First Edition: October 2, 2017
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
Tom Price Resigns As HHS Secretary Over Cost Of Private And Military Jet Travel
Price, an orthopedic surgeon and former House Budget Committee chairman, was surrounded by controversy since his nomination to the nation’s top health post in January. He made questionable stock trades in health care companies while a member of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee and interceded on behalf of donors with federal agencies. Democrats in the Senate fought his confirmation, charging that he was too ethically challenged to serve as HHS secretary. (Rovner, 9/29)
Kaiser Health News:
Do Pharma’s Claims On Drug Prices Pass The Smell Test? We Found 5 Stinkers.
Drug companies launched an ad and publicity extravaganza this year right after President-elect Donald Trump said they “are getting away with murder” on sky-high pill prices. More than it has in years, the pharmaceutical industry fears major legislation that would curb prices and shrink profits. TV spots lauding drug companies, quoting poet Dylan Thomas and showing heroic scientists have been hard to escape. (Hancock, 10/2)
Kaiser Health News:
Latest Snag In ACA Sign-Ups: Those Who Guide Consumers Are Hitting Roadblocks
While health care uncertainty roils Washington, the rest of the country is coasting toward Obamacare season. Open enrollment is just about a month away. But the current landscape is marked by funding cuts and other White House efforts to pull back on Affordable Care Act outreach, which has led some people to brace for what they foresee as the toughest season yet. (Luthra, 10/2)
Kaiser Health News:
Absent Federal Action, States Take The Lead On Curbing Drug Costs
As Congress stalls on what voters say is a top health concern — high pharmaceutical costs — states increasingly are tackling the issue. Despite often-fierce industry opposition, a variety of bills are working their way through state governments. California, Nevada and New York are among those joining Maryland in passing legislation meant to undercut skyrocketing drug prices. (Luthra, 9/29)
The New York Times:
Health Secretary Tom Price Resigns After Drawing Ire For Chartered Flights
Tom Price, the health and human services secretary, resigned under pressure on Friday after racking up at least $400,000 in travel bills for chartered flights and undermining President Trump’s promise to drain the swamp of a corrupt and entitled capital. Already in trouble with Mr. Trump for months of unsuccessful efforts to repeal and replace President Barack Obama’s health care program, Mr. Price failed to defuse the president’s anger by offering regret and a partial reimbursement. (Baker, Thrush and Haberman, 9/29)
The Washington Post:
HHS Secretary Tom Price Resigns Amid Criticism For Taking Charter Flights At Taxpayer Expense
Price submitted a four-paragraph resignation letter in which he said he regretted “that the recent events have created a distraction” from the administration’s objectives. “Success on these issues is more important than any one person,” he continued. Not long after, HHS staff received a message from Price praising employees as “dedicated, committed” and saying it had been “a great joy” to serve with them. (Eilperin, Goldstein and Wagner, 9/29)
Los Angeles Times:
Health Secretary Tom Price Resigns Under Fire — But Other Cabinet Members Are Still Taking Costly Private Flights
“He’s a good man but I’m disappointed in him,” Trump told them at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, as he prepared to board a flight to New Jersey, where he planned to spend the weekend at his golf resort. (Decker, 9/29)
The Wall Street Journal:
Tom Price Resigns As Health And Human Services Secretary Amid Travel Uproar
The controversy over the flights and sudden departure of Dr. Price comes as the Trump administration’s efforts to repeal the ACA are at a standstill. After another effort to overturn the law failed Tuesday in the Senate, Republicans now must choose whether to work with Democrats on health care, or continue their efforts to repeal the ACA. If the administration favors regulations to change the ACA, those changes would be spearheaded by HHS. Dr. Price kept a low profile at times during the long legislative fight to undo the ACA, as such officials as Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, sometimes took on a more visible role in talking to lawmakers. Some health experts have suggested Ms. Verma could succeed Dr. Price. (Armour and Hackman, 9/29)
The Associated Press:
Trump's Health Secretary Resigns In Travel Flap
The Health and Human Services secretary became the first member of the president's Cabinet to be pushed out in a turbulent young administration that has seen several high-ranking White House aides ousted. A former GOP congressman from the Atlanta suburbs, Price served less than eight months. (Alonso-Zaldivar and LeMire, 9/30)
The New York Times:
Trump’s Next Move On Health Care? Choice For Secretary May Offer Clue
President Trump’s selection of a secretary of health and human services could be a turning point in a health care debate that has polarized Washington, as he faces a choice of working with Democrats to fix the current system or continuing his so-far failed efforts to dismantle his predecessor’s program. (Baker and Pear, 9/30)
The Associated Press:
Trump Seeks New Health Chief After Price Resignation
President Donald Trump is seeking a new health secretary to take the place of Tom Price, ousted after an outcry over flying on costly private charters for official travel. The Health and Human Services chief oversees a $1 trillion department, with 80,000 employees and jurisdiction over major insurance programs, advanced medical research, drug and food safety, public health, and disease prevention. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 9/30)
Politico:
Who Will Replace Price?
