 Health Care |
Health Care |
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CDC reports progress on HIV rates, but disparities persist |
Federal health officials released new statistics on HIV in the U.S. on Tuesday, and despite the country seemingly heading in the right direction, the same obstacles are still present. |
The U.S. saw a 12 percent drop in new HIV infections between 2017 and 2021. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attributes most this to increased action among young people between 13 and 24. More and more gay and bisexual young men — who make up the majority of new infections in the younger demographic — are aware of their HIV status, suppressing the virus through medication if they're positive and getting on PrEP to prevent infections. But disparities still abound in the U.S. HIV response according to the new data. Drops in new infection rates, while present, were significantly smaller among Black and Hispanic men who are gay or bisexual when compared to white men. Black women accounted for half of all new HIV infections among women during 2021. And an even smaller percentage of Black and Hispanic people who stood to benefit from PrEP were taking the medication — 11 and 20 percent, respectively, compared to 78 percent of white people who could benefit. A little more than half of all new U.S. HIV infections in 2021 came from the South. The CDC is planning a media campaign aimed at gay and bisexual Black and Hispanic men in the South to help raise awareness in response to these findings. Remember: PrEP, which reduces the risk of HIV infection by about 99 percent when taken as prescribed, is at the center of a federal lawsuit in Texas over whether insurers should be required to cover the medication with no cost-sharing under the Affordable Care Act. A district court judge invalidated the requirement, but an appeals court partially paused that ruling last week. The federal government has a goal of reducing new HIV infection by 90 percent between 2017 and 2030. The data on Tuesday indicates the U.S. isn't on track to meeting this target and getting rid of a provision that ensures affordable access to PrEP is likely to drag the country further away from reaching it. |
Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. |
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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: |
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The Republican-led South Carolina Senate on Tuesday passed a ban on abortions after an ultrasound detects cardiac activity, which is usually about six weeks. The bill now goes the bill to the desk of Gov. Henry McMaster (R), who is expected to sign it quickly. The legislation represents a significant setback to abortion rights in the state. Abortion is currently legal in South Carolina until 22 weeks of pregnancy, though there … |
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| Planned Parenthood announced a major strategy shift Tuesday that would prioritize investments in local and state affiliates and result in a significant cut to the workforce at the national level. The announcement comes one year after Roe v. Wade was overturned and the fight to protect abortion rights has played out on state levels across the country. Fourteen states now ban most abortions, while other states await court decisions … |
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Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) said during a hearing on drug pricing that she once declined to pay for birth control medicine when she saw how high the price was at the pharmacy. Boebert recalled thinking at the time, "It's cheaper to have a kid.” In a House Oversight and Accountability hearing on the role of pharmacy benefit managers in prescription drug prices, lawmakers questioned the lack of transparency and the high … |
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Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: |
- The House Energy & Commerce Committee will be marking up a handful of bill on Wednesday, including a several pieces of of health cost legislation.
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Cancer Care Access & Equity: Breaking Barriers to Innovation, June 8, 2-3:00 p.m. ET |
We live in a groundbreaking era of innovation in oncology, yet cancer continues to be the second leading cause of death in the United States. What obstacles stand in the way of optimal cancer care? How can we increase cancer screenings, advance research, modernize detection and treatment systems and drive innovation while removing barriers to access and affordability? And what role do social determinants of health, like geography and race, play in keeping patients from specialized, life-saving care, and how do we eliminate these disparities? The Hill will bring together policymakers, health experts and patient advocates to discuss the changes to the cancer care delivery system, with the following speakers: Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY), Co-Chair of the Cancer Caucus and member of the House Ways & Means Committee; Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), Co-Chair of the Cancer Caucus and Senior Member of the House Ways & Means Committee; and Dr. Karen Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society |
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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Medicaid plans to audit the prices of costliest drugs |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Tuesday it is planning to conduct a yearly audit to verify the prices drug makers charge on a handful of the costliest prescriptions covered by Medicaid. Under the proposal, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would require as many as 10 drug makers every year to furnish the government … | |
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We hold a deep respect for the value of every mind. |
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Local and state headlines on health care: |
- California's fentanyl problem is getting worse (KFF Health News)
- ACLU of Kentucky Files Motion to Challenge Ban on Essential Healthcare for Trans Youth (The Lexington Times)
- New Orleans aims to wipe out millions in medical debt (Axios)
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Health news we've flagged from other outlets: |
- 'Worse than what we thought': New data reveals deeper problems with the Bureau of Prisons' Covid response (Stat)
- U.S. working on limited bird flu vaccination for turkeys (Reuters)
- HPV vaccine: Some studies say one and done might be better (CNN)
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Most read stories on The Hill right now: |
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Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) issued what he described as a "formal travel advisory for socialists visiting Florida," on Tuesday, warning that the state … Read more |
| Former President Trump accused Fox News host Laura Ingraham of running a “hit piece” on him for airing a segment focusing on his poll numbers … Read more |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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