Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Physicians' Efforts Pay Off As Judge Orders Health Websites Restored
A federal judge has ordered federal health agencies to restore websites and datasets that were abruptly pulled down beginning in late January, prompting an outcry from medical and public health communities. The temporary restraining order was granted in response to a lawsuit filed against the federal government by Doctors for America (DFA), a progressive advocacy group representing physicians, and the nonprofit Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group. (Stone, 2/11)
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to hold off on a plan that would cut $4 billion in federal funding for research at the nation’s universities, cancer centers and hospitals. The funds disbursed by the National Institutes of Health cover the administrative and overhead costs for a vast swath of biomedical research, some of which is directed at tackling diseases like cardiovascular conditions, cancer and diabetes. (Jewett and Rosenbluth, 2/11)
For decades, academic scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health conducted research into the function of a lung protein that is genetically altered in people with cystic fibrosis. The foundational scientific discoveries eventually led Vertex Pharmaceuticals to develop and win approval for the first medicines to treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis.ÌýThose medicines have transformed the lives of people living with the disease and turned Vertex into one of the world’s largest and most valuable drug companies.Ìý(Feuerstein, 2/11)
Cutting federal grant funding will limit access to care and stymie research, providers warn. Last week, the National Institutes of Health said it will cap the indirect cost payment rate for new and existing grants at 15%. Academic medical centers use that funding to cover the cost of administrative and infrastructure expenses tied to research. (Kacik, 2/11)
Talk to us —
We’d like to speak with personnel from the Department of Health and Human Services or its component agencies about what’s happening within the federal health bureaucracy. PleaseÌýÌýor contact reporter Arthur Allen directly by email or Signal atÌýArthurA@kff.orgÌýor 202-365-6116.
On Trump's Cabinet —
During his confirmation hearing Jan. 21, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins pledged to preserve veterans benefits and not "balance the budgets on the backs of veterans." But the confirmation of Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, who contributed to two conservative playbooks that support significant changes to VA disability benefits, has put veterans service organizations on guard against any potential shifts in VA compensation. (Kime, 2/11)
President Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated Terry Cole to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, elevating a longtime law enforcement official who spent more than two decades at the agency and now serves as Virginia’s top public safety official. The nomination came more than two months after Trump’s first selection, Florida sheriff Chad Chronister, announced his withdrawal amid withering criticism from conservative figures. (Ovalle and Vazquez, 2/11)
A new journal purports to improve the publishing process through open access and public peer review, but it was co-founded by researchers who challenged the U.S. response to COVID-19 -- including President Trump's pick to lead the NIH, Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD. Bhattacharya and Martin Kulldorff, PhD, have founded the Journal of the Academy of Public Health, where "good scientists can publish whatever their studies conclude," Kulldorff said in a post on X. (Fiore, 2/11)
