WCOE: Countering HHS’s ACA Enrollment Suppression, FDA’s Gottlieb on Expanded Access/Right to Try, “Cancer Stories No One Wants to Hear”

“As ACA enrollment nears, administration keeps cutting federal support of the law”

Iowa wanted to fix its health insurance marketplace. Trump found out and personally said no. By @Eilperin https://t.co/bjqXL5oHKl

— Laura Helmuth (@laurahelmuth) October 5, 2017

By Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post — With the fifth enrollment season set to begin Nov. 1, advocates say the Health and Human Services Department has done more to suppress the number of people signing up than to boost it. HHS has slashed grants to groups that help consumers get insurance coverage, for example. It also has cut the enrollment period in half, reduced the advertising budget by 90 percent and announced an outage schedule that would make the HealthCare.gov website less available than last year.
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“The people who used to run Obamacare are now trying to save Obamacare”

They used to run Obamacare for the government — now they're trying to save Obamacare https://t.co/6GQHtzU9Vm

— CNBC (@CNBC) October 4, 2017

By Dan Mangan, CNBC — “We’re taking everything we learned about how to reach people with the information they need about deadlines and financial help and are getting to work helping more people enroll,” said Joshua Peck, co-founder of Get America Covered.
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Thanks for the follows! Retweet to spread the word: You can #GetCovered beginning 11/1 at https://t.co/p8DQwo89C7. pic.twitter.com/qhdqwu24zz

— Get America Covered (@GetUSCovered) October 4, 2017

“Obamacare sign-up challenge: proving the law is not dead”

Obamacare sign-up challenge: proving the law is not dead https://t.co/qkRb0He70h

— Reuters Politics (@ReutersPolitics) October 4, 2017

By Yasmeen Abutaleb, Reuters — The uncertainty here in Arizona, echoed in interviews across the country, shows that even though they have not been able to repeal former President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law, the Republican effort to undermine it is gaining traction.
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“The cancer stories no one wants to hear”

The cancer stories no one wants to hear (w/correct link) | OPINION https://t.co/scEyAcFYIo

— STAT (@statnews) October 6, 2017

By Renata Louwers — While our larger cultural conversation around cancer focuses on survivors and miracles, we don’t hear the stories of dying cancer patients — they are often too sick or too busy to tell them. The stories of the dead are lost. These aren’t stories filled with smiling athletes, gritty thumbs-up poses, and fighter metaphors. They are, instead, about the realization that this disease will kill the storyteller.
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“Expanded Access: FDA Describes Efforts to Ease Application Process”

FDA continuing to simplify process for doctors seeking access to investigational products for patients. https://t.co/pde95KV3f0 pic.twitter.com/TKwU2lRwxA

— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) October 3, 2017

By Scott Gottlieb, MD, FDA Commissioner – FDA Voice Blog — FDA has a long history of supporting patient access to investigational new treatments. This includes working with drug and device companies through the clinical trial process that may lead to FDA approval of the treatment. We also offer expanded access programs that provide investigational drugs and devices to patients with serious conditions (generally prior to product approval), when there is no therapeutic alternative.
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“FDA Head Expresses Doubt About ‘Right to Try’ – Agency already has effective compassionate use program in place, argues Scott Gottlieb, MD”

Even #FDA's Gottlieb knows 'Right to Try' bills address a non-problem. But expose patients to drugs that don't work. https://t.co/ywPbOwAnrt

— Karuna Jaggar (@karunajaggar) October 5, 2017

By Shannon Firth, MedPage Today — New “Right to Try” legislation will not remove the primary roadblock facing terminally ill patients who want to test unapproved, investigational therapies, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, told a House subcommittee Tuesday.
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“5 Takeaways From Congress’ Failure To Extend Funding For Children’s Coverage”

5 takeaways from Congress’ failure to extend funding for children’s coverage https://t.co/eLu3SrAwOc

— Kaiser Health News (@KHNews) October 4, 2017

By Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News — Congress finally seems ready to take action on the Children’s Health Insurance Program after funding lapsed Sept. 30. Before the deadline, lawmakers were busy grappling with the failed repeal of the Affordable Care Act. CHIP covers 9 million children nationwide. But until Congress renews CHIP, states are cut off from additional federal funding that helps lower- and middle-income families.
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