Congress calls Juul, four other vape companies to testify about youth vaping
Nicholas Florko, Stat News
Five leading e-cigarette companies will be dragged before Congress early next month, according to a Wednesday afternoon announcement from Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.).
Federal Government May Tighten Restrictions On Service Animals On Planes
Merrit Kennedy, NPR News
The U.S. Department of Transportation is considering tightening the rules for taking service animals on planes after rising customer complaints and lobbying from the airlines who think current regulations are too lenient.
In Presidential First, Trump Will Attend Anti-Abortion March for Life
Michael Crowley, The New York Times
The first in-person presidential appearance at the annual event in its 47-year history is President Trump’s latest gesture of support for a cause dear to his evangelical base.
Obama cut women’s health money in Texas for the state’s targeting of Planned Parenthood. Trump just restored it.
Edgar Walters, The Texas Tribune
The Trump administration announcement reverses an Obama-era decision in 2012 to cut federal women’s health funding to Texas. That came as punishment after the Texas Legislature excluded Planned Parenthood from the Healthy Texas Women program in 2011.
The answer to America’s health care cost problem might be in Maryland
Tara Golshan, Vox
Maryland has a health care system unique in the United States: a global hospital budget. Here’s how it works.
Spreading Coronavirus Forces Lockdown of More Chinese Cities
Stephanie Yang, The Wall Street Journal
Two more Chinese cities were put on lockdown by government authorities, expanding an unprecedented experiment to try to contain a fast-spreading virus that has killed at least 17 people and infected more than 500.
At San Francisco Airport, Caution Around New Coronavirus Screenings
Lesley McClurg, NPR News
This week, five U.S. airports will be screening passengers from flights originating in China for the new coronavirus. In San Francisco, people say they are cautious but not worried.
How Baltimore Is Experimenting Its Way Out of the Food Desert
Erick Trickey, Politico
The city is fighting diet-related illnesses in its poorest neighborhoods one fresh tomato at a time.
U-Haul’s no-smokers hiring policy tests the boundaries of corporate wellness
Rachel Siegel, The Washington Post
Critics say the rule crosses squarely into employees’ private lives and could disproportionately target people lower on the socioeconomic ladder.
‘To Stop Now Would Be Foolish’: Doubling Down On Services For High-Cost Patients
Phil Galewitz and Anna Almendrala, Kaiser Health News
A highly publicized approach to lowering health costs failed to pass rigorous study this month, but hospitals, insurers and government health programs don’t intend to give up on the idea. It just needs to be modified, they say.
‘Medicare For All’ Has Real Trade-Offs. So Does The Public Option.
Jonathan Cohn, HuffPost
A user’s guide to the debate dividing the Democratic Party’s presidential field.
Republican state lawmakers push bills to restrict medical treatments for transgender youth
Emily Wax-Thibodeaux and Samantha Schmidt, The Washington Post
Doctors who provide treatment for minors’ gender expression would face as many as 10 years in prison.
Stocks Slip, Bonds Climb on Virus Fears; Oil Drops: Markets Wrap
Todd White, Bloomberg
Get all the latest updates on news that’s moving global markets.
GOP right looks to put own mark on Kansas Medicaid expansion
John Hanna, The Associated Press
Conservative Republican lawmakers are looking to modify a bipartisan plan for expanding Medicaid in Kansas by adding two provisions that Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly opposes.
Study: Medicare spent $2.6 billion in 2018 on undelivered post-op visits
Tara Bannow, Modern Healthcare
A new CMS-funded study suggests surgeons are overpaid for certain bundled procedures and proposes a solution it says could save the agency billions of dollars annually.
Coalition of conservative groups to air ads against bipartisan proposal to end ‘surprise’ medical bills
Jessie Hellmann, The Hill
Conservative groups launched a new coalition on Wednesday to sink a bipartisan proposal in Congress to end the “surprise” medical bills some patients get.
Cardinal Health recalls 9.1 million surgical gowns
Alex Kacik, Modern Healthcare
Cardinal Health is voluntarily recalling 9.1 million potentially contaminated surgical gowns, 7.7 million of which were distributed to 2,807 facilities worldwide over the course of more than a year, the company shared exclusively with Modern Healthcare.
Drug Lobby Spends Record Amount in Fight Over Medicine Costs
Alexander Ruoff et al., Bloomberg Government
The main lobbying association for drug makers, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, spent a record $28.9 million on lobbying last year as it pushed back on legislation meant to control the price of medicine.
Epic’s CEO is urging hospital customers to oppose rules that would make it easier to share medical info
Christina Farr, CNBC
Epic Systems, one of the largest medical records companies, emailed the chief executives of some of the largest hospitals in the U.S. on Wednesday, urging them to oppose proposed regulation designed to make it easier to share medical information.
A Message from Better Medicare Alliance:
With a 94% satisfaction rate among beneficiaries, Medicare Advantage is delivering the lower costs, high quality, and improved outcomes that Americans deserve. Don’t take our word for it – check out Better Medicare Alliance’s new interactive “Your State, Your Stories” map to read firsthand MA beneficiary testimonials in all 50 states! Visit MedicareMyWay.com to see what seniors in your state have to say.
SCOTUS Can Rein in Middlemen Who Are Gaming Local Pharmacies, Patients
Douglas Hoey, Morning Consult
Very few people know what pharmacy benefit managers do. The three biggest rival the largest corporations in the world in terms of market capitalization, revenue and profits. The CVS Health pharmacy service segment, for example, reported $134 billion in revenue last year.
The Economic Consequences of Being Denied an Abortion
Sarah Miller et al., The National Bureau of Economic Research
Restrictions on abortion are pervasive, yet relatively little is known about the financial and economic impact of being denied an abortion on pregnant women who seek one. This paper evaluates the economic consequences of being denied an abortion on the basis of the gestational age of the pregnancy.
