Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
At Heart Of Spy Case, A Plot To Leak US Medical Records To Russia
A Maryland doctor and her spouse, a U.S. Army doctor, were arrested on Thursday and charged with plotting to give the Russian government medical records of members of the American military, believing that the information could be exploited by the Kremlin, federal prosecutors said. The couple, Dr. Anna Gabrielian, a Baltimore anesthesiologist, and Dr. Jamie Lee Henry, an Army major and staff internist at Fort Bragg, were indicted after they met several times with an undercover F.B.I. agent who they believed was working for the Russian Embassy, prosecutors said. (Levenson, 9/29)
A Baltimore anesthesiologist and her U.S. Army major spouse were federally indicted Wednesday in an alleged conspiracy to disclose health information to the Russian government to assist its war in Ukraine. (Cohn, 9/29)
In news from Capitol Hill 鈥
Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) has introduced legislation aimed at reducing the cost of the rabies vaccine for uninsured Americans months after a fox bit him as he was walking on Capitol Hill. 鈥淒espite being a fatal disease, rabies is preventable if treated quickly,鈥 Bera said in a statement Wednesday, which is World Rabies Day. 鈥淎fter being bit by a rabid fox, I was fortunate to have access to readily available and low-cost vaccines. But for too many Americans, the costs of treatment would break their banks.鈥 (Scott, 9/28)
KHN: KHN鈥檚 鈥榃hat The Health?鈥: On Government Spending, Congress Decides Not To Decide聽
Congress is supposed to complete its annual appropriations bills before the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1. But it rarely does, and this year is no different, as lawmakers scramble to pass a short-term funding bill so they can put off final decisions until at least December. Meanwhile, with an eye to the midterms, House Republicans put out a 鈥淐ommitment to America,鈥 which includes only the vaguest promises related to health care. It鈥檚 yet another demonstration that the only thing in health care that unifies Republicans is their opposition to Democrats鈥 health policies. It鈥檚 notable that this latest Republican plan does not suggest repealing the Affordable Care Act. (9/29)