Why Has Lowering Taxes for Wealthy Become Focus of Improving Health Care?

At this point in the President 45 tenure, nothing should surprise us. It seems dumb to take $880 billion dollars out of the health care supported by the government known as Obamacare to provide major tax cuts for the wealthy.  How can the government provide improvements in the Affordable Care Act which everyone knows needs to happen to improve healthcare by gutting the funding of health care for all and eviscerating provided care.

 

“The Affordable Care Act is flawed and needs repair. Something has to be done to control the rising cost of health care. That is what we should be trying to address. Lowering taxes on the wealthy should not be the focus of Congressional reform of healthcare. But that is the focus of this legislation. They want to lower taxes and lower the standards that health insurance companies must meet….Republicans think the way to reduce healthcare costs is to allow insurance companies to cover less.” Obamacare succeeded in improving the level of coverage insurance companies would have to provide. That is one of the things we should not change. We have to find another way to lower premiums and other costs. Source: “New GOP Health Care Plan Is Dumb,” by Scott Galindez, Reader Supported News, May 4, 2017 at http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/43382-focus-new-gop-health-care-plan-is-dumb

 

The House is pleased that the American Health Care Act has now moved over to the Senate for consideration. Trump and Ryan are celebrating the passage of this flawed, worsened bill in the House as if it achieved an important victory in providing an improvement over the Obamacare bill. Senators are expected to slow down the process and wait for new bill version to be scored by the Congressional Budget Office. One expects the worsened nature of the revised bill will be exposed for citizens to see. “House Republicans Narrowly Pass Controversial Bill to Revise Affordable Care Act,” by Ed O’Keefe, Paige Winfield Cunningham and Amy Goldstein, The Washington Post, May 4, 2017 at http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/43383-house-republicans-narrowly-pass-controversial-bill-to-revise-affordable-care-act

Meanwhile, Trump has not upheld his promises to voters and seemingly doesn’t care. He has his plate full with saving his presidency as the demands for his impeachment expand and get louder. The appointment of former FBI Director Robert Mueller today by the Justice Department as special counsel to oversee a federal investigation into potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election means that this investigation is finally serious and Trump won’t be able to table it. See article “Former FBI Director Robert Mueller appointed to lead Trump-Russia investigation” at http://www.denverpost.com/2017/05/17/robert-mueller-trump-russia-investigation/

Upcoming Life Science Meetings in Bay Area Week of May 21,2017

• BioPharma PM Conference, Monday-Wednesday, May 22-24, 2017, Event: Stepping Up and Stepping Out
• Golden Gate Polymer Forum , Monday Evening, May 22,2017,Topic: “”Self-Assembly of Polymer-Grafted Nanocrystals via Solvent Annealing,” Speaker: Ricardo Ruiz, Western Digital Corporation
• Bio2Device Group, Tuesday Morning, May 23, 2017, Topic: “Sterilization,” Speaker:  Larry Nichols, CEO, Steri-Tek
• JLABS, Tuesday Morning, May 23, 2017, Topic: “Rough seas or smooth sailing? Navigating Collaboration Agreements;” Speakers: Angela Rusakova | Lead Client Service and Audit Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP;Yelda Kaya | Sr. Director Transactions, Johnson & Johnson Innovation; William J. Newell | CEO, Sutro Biopharma; Moderator: Lesley Stolz | Head of JLABS, CA, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS
• BioScience Forum, Wednesday Evening, May 24, 2017, Topic: “Circulatory Factors as Modulators of Brain Function and Aging;” Speaker: Tony Wyss-Coray, Ph.D., Professor of Neurology, Stanford University, Co-Founder, Chairman of Scientific Advisory Board, Alkahest

You can download the details for the upcoming events this week and those through June 2017 with Audreys Picks May 17, 2017.

Audrey

House Republicans Throw Caution to Winds and Pass Absurb AHCA

The House just approved the American Health Care Act (Trumpcare) with two new amendments without even getting nonpartisan Budget Office review. Essentially pleasing Trump was more important than keeping their commitments to constituents made while considering the AHCA earlier. This bill is far worse and removes the essential health benefits that expanded health care to millions under the Affordable Care Act. They were in a hurry to deliver passage and head out for spring break without even considering the severe impact on over 20 million who will lose care. Along with schoolboy Paul Ryan they had a beer party in the Rose Garden to celebrate a bill which now will move to the Senate for more serious consideration and potentially a total redo.

