Headless FDA Gets a New Nominee
The Host
Heidi Overton, a physician and White House domestic policy adviser, is President Donald Trump’s choice to be the next head of the Food and Drug Administration. Overton, an abortion opponent and supporter of Trump’s proposed changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, has made enemies while working on health policy from the White House and could face some tough questioning from senators.
Meanwhile, prescription drug prices are dropping for some people, and the wholesale retailer Costco is entering the Medicare market. Still, overall, the problem of healthcare being too expensive remains stubbornly hard to solve.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of ýҕl Health News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico.
Panelists
Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:
- Trump’s selection of Overton to lead the FDA is prompting concerns from a diverse crowd of skeptics that includes Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and adherents to the Make America Healthy Again movement. Her lack of managerial experience and history of controversial writings could be liabilities during the confirmation process, though Trump has a decent track record of clearing nominees through a hesitant Senate.
- Grant money continues to be held up at the National Institutes of Health pending political reviews, and new reporting sheds light on “zombie programs” at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where money has been appropriated but there’s no staff to use it. Plus, the trend of declining childhood immunizations continues, with vaccine exemptions for kindergartners jumping to another high.
- New data shows the largest drop in prescription drug prices since the 1960s, and while the Trump administration is taking credit, it’s unclear what exactly caused it. Meanwhile, the federal government is investigating major health companies for allegedly dodging taxes or engaging in anticompetitive practices. And the wholesaler Costco is getting into the health insurance game, partnering with a nonprofit insurer to provide Medicare Advantage or Medigap plans in a few states.
Also this week, as part of the “How Would You Fix It?” series, Rovner interviews billionaire businessman Mark Cuban, who has already reshaped the generic drug market and now has his eye on the rest of the healthcare system.
Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:
Julie Rovner: Mother Jones’ “,” by Sophie Hurwitz.
Shefali Luthra: The 19th’s “,” by Barbara Rodriguez.
Alice Miranda Ollstein: The Texas Observer’s “,” by Mary Tuma.
Joanne Kenen: Politico’s “,” by Owen Dahlkamp.
Also mentioned in this week’s podcast:
- NOTUS’ “,” by Paige Winfield Cunningham.
- The Associated Press’ “,” by Mike Stobbe.
- ýҕl Health News’ “Kennedy’s Quiet Hunt for Autism Culprits Stalls as Trump Orders Baseless Changes to Childhood Shots,” by Amanda Seitz and Stephanie Armour.
- The Wall Street Journal’s “,” by Anna Wilde Mathews.
- Stat’s “,” by Casey Ross and Brittany Trang.
- Stat’s “,” by Bob Herman.
Credits
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