First Edition: May 14, 2018
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
Sticker Shock Jolts Oklahoma Patient: $15,076 For Four Tiny Screws
Sherry Young just wanted to be able to walk without pain. About three years ago, she began to experience sharp pain in her left foot. Her big toe had become crooked and constantly rubbed up against the adjacent toe, making it painful to run, walk or even stand. “I could not walk without intense pain unless I had a pad underneath my toes for cushioning,” Young said. (Szabo, 5/14)
Kaiser Health News:
Trump Vows (Again) To Lower Drug Prices But Skeptics Doubt Much Will Change
On a separate note, Trump told the audience that “right-to-try is happening,” a nod to congressional efforts to expand access to experimental medications for people with life-threatening conditions. (Tribble and Szabo, 5/11)
Kaiser Health News:
Why Did Novartis Pay Trump’s Lawyer $1.2 Million? Look At Its Drug Prices
President Donald Trump didn’t mention Novartis or other drugmakers by name last year when he said the industry is “getting away with murder.” Yet executives at the Switzerland-based pharmaceutical giant shelled out $1.2 million to Trump lawyer Michael Cohen to “advise” its executives on health policy and what was happening in the Trump White House. Novartis paid more money to Cohen than did any of his clients revealed thus far. (Hancock, 5/11)
The New York Times:
Trump Promises Lower Drug Prices, But Drops Populist Solutions
President Trump vowed on Friday to “bring soaring drug prices back down to earth” by promoting competition among pharmaceutical companies, and he suggested that the government could require drugmakers to disclose prices in their ubiquitous television advertising. But he dropped the popular and populist proposals of his presidential campaign, opting not to have the federal government directly negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare. And he chose not to allow American consumers to import low-cost medicines from abroad. (Pear, 5/11)
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump’s Plan To Cut Drug Prices Leaves Industry Relieved
In a blueprint released simultaneously, the administration proposed more modest changes to the way Medicare pays for costly drugs. The plan includes more than 50 initiatives, though many of them involve potential future actions rather than immediate changes. “I don’t want to overpromise that somehow on Monday there’s a radical change,” Mr. Azar said. “This is the possible restructuring of a major sector of the economy. One doesn’t do that lightly.” (Radnofsky, Armour and Walker, 5/11)
The Washington Post:
Trump Promises To ‘Derail The Gravy Train’ And Lower Drug Prices In ‘American Patients First’ Plan
In a major departure from his early and harsh criticism of pharmaceutical companies, Trump lashed into the entire supply chain that lies between drugmakers and patients, including health insurers, distributors and the little-known industry that negotiates drug prices. “We’re very much eliminating the middlemen. The middlemen became very, very rich, right?” Trump said. “Whoever those middlemen were — a lot of people never even figured it out — they’re rich. They won’t be so rich anymore.” Trump has criticized drug companies for having too much power and said Friday that the industry lobby “is making an absolute fortune at the expense of American consumers.” (Johnson, 5/11)
Stat:
Trump Administration's Drug Pricing Plan Sparse On Details
It’s unclear how the bevvy of proposals would work independently or together to actually save money for patients. The blueprint offers few specific details about how any of these ideas would be implemented, and barely commits the government to doing anything, often saying that the Department of Health and Human Services “may” take certain actions. (Swetlitz, Mershon and Facher, 5/11)
The New York Times:
6 Takeaways From Trump’s Plans To Try To Lower Drug Prices
As the health care world parsed the president’s newly released “blueprint” to lower drug prices, the overarching insight seemed to be this: The drug industry’s formidable lobbyists had won some key victories, even if they did not escape entirely unscathed. Many proposals were light on detail and will need action by Congress to become real. Yet Mr. Trump won some praise for having taken a stab at tackling such a complex and vitally important issue to many Americans. (Thomas, 5/11)
Stat:
Trump Vowed To Rein In Pharma. His Speech Sent Drug Stocks Soaring
The two largest indices for biotech and pharmaceutical companies rose about 2 percent after Trump’s speech, as investors saw little to fear for drug makers. The stock prices of Pfizer, Merck, Gilead Sciences, and Amgen all spiked after Trump’s speech. Wall Street analysts said the speech posed few threats to the drug industry on the whole. “There may be some one-off sacrificial lambs in there, but for the most part the focus is on reducing inefficiencies in the current system,” said Brian Skorney, an analyst at Baird. “These, in large part, aren’t benefiting the sector as a whole, so any success at reducing them is probably net neutral.” (Feuerstein and Garde, 5/11)
