Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medical Research, Disease Prevention Programs Would Be Casualties Of Trump's 'Skinny Budget'
The Washington Post: Trump Budget Seeks Huge Cuts To Disease Prevention And Medical Research Departments
President Trump's 2018 budget request to Congress seeks massive cuts in spending on health programs, including medical research, disease prevention programs and health insurance for children of the working poor. The National Cancer Institute would be hit with a $1 billion cut compared to its 2017 budget. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute would see a $575 million cut, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases would see a reduction of $838 million. The administration would cut the overall National Institutes of Health budget from $31.8 billion to $26 billion. (Achenbach and Sun, 5/22)
CQ Roll Call: NIH Would Face Steep Cuts Under Trump's Plan
Many of the NIH cuts in the proposed budget would come from a reduction in how much grant money is given for costs that are not directly related to research. Historically, the NIH has spent around 30 percent of its grant money on these so-called "indirect costs," which include administrative overhead, facility repair and security. The Trump administration seems to want to decrease how much is spent in this area and argues that it would make it simple for research institutes to apply for the funds. (Siddons, 5/22)
Bloomberg: Trump Budget Contains Little On Drug Prices Despite Tough Talk
President Donald Trump has repeatedly excoriated pharmaceutical companies for high drug costs, but the policy and spending plans in his administration’s 2018 health budget contain almost no major proposals that would impact the industry’s pricing practices. On the campaign trail and after taking office, Trump repeatedly criticized the drug industry. He said drugmakers were “getting away with murder” and said he’d have the U.S. government make the industry bid for government business, a dramatic proposition to cut prices that sent biotechnology and drug stocks spiraling downward on more than one occasion. (Edney, 5/22)
The Wall Street Journal: Donald Trump’s Plan To Shift FDA Funding To Industry Draws Criticism
President Donald Trump’s 2018 budget proposed for the Food and Drug Administration puts the administration on a collision course with some in its own party in Congress over possible cuts in funding for the agency, according to FDA and congressional officials. The Trump plan calls for reductions in taxpayer funding of reviews of drugs and other medical products, as well as monitoring of food safety and medical-product safety, said staffers at the FDA and on Capitol Hill. Under the Trump plan, the cuts would be offset by an increase in user fees paid by the drug and medical-device industries to the agency for new-product reviews. (Burton, 5/22)
Modern Healthcare: Who Wins And Who Loses In Trump's Draft Budget
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump is expected to release a draft budget that proposes cutting more than $800 billion from Medicaid over 10 years. The cuts mirror changes to Medicaid proposed in the American Health Care Act passed by the House earlier this month. (Dickson, 5/22)