Tom Price is another huckster who aggressively sells ideas without need to be truthful and never answers the questions being asked about his sales pitch. In discussing the just passed AHCA bill by the House, he claims that there are no cuts to the Medicaid program, but rather resources would be doled out “in a way that allows states greater flexibility.” Ultimately, he insisted, patients would benefit. “Imagine a system that works better for patients.” “What we’re fashioning is a system that would allow the states to tailor their Medicaid program to those specific individuals, thereby saving money, yes, but also making it so that they have a higher level of care than they currently do. That sounds like it makes a lot of sense.” There is no truth in his claims but he sounds so authoritative in his statements.

Price repeated the same logic during  interview on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, May 7th. “What we’re trying to do is to improve the Medicaid system, make it more responsive to patients so that there are more resources to be able to be utilized for the disabled and the aged. That makes a whole lot of sense,” he said. NBC’s Andrea Mitchell repeatedly tried to press him on the issue but finally gave up: “I think a lot of people wonder how taking more than $800 billion out of something is going to put more resources in it.”(Source HHS Chief Insists Cutting Nearly $1 Trillion From Medicaid Will Help Patients, written by Daniel Politi, Slate http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/43448-hhs-chief-insists-cutting-nearly-1-trillion-from-medicaid-will-help-patients

Annie Kuster’s campaign for Congress summarizes the impact of this new attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare as follows:

• “Allows insurance companies to discriminate against or even deny coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.
• Eliminates insurance coverage for veterans who rely on the Affordable Care Act.
• Cuts Medicare and Medicaid, raising health care costs for America’s seniors and low income families.
• Guts essential health benefits, including prescription drugs, emergency services, hospitalization, pregnancy, newborn care, mental health and substance misuse services.”

Fortunately, the bill is headed to the Senate where Senators indicate they will start to develop new law from scratch and not rely on House bill for basis. Perhaps a bipartisan approach to repairing Obamacare and delivering a bill good for all can come out of their efforts. The outright lying coming from the White House, Paul Ryan and Tom Price regarding their version is now clear as cover to the real objective of cutting $800 billion dollars from health care spending.

Highlights of BioScience Events Week of May 7^th

• Bio2Device Group, Tuesday Evening, May 9, 2017; Topic: “Liquid Biopsies: A Fundamental Advance in Cancer Care;” Mark Jacobstein, Chief User Engagement Officer, Guardant Health
• QB3, Late Thursday Afternoon, May 11, 2017; Topic: “Leadership in Biopharma: a Conversation with John Milligan, CEO of Gilead Sciences;” Speakers: John Milligan, CEO, Gilead Sciences; Harold E. “Barry” Selick, Ph.D. CEO, Threshold; Brook Byers, Founding Partner of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

You can download the details for the upcoming events this week and those through June 2017 with Audreys Picks May 7 2017. You can download Jobs That Crossed My Desk Through April 23, 2017as well.

Audrey

Continued Republican War Against Reasonable Health Care

The Republican controlled Congress continues to fret about how to accomplish the President’s campaign promise to repeal and replace Obamacare without blowing up current available care. This week witnessed another attempt to wiggle out of promises not to destroy essential services to moderate taxpayers while satisfying conservatives to save hugely on entitlement costs.  It appears they hope to wear down opposition and pass something that meets their original goals but that doesn’t seem reasonably possible. They weren’t willing to invoke a government shutdown or rather don’t trust #45 on this issue. They enjoyed watching Trump blame the Democrats rather than becoming the cause of blame themselves.

See details of negotiations among wings of Republican party in “Health Law Repeal Will Miss Trump’s 100-Day Target Date,” New York Times, April 27, 2017 by Thomas Kaplan and Robert Pear at https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/27/us/politics/republicans-propose-short-term-funding-plan-to-avert-shutdown.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FHealth%20Care%20Reform&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=collection&_r=0