The Associated Press:
Trump’s Prescription To Reduce Drug Prices Takes Small Steps
“There are some things in this set of proposals that can move us in the direction of lower prices for some people,” said David Mitchell, founder of Patients for Affordable Drugs. “At the same time, it is not clear at all how they are going to lower list prices.” Drugmakers generally can charge as much as the market will bear because the U.S. government doesn’t regulate medicine prices, unlike most other developed countries. (Perrone and Colvin, 5/12)
NPR:
Trump Speech Takes Broad Swipe At Prescription Drug Prices
Azar, in a briefing following the Rose Garden speech, acknowledged the plan is sweeping and would take years to implement. He said the administration will pursue those ideas it can get done. "This is a major restructuring of a huge portion of the U.S. economy. One doesn't do that lightly," he said. (Kodjak, 5/11)
The Wall Street Journal:
Reckoning For Drug Middlemen Is Postponed, Not Canceled
Healthcare investors who were on the edges of their seats on Friday afternoon were relieved. President Donald Trump’s much-anticipated remarks on Friday afternoon about lowering drug prices seemed like much ado about nothing. Share prices of potentially-affected “middlemen” such as pharmacy-benefit managers, and to a lesser extent health insurers, fell sharply but then rebounded within minutes in late trading. Investors shouldn’t relax, though. (Grant, 5/11)
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump’s Plan To Lower Drug Prices: A Q&A
President Donald Trump Friday unveiled a new proposal to help lower drug prices. Here are some basic questions and answers. (Armour, 5/11)
The Associated Press:
Patients, Health Care Workers Call For Affordable Insulin
Activists are rallying in Massachusetts, demanding more affordable insulin. The Boston chapter of the Right Care Alliance is rallying Saturday in Cambridge to call for an end to what the organization calls "insulin profiteering." The coalition of patients, health care professionals and community members says price increases have made an essential drug unaffordable for many with diabetes and resulted in unnecessary deaths. (5/12)
The Washington Post:
Viagra And Many Other Drugs Were Discovered By Chance. Now Science Is Hoping To Change That.
When a medication being developed to treat a heart condition gave patients erections, drugmakers knew they had a winner — not for angina, but for erectile dysfunction. That drug is now known as Viagra. Figuring out that a drug developed for one ailment can be effective for another was once a matter of chance. In the case of Viagra, for example, the discovery emerged by observing an unintended but beneficial side effect. Now, technological and scientific advances are allowing researchers to rely more on science and less on luck in hopes of cutting the time and expense involved in getting new treatments to patients. (Swartz, 5/13)
Stat:
Democratic Senator Opens Probe Into Novartis Over Its Dealings With Trump's Attorney
Alawmaker is opening an investigation into Novartis for paying $1.2 million to President Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, in an attempt to gain access to the White House, a disclosure that has prompted widespread criticism of the drug maker. The company has said it agreed to a one-year contract, beginning in February 2017, with Cohen’s firm, Essential Consultants, in order to create a direct channel to the Trump administration about “health care policy matters.” The arrangement, however, has been widely derided because Cohen is not a lobbyist or an expert in health care matters. And Novartis said it let the contract lapse when it expired. (Silverman, 5/11)
The Associated Press:
Eyes Turn To Vermont As It Sees Success With Health System
A Vermont health care organization working to keep patients healthier while reducing costs is being closely watched because of its rate of success — it was within 1 percent of meeting its financial target in its first year and has now been expanded to cover about 18 percent of the state's population, officials said. Last year, OneCare Vermont covered about 24,000 Medicaid patients and now covers about 112,000 patients whose health care is provided through Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurance. (Ring, 5/13)
The Wall Street Journal:
Health Law Is Back As Campaign Issue—This Time For Democrats
Republicans have often won support in recent elections by promising to repeal the Affordable Care Act. This year, Democrats hope to turn the tables by pushing the opposite goal—not just keeping the health law, but expanding government’s role in health care. The tactic, which carries political risk as well as opportunity, is playing out in places such as Minnesota, a state won narrowly by Hillary Clinton in 2016 that is facing a governor’s race, two Senate contests and five close House races. Democrats need to gain 23 House seats to retake the chamber, so the state is critical. (Armour and Epstein, 5/11)
The Associated Press:
Insider Q&A: Insurers Look Beyond Medical Bills To Cut Costs
