The National Museum is now up to 3 It was attributed to the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, known for his “Girl with a Pearl Earring”, but it turns out there weren’t even four of them to begin with.
In health news, Senate Republicans are eyeing repeal of Democrat drug pricing laws, citing potentially high drug costs.
Welcome to Overnight Health CareFollow the latest developments in policy and news that affect your health. The Hill is Nathaniel Weisel and Joseph Choi. Subscribe here.
Senate Republican Bill Repeals Drug Pricing Law
Senate Republicans on Friday introduced a bill that would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices and roll back drug price reforms included in a comprehensive anti-inflation bill, including capping annual drug costs for many seniors.
- Republican Senators James Lankford (Oklahoma), Mike Lee (Utah), Cynthia Ramis (Wyoming), and Marco Rubio (Florida) introduced the Pharmaceutical Innovation Protection Act on Friday, giving the government said he wanted to withdraw his authority. Drug prices covered by Medicare.
- “Prescription drug prices for many important pharmaceuticals are too high, indicating the need for more competition and more choice for consumers,” said a member of the Senate Finance Committee. A Lankford said in a statement.
review: The bill would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices for the first time in the program’s history. He set a $2,000 copayment cap on annual drug costs for Medicare seniors and a $35 monthly copayment on insulin.
If passed, Lankford’s bill says that drug pricing measures in the Control Inflation Act would be “never enacted.”
White House Press Secretary Carine Jean-Pierre lashed out at the bill on Twitter, saying it “puts special interests ahead of working families.”
“Their new bill gives Big Pharma at the expense of older people by ending Medicare’s new ability to negotiate lower drug prices,” Jean-Pierre said. “Their vision of this country is extreme and a far cry from working families across the country.”
Democrats are trying to put abortion front and center
Democrats are trying to keep abortion in the headlines ahead of the midterm elections to keep it on the minds of voters looking to maintain control of the House and Senate.
Their strategy comes at a time when Republicans are trying to focus on crime, the economy, immigration, all topics Democrats want to avoid by November.
But it’s also unfolding as Republicans themselves continue to make news on the issue.
- Most recently, there were shocking reports that Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker paid for a woman’s abortion.
- After tensions erupted publicly after Senator Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) introduced a 15-week abortion ban bill, some Republicans said he was planning to take his own seat for November. Concerns arose that they were attacking the party.
Winning No.: Abortion is an issue that Democrats believe will work for suburban women, a key voting demographic in many battleground states.a Reuters and Ipsos polls The group, announced Wednesday, favors Democrats over Republicans 40% to 24% on the issue.
Meanwhile, the White House and Democrats continue to denounce Graham’s bill, highlighting the challenges of the Republican message on the issue.
- At a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee late last month, the president Biden called out Graham’s bill to make no exceptions for rape or incest.
- “I happen to practice Roman Catholicism,” Biden said. “My church doesn’t even discuss that.”
Please check this out for details.
Impact of midterm elections on response to COVID-19
national status of public health emergency COVID-19 pandemic may expire, White House Covid team phase out Mid-2023 at the earliest.
By then, a new governor could be inaugurated in the midterm elections. State legislatures may also see a wave of change as seats open and fill. All of this could have a significant impact on COVID-19 response and surveillance, and could endanger the public, experts warn.
- A public health emergency gives the federal government and certain agencies the funding and authority to take action. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would be empowered to require all states and territories to report her COVID-19 data.
- What’s more, federal money is being paid for the coronavirus vaccine, making shots accessible to everyone regardless of insurance coverage. There is a possibility.
New state representatives and governors have the power to enact data-sharing and privacy laws that could limit COVID reporting.
There are already instances of state law limiting the health department’s ability to request immunizations.
Grassley ‘against’ Graham’s 15-week abortion ban
Senator Chuck Grassley (Iowa), the oldest member of the Senate Republican Conference, said he would vote against a nationwide 15-week abortion ban bill sponsored by Senator Lindsay Graham (RS.C.). says. Republican.
“I’m voting ‘no,'” Grassley said Thursday night during a televised debate with Democrat election opponent Mike Franken.
- Grassley previously co-financed a bill that Graham introduced last year to ban abortions after 20 weeks.
- But after the Supreme Court in June overruled federal abortion rights in Roe v. Wade and left the decision up to individual states, Grassley said abortion is an issue that should be dealt with at the state level. increase.
A July Des Moines Register-Mediacom Iowa poll showed Grassley leading retired Admiral Franken by eight points, 47% to 39%.
Please check this out for details.
White House touts vaccine as booster rollout stalls
The White House is pushing newly released data on the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination as intake of the updated bivalent booster shot remains low one month after it was approved.
- A new Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) study, not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal, found that the coronavirus vaccine reduced about 670,000 to 680,000 hospitalizations and 330,000 to 370,000 associated deaths from September 2020. presumed to be related to Until December 2021.
- According to HHS, these estimates represent 39% to 47% less mortality than scenarios where a vaccine might not have been available. The investigation did not include potential cases that were averted, with HHS citing an increase in home testing that has not been reported to authorities.
- In addition to these potentially averted deaths and hospitalizations, the HHS study estimated that vaccination saved more than $16 billion in direct hospital costs.
At a press conference on Friday, Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra said the study “doubles down on the work we are doing with vaccinations.”
“We have worked hard to stay ahead of this virus, keeping America not only healthy but strong, and keeping our economy healthy and strong,” Becerra said.
Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said nearly all deaths from COVID-19 in the United States are now preventable, and the government is “focusing on reducing illness and death in the country.” I’m guessing,” he added, without giving an exact number. Numerical goals if asked.
Part of meeting the administration’s goals starts with “making sure every American has the latest COVID vaccine,” Jha said.
what we are reading
- Why childbirth is dangerous for many teenagers (Kaiser Health News)
- Adderall supply delays are likely to last for two to three months, says Teva (bloomberg)
- COVID wave looms over Europe as booster campaigns start delayed (Reuters)
by state
- A cook at Johns Hopkins Hospital complained of broken equipment and unsanitary conditions. Then he was fired. (baltimore banner)
- Disabled Florida veterans survived Hurricane Ian (NBC News)
- After Hurricane Ian, some nursing home residents are still displaced from their homes (WUSFMore)
That’s all for today, thanks for reading.Check out The Hill healthcare page For the latest news and coverage. see you next week.
