| Trump administration creates new religious, moral protections for health workers The Trump administration has created new protections for health workers who have religious and moral objections to certain procedures, such as abortion or assisted suicide. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Thursday it will create a new division under the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) responsible for investigating complaints filed by workers claiming that their employers have violated their religious rights. The changes represent a major shift for the OCR, which in the past has primarily focused on enforcing patient safety and privacy concerns. The new division, called the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division, will enforce "laws and regulations that protect conscience and prohibit coercion on issues such as abortion and assisted suicide" in HHS-funded or conducted programs," according to OCR's updated website. Workers who say they experienced discrimination because they refused to participate in specific medical procedures, including abortion, or were coerced into doing so, can now file a complaint with the office. Republicans and anti-abortion groups often complained that the Obama administration did not enforce federal laws that protect health workers and institutions from having to violate their religious or moral beliefs by participating in abortions or other procedures. The change represents a major win for religious and anti-abortion groups, and comes one day before the March for Life, an annual march against abortion in D.C. Read more here. Trump baffles GOP with tweet on children's health program President Trump undermined his own party's plan to avert a looming government shutdown on Thursday after tweeting that a key Democratic bargaining chip shouldn't be attached to the funding package. The 17-word tweet threw Capitol Hill into a state of confusion ahead of what is already expected to be a tight vote in the House on Thursday night. Republicans on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue were trying to decipher what exactly the president meant by declaring that a popular children's health-care program should be part of a "long term solution, not a 30 Day, or short term, extension." The strategy Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and his leadership team are pursuing would attach a six-year reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to a stopgap government funding measure as a way to sweeten the pot for wary Democrats in both the House and Senate. But Democrats have been cool to the proposal, arguing Republicans have shut them out of talks and voicing frustration that the bill does not deal with young immigrants known as "Dreamers" who face deportation beginning as early as March because of Trump's decision to end an Obama-era program sheltering them. Trump's early morning tweet -- the second in as many weeks that appeared to contradict the GOP's strategy ahead of a key House vote -- comes as House GOP leaders are still scrambling to lock down last-minute votes for a one-month continuing resolution. Current government funding runs out Friday at midnight. The White House, in a statement, said Trump backs the House GOP bill. The statement did not mention the children's health program. Read more here. HHS delays spark fear for family planning groups over funding The Trump administration is running months behind in supplying basic information on how organizations that provide birth control and other reproductive health services to low-income women and families can apply for federal family planning grants, raising new uncertainties over the program. The delays at the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) are putting additional stress on organizations that depend on funding through Title X, a nearly 50-year-old program focused solely on family planning grants. Some of the groups have grants expiring on March 31 and are developing contingency plans in case of a funding lapse. "The reality is that all of the networks are going to start thinking about how and when to shut down services or minimize services if there is a lapse of funding, and thinking of what other patchwork of services they can put together to help people if HHS has not followed through in a timely manner," said Jessica Marcella, vice president of advocacy and communications for the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association. Read more here. Aetna to pay $17M settlement after revealing HIV status of some customers Aetna will pay a $17 million settlement following claims that it breached the privacy of customers who take HIV medications. The settlement comes six months after Aetna, the third-largest health insurer in the U.S., mailed notices in July that accidentally revealed the recipients were prescribed HIV medications. Read more here. What we're reading Children's health insurance has become a political hostage (Vox) Home care agencies often wrongly deny Medicare help to the chronically ill (Kaiser Health News) Let's remember: 9 million kids' health insurance is at stake in this budget fight (The Washington Post) Government scientists scramble to save research ahead of shutdown (Associated Press) State by state ObamaCare enrollment falls 9 percent in Michigan amid nationwide slip (Detroit Free Press) Idaho governor touts healthcare order as ObamaCare fix (Magicvalley.com) In cost cutting move, state workers to have fewer health care choices (The Lowell Sun) From The Hill's opinion pages Medicaid 'work requirements' won't improve health outcomes VA has a tendency to manipulate science for its own benefit, not the veterans | 
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