Health insurers are moving beyond medical claims. They want to know if you have a ride to the doctor's office or if you're eating right too. It's a push to keep people healthy and control medical spending. WellCare Health Plans Inc. has been traveling this path for years. The Medicaid and Medicare Advantage coverage provider started a toll-free phone line in 2014 to connect callers with social services and programs that help with things like food, housing or transportation. (Murphy, 5/13)
The Wall Street Journal:
Is This Hospital Takeover Permitted? Ask The Catholic Church
It isn’t just the Federal Trade Commission scrutinizing U.S. health-care mergers these days. The Vatican is watching, too. Some of the biggest recent deals involve nonprofit hospitals affiliated with the Catholic Church, which make up about 8% of U.S. hospitals. Many began as small institutions founded by nuns more than a century ago. But as they have combined and grown into large corporations, they are posing new moral quandaries for church officials, who have a say in which mergers go ahead. (Evans, 5/14)
The Hill:
Trump Administration Rolls Back Rules Protecting Transgender Inmates In Federal Prisons
President Trump’s Justice Department moved Friday to roll back a series of Obama-era rules applying to transgender inmates in federal prisons. The Bureau of Prisons released a policy change to its manual, which now says that the department will use “biological sex” as the basis for assigning facilities and bathrooms. The order strikes a provision in the manual that said officials would “recommend housing by gender identity when appropriate,” and now says that designating inmates to facilities based on their identified gender “would be appropriate only in rare cases.” (Anapol, 5/12)
The Washington Post:
‘Why I Chose To Run’: Congressional Challengers Use Bill Backed By Drug Companies Against Incumbents
As a drug and alcohol counselor and the mother of two young boys, Judy Herschel never considered running for political office. That was before Congress approved legislation in 2016 that hampered the Drug Enforcement Administration’s enforcement efforts against the opioid industry. In one month that summer, Herschel lost eight of her clients to opioid overdoses. She left her job and launched a full-time campaign against the politician she holds responsible for the legislation: its chief sponsor in the House, Rep. Tom Marino (R-Pa.). (Higham, Thebault, and Rich, 5/13)
NPR:
For Every Woman Who Dies In Childbirth In The U.S., 70 More Come Close
A mother giving birth in the U.S. is about three times as likely to die as a mother in Britain and Canada. In the course of our reporting, another disturbing statistic emerged: For every American woman who dies from childbirth, 70 nearly die. That adds up to more than 50,000 women who suffer "severe maternal morbidity" from childbirth each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A patient safety group, the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health, came up with an even higher figure. After conducting an in-depth study of devastating complications in hospitals in four states, it put the nationwide number at around 80,000. (Montagne, 5/10)
The Washington Post:
Troubling Link Found Between Pollution Exposure In Pregnancy, High Blood Pressure In Children
High blood pressure typically occurs in adulthood, so when children develop the condition, it often means something is very wrong. A child might have kidney disease, hyperthyroidism or a heart problem. Obesity can also be a factor. But what about seemingly healthy youngsters whose blood pressure has shot up? Their risk, a study suggests, may trace back to before their birth. (Cha, 5/14)
The New York Times:
How Abusive Relationships Take Root
A political activist. A high-powered attorney. A feminist author. The women who have accused Eric Schneiderman, the former New York attorney general, of sexual abuse stand as a reminder that domestic violence ensnares women of all backgrounds. Roughly a third of women in developed countries report having been in at least one abusive relationship, defined by a partner or ex-partner who “causes physical, sexual or psychological harm, including physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological abuse and controlling behaviors,” according to the World Health Organization. (Carey, 5/11)
NPR:
Researchers Study American Gun Violence
February's mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., which left 17 dead and 17 more wounded, horrified people across the country, spurring student walkouts and marches in support of stricter gun control laws, including universal, comprehensive background checks and a ban on assault weapons. But gun debates in the United States have proven to be contentious and intractable. Even as thousands rally for new legislation, opponents contend that such measures won't prevent determined criminals from obtaining a firearm and that responsible gun ownership makes communities safer. (Skibba, 5/12)
Los Angeles Times:
As More Older Americans Struggle With Dementia, What Happens To Their Guns?
