Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
How Is Mitch McConnell? Staff Is Staying Mostly Mum About Senator's Health
Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the former majority leader, was hospitalized on June 14. Since then, his office has provided few updates about his condition. ... Emergency responders the morning the Kentucky Republican was hospitalized reported performing CPR on an unconscious individual undergoing cardiac arrest at the senator’s Washington address, according to recordings of dispatcher calls that were widely reported by news outlets last week and obtained by The New York Times. The recordings do not name Mr. McConnell as the individual. (Edmondson, 7/6)
Clinical trial policy got caught up in the Trump administration’s attack on policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Republicans in Congress would like to change that. (Wilkerson, 7/6)
Ten Democratic lawmakers told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a letter Sunday that his gutting of a program focused on protecting civilians is a leadership failure that imperils service members and erodes the military’s moral standing. (Allam and Rose, 7/6)
On abortion law —
Planned Parenthood has regained access to federal funding, enraging anti-abortion conservatives one year after Republicans were able to cut its clinics off from Medicaid. Beginning July 5, clinics were once again able to bill Medicaid for reimbursement for non-abortion care, like contraception and screenings for sexually transmitted infections. The new funding will be a lifeline for the organization’s network of clinics and their patients. Medicaid is a significant revenue stream for Planned Parenthood, accounting for more than $800 million. In addition, more than half of Planned Parenthood’s patients rely on Medicaid for their health coverage, the organization said. (Weixel, 7/6)
On the fourth anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson decision, which overturned the constitutional right to abortion, Samantha Casiano carried a picture of her daughter, Halo, with her to meetings on Capitol Hill. The photo showed Halo without a fully formed skull and brain, leading to her death four hours after she was born. (Habashy, 7/6)