Highlights of Bioscience Meetings in Bay Area Week of April 30, 2017

• Bio2Device Group, Tuesday Morning, May 2, 2017, Topic: “Current Trends in Animal Models for Preclinical Evaluations;” Speaker: Félix Vega, VMD, Principal Consultant, Preclinical Consultation
• WIB-San Francisco Bay Area, Tuesday, May 2, 2017; Topic: “Breakthrough Discoveries in Aging Research;” Panelists: Rochelle (Shelley) Buffenstein (Staff Scientist, Calico); Dena Dubal (Assistant Professor, UCSF); Rachel Brem (Associate Professor, Buck Institute); Danica Chen (Associate Professor, UC Berkeley)
• JLABS Bay Area, Tuesday Mid Day, May 2, 2017; Topic: “Money Matters – Insider Tips on Raising Money;” Speaker: Julie Papanek, Partner, Canaan Partners
• NCC AWIS, Tuesday Evening, May 2, 2017; Event: NCC AWIS 23rd Annual Awards and Recognition Banquet

You can download the details for the upcoming events this week and those through June 2017 with Audreys Picks April 30, 2017 FIN. You can download Jobs That Crossed My Desk Through April 30, 2017 as well.

Audrey

 

Trump Presses To Deliver Healthcare Revision Again

Here we go again! Trumpcare revisited as the President worries about the approach of his first 100 days in office without delivering the repeal and replacement of Obamacare.  Two Republican lawmakers, Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, and Rep. Tom MacArthur of New Jersey, a co-Chair of the moderate Tuesday Group are supposedly working on changes for ObamaCare replacement bill.

“According to a summary of the amendment obtained by Politico and confirmed to The Hill by MacArthur’s office, states would have the option to apply for waivers to opt out of some of ObamaCare’s core requirements. One of the limited waivers would allow insurers to charge higher premiums for people with pre-existing conditions as long as the state also offered high-risk pool coverage. The measure would also allow states to repeal ObamaCare’s essential health benefits, which define the minimum benefits a plan can offer, including mental healthcare and prescription drugs.”

The change that might deliver more conservatives to approve Trumpcare would likely reduce support of moderate Republicans. Many in the Republican conference wanted to maintain ObamaCare’s protection for people with pre-existing conditions and many moderates also pledged to protect that provision at town halls over the recess. (Source “Moderate, conservative GOP leaders say they are nearing healthcare deal, by Peter Sullivan, The Hill, April 20, 2017 at http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/329662-moderate-conservative-gop-leaders-say-they-are-nearing-healthcare-deal)

Republicans have their hands full with preventing government shutdown next week so are not likely to want to undertake another potential defeat of health care legislation. Meanwhile the President is also promising tax reform in a hurry while legislators predict end of the year timeframe. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says tax bill will be done by year end. (Source: “Mnuchin Says Tax Overhaul Will Happen by Year’s End,” by Lynnley Browning and Saleha Mohsin, April 20, 2017, Bloomberg, at https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-04-20/mnuchin-says-tax-overhaul-plan-will-still-happen-by-year-s-end)

The President obviously doesn’t have a clue about the hard work of getting laws written, revised and passed and the time it takes. He likes laws by fiat or executive orders which he enjoys signing in front of cameras with large flourish of his marking pen.

Highlights of Bioscience Meetings Week of April 23, 2017

• PBSS Symposium, Monday, April 24, 2017, Topic: “Mechanistic Drug Metabolism for Drug Candidate Optimization – A Mini-symposium for Medicinal Chemists and DMPK Scientists,” Organizers: Cyrus Khojasteh and Donglu Zhang (Genentech)
• Bio2Device Group, Tuesday Morning, April 25, 2017, Topic: “A Clinical Trial Roadmap: Who, What, When, and How – Practices, Perspectives and Personal Insights,” Speaker: David Larwood, CEO,Valley Fever Solutions
• BioScience Forum, Wednesday Evening, April 26, 2017. Topic: “The Right Medicine for the Right Patient – Challenges and Opportunities of Precision Medicine,” Speaker: Dietmar Berger, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Global Head of Clinical Development for Hematology/Oncology Product Development, Roche/Genentech
• WIB, Thursday Evening, April 27, 2017, Topic: “Hot Trends in Personalized Medicine,” Panel: Moderator, Amy Swanson, Illumina; Jackie Benson, J&J Innovations; Tara Maddala, Grail;Kristin McDonald Gibson, Invitae; Pam Garzone, Pfizer

You can download the details for the upcoming events this week and those through June 2017 with Audreys Picks April 23, 2017 FIN. You can download Jobs That Crossed My Desk Through April 23, 2017as well.