The man had been a patient for decades, retired now from a career in which firearms were a part of the job. He was enjoying his days hunting, or at the shooting range with friends. But episodes of confusion had led to a suspicion of dementia, and the nights were the worst: At sundown, he became disoriented, anxious and a little paranoid, and had started sleeping with his loaded pistol under the pillow. One night, he pointed it at his wife as she returned from the bathroom. It wasn't clear whether he recognized her, but he was certainly confused — and she was terrified. Thankfully, the incident did not end in disaster. (Healy, 5/11)
The New York Times:
Deadly Convenience: Keyless Cars And Their Carbon Monoxide Toll
It seems like a common convenience in a digital age: a car that can be powered on and off with the push of a button, rather than the mechanical turning of a key. But it is a convenience that can have a deadly effect. On a summer morning last year, Fred Schaub drove his Toyota RAV4 into the garage attached to his Florida home and went into the house with the wireless key fob, evidently believing the car was shut off. Twenty-nine hours later, he was found dead, overcome with carbon monoxide that flooded his home while he slept.“ After 75 years of driving, my father thought that when he took the key with him when he left the car, the car would be off,” said Mr. Schaub’s son Doug. (Jeans and De Puy Kamp, 5/13)
Stat:
Head Of Biden Cancer Initiative Draws On Own Diagnosis To Speed Research
Greg Simon has worn many hats: in industry, at think tanks, and in and around the White House. Though he once worked under Al Gore as a domestic policy adviser, among other posts, in recent years his focus has narrowed to cancer — largely because he is a survivor himself. ... These days, Simon is heading up the Biden Cancer Initiative — tapped by former Vice President Joe Biden to find ways to improve the broader system of cancer care. (Keshavan, 5/14)
The New York Times:
His College Knew Of His Despair. His Parents Didn’t, Until It Was Too Late.
In the days after her son Graham hanged himself in his dormitory room at Hamilton College, Gina Burton went about settling his affairs in a blur of efficiency, her grief tinged with a nagging sense that something did not add up. She fielded requests and sympathy notes from the college, promising the dean of students a copy of his obituary “so you can see how special Hamilton was to him.” This was why his suicide “makes no sense,” she added in a puzzled aside. The next day, Ms. Burton accepted condolences from the college president, and assured him “how right a choice Hamilton was” for her son. (Hartocollis, 5/12)
The Associated Press:
A Surprising Bullying Battleground: Senior Centers
The unwanted were turned away from cafeteria tables. Fistfights broke out at karaoke. Dances became breeding grounds for gossip and cruelty. It became clear this place had a bullying problem on its hands. What many found surprising was that the perpetrators and victims alike were all senior citizens. Nursing homes, senior centers and housing complexes for the elderly have introduced programs, training and policies aimed at curbing spates of bullying, an issue once thought the exclusive domain of the young. (Sedensky, 5/12)
The New York Times:
Ebola Erupts Again In Africa, Only Now There’s A Vaccine
Ebola has erupted again in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the country’s ninth outbreak since the virus was discovered there in 1976, and world health officials are moving unusually swiftly to contain the outbreak. Two days after a laboratory confirmed that the virus had killed two people in the remote Equateur Province, teams from the country’s health department, along with doctors from the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders, had reached Bikoro, a market town about 20 miles from Ikoko Ipenge, the village at the outbreak’s epicenter. (McNeil and Cumming-Bruce, 5/11)
Stat:
A Pencil, Not A Pair Of Scissors: CRISPR Pioneers' New Company Bets On Base Editing To Cure Disease
Months after its dozen scientists began working in secret on what’s been called “the most clever CRISPR gadget” so far, the latest company hoping to deploy genome-editing to cure diseases came out of stealth mode on Monday. Beam Therapeutics, which registered as a corporation in Massachusetts in March and has been doing experiments since last year, is debuting as CRISPR companies are popping up like dandelions, but right out of the gate Beam stands out in a crowded field. Its three founders are among the world’s leading CRISPR’ers, Editas Medicine (EDIT) has an equity stake, and in addition to the $13 million it’s raised (from Arch Venture Partners and F-Prime Capital Partners), it has commitments for another $85 million. (Begley, 5/14)
The Washington Post:
Teenage Behavior Can Be Understood Through Brain Development
Teenagers! They chew Tide Pods and have unprotected sex. They use social media we haven’t even heard of and are walking hormone machines. It’s easy to mock their outsize sense of self and their seemingly dumb decisions. But not so fast, says cognitive neuroscientist Sarah-Jayne Blakemore: The adolescent brain is nothing to laugh at. (Blakemore, 5/13)
NPR:
Researchers Test Vitamin C Treatment For Sepsis
Scientists have launched two large studies to test a medical treatment that, if proven effective, could have an enormous impact on the leading cause of death in American hospitals. The treatment is aimed at sepsis, a condition in which the body's inflammatory response rages out of control in reaction to an infection, often leading to organ damage or failure. There's no proven cure for sepsis, which strikes well over 1 million Americans a year and kills more than 700 a day. (Harris, 5/11)
