breakthrough summit west
Split screen
While Kennedy was testifying in Washington, former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf was responding in real time at STAT's Breakthrough Summit West conference.
Kennedy told House Appropriations Committee members that his opinions about vaccines are "irrelevant" and that it's not his job to give medical advice.
"His opinions are not irrelevant," Califf said. "He is the leader of Health and Human Services in the United States of America. That's the most powerful position in the world for health advocacy."
medicaid
Here we go again
The projected number of people who would lose their health insurance under the Republican's health care agenda is nearing levels not seen since the GOP tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act in 2017.
Republicans say they're only targeting people on Medicaid who shouldn't be eligible. And the circumstances now differ from 2017. Back then, ACA repeal was the agenda. This time, health care reform, specifically federal funding cuts to Medicaid, is merely a way to help pay for tax cuts.
But that might be cold comfort to lawmakers who recall the bruising fight over the ACA repeal. Republicans lost that fight, then paid for it in the following midterm election. Also, people on Medicaid are now increasingly Republican voters. Read more.
mental health
Mental imparity
Congress passed a law in 2008 that was supposed to prevent private insurance companies from instituting unequal coverage for mental health and physical health services. It fell short, reports O. Rose Broderick.
Multiple federal reports indicated that insurance companies routinely exploited loopholes to avoid paying rates for mental health services that were commensurate with those for other health care. This can lead providers to drop clients and can saddle people with debt.
HHS and two other federal agencies tried to sew up these loopholes in 2024. But it appears that the agencies' new leadership will walk back these regulatory updates after a lawsuit challenged them. Read more.
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