National News Trump has leg swelling checked, diagnosed with common condition in older adults Associated Press
WASHINGTON, DC — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday read a doctor’s letter about President Donald Trump that she said was intended to dispel health concerns about the swelling in his ankles and a makeup-covered hand. Leavitt said Trump noticed “mild swelling” in his lower legs and was evaluated by the White House […]
House Committee Wrestles With Lab Test Regulation
Members of a House committee mostly agreed that laboratory-developed tests need more oversight, but were divided Thursday on how best to approach the topic. The issue at hand was a proposed rule from the FDA that would require medical facilities that use lab tests developed in-house to get the tests approved by the FDA, something […]
White House Looks to States for Help Reining in Gun Violence
The White House will bring together Wednesday what administration officials say is the largest-ever gathering of state legislators focused on gun violence prevention. Lawmakers want to do more to curb gun violence, but many don’t know where to start, said Stefanie Feldman, JD, director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, during a […]
House Members Mull Bills to Cut Red Tape and Improve Docs’ Medicare Pay
A House hearing on ways to increase payments and cut red tape for physicians who treat Medicare patients also included a discussion over whether Republicans wanted to cut Medicare benefits for seniors. “Just yesterday, in a speech on the House floor nominating [Rep.] Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as their candidate for Speaker, Republicans expressed concern with […]
OSHA Comes in for Both Praise and Harsh Criticism at House Hearing
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) came in for blistering criticism from House Republicans at a hearing Wednesday, as Democrats defended the agency’s work in the face of underfunding. Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Education & the Workforce Committee’s Workforce Protections Subcommittee, started the hearing by mentioning that OSHA head Douglas […]
No ‘Silver Bullet’ for Generic Drug Shortage, House Members Told
From the beginning of Thursday’s House hearing on ways to solve the generic drug shortage, it appeared obvious that little agreement was going to be reached on the best solutions to the problem. “After months of pleading by the Democratic members of this subcommittee, we’re finally having a legislative hearing on drug shortages in our […]
Opinion | ‘We Cannot Treat Dead People’: What We Heard This Week
“We cannot treat dead people.” — White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Rahul Gupta, MD, MPH, discussing whether to focus on opioid treatment or trafficking. “Thank you for reminding me why I do this.” — Stuart Bloom, MD, regarding feedback he hears from physicians who see his musical show “How to Avoid […]
Fauci’s New Gig; Secret World of Penile Enlargement; Malaria Cases Emerge in U.S.
Note that some links may require subscriptions. Former White House Chief Medical Adviser and NIAID Director Anthony Fauci, MD, will join Georgetown University next month as a distinguished professor in the School of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases, and will hold an additional appointment in the university’s McCourt School of Public Policy. E-cigarettes are still […]
More Price Transparency Needed in Healthcare, House Members Say
WASHINGTON — How much difference would more price transparency make in healthcare? House members heard — and gave — a variety of opinions on the topic at a Ways & Means Committee hearing Tuesday. “Price transparency works,” said Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.). “In the past 20 years, the prices of medical services increased by […]
Medicare’s Policy on Alzheimer’s Drugs Comes Under Fire at House Hearing
WASHINGTON — House members on both sides of the aisle were in surprising agreement on a number of healthcare issues Wednesday, most notably the need for Medicare to reconsider its coverage decision on amyloid-inhibiting Alzheimer’s drugs such as aducanumab (Aduhelm) and lecanemab (Leqembi). “There’s been a lot of attention to a decision by CMS [the […]