Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
HHS Revises Sex-Based Definitions That Omit Gender Identity References
CNN: HHS Issues New Definitions Of Terms Like ‘Sex,’ ‘Man’ And ‘Woman’ That Critics Say Ignore Science
In one of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first moves as secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, the agency released guidance Wednesday for the US government, external partners and the public that offers a narrower definition of sex than the ones used by many scientists and that aligns with a January executive order signed by President Donald Trump. The department also launched a website promoting these definitions and created a video defending a ban on transgender women participating in women’s sports. (Christensen, 2/20)
The New York Times: Nearly One In 10 U.S. Adults Identifies As L.G.B.T.Q.
Nearly one in 10 adults in the United States identifies as L.G.B.T.Q., according to a large analysis from Gallup released Thursday — almost triple the share since Gallup began counting in 2012, and up by two-thirds since 2020. (Cain Miller and Paris, 2/20)
In related news about HHS and CMS —
Politico: RFK Jr. Should Handpick Vaccine Scientists, Former Adviser Says
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. should recruit scientists who want to seek proof that vaccines cause autism, one of his past advisers said at a POLITICO event Wednesday. Del Bigtree, who was Kennedy’s communications director during his presidential campaign and now leads a group promoting Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement, dismissed widely replicated studies finding no link to autism because he alleged that they were conducted by scientists who wanted to find that result. (Payne, 2/19)
Modern Healthcare: Dr. Oz To Divest Of Healthcare Companies If Confirmed To Lead CMS
Dr. Mehmet Oz has agreed to divest stakes worth millions of dollars in numerous healthcare companies, including UnitedHealth Group and HCA Healthcare, if he is confirmed as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In an ethics agreement posted by the Office of Government Ethics Wednesday, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead CMS said he would end investments in many companies within 90 days of confirmation. He also said upon confirmation, he would resign from numerous advisory positions he holds. (Early, 2/19)
PhRMA speaks out —
Politico: Drug Industry: Let Us Make Americans Healthy
Drug company executives on Tuesday touted their industry’s work to keep and make Americans healthy during a Washington event that came on the heels of one of their biggest critics, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., being sworn in to helm federal health agencies. PhRMA CEO Steve Ubl took to the stage at The Anthem to carefully walk the line between supporting the Trump administration and cautioning against policies that could damage the drug industry — obliquely nodding at the tension between the industry’s goal of getting new medicines to market and Kennedy’s desire to address health problems with less pharma influence. (Gardner and Lim, 2/19)
