Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'We Owe You': Biden Focuses On Need For Better Veteran Health Care
Houston Chronicle: In Fort Worth, Biden Promises Veterans Timely Care, Compensation For Burn-Pit Related Illnesses
President Joe Biden told hundreds of veterans here Tuesday that he’s determined to make sure 9/11-era soldiers exposed to toxic burn pits don’t suffer the indignities that Vietnam veterans had to go through to prove their illnesses were related to Agent Orange exposure. “I refuse to repeat the mistake when it comes to veterans of our Iraq and Afghan wars,” Biden told the veterans after touring the Fort Worth VA Clinic. (Wallace, 3/8)
Politico: Biden Again Emphasizes Help For Veterans
President Joe Biden on Tuesday traveled to Fort Worth, Texas, to advocate for veterans — an issue that hits close to home. The president, speaking at the Tarrant County Resource Connection, met with veterans and their caregivers and called for better health care for service members who face health problems potentially linked to burn pits, which were used during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to dispose of war wastes, including things like metals and jet fuel. (Ward, 3/8)
AP: 'The Best Of Us': Biden Promises Improved Care For Veterans
President Joe Biden on Tuesday said U.S. veterans were the “backbone, the spine, the sinew” of the nation, as he pushed for better help for members of the military who face health problems, including after exposure to burn pits. “You’re the best of us,” Biden said. For the president, the issue is very personal. In last week’s State of the Union address, Biden raised the prospect of whether being near the chemicals from pits where military waste was incinerated in Iraq led to the death of his son Beau. (Boak, 3/9)
In other updates from the Biden administration —
AP: First Lady Touts Biden Cancer Initiative In Tucson Visit
First lady Jill Biden touted her husband’s push to eradicate cancer and the Biden administration’s efforts to improve health care for Native Americans during a stop Tuesday at the Tohono O’odham Nation outside Tucson. Biden met with tribal health officials and leaders of the University of Arizona Cancer Center, who discussed their joint efforts to improve cancer screening and treatment for Native Americans. (3/9)
Modern Healthcare: Nursing Home Lobby Requests Meeting With Feds On Biden's Enforcement Plans
The lead lobbying organization for nursing homes wants a sit-down with President Joe Biden and his top health officials to talk about the White House's plans to more tightly regulate skilled nursing facilities. Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living, wants to meet with Biden, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, he wrote in a letter to Becerra Tuesday. (Christ, 3/8)
