Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Come 2027, Veterans Prescribed Psychotropic Substances Must Provide Written Consent
The New York Times: V.A. Institutes New Consent Requirements For Some Psychiatric Drugs
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced new measures on Monday that will require written informed consent by patients before they are prescribed certain psychiatric drugs. The shift reflects a growing disenchantment with psychotropic medications that has animated the Make America Healthy Again movement and its chief standard-bearer, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Ghorayshi and Jacobs, 9/28)
More news about veterans' healthcare —
Military.com: Ohio Veterans Are Paying 'Claim Sharks' Thousands For VA Benefits They Could Get For Free
Unaccredited companies are reportedly charging Ohio veterans thousands of dollars to file VA disability claims for assistance veterans could receive for free. “Claims sharks” charge veterans to prepare and file disability claims, sometimes for far more than the resulting benefits are worth, while promising results. That is even though federal law requires paid representatives to be accredited and generally bars charging veterans for help with an initial claim. (Gramegna, 9/29)
Military.com: Mental Health Counselor Convicted In $26 Million Tricare Fraud And Kickback Scheme
A jury has convicted the owner of a Texas mental health clinic for a $26 million TRICARE fraud, kickback and money laundering scheme. Licensed professional counselor Kevin Curry, 64, of Frisco, Texas, was found guilty Sept. 24 in Fort Worth of health care fraud, kickbacks and money laundering, according to the Department of Justice. The jury convicted Curry of three counts of health care fraud, three counts of offering and paying illegal health care kickbacks, and three counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminal derived property. (Mordowanec, 9/29)
In other developments from the Trump administration —
Politico: Vance, RFK Jr. And 'Iron' Mike To Headline MAHA Summit
Vice President JD Vance and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will speak for the second year in a row Tuesday at an event organized by Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again allies in Washington. Vance and Kennedy will close the all-day event with a “fireside chat,” according to the agenda. They will talk about MAHA’s “accomplishments, its regulatory reform agenda and its priorities for the year ahead,” according to the organizers. (Paun, 9/28)
AP: Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court To Allow Restrictions On Transgender Inmates' Medical Care
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to let it enforce, for now, restrictions on gender-affirming care in federal prison. The emergency appeal comes after lower courts blocked officials from immediately carrying out the policy adopted after an executive order from President Donald Trump. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered the government to continue providing gender-affirming care like hormone therapy. (Whitehurst, 9/28)
The Washington Post: Education Department Officially Scraps Biden-Era Title IX Rules
The Education Department will scrap Biden-era Title IX rules that sought to bolster nondiscrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity, officials announced Monday, marking a return to rules from the first Trump administration. The regulations, initially released in 2020, outline how schools must handle reports of sexual misconduct, including setting a stricter definition for what constitutes sexual harassment and giving more due process rights to those accused. The rules, which take effect Tuesday, will not change much for schools. The Trump administration has been enforcing its own rules, including targeting schools that allow transgender athletes to play on girls’ and women’s sports teams, since the president took office last year. (Lumpkin, 9/28)
ProPublica: This White House Plan Threatens Funding For Disabled Voters
Without Amy Miller, some elderly and disabled people wouldn’t be able to vote. The attorney for Disability Rights Nebraska travels the state, investigating the quality of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. As she reminds the residents how they can report abuse or neglect, she also offers voter registration forms. Last month, she helped a veteran with a traumatic brain injury fill out change-of-address paperwork so he could vote in the upcoming midterm elections. “He 100% knew who he wanted to vote for,” Miller said, but he struggled to write with a pen. (Song, 9/29)
Health news from Capitol Hill —
The Hill: Senate Majority PAC Launches $2M Ad Campaign Targeting Sen. Susan Collins Over Medicaid Cuts
A Democratic super PAC on Monday launched a new ad campaign attacking Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) for the closure of about a dozen birthing centers in Maine, arguing she helped enable the massive Medicaid cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act even though she voted against the legislation. The Senate Majority PAC, which supports efforts to establish a Democratic majority in the Senate, announced a $2 million ad campaign to air across Maine, tying her vote to advance the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year to the closure of birthing centers in Maine. (Choi, 9/28)
Stat: Midterm Election: Washington Insiders See Policy Changes Coming
Health industry leaders, still contending with the new rules of President Trump’s Washington, are about to face another shift. November’s midterm elections are likely to shake up key health policy debates, from Medicaid funding to the price of medication. That’s especially true if Democrats seize control of a chamber of Congress, though any major policymaking would still need Trump’s signature. (Payne, 9/29)
