Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Taking Unusual Stance, Justice Dept. Urges Dismissal Of Abortion Pill Case
The New York Times: Trump Administration Asks Court To Dismiss Abortion Pill Case
The Trump administration asked a federal judge on Monday to dismiss a lawsuit that seeks to sharply restrict access to the abortion pill mifepristone — taking the same position as the Biden administration in a closely watched case that has major implications for abortion access. The court filing by the Justice Department is striking, given that President Trump and a number of officials in his administration have forcefully opposed abortion rights. (Belluck, 5/5)
In related news about mifepristone —
KFF Health News: Despite Historic Indictment, Doctors Will Keep Mailing Abortion Pills Across State Lines
When the news broke on Jan. 31 that a New York physician had been indicted for shipping abortion medications to a woman in Louisiana, it stoked fear across the network of doctors and medical clinics who engage in similar work. “It’s scary. It’s frustrating,” said Angel Foster, co-founder of the Massachusetts Medication Abortion Access Project, a clinic near Boston that mails mifepristone and misoprostol pills to patients in states with abortion bans. But, Foster added, “it’s not entirely surprising.” (Westwood, 5/6)
More updates on the Trump administration —
The Wall Street Journal: U.S. to Pay $1,000 to Migrants Who Self-Deport
The Trump administration plans to begin paying immigrants in the country illegally a stipend of $1,000 to self-deport, the Department of Homeland Security said Monday. The administration has set up a mobile app that migrants can use to make departure plans. The app provides assistance in booking flights whose costs the government would cover in addition to facilitating payment of the stipend. (Hackman, 5/5)
KFF Health News: At Social Security, These Are The Days Of The Living Dead
Rennie Glasgow, who has served 15 years at the Social Security Administration, is seeing something new on the job: dead people. They’re not really dead, of course. In four instances over the past few weeks, he told KFF Health News, his Schenectady, New York, office has seen people come in for whom “there is no information on the record, just that they are dead.” So employees have to “resurrect” them — affirm that they’re living, so they can receive their benefits. (Tahir, 5/6)
NBC News: Many In Autism Community Say Health Secretary RFK Jr. Doesn’t Understand Their Needs
In just two months on the job, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has raised the profile of autism more than any recent public official. Autism advocacy groups typically welcome more attention to their cause. But many autistic people say Kennedy is exploiting their community — and perpetuating harmful stereotypes — as part of his decadeslong campaign against vaccines, even as the Trump administration threatens to eliminate services that help people with autism reach their full potential. (Szabo, 5/4)
MedPage Today: Who Are The Authors Of The HHS Report On Gender Dysphoria?
Noticeably missing from the 400-page report on gender dysphoria issued by HHS late last week were the names of any of its authors. In its press release announcing the report, HHS stated that the names of the contributors "are not initially being made public, in order to help maintain the integrity of the process." A White House fact sheet on the report noted that "eight distinguished scholars" worked on the report, which was mandated by a Jan. 28 executive order and given a 90-day reporting deadline. (Fiore, 5/5)