The New York Times:
Cod And ‘Immune Broth’: California Tests Food As Medicine
On a foggy afternoon, Diana Van Ry, a retired judicial assistant, dropped by the boisterous kitchens of the nonprofit group where she volunteers to pick up rock cod, cauliflower couscous and an “immune broth” enriched with vegetables and seaweed. She planned to deliver the meals to Brandi Dornan, 46, who is recuperating from breast cancer. “It’s food I wouldn’t have thought to make myself,” said Ms. Dornan, who started getting the meals during radiation therapy and is grateful for the help. “Wow, bless their hearts.” (Brown, 5/11)
The Washington Post:
Noise Exposure Is Becoming ‘The New Secondhand Smoke’
One of the quietest places in this noisy city is in the middle of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which draws 7 million visitors a year. Most don’t know of the tiny Astor Chinese Garden Court tucked deep within the giant museum. And so, it is quiet here. In a city whose cacophony can reach 95 decibels in Midtown Manhattan — way above the federal government’s recommended average of no more than 70 decibels — the commotion over all that racket involves irate residents, anti-noise advocates, bars, helicopter sightseeing companies, landscapers and construction companies, as well as City Hall. (Fetterman, 5/12)
The Washington Post:
UN Agency Calls For All Countries To Rid Foods Of Trans Fat
The World Health Organization is calling on all nations to rid foods of artificial trans fats in the next five years. The United Nations agency has in the past pushed to exterminate infectious diseases, but now it’s aiming to erase a hazard linked to chronic illness. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was expected to issue the call to action at a news conference in Geneva on Monday. (Stobbe, 5/13)
The Wall Street Journal:
Food Makers Vow To Cut Trans Fats Globally
The public health arm of the United Nations said it will urge governments to ban or restrict those fats and replace them with healthier fats and oils. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said eliminating trans fats from human diets would be “a global win in the fight against cardiovascular disease.” Multinational companies that make trans fats and have used them as ingredients said they have largely eliminated those oils from foods in the U.S., parts of Europe and Canada, where governments already restrict their use. But trans fats remain widely used where regulators and food makers have been slower to take action. Many of the fats are in foods or oils made by local producers. (McKay and Bunge, 5/14)
The New York Times:
G.M.O. Foods Will Soon Require Labels. What Will The Labels Say?
The United States Department of Agriculture has proposed new guidelines for labeling foods that contain genetically modified ingredients. Food makers will be required by federal law to use the labels, starting in 2020. The safety of genetically modified ingredients, widely known as G.M.O.s, remains a source of anxiety for some Americans despite the scientific studies that say they pose no health threat. Many food makers now voluntarily place “No G.M.O.’’ labels on their products as a marketing tactic. (Harmon, 5/12)
The Washington Post:
New Therapies Offer Hope For Peanut Allergies
Among food allergies, peanut allergy is one of the most severe: A minuscule amount of peanut protein may lead to anaphylactic shock and even death. Surveys show an upswing in incidence in the United States over the past two decades; a study last year estimated that nearly 2.5 percent of U.S. children may be allergic. All that the families of affected kids can do is avoid peanut products and keep antihistamines or epinephrine handy in case of a reaction. (Dance, 5/12)
The Washington Post:
Salmonella Outbreak Tied To Rose Acre Farms Sickens 35 People, CDC Says
A salmonella outbreak that led to a recall of nearly 207 million eggs has now sickened nearly three dozen people in states along the East Coast. Thirty-five people — up by 12 over the past few weeks — have been sickened by Salmonella braenderup, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week. The outbreak, which has been traced to a single egg producer, has resulted in 11 hospitalizations. No deaths have been reported. (Phillips, 5/12)
The New York Times:
Puerto Rico Nervously Prepares For Hurricane Season: ‘What If Another One Comes?’
Next week, nearly eight months after Hurricane Maria tore across Puerto Rico and ravaged its frail power grid, the Army Corps of Engineers, which was charged with restoring the island’s electricity, will hand off its mission and depart. Thousands of Puerto Ricans will still be in the dark. Two weeks later, a new hurricane season will begin. And Puerto Ricans, who are struggling to recover from Maria, fear they will not be ready. (Mazzei, 5/14)
The Wall Street Journal:
Los Angeles Mayor’s Political Future Tied To Plan To Solve City’s Homeless Crisis
Since taking office five years ago, Mayor Eric Garcetti has marketed this city as a model of how an American metropolis can dream big: wooing the 2028 Olympics, courting high-tech companies and pushing for a “subway to the sea.” But last month, the mayor tied his political future to a goal that has long vexed policy makers here: housing the city’s homeless, which he publicly declared his “No. 1 issue.” Homelessness has exploded during his tenure, leaving Los Angeles with a fast growing population of people living in cars, parks and on the streets. (Malas and Lazo, 5/13)