The rumored short-list includes former Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), who would sail through Senate confirmation but would probably be considered too moderate on Obamacare, to Dr. Mehmet Oz, a cardio-thoracic surgeon made famous by his talk show, which Trump has appeared on. Other current or former members of Congress who could be considered include Rep. Fred Upton and former Rep. Dave Camp. (Kenen and Haberkorn, 9/29)
The Associated Press:
Price's Exit Adds Another Hurdle To GOP Health Care Push
The ouster of Tom Price as President Donald Trump's health secretary is yet another self-inflicted blow for Republicans wishing to put their own stamp on health care — and the latest distraction for a White House struggling to advance its agenda after months of turmoil. ... "I think health care is a dead letter through the next election," Joe Antos, a policy expert with the business-oriented American Enterprise Institute, said Saturday. (Colvin and Alonso-Zaldivar, 10/1)
The Hill:
Five Questions On Healthcare Following Price's Resignation
Tom Price’s resignation as Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary creates a big leadership void at the top of the department tasked with administering a health law Republicans hate. President Trump accepted the embattled secretary’s resignation Friday on the heels of Politico reports detailing how Price’s travel on military and charter jet flights had cost taxpayers more than $1 million since May. (Roubein and Hellmann, 9/29)
The Hill:
Pelosi: 'Price Should Never Have Been In This Role In The First Place'
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) reacted to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price's resignation on Friday by condemning the Trump administration for selecting him "in the first place." Price became the first Trump Cabinet member to resign on Friday after a Politico investigation revealed he had spent more than $1 million in taxpayer dollars on private charter flights. (Bowden, 9/29)
The Hill:
'Saturday Night Live' Mocks Price's Resignation: 'How 'Bout You Pay Us Back The Money?'
“Saturday Night Live” during its season premiere mocked the resignation of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price over his use of private jets for official business.“ Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price was forced to resign yesterday after he was caught using almost a million dollars in taxpayer money to fly on private jets,” cast member Colin Jost said during the show’s “Weekend Update” segment. (Balluck, 10/1)
The Associated Press:
Health Care Defeat Leaves GOP In Crouch, Dems On Offense
Republicans face a big problem following the collapse of their latest push to repeal the Obama health care law: Their own voters are angry and don't trust them. Right now, they don't know what to do about it. That's trouble for a party preparing to defend its House and Senate majorities in 2018 midterm elections that look riskier than most imagined months ago. (9/29)
The Associated Press:
GOP Unsure How To Deal With Voters Angry Over Health Care
Republicans face a big problem following the collapse of their latest push to repeal the Obama health care law: Their own voters are angry and don't trust them. Right now, they don't know what to do about it. That's trouble for a party preparing to defend its House and Senate majorities in 2018 midterm elections that look riskier than most imagined months ago. (9/30)
The Hill:
Dems Look To Turn ObamaCare Tables On GOP In '18
On Tuesday, Senate Republicans decided against voting by the end of September on a last-ditch effort to repeal the health law, acknowledging the measure wouldn’t have passed. The announcement effectively killed the repeal effort for the immediate future, as the fast-track budget maneuver Republicans were using to gut ObamaCare can't be used this year after Sept. 30. Even without a new GOP-made health care system to run against, Democrats believe they have enough ammo to hit Republicans by pointing to the previous repeal attempts, all of which scored badly in approval polls. (Roubein, 10/1)
The New York Times:
‘Little Lobbyists’ Help Save The Health Care Law, For Now
Anna C. Corbin had not been involved in politics, had not even been to the Capitol before this year. But since March, she has made the two-hour drive here from her home in Hanover, Pa., 15 times so her sons, Jackson and Henry, could lobby against efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Jackson, 12, and Henry, 9, have a genetic condition known as Noonan syndrome, which causes a bleeding disorder, short stature and digestion problems. They also have a new profession — “little lobbyists.” (Pear, 9/30)
The Hill:
How The Effort To Replace ObamaCare Failed
When Republicans unexpectedly captured the White House and retained the Senate in November, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) wanted to capitalize on the GOP’s political momentum right away by quickly passing a straight ObamaCare repeal bill similar to the one that passed both chambers of Congress at the end of 2015. ... What followed was a nine-month odyssey filled with ups and downs and ultimately a failure for Trump and Republicans. (Bolton, 10/1)
The Hill:
No ObamaCare Repeal In New GOP Budget
