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A much-anticipated inquiry by U.S. antitrust regulators into pharmaceutical industry middlemen has been stymied because the companies have failed to provide many of the documents that, in some cases, were requested as far back as June 2022. (Silverman, 2/27)

Advocates for tougher restrictions on pharmacy benefit managers are not giving up after Congress reportedly shelved several proposals this week, even if lawmakers see no immediate path forward. PBM legislation has broad bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. Negotiations appear to have broken down, however, regarding which specific measures to include in the full-year government funding bills that must pass by March 1 and March 8. (McAuliff, 2/27)

Democratic and Republican congressional leaders struck an optimistic tone that they would avert a government shutdown this weekend after a White House meeting in which lawmakers also stepped up pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) to allow a long-stalled vote on Ukraine aid to go forward. Johnson is expected to put forward legislation in coming days that would keep the government fully open, but the details remained uncertain. The Congress has until Saturday at 12:01 a.m. to fund the departments of Veterans Affairs, Transportation, Agriculture, Energy and several other agencies that have been operating on temporary extensions since Sept. 30. The funding for the rest of the federal government expires after March 8. (Wise, Hughes and Linskey, 2/27)

A federal court in Lubbock ruled Tuesday that proxy voting in Congress doesn’t count toward a quorum, weakening a law to protect pregnant workers that was passed with proxy votes. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Biden administration last year over a massive government funding package that passed largely by proxy votes because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding package, passed in December 2022, included the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which protects accommodations for pregnant employees in the workplace and allows workers to sue employers for failing to do so. It prohibited employers from denying employment opportunities or forcing pregnant workers to go on leave if alternative accommodations were possible. (Choi, 2/27)

At a time when public health guidance is increasingly politicized and divisive, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a plan to bring Americans back together. Dr. Mandy Cohen, who took the helm at the agency in July, says the key to addressing health issues is to begin with topics people agree on and build a relationship across the aisle. “This is a journey,” she said in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY. “There’s a lot of threats in the world, let’s start at the places where we have a lot of good agreement.” (Rodriguez, 2/27)

As Michigan voters participate in the 2024 Republican primary, the spotlight falls on the contrasting stances of the leading candidates, former President Donald Trump and former Governor Nikki Haley, on the critical issue of health care. Donald Trump, whose tenure as president saw fervent attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare, has recently remained relatively reticent on the topic. ... In contrast, Nikki Haley, the former Governor of South Carolina, has steadfastly opposed the Affordable Care Act. (Yurow, 2/27)

The Department of Veterans Affairs has made significant progress in providing medical treatment and services to female veterans, but shortfalls still exist, especially in mental health care, largely as a result of gender differences, according to a new report from the nonprofit group Disabled American Veterans. More than 600,000 female veterans receive health care through the VA, and the proportion of those who have a service-connected disability has risen since 2000 from 48% to 73% in 2020. Given that there are more than 2 million female veterans in the U.S., many of whom need support and qualify for VA services but aren't using their benefits, the department should do more to improve services for them, DAV analysts wrote in "Women Veterans: A Journey to Mental Wellness." (Kime and Kheel, 2/27)

Healthcare interests clamoring for congressional action on artificial intelligence would also like lawmakers to remember the Hippocratic oath: First, do no harm. Second, they would like a little protection. Opinions about precisely which needs legislating or protection, of course, vary greatly among interest groups, some of which have competing agendas. (McAuliff, 2/27)