway gaze, recalled on a sweltering July afternoon. “Burned my heel. All the clothes I had all got burned up.” (Kuznia, 7/24)