Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Path For Biden Health Nominees Smoother In Democratic-Led Senate
Stat: A Democratic Senate Improves The Outlook For Biden Health And Science Priorities, Including Key Nominees
The outlook for the White House’s health and science priorities just got a whole lot brighter. With a Democratic Senate, as the Associated Press projected Saturday night, it will be much easier for President Biden to get nominees confirmed, including whomever he taps to lead the National Institutes of Health. (Cohrs, 11/13)
Health Affairs: What The 2022 Midterm Results Might Mean For Health Care
A divided Congress would likely neither dramatically expand nor broadly repeal the Affordable Care Act. However, there are areas of potential bipartisan opportunity—either for the lame duck session or the next Congress—such as telehealth expansion and mental health care access. With votes continuing to be tallied in several key states and a Senate runoff race in Georgia in early December, it may take days or weeks to know the full results of the 2022 midterm elections. Even so, health care, and especially abortion rights, seems to have been a key factor in many congressional and state races. Based on what we know now, this article takes a first pass at how the results of the midterm elections might impact health policy. (Keith, 11/10)
Politico: It’s Health Care, Stupid
As the party sifts through the results in search of what went right, an early conclusion is that for all the focus on inflation and debates over democracy, tens of millions of voters were motivated by everyday health concerns — and that sizable group trusted Democrats far more than Republicans to address them. ... In key races, vulnerable Democrats like Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia and Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania ran on cutting drug costs and making health care more affordable. Biden spent the midterm stretch run hammering Republicans for suggesting cuts to Medicare. (Cancryn, Thompson and Stokols, 11/10)
In other election updates —
Stat: Colorado Becomes Second State With Legalized Magic Mushrooms
Colorado legalized magic mushrooms in this week’s midterm elections, with the group opposing the ballot question conceding defeat before the race was called. Proposition 122 passed with 52% of the vote. (Goldhill, 11/10)
NBC News: Colorado Legalized ‘Magic Mushrooms.’ Could The Rest Of The U.S. Follow?
The initiative allows for the use of psilocybin at state-regulated centers under the supervision of licensed facilitators. It also legalizes personal private use, growing and sharing of psilocybin and psilocin, as well as three additional psychedelic compounds — DMT, ibogaine and mescaline — by adults over the age of 21. Retail sales are not permitted, and the law has several limitations, including ones prohibiting use in public, in school, or while operating a vehicle. (Jefferies, 11/11)
The New York Times: RJ Reynolds Sues California Over Flavored Tobacco Ban
R.J. Reynolds, the maker of Newport menthol cigarettes and top-selling vaping products, filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday challenging California’s landmark ban on flavored tobacco, a day after voters overwhelmingly approved it. The state law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom two years ago, would prohibit the sale of all flavored tobacco and vaping products within weeks, undercutting a sizable part of sales for Reynolds and other tobacco companies. Reynolds is seeking an injunction to keep the law from taking effect. (Jewett, 11/10)
