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The resignation of Scott Gottlieb as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration caught many FDA watchers unexpectedly. Gottlieb has been an energetic regulator in a really anti-regulatory Trump administration. Unlike many Trump officers, Gottlieb’s work on e-cigarettes, diet, opioids and generic medicine has received him reward from each Democrats and Republicans.
Meanwhile, efforts are underway on Capitol Hill and within the states to repair some issues with the Affordable Care Act.
And with a number of outbreaks of measles and different contagious illnesses across the nation, public well being officers are refocusing on find out how to persuade mother and father that it’s protected to vaccinate their kids.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner.
Among the takeaways from this week’s podcast:
With the departure from the FDA of Scott Gottlieb within the coming weeks, it’s not clear that whoever succeeds him will need to — or have the ability to — pursue the identical kind of activist agenda on every little thing from diet labeling to cracking down on flavored tobacco and nicotine merchandise to selling generic drugs. Democrats in Congress are nonetheless hoping to repair a few of the Affordable Care Act’s excellent points, together with reinstating funding for “navigators,” who assist customers discover and enroll in protection, and boosting subsidies for many who earn simply over the cutoff for federal assist. Though throughout the Democratic caucus there’s loads of discuss sweeping reforms like “Medicare-for-all,” the Democratic management is focusing first right here. It’s seen as a great place for the occasion’s moderates. Some additionally say it’s a chance for bipartisan motion. Republicans, nonetheless, are inclined to disagree. Any effort to amend the ACA will reopen a serious struggle over abortion. Medicaid growth has been an enormous a part of the ACA debate. But in some states the place voters expressed their assist for it, state legislators look like intervening and saying “not so fast.” The later-adopting, extra conservative states are occupied with experimenting with increasing Medicaid, however in addition they need to put their stamp on the thought, by including issues like work necessities. A Senate committee held hearings this week on why mother and father are reluctant to vaccinate their kids towards preventable illnesses. The consensus of most of the senators and witnesses was that public well being officers must do a greater job explaining how harmful illnesses like measles actually are. But others say persuasion could have much less of an affect than legal guidelines that make it more durable for unvaccinated kids to attend public college.
Plus, for further credit score, the panelists advocate their favourite well being coverage tales of the week they assume it is best to learn, too:
Julie Rovner: Kaiser Health News’ “Hidden FDA Reports Detail Harm Caused By Scores Of Medical Devices,” by Christina Jewett
Margot Sanger-Katz: The Washington Post’s “Long Overlooked by Science, Pregnancy Is Finally Getting Attention It Deserves,” by Carolyn Y. Johnson
Joanne Kenen: ProPublica’s “I’m a Journalist. Apparently, I’m Also One of America’s ‘Top Doctors,’” by Marshall Allen
Kimberly Leonard: The Toronto Globe and Mail’s “Pharmacare Panel Offers No Prescription for How the New Program Would Work,” by Kelly Grant
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