Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
HHS Nominee Price Tends To Go To Bat For Physicians Just As Much As Patients
The New York Times: Trump Health Secretary Pick’s Longtime Foes: Big Government And Insurance Companies
The assuredness that defined Mr. Price as a surgeon has carried into his political career. He has always listened politely to other viewpoints but never swerved from his policy mission to protect his former profession from what he views as heavy-handed government intrusion. Many who knew Mr. Price as a doctor here in Atlanta’s affluent northern suburbs praise his commitment to his patients. But his legislative record shows that over eight years in the Georgia Senate and 12 years in Congress, he has advocated at least as much for physician groups and health care companies — seeking to limit damages in malpractice cases, for instance, and voting against legislation that would have required the government to negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries. (Goodnough, 1/16)
Reuters: Trump Team Defends Health Pick Tom Price Over Ethics Charge
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's transition team defended his nominee for health and human services (HHS) secretary, Tom Price, from charges that he bought shares in a company days before introducing legislation that would have benefited the firm. A Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for Wednesday for Price, a Republican congressman from Georgia who, if confirmed, would be a lead agent in carrying out Trump's plans to overhaul President Barack Obama's signature health care law. (Holland, 1/17)
In other news on the Health and Human Services nominee —
Stat: 6 Questions For Rep. Tom Price, Trump's Nominee To Lead HHS
It’s called a “courtesy hearing,” but Rep. Tom Price, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of health and human services, can expect some of his Senate interrogators to get a little rough. Price, an orthopedic surgeon and six-term GOP congressman from Georgia, will appear before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions to answer questions on Wednesday. It’s a courtesy hearing because a separate panel, the Senate Finance Committee, will actually vote on his nomination. (Kaplan, 1/17)
The Hill: HHS Nominee's Stock Buys Raise Ethical Questions: Report
President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services purchased shares in a medical device manufacturer and then introduced legislation to benefit the company, according to a CNN report Monday. Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) last March bought between $1,001 and $15,000 worth of shares in Zimmer Biomet. Days later, he introduced the HIP Act to delay a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regulation that industry analysts said would have significantly hurt that company financially, according to CNN. (Wheeler, 1/16)
Kaiser Health News: Top Price Contributor Allegedly Leaned On Employees To Support PAC
President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet pick Tom Price counts among his top contributors a Georgia company and its CEO, who sent managers an email demanding donations “IMMEDIATELY” to a political action committee supportive of GOP candidates and causes, according to documents reviewed by Kaiser Health News. The PAC was operated by Georgia-based MiMedx, whose CEO Parker H. “Pete” Petit is among the top individual contributors to Price, a Georgia congressman and Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary. Federal campaign finance records show MiMedx, through its PAC, chief executive and his relatives, has contributed more than $40,000 to Price’s campaign and joint fundraising committees since 2014. (Taylor and Jewett, 1/16)
