Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Suspension Of Accelerated H-1B Visa Program Leaves Hospitals Scrambling To Secure Entry For Foreign Residents
Stat: Hospitals Rush To Get Accelerated Visas For Foreign Medical Residents
[For] some of the 3,814 non-US citizens who graduated from foreign schools and who won coveted residencies in the United States, it’s unclear whether they’ll be able to start work on time in the summer. That’s because a program that allows employers to fast-track H-1B visa applications for their employees has been suspended as of Monday. US immigration officials announced the change just a month ago — and Match Day, when new residents learn where they will be placed was March 17 — leaving some hospitals rushing to figure out who needed this kind of visa and to apply before “premium processing” would no longer be an option. (Boodman, 4/3)
CQ Magazine: Premier Health-Research Agency Preps For Major Surgery
The Trump administration’s proposal to slice nearly $6 billion from the $32 billion budget of the National Institutes of Health was met with a near universal outcry from researchers, patient advocates and, most importantly, Republican appropriators. But one lawmaker in particular defended the idea: Rep. Andy Harris, a Maryland Republican and former physician whose name was previously floated as NIH director...But Harris — a member of the House Appropriations subcommittee that controls NIH funding — has a proposal to trim the NIH budget that could gain traction as lawmakers look at belt-tightening options across the government. (Siddons, 4/3)
Stat: Kellyanne Conway Consulted For Leading US Science Group
Kellyanne Conway received almost $13,000 for a recent consulting arrangement with the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a group playing a central role in organizing the upcoming March for Science in Washington. Financial disclosure forms released Friday evening by the White House showed that Conway, a senior counselor to President Trump, made thousands of dollars in the past year from a number of consulting arrangements, including jobs with advocacy organizations that oppose abortion and with the trade group that represents dietary supplements and over-the-counter medications. (Facher, 4/1)
