Happy New Year! Welcome to 2019 and the 116th Congress! I hope everybody had a beautiful and restful break, as a result of now the enjoyable (or one thing in that neighborhood) begins once more.
Democrats are raring to go now that the brand new class has been sworn in and Nancy Pelosi has retaken the House gavel. They’re setting the stage to place Republicans within the political sizzling seat with a vote to formally intervene within the Affordable Care Act lawsuit at the moment shifting by way of the courts.
I’m fairly positive everybody at this level realizes that vowing to guard preexisting circumstances was (and shall be) a successful situation on the marketing campaign path. The Democrats’ transfer will (and, let’s be trustworthy, is designed to) put the GOP within the awkward place of voting in opposition to these in style provisions.
The Washington Post: The New Congress: Pelosi Retakes House Gavel As Shutdown Continues
The Washington Post: House Democrats Vote to Defend ACA in Court — and Jam Republicans
Then on the states’ aspect of issues, the attorneys common main the protection of the well being regulation have filed an attraction in opposition to the federal choose’s ruling (from December, I do know it feels ages in the past) that the ACA can’t stand with out the person mandate penalty. The submitting was, clearly, utterly anticipated, but it surely does proceed to maneuver the case down an extended authorized path prone to finish on the Supreme Court.
The Wall Street Journal: Democratic-Led States Appeal Ruling Invalidating Affordable Care Act
Stories about extreme human waste piling up in nationwide parks are grabbing headlines, however relating to the shutdown the problems go a lot deeper than that for Native Americans. Because of treaties, tribes obtain a big quantity of the funding they should present primary providers (like working well being clinics) from the federal authorities. So, the shutdown cuts deeper for them than in different places within the nation.
“The federal government owes us this: We prepaid with millions of acres of land. We don’t have the right to take back that land, so we expect the federal government to fulfill its treaty and trust responsibility,” mentioned Aaron Payment, the chairman of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe, in The New York Times’ protection.
The New York Times: Shutdown Leaves Food, Medicine and Pay in Doubt in Indian Country
P.S. If you’re confused in regards to the shutdown and what well being applications are affected, 1) you’re not alone, and a pair of) learn KHN’s roundup, which, with out bias, is probably the most complete health-related breakdown I’ve seen. Cliff notes, although: Most big-ticket gadgets (like Medicaid and Medicare) had been already funded by Congress earlier within the 12 months and are insulated from the standoff’s dramatics.
Kaiser Health News: How The Government Shutdown Affects Health Programs
Bristol-Myers Squibb kicked off the 12 months with an enormous $74 billion take care of Celgene. The consultants at Stat break down precisely what the acquisition means for the business. A giant takeaway is that one of many sector’s largest corporations will basically stop to exist. The deal might additionally spark extra megamergers and additional consolidation of the biotech panorama — which, as you may think about, is not going to be good for drug costs.
Stat: 9 Big Takeaways From the $74 Billion Bristol-Celgene Deal
Next week, movers and shakers within the biotech business shall be flocking to San Francisco for the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. It’s the place to see and be seen, however some attendees wish to be anyplace however there. Why? The location.
Stat: Will San Francisco’s Issues Push People Away From J.P. Morgan?
Adding work necessities to Medicaid has confirmed to be the honey it takes to make increasing protection extra palatable to Republican states. But, in Arkansas — the testing floor for what precisely these guidelines seem like in apply — 1000’s of residents are getting kicked off the Medicaid rolls. An image of confusion, flawed know-how and primary human error is rising as advocates attempt to determine what goes incorrect.
Politico: Conservative Health Care Experiment Leads to Thousands Losing Coverage
If you managed to tune out a bit from the information over the vacations, listed below are some developments you must find out about:
A second migrant youngster died in U.S. custody, prompting President Donald Trump to try to shift blame to the Democrats. The administration has been below ever-increasing scrutiny for the standard of care the younger migrant youngsters are receiving.
The New York Times: Trump Blames Democrats Over Deaths of Migrant Children in U.S. Custody
Hospitals had been handed a serious victory when a choose blocked cuts to the 340B drug program, which requires pharmaceutical producers to promote medication at reductions to hospitals serving massive proportions of low-income and weak folks, reminiscent of youngsters or most cancers sufferers. The choose mentioned the administration overstepped its authority in its push to attempt to decrease drug costs.
Stat: Judge Blocks Trump Administration Cuts to 340B Hospital Payments
A damning investigation into the nation’s main hospital watchdog discovered that greater than 100 psychiatric hospitals have remained absolutely accredited by the fee regardless of severe security lapses, a few of which had been related to the dying, abuse or sexual assault of sufferers.
The Wall Street Journal: Psychiatric Hospitals With Safety Violations Still Get Accreditation
And in my miscellaneous file:
• The outdated and highly effective veteran advocacy teams — aka the “Big Six” — have been main gamers on Capitol Hill for years. But their energy is diminishing as leaner, extra environment friendly and extra tailor-made teams chip away on the institution and mirror the priorities of a brand new era of veterans.
• The distinguished Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has not been having a great fall. That’s partially because of the fabulous reporting performed by The New York Times and ProPublica, which revealed conflicts of curiosity among the many group’s leaders. If you haven’t saved up with the story, this provides an ideal overview on how this moral morass is enjoying out not solely there however throughout the nation as nicely.
The New York Times: Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Season of Turmoil
• Does medication-assisted therapy for opioid habit merely substitute one drug with one other? Or is it essential to cease a relentless and sweeping epidemic that has claimed far too many victims? That’s the raging debate as consultants attempt to get their arms across the disaster.
The New York Times: In Rehab, ‘Two Warring Factions’: Abstinence Vs. Medication
• An outbreak of most cancers in youngsters is pitting households deep in Trump Country in opposition to the president’s agenda to roll again well being and environmental restrictions.
The New York Times: A Trump County Confronts the Administration Amid a Rash of Child Cancers
• Between salmonella in turkeys and E. coli in romaine lettuce, the nation was beset with foodborne sickness outbreaks final 12 months. But one of many greatest remembers is one you in all probability haven’t even heard about.
Apparently, New Year’s resolutions won’t bring you joy (whether or not you obtain them or not), but when one in every of yours is to change up your weight-reduction plan, check out the newly released rankings from U.S. News & World Report.
