Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In Return To Power, Trump Vows To Revamp Health Care As We Know It
Stat: Donald Trump Returns To The Presidency With Big Ambitions To Shake Up Health Care
Republican Donald Trump has won the presidency, marking a new era for federal health agencies and the industries they oversee. The president-elect campaigned on promises to shake up public health institutions, reshape federal health programs, and slash high costs across the system. Trump has said he’s ready for campaign lieutenants like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to “go wild” on health, medicine, and food policy. Trump repeated that promise in his victory speech. “We can add a few names like Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” Trump told his supporters. “And he’s going to help make America healthy again… He’s a great guy and he really means that he wants to do some things, and we’re going to let him go to it.” (Owermohle, 11/6)
KFF Health News: Trump’s White House Return Poised To Tangle Health Care Safety Net
Former President Donald Trump’s election victory and looming return to the White House will likely bring changes that scale back the nation’s public health insurance programs — increasing the uninsured rate, while imposing new barriers to abortion and other reproductive care. The reverberations will be felt far beyond Washington, D.C., and could include an erosion of the Affordable Care Act’s consumer protections, the imposition of work requirements in Medicaid and funding cuts to the safety net insurance, and challenges to federal agencies that safeguard public health. Abortion restrictions may tighten nationwide with a possible effort to restrict the mailing of abortion medications. (Armour, 11/6)
Politico: The Policies That Will Define Donald Trump’s Second Term
Donald Trump has promised the largest deportation of immigrants in American history, sweeping new tariffs on imports, a freeze on climate-related regulations, a remaking of federal health agencies and ideological changes in the education system. Now he gets his chance. And Trump insiders say they believe he’ll be able to move faster than he did in his first term to accomplish those goals. (Payne, 11/6)
Politico: Who Could Be In Trump’s Next Cabinet? Here Are Leading Contenders.
Donald Trump didn’t engage in formal conversations about a potential Cabinet in the run-up to his election. But that didn’t stop him from spitballing potential contenders during his frequent plane rides to campaign events, or when he is impressed by one of his allies on television. ... What Trump seeks in an HHS secretary varies — and is at times contradictory — according to officials from his first administration. Trump might want an HHS leader who has significant leadership experience, executive presence and a strong will to bring one of the largest federal agencies to heel. But he might also opt for a secretary with deep institutional knowledge of the agency itself and the ability to effectively move policy and fly under the radar for the Senate confirmation process. (11/6)
The Guardian: Trump’s Queasy Prescription To ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Takes Shape
From assertions that America’s highest-profile vaccine critic would lead health agencies to new promises for “massive reform” of Obamacare, the chaotic last week of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign will probably serve as a preview of what “Make America healthy again” could mean when the former president regains power. The jumble of proposals echoed conservative policy documents, channeled the residual anger of the post-pandemic anti-vaccine movement and alarmed experts who help set the nation’s health policies. (Glenza, 11/5)
Pollitico: Trump’s In. Here’s What It Means For Europe.
Well, the Trump show’s just been rebooted. And Europe can’t look away. European policymakers have spent months preparing for Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House. But let’s be honest, they don’t really know how this will all unfold. In his previous stint as president, Trump attempted to curb drug prices with little impact. Since then, the Biden administration has used the IRA to push through far-reaching drug price restrictions for people on Medicare, the health insurance for older Americans. Trump is unlikely to roll this back, meaning Big Pharma in the U.S. and Europe will be considering their investment options as both regions push to limit pharma profits. (11/6)
Reaction from President-elect Donald Trump —
Variety: Donald Trump: 'We're Going To Help Our Country Heal'
Donald Trump sounded a note of unity to his supporters early Wednesday in his address that came shortly after the Associated Press and other major news outlets called the presidential race in his favor. “We’re going to help our country heal,” Trump told supporters at about 2:30 a.m. ET as they gathered in celebration at his resort facility Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach, Fla. Trump’s speech was short by his standards and light on personal attacks or extreme statements. He made reference to the assassination attempt that he survived in July, giving a nod to divine intervention. (Littleton, 11/6)
AP: Trump Snaps At Reporter When Asked About Abortion: 'Stop Talking About That'
Donald Trump is refusing to say how he voted on Florida’s abortion measure — and getting testy about it. The first time he was asked, Trump avoided answering. Pressed a second time, Trump snapped at a reporter, saying they “should just stop talking about that.” Trump had previously indicated that he would back the measure — but then changed his mind and said he would vote against it. (Licon, 11/5)
Also —
The Washington Post: For Second Time In Eight Years, A Loss For A Woman Presidential Candidate
The chance to sweep away a barrier to women that is as old as the United States vanished as Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris to become the nation’s 47th president, devastating voters who hoped she could make history. Trump’s win, projected early Wednesday, means that the tradition of electing a man to the nation’s highest office remains unbroken after more than 200 years. (Slater and Brulliard, 11/6)
