\tJulie Rovner
\n\tKFF Health News<\/p>\n
\t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\tJulie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News\u2019 weekly health policy news podcast, “What the Health?” A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book “Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z,” now in its third edition.\t\t<\/p>\n The Food and Drug Administration is back in the headlines, with a political appointee overruling agency scientists to reject an application from the drugmaker Moderna for a new flu vaccine, and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary continuing to take criticism from anti-abortion Republicans in the Senate for alleged delays reviewing the safety of the abortion pill mifepristone.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, in a very unlikely pairing, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts Democrat, and Sen. Josh Hawley, the conservative Republican from Missouri, are co-sponsoring legislation aimed at breaking up the \u201cvertical integration\u201d of health care \u2014 when a single company owns health insurers, drug middlemen, and clinician practices.<\/p>\n This week\u2019s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Jackie Forti\u00e9r of KFF Health News, Lizzy Lawrence of Stat, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico.<\/p>\n \tJackie Forti\u00e9r \t\t\t \tLizzy Lawrence \t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t \tAlice Miranda Ollstein \t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t Among the takeaways from this week\u2019s episode:<\/p>\n A top FDA official overruled agency staff in refusing to consider Moderna\u2019s application for a new flu vaccine. The rejection, which Moderna is challenging, comes after the company consulted with the agency under President Joe Biden on how to develop the clinical trial for the vaccine and then spent considerable time and money. Clear, consistent federal guidance is important to maintaining the drug development ecosystem, and the decision stands as a warning to other companies developing new treatments.<\/p>\n With measles cases rising and trust in federal vaccine recommendations falling, the Vaccine Integrity Project, based at the University of Minnesota\u2019s Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy, and the American Medical Association are launching their own vaccine review process \u2014 a parallel vaccine recommendation project offering an alternative to what are seen as ideologically driven federal recommendations.<\/p>\n President Donald Trump unveiled the new TrumpRx website, billed as helping people save money on prescription drugs. But the site\u2019s offerings are limited and offer limited benefits: It serves only those trying to buy drugs without insurance coverage, and some of the biggest savings are on popular obesity drugs rather than other commonly needed treatments. Nonetheless, it offers Trump a chance to stamp his name on an effort to lower drug prices.<\/p>\n And more reporting is illuminating the health-related side effects of Trump\u2019s immigration crackdown, including infectious disease outbreaks at detention centers. While at least some of the problems are not new to immigration enforcement, the large numbers of people being detained are intensifying the problems.<\/p>\n Plus, for \u201cextra credit\u201d the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:\u00a0<\/p>\n Julie Rovner:<\/strong> ProPublica\u2019s \u201cThe Children of Dilley<\/a>,\u201d by Mica Rosenberg.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Alice Miranda Ollstein:<\/strong> Politico\u2019s \u201cWhy Washington\u2019s All-In on Smart Rings<\/a>,\u201d by Amanda Chu.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Lizzy Lawrence:<\/strong> KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cUS Cancer Institute Studying Ivermectin\u2019s \u2018Ability To Kill Cancer Cells,\u2019<\/a>\u201d by Rachana Pradhan.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Jackie Forti\u00e9r:<\/strong> Stat\u2019s \u201cThe New Childhood Vaccine Guidelines Have a Paid Leave Problem<\/a>,\u201d by Ariana Hendrix.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Also mentioned in this week\u2019s episode:<\/p>\n Stat\u2019s \u201cPrasad Overruled FDA Staff To Reject Moderna\u2019s Flu Vaccine Application<\/a>,\u201d by Lizzy Lawrence.<\/p>\n KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cPublic Health Workers Are Quitting Over Assignments to Guant\u00e1namo<\/a>,\u201d by Amy Maxmen.<\/p>\n KFF Health News\u2019 \u201c\u2018I Can\u2019t Tell You\u2019: Attorneys, Relatives Struggle To Find Hospitalized ICE Detainees<\/a>,\u201d by Claudia Boyd-Barrett.<\/p>\n \tFrancis Ying \tEmmarie Huetteman Click here to find all our podcasts.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n And subscribe to \u201cWhat the Health? From KFF Health News\u201d on Apple Podcasts<\/a>, Spotify<\/a>, the NPR app<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Pocket Casts<\/a>, or wherever you listen to podcasts.<\/em><\/p>\n\n KFF Health News<\/a> is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF\u2014an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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