Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
HHS Restores Public Access To Pandemic Data Through New Portal
The Trump administration has restored public access to coronavirus data reported by hospitals to the federal government, after an outcry over missing data and controversy over a change in the agency that collects it. The information is now being published on the Department of Health and Human Services's (HHS) site, HHS Protect, instead of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network. The change was necessary, officials said, because they believed the CDC's system was too slow, and wasn't able to keep up with the constantly changing information about the virus. (Weixel, 7/20)
The system replaces a CDC system and relies on outside vendors who have received at least $35 million combined. Democrats and public health experts have expressed alarm about the move, concerned it would sideline the federal public health agency and cause confusion among hospitals and states amid a pandemic. (Roubein, Diamond and Tahir, 7/20)
