House Bill Would Pillage HHS Medicare Fund To Pay For Battle Against Zika
HHS plans to use the $230 million Nonrecurring Expenses Fund to pay for Medicare payment improvements, but if the House bill passes, that money would go toward fighting the virus. Meanwhile, senators have sent a letter to the U.S. Olympic Committee wanting to know how athletes participating in the games are going to be protected, and World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan blasts countries for dropping the ball on mosquito control.
Morning Consult:
House Zika Bill Would Raid HHS Fund for New Medicare Payment System
The House bill providing money to fight the Zika virus would strip the Department of Health and Human Services of funding it plans to use for implementation of the bipartisan Medicare payment overhaul that was enacted last year. In a letter to the House Appropriations Committee obtained by Morning Consult, the Department of Health and Human Services wrote that it plans to use $108 million of its “Nonrecurring Expenses Fund” to invest in “the development of information technology and other systems needed to effectively implement several provisions” of the Medicare Access and Chip Reauthorization Act, or MACRA. (Owens, 5/23)
The Hill:
GOP Mired In Zika Dispute
The House and Senate have both passed funding to combat the Zika virus, but there appears to be little chance Republicans will reach a deal before the Memorial Day recess. The bills passed by the House and Senate last week are vastly different in terms of size, timeline and offsets. One is broadly bipartisan; the other is facing a veto threat from the White House. (Ferris, 5/24)
USA Today:
Senators Want To Know How Athletes Will Be Protected From Zika
Led by Barbara Boxer and Patty Murray, a coalition of 11 Senators sent a letter to the U.S. Olympic Committee on Monday requesting information on how the committee will protect athletes from the Zika virus at the Rio Olympics in August. Signed by 10 Democrats and one independent senator, the letter to USOC chairman Larry Probst asks “what steps the USOC is taking to assist and protect our athletes against the spread of the Zika virus.” (Axon, 5/23)
The Associated Press:
Senate-USOC Exchange Concerns, Plans About Zika Virus In Rio
The letter cited recent information from the Centers for Disease Control showing a link between the disease and a birth defect, microcephaly, a condition in which babies are born with undersized brains and skulls. USOC CEO Scott Blackmun responded by outlining steps the federation has taken, including the forming of an infectious disease advisory group with doctors who are available to answer athletes’ questions about the virus. Blackmun said the USOC has created a medical emergency response plan to “provide pre-identified medical management strategies for any illness or injury in Rio.” (Pells, 5/23)
CNN:
WHO Boss: Zika Result Of 'Massive' Mosquito Control Failures
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan lashed out at family planning and mosquito control "failures" as root causes of the ongoing Zika crisis in an address to the World Health Assembly Monday. (McKirdy, 5/24)
And in Florida —
The Associated Press:
As Zika Spreads, Florida Town A Study In Bug-Borne Illness
A summer flu seemed to be sweeping through Rachel Heid’s riverfront neighborhood. Pale and shaky, she left work with a fever. Neighbors had the same symptoms, and a contractor at her home felt so sick he went to the hospital. Heid thought the neighborhood children were passing a bug around their circle. She never suspected a virus carried by bugs hovering around their birdbaths and tarp-covered boats — until health officials left pamphlets at their houses asking for blood samples if they recently suffered from fevers and joint or muscle pain. (Kay, 5/24)
Health News Florida:
36 Pregnant Women Diagnosed With Zika In Florida
The number of pregnant women in Florida with the Zika virus climbed from nine to 36 following new federal guidelines outlining how the cases will be counted. (Ochoa, 5/23)