Senate Republicans appear to have conceded defeat on repealing ObamaCare this year, as the newly released budget resolution for fiscal year 2018 focuses almost entirely on tax reform. The draft released Friday only includes legislating instructions to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, which don’t have jurisdiction over health insurance. (Weixel, 9/29)
Los Angeles Times:
Squeezed Again: Americans Burdened By Obamacare Now Face Even Higher Costs Under Trump
Jim Hansen and his wife considered themselves fortunate when they retired five years ago. The Denver couple, both electrical engineers, were healthy. They’d socked away an ample nest egg. And they found health insurance that, if not cheap, seemed reasonable for two people in their late 50s. Then, the math started to change. Since 2015, the couple’s annual premiums have more than tripled and may hit nearly $18,000 next year. (Levey, 9/29)
The Washington Post:
Nobel Prize In Medicine Or Physiology Awarded To Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash And Michael W. Young
Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young have won the 2017 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their work on molecular mechanisms that control circadian systems. Hall was born in New York, Rosbash in Oklahoma City, and they both worked at Brandeis. Michael Young was born in Miami and worked at Rockefeller University. In announcing the winner in Stockholm on Monday, the prize committee said they elucidated how a live form's "inner clock" can fluctuate to optimize our behavior and physiology. (Cha, 10/2)
The Washington Post:
FDA, Industry Step Up Efforts To Avert Drug Shortages After Puerto Rico Hurricane
Federal and industry officials are stepping up efforts to avert potentially serious drug shortages in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria's assault on Puerto Rico, a major center for pharmaceutical manufacturing. Scott Gottlieb, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, headed to the island Friday morning with staff from the Department of Homeland Security. Gottlieb was scheduled to meet with the FDA's 100 employees in San Juan and learn more about damage to the island's dozens of drugmaking plants. (McGinley, 9/29)
The Associated Press:
Judge: Maryland Can Act Against Drug Price-Gouging, For Now
A group representing makers of generic prescription drugs sought to stop the law from taking effect this Sunday, calling it an “unconstitutional overreach” that will create market instability. U.S. District Judge Marvin Garbis denied the request by the Association for Accessible Medicines for an injunction as its lawsuit proceeds. He is allowing litigation to move forward on the association’s contention that the law is vague, but dismissed its other arguments. Garbis wrote that the association has not persuaded him that the law “is substantially likely to be held unconstitutional.” (Witte, 9/29)
The Washington Post:
9 Million Kids Get Health Insurance Under CHIP. Congress Just Let It Expire.
Congress just allowed the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provided low-cost health insurance to 9 million children, to expire. If action is not taken soon to restore the funding, the effects will become obvious in schools across the country, with many of the children in the program unable to see a doctor for routine checkups, immunizations, visits when sick and other services. (Strauss, 10/1)
The Hill:
Congress Misses Deadline To Reauthorize Childrens' Health Care Program
The House Democratic Caucus chairman, Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.), blamed Republicans for missing the deadline in a tweet on Sunday and said CHIP should be a priority for Congress. (Carter, 10/1)
The Washington Post:
The History Of Heroin And Opioid Addiction In The U.S.
The president, a swaggering populist from New York, was worried that a national crisis of opiate addiction was weakening America and diminishing its greatness. So in 1908, Teddy Roosevelt appointed a handsome Ohio doctor with a handlebar mustache, Hamilton Wright, to be the nation’s first Opium Commissioner.Americans, Wright warned, “have become the greatest drug fiends in the world.” (Miroff, 9/29)
The New York Times:
In The U.S., 110 Million S.T.D. Infections
The incidence of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis is increasing, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At any given time, there are an estimated 110 million sexually transmitted infections in the United States. Chlamydia is the most common S.T.D., and the number of cases rose 4.7 percent from 2015 to 2016. The increases occurred nationwide; rates were highest in the South and lowest in the Northeast. (Bakalar, 9/29)
The Washington Post:
Mother Prepares To Go To Jail After Refusing Court Order To Vaccinate Son
A Michigan woman said she will “most likely” go to jail this week if she refuses a court order to vaccinate her 9-year-old son. And Rebecca Bredow, it seems, is willing to take that risk. “I can’t give in against my own religious belief,” she told The Washington Post on Saturday. “This is about choice. This is about having my choices as a mother to be able to make medical choices for my child.” (Phillips, 9/30)
The Washington Post:
With Checkpoint Inhibitors, These Cancer Researchers Are On The Cutting Edge Of Immunotherapy For Oncololgy Treatment
