Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Furiously Lashes Out At HHS Secretary About Not Doing Enough On Drug Prices, Health Care Issues
The Washington Post: Trump Lashes Out At HHS Secretary After Briefing Shows Democrats Have Edge On Health Care
President Trump lashed out at Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar for not doing enough on health care and drug pricing during a campaign meeting this week after he was briefed on polling that showed the public trusted Democrats more than Republicans on the issue, according to four people present at or briefed about the meeting. Campaign advisers were updating Trump at the White House on Thursday on polling from battleground states, including Florida, that showed which party voters trusted more on various issues. (Dawsey and Abutaleb, 1/17)
Politico: Trump Berates Azar Over Bad Health Care Polling
Trump’s outburst sent White House staff scrambling to convene a meeting on drug pricing this morning with potentially more to come. Some predicted Trump could look to push harder on stalled drug pricing proposals, including one opposed by many in his party. Trump on Thursday grilled Azar about the administration’s new plan to let states import drugs from Canada, with a focus on how it would affect his reelection prospects in battleground states like Florida, according to two individuals. Azar, whose job does not appear to be in jeopardy, and other officials have promised Trump that the new importation plan will play a significant role in lowering drug costs, although some experts have derided the idea as a political stunt. (Cook, Diamond and Cancryn, 1/17)
Axios: Trump Tells HHS Sec. Alex Azar He Regrets Taking Action On Vaping
President Trump told his health secretary yesterday that he regrets getting involved in the administration's policy on vaping, according to two sources familiar with the conversation. (Swan and Owens, 1/17)
The New York Times: In Oval Office Meeting, Trump Expresses Regret On Vaping Policy
After one of Mr. Trump’s pollsters, Tony Fabrizio, described the importance of health care as an electoral issue, Mr. Trump reached for the phone on the Resolute Desk and called Alex M. Azar II, the secretary of health and human services. “I never should have done this vaping thing,” Mr. Trump said, adding an expletive, according to two of the people familiar with what happened. (Haberman, 1/17)
The Hill: Trump Lashes Out At Health Chief Over Polling: Reports
Trump has been touting a series of actions on drug pricing and other consumer-friendly issues, a move designed to position the president as a populist champion of transparency and reduced medical bills. But the president faces an uphill battle, especially with regards to ObamaCare. While Trump has tried to defend his record with misleading statements and tweets, Democrats aren't letting voters forget his repeated efforts to repeal and undermine the law. (Weixel, 1/17)
Meanwhile, in other news from the administration on vaping —
The Wall Street Journal: CDC Steps Back From Broad Recommendation To Refrain From E-Cigarettes
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has moved away from a broad recommendation that people consider refraining from vaping altogether during the investigation into the outbreak of lung illnesses linked to the practice. The agency removed from its website guidance that people should stop vaping if they were concerned about the illnesses. The agency first said people should end the use of vaping products in September, but later narrowed that recommendation, warning that people should stop using vaping products containing THC—the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis—but consider refraining from all vaping. (Abbott, 1/17)
The Hill: CDC Removes Advisory From Website Recommending To Consider Stopping All Vaping
Brian King, the chief science officer for the CDC’s outbreak response, said "recommendations were refined to reflect the best available scientific evidence and to best protect public health." More and more evidence has linked the outbreak of vaping-linked illnesses to vitamin E acetate, an oil that is sometimes used to dilute THC, which is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. (Johnson, 1/18)
