medicaid
Unresolved Medicaid policies
The Budget Committee's late-night vote was necessary because the committee failed to pass the same bill on Friday over conservatives' demands for changes to it, some of which involve Medicaid.
The bill includes a strict Medicaid work requirement policy, but it doesn't start until 2029, after the next presidential election. Republicans in the far-right House Freedom Caucus want to impose the policy as soon as possible, and they may very well get their way.
The bill that passed Sunday night remained unchanged from the version that failed Friday, but conservatives believe they made sufficient progress over the weekend to change their votes to present, instead of voting no, which was just enough to advance it. Read more.
maha
MAHA Commission Report
The MAHA Commission is supposed to produce a report outlining the biggest health problems facing the nation. But the epidemic takes on a different tone depending on what you focus on.
If you were on the commission, what priorities would you choose? STAT's Isabella Cueto and J. Emory Parker pored over dozens of studies, policy papers, commentaries and federal guidance documents, interviewed experts and analyzed reams of data to break down the U.S. chronic disease crisis into 9 buckets — from reducing healthcare spending to targeting the biggest issues in red states, and beyond.
See the story (and its many cool charts) for yourself, and keep an eye out tomorrow for three big ideas to actually "MAHA."
fda
From sports medicine doctor to top vaccine adviser
Lizzy Lawrence has a top-notch profile of a top adviser to the FDA who has mostly flown under the radar.
Tracy Beth Høeg was a sports medicine physician focused on ultramarathon runners who rose to prominence by challenging school closures, mask mandates, and the use of Covid-19 booster shots in children.
The political appointee is a close confidante of Makary's and already has a central role in reshaping vaccine policy. She attended a CDC advisory meeting in place of a career vaccine scientist in April, and reportedly was involved in the approval delay of Novavax's Covid-19 vaccine. Read more about Høeg's rise and background.
biden
What to know about Biden's cancer diagnosis
News of former President Biden's diagnosis with aggressive and incurable prostate cancer shocked the public. The news also spread fast, with all the speculation, confusion, and inappropriate comments that social media is so good for. It didn't help that the news broke days after reporters started writing reviews of a book, out today, on Biden's mental decline over his time in the White House, and efforts by staff to cover it up.
STAT invited Lawrence K. Altman, a physician, and former reporter and medical columnist for the New York Times, to clear the air about the diagnosis.
Based on the public record of Biden's medical care and standard medical recommendations, as recently as a year ago there was no reason to perform screening tests for the disease, despite his age, 81 at the time, Altman writes. The diagnosis underscores the fact that cancers can sometimes pop up suddenly, even among recipients of the most sophisticated care doctors can offer. Read more.
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