Cancer researcher Jim Allison stands at the edge of a small stage, fiddling with his harmonica, his unruly gray hair hanging almost to his shoulders. Soon, surrounded by eight other cancer experts who also happen to be musicians, he’ll be growling out the classic “Big Boss Man” before a boisterous crowd at the House of Blues. It’s a fitting number, says Patrick Hwu, who plays keyboards for the band and is Allison’s colleague at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. “When it comes to immunotherapy, he is the big boss man.” (McGinley, 9/29)
The New York Times:
A Child’s Death Brings ‘Trauma That Doesn’t Go Away’
Anne McBrearty Giotta doesn’t remember much of what happened on that August morning in 2013. One moment she was cursing her older son, Michael, who was supposed to have picked her up for a long-planned beach weekend, but was late and not answering his phone. The next moment, the police were at her door in River Vale, N.J., saying that Michael, 51, had been found dead in his home of an apparent heart infection. (Span, 9/29)
The New York Times:
Cost Of Contact In Sports Is Estimated At Over 600,000 Injuries A Year
It seems obvious that there would be more injuries, and more serious ones, among high school and college athletes in football or soccer or lacrosse than, say, in running or tennis. But, how many more, and at what economic cost? Those figures turned out to be hard to come by, researchers at Yale discovered, but, using the best data available, they calculated that if contact sports could be made noncontact — like flag football, for example — there would be 49,600 fewer injuries among male college athletes per year and 601,900 fewer among male high school athletes. (Kolata, 9/29)
NPR:
Young Adults With Autism Deal With Mental Health Issues, Too
College involved "many anxiety attacks and many trips home" for Daniel Share-Strom, an autistic 27-year-old motivational speaker in Bradford, Ontario. It wasn't just the challenge of organizing his assignments and fighting the disability office for the extra time he needed for tests. It was also managing all the aspects of daily life that most people not on the autism spectrum take for granted. "Relationships are so much harder to understand or initiate when by default you don't really know what certain facial expressions mean or what certain actions mean," Share-Strom says. (Haelle, 10/1)
The Washington Post:
Finding Medical Advice On Doctor Radio And Other Programs
Just before 8 on a Thursday morning, orthopedic surgeons Dennis Cardone and Joe Bosco sit in a tiny, dimly lit studio in a far corner of the NYU Langone Medical Center lobby, a thoroughfare to New York University’s school of medicine and hospital on Manhattan’s East Side. The hosts of “Sports Medicine” on SiriusXM’s Doctor Radio channel have been on-air since 6 a.m., helping listeners and bantering like old friends. (Vander Schaaff, 10/1)
NPR:
CDC: Exercise Can Make Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Worse
Health organizations are emphasizing that ME/CFS is not a psychological disorder and that standard forms of exercise do not help. Instead, they're acknowledging that exercise can make the disease much worse unless doctors and patients are very careful. The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention has already revised its patient guidelines on ME/CFS and is currently revising the ones for physicians. (Doucleff, 10/2)
The Washington Post:
Her Dizziness Started After Two Days On A Boat, And Then It Never Went Away
In 2007, a few days after participating in a two-day sailing race, Cathy Helowicz began feeling dizzy. It was as if the floor and walls were moving. A decade later, “it’s never gone away,” she says. “Sometimes I wake up at 4 a.m. and feel like I’m in a washing machine. ”Helowicz, 57, a former government computer scientist who lives in Jupiter, Fla., suffers from mal de débarquement syndrome (MdDS), a puzzling neurological disorder that leaves patients feeling as if they are rocking, swaying or bobbing when they are actually still. (Cimons, 9/30)
NPR:
'Hypoallergenic' And 'Fragrance-Free' Moisturizer Claims Are Often False, Study Finds
For most people, buying a "fragrance-free" or "hypoallergenic" moisturizer that turns out to be neither, might be frustrating, but not harmful. But for people with sensitive skin or conditions like eczema or psoriasis it can be a big problem. "I will start to itch and I have to get it off my body right away," says 62-year-old Kathryn Walter, who lives in Ann Arbor, Mich. (Neighmond, 10/2)
The Washington Post:
A Model Decided To Tattoo Her Eyeball. She’s Now Partially Blind And In ‘Excruciating’ Pain.
Purple is Catt Gallinger’s favorite color.Pictures of the Canadian model often showed her sporting purple hair or purple lipstick, or the purple tinge of her numerous tattoos peeking out from beneath a tank top. So when the already heavily inked Ottawa resident had the opportunity to “tattoo” her eyeball — a procedure called sclera staining, in which ink is injected into the white part of the eye — she chose the color purple. (Wang, 9/30)
Los Angeles Times:
Burbank And Glendale Work To Get Ahead Of Countywide Hepatitis A Outbreak
With health officials declaring a hepatitis A outbreak in Los Angeles County last week, the cities of Burbank and Glendale have been working on protecting their homeless populations from the virus. Both cities have started reaching out to the homeless in order to get them screened and vaccinated against hepatitis A. The L.A. County Department of Public Health has said homeless people are most at risk for the infection. (Nguyen, 9/29)