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Controversy over VA's plans to fire 80,000 employees
Democratic lawmakers and veterans’ groups are fuming over the Department of Veterans Affairs’s (VA) plans to cut roughly 80,000 employees in the coming months, decrying the lack of transparency and lack of pushback from their colleagues across the aisle. VA officials insist the dismissals won’t damage or delay veterans’ medical care or benefits. VA Secretary…
Measles outbreak linked to cases in New Mexico, Oklahoma
The measles outbreak in the South Plains region of Texas has been linked to confirmed cases in New Mexico and Oklahoma. The outbreak in West Texas is centered in Gaines County, which neighbors Lea County, across the border in New Mexico. Gaines has reported 156 confirmed cases, more than two-thirds of Texas’s total of 223…
Democratic senators seek answers on Trump, Kennedy drugmaker meetings
Three Democratic senators want answers from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about his private meetings with drugmakers alongside President Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla. In a letter to Kennedy sent Monday, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said he “owes the public…
Warren urges Oz to divest health firms to avoid conflicts
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has written a letter to Mehmet Oz, asking him to make a series of commitments to avoid conflicts of interests ahead of his confirmation hearing Friday to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Warren called on Oz to divest from any remaining financial interests in health-related companies to…
Kennedy's Texas measles outbreak response criticized
A worsening measles outbreak in West Texas has spread to two other states, providing Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. his first real test of responding to a major public health incident. The measles outbreak, which has killed two people to date and sickened nearly 260 across three states, represents the…
Patty Murray says CDC nominee believes 'lie' on vaccine-autism link
Dave Weldon, President Trump’s nominee to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told a top Democratic senator that he believes there’s a link between vaccines and autism and that the childhood vaccine schedule puts children in danger due to mercury exposure. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said that during a private meeting last…
Scott Perry says no one ‘legitimately’ on Medicaid will lose coverage
Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) suggested on Sunday that no one “legitimately” on Medicaid will lose their coverage due to GOP efforts to cut spending. In an interview on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday,” anchor Chris Stirewalt noted that, for Republicans to achieve the kind of steep spending cuts they have targeted, cuts will likely have to…
Texas measles outbreak hits 223 cases, 29 hospitalized
Texas’s deadly measles outbreak is growing, as confirmed cases in the state have risen to at least 223 since January, according to the latest figures from the Texas Department of State Health Services. The number of confirmed cases is up from 198 reported last week. At least 29 people — mostly children — have been…
Wildfires are complicating cancer care: Study
Wildfires and other climate-induced weather extremes are posing an increased threat to cancer patients by shifting their treatment trajectories and access to care, a new study has determined. Patients recovering from lung cancer surgery within an active wildfire zone required longer hospital stays than those in areas that had no such blazes, scientists reported in…
Missouri clinics resume abortions after voters approve constitutional amendment
Abortion clinics have resumed service in Missouri after voters opted to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution and a federal judge temporarily blocked restrictions that had lingered after the election. Abortion providers in the state worry the restoration of access could soon be undone, however, given the breadth of anti-abortion bills being considered by…
31 million Americans borrowed money for health care: Survey
More than 31 million Americans borrowed money last year to pay for health care, a new survey found. Those Americans borrowed about $74 billion, despite most of them have some form of health insurance, the West Health-Gallup survey found. Most of the borrowers were ages 18-29, 30-39 and 40-49. Just two percent of Americans who…
Democrats use Trump address to spotlight Medicaid fight
Democrats used President Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday to ramp up pressure on Republicans over potential Medicaid cuts, homing in on an issue they think will resonate among voters for the next two years leading into the midterm elections. Ahead of the address, Democrats invited Medicaid beneficiaries who rely on the program to attend,…
Al Green explains why he protested Donald Trump's speech to Congress
Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) opened up about the moment he was escorted out of the House chamber Tuesday evening, saying he protested at President Trump’s joint address to Congress because “he needs to save Medicaid.” Speaking with reporters in the Capitol after being removed from Trump’s speech, Green said he was protesting the president’s sweeping…
5 takeaways as Trump’s contrarian NIH pick faces senators
President Trump’s pick to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH) faced questions from senators Wednesday on his plans for vaccine research, ideas for pushing down drug prices, and response to recent firings and funding cuts at the agency. Jay Bhattacharya appeared before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee for his confirmation hearing,…
Republicans need to cut Medicaid to hit budget savings target, CBO finds
Republicans can’t achieve their goal of slashing $2 trillion in federal spending over the next decade without cutting Medicaid, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). In a report released Wednesday, CBO found that the government spends $381 billion on programs other than Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) that are under…
CDC says it is on the ground in Texas to aid in measles outbreak response
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is on the ground in Texas to aid the state in tamping down a measles outbreak, the agency said Tuesday. The agency in a statement on the social platform X said it has sent some of its Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) “disease detectives” to the West Texas…
Elizabeth Warren questions RFK Jr. on measles vaccine 'intentions'
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pressed Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to clarify his “intentions” after he seemingly changed his view on vaccines amid the deadly measles outbreak. “In your March 2nd op-ed responding to the Texas measles outbreak, which has already killed one unvaccinated child, you failed to include a…
Novo Nordisk slashes Wegovy prices
Pharmaceutical manufacturer Novo Nordisk on Wednesday announced it will be offering a direct-to-patient program for uninsured and underinsured individuals to be able to pay cash for its weight loss product Wegovy at a significantly reduced cost. The drugmaker has named its new program NovoCare® Pharmacy, which will sell all dose strengths of Wegovy at $499…
Federal judge presses pause on NIH funding cuts
A federal judge on Wednesday issued an order temporarily blocking the Trump administration from imposing a 15 percent cap on research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), finding that plaintiffs had a high likelihood of succeeding on the merits of their argument. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley granted a nationwide preliminary injunction…
FDA approves first RSV vaccine for use in at-risk adults over 50
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved an expansion of a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for use in at-risk adults over the age of 50. GSK, the vaccine’s maker, announced the approval Friday, making it the first vaccine rubber-stamped for adults ages 50-59 to protect against the virus. “Today’s approval reflects the importance…
Diet, exercise may slow decline in some Alzheimer’s patients: Study
A healthy diet and consistent exercise may slow decline in some early-stage Alzheimer’s disease patients, according to research published Friday. The study, published in the journal Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy, found that patients in a group who implemented “intensive” lifestyle changes — like eating whole foods, exercising moderately and performing stress management techniques — saw…
Midwest health departments warn of new deadly animal tranquilizer’s emergence
Health departments in the Midwest are warning of the emergence of a new deadly animal tranquilizer that’s linked to overdose deaths. The drug, medetomidine, is a powerful sedative used in veterinary medicine to keep dogs sedated and comfortable during exams and medical procedures, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said when it approved the…
FDA rescinds ban on Juul products
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it was rescinding its order to ban the sale of Juul electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, in light of new case law. About two years ago, the FDA banned Juul from selling and marketing its e-cigarette products, saying at the time the company had failed to prove keeping its…
MDMA-assisted therapy backers say FDA panel 'dead wrong' to reject application
A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel’s surprising recommendation this week to reject the use of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, to treat PTSD was a blow to advocates and lawmakers who champion the treatment as a game changer for mental health in the United States. The FDA, which designated MDMA-assisted therapy as a “breakthrough…