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MAHA Moment Canceled – Momentum Still Goes On
President Trump on Tuesday canceled plans to meet with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about chronic disease and its causes under the banner of “Make America Healthy Again.” A spokesperson told STAT that scheduling conflicts were the cause. (Trump met on Tuesday night Greensboro, North Carolina. A virtual town hall with RFK was scheduled for the afternoon).
But to the chagrin of some former officials, that doesn’t mean Trump will distance himself from the MAHA world. The former president will record an interview with host Joe Rogan. very popular “The Joe Rogan Experience” Podcast, Friday. This month, Rogan also interviewed Callie Means, one half of the sibling duo who have emerged as the public voice of the MAHA movement.
At the HLTH conference in Las Vegas, STAT’s Nicholas St. Fleur moderated a panel discussion on longevity featuring the other half of the duo, Casey Means. She is the founder of a metabolic health tracking company level. On stage, St. Fleur asked Means about his ties to Kennedy, Trump and MAHA.
“I don’t care whether Bobby Kennedy, Trump or Kamala are talking about it at the presidential level, but I’m really excited and heartened that these conversations are now becoming mainstream.” Mr. Means said, praising Mr. Kennedy in particular for his remarks. Thoughts on regenerative agriculture, environmental toxins, PFAS, and phthalates.
He said Casey and Callie Means are the types of people he would propose to lead the nation’s health agency after Kennedy ends his presidential campaign and joins Trump’s team. Asked if she would stand with the Trump administration, Casey said, “My biggest hope is… to put chronic disease at the center of American health care policy.” And if I can contribute in any way to that, I would be happy to do so. ”
Harris heads to Texas. why?
Vice President Harris takes the stage in Houston tomorrow night With Texas Senate candidate Colin Allred. It’s a state she’s projected to lose, but Allred is stuck With incumbent senator Ted Cruz. But it’s also a reminder of the stakes she wants to keep in front of voters: abortion bans and their impact on health care.
This is not a last-ditch effort to turn Texas blue, her representatives say, but an attempt to reignite a sense of urgency in the state that she could actually sway. (“We deviate from the battlefield because we think it will help on the battlefield,” said David Plouffe, senior campaign staffer.) told the Associated Press).
Questions are already being raised about how much the Democratic Party’s reproductive rights advocacy will resonate with voters who are aligning the political platforms of Ms. Harris and Mr. Trump. Although many Americans appear to support abortion rights, they do not necessarily vote for pro-abortion-rights Democrats. Harris clearly wants to change that. She said this before her visit to Houston. started advertising Wednesday tells the story of a Texas couple who lost their pregnancy at 16 weeks but were denied abortion care.
What do you expect from President Harris?
So what will a Harris presidency look like? Rachel Coles Chan, co-author of DCD, writes about high drug costs, strengthening the ACA, expanding Medicaid coverage, to name a few. We dig into this issue with a breakdown of her platform.
In many ways, these are goals that Democrats were unable to fully achieve during President Biden’s tenure. But others, such as medical debt cancellation, have become new targets. Rachel elaborated on what Harris said, How would she do it here?. (A Trump version will also be available soon!)
Health issues to watch on Election Day
With less than two weeks until Election Day, it’s no wonder Vice President Harris and former President Trump’s policy stances are dominating the headlines. But there is a long list of health care proposals and votes against that could significantly shape health care policy for years to come.
More than a dozen states are voting on health care votes and key races for control of Congress. I wrote an overview of key voting measures and races that could transform state and federal health care and spark new debates, from what happens to 340B to more legal psychedelics. .
lame duck cheat sheet
What happens with health care policy between the lame duck period and the next Congress will largely depend on the outcome of the election. But that doesn’t mean you can’t prepare now by reading John Wilkerson’s book. Health policy cheat sheet To see after the election.
Healthcare policies that could be affected during a lame duck include telemedicine, Chinese biotech regulation, Medicare payments to hospitals, and PBM reform.
Regardless of what happens or doesn’t happen, until newly elected officials take office in January. Next year is a big battleBoth the Affordable Care Act’s expanded premium subsidies and President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts expire at the end of 2025.
State Medicaid program implemented under GLP-1
Most states’ Medicaid programs do not cover the new class of drugs for obesity, but half of the holdouts are considering it. According to a new KFF report.
Wegovy and Zepbound’s coverage under Medicaid could expand as private plans begin to aggressively crack down on coverage of obesity drugs. Medicare prohibits drug coverage for that indication, writes Tara Banau.
Currently, only 13 state Medicaid programs cover GLP-1 for obesity. Most others cite the high cost of drugs. The report notes that spending on certain classes of medicines will increase starting in 2021. dive into discovery.
Introducing our new CDRH Director
It’s official: Michelle Tarver become a new leader STAT’s Lizzie Lawrence has the scoop this week on the FDA’s Center for Medical Devices.
Tarver had been in the role on an interim basis since veteran device chief Jeffrey Shuren announced his resignation in July. The station searched nationally for Shuren’s replacement, and Tarver quickly appeared to be the front-runner and continued to shadow Shuren at conferences and town halls, Lizzie wrote.
Mr. Tarver joined the center in 2009 and eventually became director of the Office of Transformation and helped launch the department’s Patient Engagement Advisory Committee. read more.
Jill Biden calls on industry to support women’s health
Speaking to a packed main stage hall on the final day of the HLTH conference, Jill Biden touted her husband’s accomplishments on women’s health, researched and funded key gaps in medical knowledge regarding women’s health care. He called on industry to do so.
“The potential in this area is too great to ignore,” Biden said.
ARPA-H, the health agency founded by Joe Biden, has awarded $110 million to dozens of projects as of Wednesday, more than originally promised, the White House said in a joint statement with HLTH.
what we are reading
- Frustrated by Change Healthcare violations, senators propose eliminating HIPAA fine limits, STAT
- ‘Not medically necessary’: Inside the company that helps America’s largest health insurance company deny coverage propublica
- Opinion: Primary care physicians should receive abortion training, STAT.
- The CDC informed McDonald’s late last week about the possible E. coli outbreak. CNBC
