First Edition: May 19, 2015
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
Telemedicine Under Attack As Abortion Rights Supporters Seek More Options For Women
Abortion rights supporters say more than a dozen states have banned one option that could improve early access: telemedicine. Iowa and Minnesota are the only states that offer so-called "telemed" abortions. Women who choose this option confer with a doctor through an Internet video connection and can then be prescribed two drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol, which when taken in sequence induce an abortion. Women who opt for a medication abortion can be no more than nine weeks into their pregnancy. (Andrews, 5/19)
Los Angeles Times:
Cancer Screening: An Example Of When Less Can Be More, Experts Say
Americans get too many tests to screen for common types of cancer, and the American College of Physicians wants them to stop. New clinical guidelines from the medical group include a litany of statistics that illustrate our obsession with cancer screening. Among them: About 6 in 10 adults submitted to a colonoscopy more often than they needed to. One-third of men who got a PSA test to screen for prostate cancer couldn’t remember being asked by their doctor to do so. And 69% of women who had their cervix removed during a hysterectomy still got tested for cervical cancer. (Kaplan, 5/18)
NPR:
Change To Mammogram Guidelines Could Lead To Coverage Shift
Millions of women could lose access to free mammograms under changes to breast cancer screening guidelines that influence insurers, the consulting firm Avalere estimates. The Avalere analysis is based on an update to breast cancer screening recommendations proposed by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a group of medical experts whose work guides health care standards and policy. The public comment period on the proposal expires Monday. (Kelto, 5/18)
The Associated Press:
Where They Stand: Lindsey Graham On Issues Of 2016 Campaign
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham will announce his campaign for president next month, after saying Monday he is running for the Republican nomination. Here’s a snapshot of where Graham stands on issues likely to be debated in the Republican presidential primaries. ... He voted against the Affordable Care Act and supports the GOP’s “Ryan Budget” that would curtail Social Security and Medicare spending and benefits over time. ... On abortion, Graham receives high marks from state and national organizations that oppose a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy. But he’s also tried to bridge the gap between conservatives who support absolute bans on abortion and those who support exceptions for rape, incest and health of the mother. Graham argues absolute bans aren’t politically feasible. (Barrow, 5/19)
The New York Times:
Bobby Jindal Forms Exploratory Committee
In an email sent to reporters, Mr. Jindal was harshly critical of President Obama and said the country was ready “to try a dramatically different path.” “While other Republican leaders are talking about change, I’ve published detailed plans to repeal and replace Obamacare, rebuild America’s defenses, make America energy independent, and reform education for our nation’s children,” Mr. Jindal wrote in the statement. (Corasaniti, 5/18)
The Washington Post:
Coalition Of Labor, Immigrant Groups Flexing Muscles In Va. Local Races
A coalition of labor and minority groups is launching an effort to support progressive Democrats running in Virginia’s June 9 primary election and has promised five candidates a last-minute infusion of cash and a small army of door-knocking volunteers. Coalition leaders said they will try to mobilize young and minority residents who have not voted in large numbers in the past and urge them to back local candidates who want to boost the minimum wage, expand health-care coverage for the poor, and create new protections and opportunities for immigrants. (Sullivan, 5/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
Endo To Buy Par Pharma For About $8 Billion
Endo International PLC agreed to buy rival drug maker Par Pharmaceutical Holdings Inc. for $8 billion, the latest in a string of cross-border mergers steering tax revenue away from the U.S., despite Washington’s efforts. Endo, which relocated from Pennsylvania to Ireland last year, is one of several drug companies lately using their lower-tax foreign addresses as springboards for acquisitions in the U.S., which has one of the world’s highest corporate tax rates. (Hoffman, 5/18)
The Associated Press:
Endo Buying Par For $8B In Push For Generics, Higher Profit
Drugmaker Endo International PLC is climbing toward the top of the steadily consolidating generic medicine business with a deal to buy Par Pharmaceutical Holdings Inc. for about $8.05 billion. The deal would enable Dublin-based Endo to leapfrog from No. 10 to No. 5 in U.S. generic drug sales barely five years after its first foray into generics. (Johnson, 5/18)
Los Angeles Times:
Woman Sues Anthem Blue Cross For Refusing To Cover Hepatitis C Drug
A West Hollywood woman sued insurer Anthem Blue Cross for refusing to cover the cost of an expensive drug that she says would cure her hepatitis C infection. Shima Andre said in the lawsuit that Anthem has refused to pay the estimated $99,000 it would cost to be treated with the controversial drug Harvoni, which has been shown to destroy the deadly virus in most patients. In a denial letter, Anthem explained that the drug was “not medically necessary” because Andre does not have advanced liver damage, the lawsuit said. (Pfeifer, 5/18)
The Associated Press:
Facing $1 Billion Deficit, Arizona Sharply Limits Welfare
Facing a $1 billion budget deficit, Arizona's Republican-led Legislature has reduced the lifetime limit for welfare recipients to the shortest window in the nation. ... The cuts of at least $4 million reflect a prevailing mood among the lawmakers in control in Arizona that welfare, Medicaid and other public assistance programs are crutches that keep the poor from getting back on their feet and achieving their potential. (5/18)