Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Outrage Over IHS Doctor Sparks Bill That Would Cut Off U.S. Pensions For Convicted Child Molesters
The Wall Street Journal: Bill Would Deny U.S. Pensions To Convicted Child Molesters
A U.S. senator is seeking to ban convicted child molesters from receiving government pensions after a U.S. Indian Health Service doctor was revealed to be drawing a six-figure retirement income following his conviction for sexually abusing patients. The Wall Street Journal and the PBS series Frontline reported in March that the doctor, longtime Indian Health Service pediatrician Stanley Patrick Weber, stood to get more than $1.8 million in U.S. pension payments during his prison sentence, which began in September. (Weaver and Frosch, 5/1)
The Hill: Dems Turn Black Maternal Deaths Into Powerful 2020 Issue
Democratic presidential candidates led by Sens. Kamala Harris (Calif.) and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) are talking about an issue that hasn’t historically received much attention on the campaign trail: the high rates of pregnancy-related deaths among black women. For black women — a key voting bloc in the Democratic Party — issues of maternal mortality and racial disparities in health care have particular resonance, and that hasn’t gone unnoticed by some of the top 2020 candidates, including Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) (Hellmann, 5/2)
