Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
House Panel Finds No Financial Wrongdoing By Planned Parenthood, Rep. Chaffetz Says
The Huffington Post: GOP Probe Into Planned Parenthood Funding Comes Up Empty
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said Thursday [during a Judiciary Committee hearing] that the GOP's investigation into Planned Parenthood's use of federal funds hasn't turned up anything. ... Chaffetz said Thursday that he still supports digging into Planned Parenthood's activities, even if they're using their money appropriately. "I think there will continue to be investigations," he said. (Bendry, 10/8)
The Hill: Planned Parenthood Billed Medicaid For Abortion Services, Ex-Employee Claims
A former Planned Parenthood employee told lawmakers Thursday that she had firsthand knowledge that the organization has billed the federal government for abortion-related ultrasounds and medications, in violation of federal law. Susan Thayer, who spent 17 years working as a clinic manager for Planned Parenthood in Iowa, told lawmakers Thursday that the group had overbilled Medicaid by about $28 million, reasserting claims that have been the subject of a drawn-out court battle in Iowa. ... an appeals court in Iowa ruled in fall 2014 that Thayer did not have detailed enough evidence to accuse Planned Parenthood of submitting false claims. (Ferris, 10/8)
