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2018年6月28日 星期四

Overnight Health Care: Amazon enters the pharmacy business | Two Republicans to play pivotal role in Supreme Court abortion fight | Senate panel approves medical research boost

 
 
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Welcome to Overnight Health Care, Thursday edition.

It's been hard to keep up with the news this week (even more than usual), from a Supreme Court opening to a shocking primary upset. But in the world of health care, we'll start off with a deal some major disruption potential (as they say in Silicon Valley).

 

Amazon moves into the pharmacy business

Amazon made another big move Thursday that could shake up the health care industry, buying the online pharmacy PillPack.

This comes after they already had everyone speculating about their new venture with JP Morgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway.

"PillPack's visionary team has a combination of deep pharmacy experience and a focus on technology," said Jeff Wilke, the head of Amazon's consumer branch. "PillPack is meaningfully improving its customers' lives, and we want to help them continue making it easy for people to save time, simplify their lives, and feel healthier. We're excited to see what we can do together on behalf of customers over time."

PillPack delivers drugs in pre-sorted packaging to match the dosage.

Amazon's move comes after long speculation that it would seek to enter the pharmacy business.

Read more here

 

Dems ramp up Supreme Court fight over Roe v. Wade, ObamaCare

Senate Democrats are running a campaign to illustrate the stakes of the newly open Supreme Court seat.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's office sent out a volley of news releases Thursday warning that a new justice could overturn Roe v. Wade or ObamaCare's pre-existing condition protections.

"Roe v. Wade Under Assault: President Trump Intends To Make Good On His Anti-Choice Promise By Appointing A Justice To Overturn Roe," read one.

On the Senate floor, Schumer also said he thinks it is "likely" that Chief Justice John Roberts will change his mind from previous cases where he has voted to uphold ObamaCare, and would now strike down key provisions, along with a potentially new conservative justice appointed by President Trump.

He pointed to a new ObamaCare lawsuit from Texas, which many legal experts say is very unlikely to succeed.

"Already there is a case wending its way through the courts that questions the constitutionality of the health care law," Schumer said. "By repealing the coverage requirement, Republicans are attempting to undermine the foundation upon which the Chief Justice based his ruling to uphold the law. If the change in the law changes Justice Roberts' mind, which is very likely, and the new jurist is as biased against our health care system as President Trump said he or she will be, millions of Americans could see their pre-existing conditions protections wiped out."

 

Two Republicans will play a pivotal role in the Supreme Court abortion fight.

The high-stakes abortion battle looming over President Trump's next Supreme Court pick will likely be decided by two GOP senators: Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

The two women are viewed as potential swing votes because they've made a series of high-profile breaks with their party over healthcare -- voting against an ObamaCare repeal measure, a bill allowing states to defund Planned Parenthood and legislation that would have banned abortion after 20 weeks.

For Democrats to be able to sink Trump's nominee -- a major win in an election year -- they'll need to win over at least one GOP senator.

The state of play: Collins and Murkowski are already facing mounting pressure from both sides. So far, they have stopped short of taking firm positions on whether they would oppose a nominee viewed as anti-abortion or likely to overturn or chip away at Roe v. Wade.

The Hill's Jordain Carney and Jessie Hellmann breaks down the battle to win over two crucial Republican senators.

 

Psychiatrists ask APA to change rule prohibiting analysis of public figures

The debate over psychiatric analysis of public figures is back.

A group of prominent psychiatrists are calling on the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to change a controversial rule that prohibits members from speculating about the mental state of public figures.

In a letter sent to the APA Thursday, the psychiatrists said that the so-called Goldwater Rule can put the public in danger by denying trained professionals from addressing mental health issues demonstrated by public figures, such as an elected official.

During the presidential election in 2016, when discussion of then-candidate Donald Trump's mental state became widespread, the APA reminded members of the rule governing ethics in the profession.

"The unique atmosphere of this year's election cycle may lead some to want to psychoanalyze the candidates, but to do so would not only be unethical, it would be irresponsible," then-APA President Maria Oquendo said at the time.

Now some psychiatrists are asking for a formal change.

"The Goldwater Rule, in its present form, is antiquated, illogical, without scientific foundation, and intrinsically undermining of mental health professionals' efforts to protect the public's well-being," the letter states.

Read more here.

 

Senate panel approves spending bill with medical research funding boost

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday took a step forward in its surprisingly uncontroversial appropriations process, approving the health spending bill.

The bill includes a $2 billion increase for funding at the National Institutes of Health, and an increase of $145 million to fight the opioid epidemic, for a total of $3.7 billion.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network praised the added research funding, saying lawmakers' "efforts will help ensure future medical breakthroughs can make it from the lab to the patient, giving individuals the greatest chance of survival."

We've got more here.

 

What we're reading

What liberals won't tell you about pre-existing conditions (The Federalist)

'Medicare for All' would get hearing in House if Yarmuth had his way (Louisville Courier Journal)

 

State by state

Kentucky's sweeping Medicaid work requirement experiment is about to begin (CNN.com)

Iowa Supreme Court to rule on 72-hour wait for abortion law Friday (Des Moines Register)

 
 
 
 
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