Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Motives Behind Trump's Dismissal Of Surgeon General Questioned By Senate Democrats
Stat: Democratic Senators Question Trump Over Dismissal Of Surgeon General
A group of Democratic senators is pushing back against the dismissal of former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, requesting more information from President Trump in a letter that cites what they call a “pattern of politically motivated and ethically questionable personnel decisions.” The White House requested Murthy’s resignation in late April; when he refused to resign, he was formally relieved of his duties. (Facher, 5/3)
The Hill: Lawmakers Push FDA To Allow Over-The-Counter Hearing Aids
Lawmakers weighed a bill to permit the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids on Tuesday at a hearing on ways to ease regulations on medical technology. The Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017, a measure with bipartisan support offered by Rep. Joseph Kennedy (D-Mass.) and co-sponsored by Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), would order the Food and Drug Administration to draft regulations allowing companies to sell the devices in retail settings, including online. Under the proposed law, hearing aids could be sold to adults with “mild to moderate hearing impairment.” (Eagan, 5/2)
USA Today: For Coal Miner's Widow, Spending Bill Brings 'Big Relief'
Susan Barrett has been on an emotional roller coaster — from anxiety to elation — as Congress dithered in recent weeks over whether to let health insurance lapse for thousands of coal miners and their widows. “I have no one to help me,” said the 77-year-old Coshocton, Ohio, resident, a miner's widow who received a notice last month saying her insurance was about to expire. She felt a wave of “panic” as she tried to imagine how she would pay for her blood thinner or heart medications. (Shesgreen, 5/2)
