Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Sweeping VA Reform Bill Would Strengthen Whistleblower Protection, Solidify Accountability Measures
The Connecticut Mirror: Blumenthal Leads Bipartisan Senate Effort To Reform VA
With continuing scandals at the nation’s veterans’ hospitals, Sen. Richard Blumenthal and a Republican colleague introduced a sweeping new bill Thursday aimed at protecting whistleblowers and speeding the firing of bad actors at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “Almost every morning on the news we see a new story of our failure to our veterans,” said Sen. John Isakson, R-Ga., who co-sponsored the bill with Blumenthal. (Radelat, 4/28)
The Chicago Tribune: Lali's Law: Opioid-Antidote Bill Advances To U.S. House Floor
A national law named after a Buffalo Grove resident that would help increase access to the life-saving heroin antidote naloxone is moving to the U.S. House floor for a vote after it passed out of committee in Washington this week. (Abderholden, 4/28)
The Miami Herald: U.S. Reps Pressing Scott On Sudden Drop In New HIV Cases In State
Eleven members of Florida’s Congressional Delegation are pressing Gov. Rick Scott to explain how the state changed its count of new HIV cases amid a controversy over the numbers. The congressmen, a mix of Democrats and Republicans representing districts from North Florida to the Keys, sent Scott a letter Thursday demanding to know why the state health department revised the number of new infections reported in 2014 from 6,147 to 4,613. (McGrory, 4/29)
Meanwhile, an aid package for Flint, Michigan, could get a full Senate vote in May, and historian David Rosner speaks about the lead epidemic in America —
The Associated Press: Senate Committee OKs Millions To Aid Flint In Water Crisis
A Senate committee on Thursday approved a $220 million aid package for Flint, Michigan, as the city struggles to deal with a water crisis and public health emergency from lead-contaminated pipes. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee backed the bipartisan deal as part of a broader, $4.8 billion bill that authorizes water-related projects across the country for flood control, harbor deepening and other steps. The bill was approved, 19-1, and could come up for a Senate vote in May. (4/28)
PBS: Poisoning America
Public health historian David Rosner speaks on the origins of the lead epidemic in Flint and beyond. "Well the prescription is simply that we’ve had an ongoing disease, we’ve had a crisis going back into the early part of the 20th century. We’ve had children being poisoned literally, since 1917, 1914 when we discovered the first cases of children being poisoned by lead. And it’s been an unfolding tragedy of the first order for public health and for children around the country," [Rosner says]. (4/18)