Audrey

Revised Trump Care Doesn’t  Gain Traction

For a brief time last week, Paul Ryan tried to resuscitate effort to pass revised version of Trumpcare. The even more unsatisfactory bill died quickly.

Meanwhile Tom Price is in action trying to turn back healthcare in other ways to achieve budget cuts for the wealthy off backs of middle class and working class citizens. Efforts to attack women’s health care and reproductive rights and reduce Planned Parenthood services are central. These guys don’t get the value of Planned Parenthood providing trusted services for women across the country which for-profit providers don’t provide.

Highlights of This Week’s Bay Area Life Science Events

• Bio2Device Group, Tuesday Evening, April 11, 2017, Topic: ”Integrated, Intelligent SmartDermal™ Therapeutics,” Speaker: Patrick Ruane, Ph.D., Senior VP Research and Development, Chrono Therapeutics
• CLSA, Tuesday MidDay, April 11, 2017, Event: “Lunch & Learn – Common Stock Valuations: Myths and Reality,” Speakers: Angela Rusakova, Lead Client Service and Audit Partner; Camron Uhr, Managing Director, Deloitte Transactions and Business Analytics LLP
• WIB, Wednesday Evening, April 12, 2017, Subject: WIB-National Webinar “Risky Business: Mitigating Risk in the Life Sciences,” Speaker: Gretchen Stup, Sr. Consultant at Latham Biopham Group

You can download the details for the upcoming events this week and those through June 2017 with Audreys Picks April 10, 2017.

Audrey

Republican Administration Seeks Major Cuts in Public Health Agency Budgets

The Trump administration continues to mercilessly pound agency budgets. The deadline of April 28 for approving the continuing 2017 budget resolution will likely prevent the proposed cuts for this fiscal year for health agency budget. Congress is most likely to pass a budget resolution extending the current budget for the remainder of the fiscal year.

The proposed health agency cuts proposed by the Trump administration for the balance of fiscal 2017 would slash $1.23 billion from the NIH’s budget, cut $40 million from the FDA’s budget and $50 million from the CMS and $314 million from the CDC. This effort as already noted is unlikely to pass due to time constraints to modify the bill by the deadline. But this level of cuts portends what is likely to come in the 2018 budget.

“Trump Calls For NIH, FDA Cuts In Fy17,” by Steve Usdin, BioCentury,   https://www.biocentury.com/bc-extra/politics-policy/2017-03-28/trump-calls-nih-fda-cuts-fy17

Last week the Senate took away protections to Title IX funding of family planning instituted by President Obama with the tie breaking vote cast by VP Pence. Title X is a federal program dedicated solely to family planning with more than 4 million people relying on it for preventive health care. The Senate voted Friday to overturn those protections.

The tide is shifting regarding ideology regarding the role of government. There is a moderate wing of House Republicans that recognizes their constituents see health care as a right. The moderate Republicans certainly recognize from their recent experience on the Trumpcare bill fiasco that their constituents want universal health care.

California Renews Efforts to Pass Single Payer System

A single-payer health care system is not a new idea in California. A bill was passed to that effect a decade ago but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill. While there is support for such coverage there are also hurdles to overcome. Key provisions include:

• Inpatient, outpatient, emergency care, dental, vision, mental health and nursing home care
• No co-pays or insurance deductibles
• Ability to choose your own doctor from a huge list of health care providers rather than an insurer’s network

Hurdles are financial and political. Governor Jerry Brown can’t see where the money would come from. Wiithout Federal support to provide Medicare and Medicaid funding, there wouldn’t be sufficient funds. Taxpayers would have to agree to pay mandated costs in form of higher taxes in place of health insurance. Organizations that propose limited government see such a plan as a utopian socialist plan.

Health care delivery corporations who have taken over organizing delivery of care from single physicians who once were overwhelming majority of doctors delivering care. This structure in past has been replaced by doctors who are on staff of these health care delivery organizations. Their business model is that of a for profit corporation that seeks to raise rates each year to show increasing profits to their shareholders. This is a “market” based model which the USA has developed alongside mostly single payer systems in other highly developed democracies. Citizens might reject the idea of “socialist” basis which opponents have used successfully for many years.  Or be afraid of losing prompt access to physicians which single payer systems can experience waiting lists are created to accommodate insufficient services for nonemergency care.

Source: House bill SB562 entitled Healthy California Act was introduced by Sen. Ricardo Lara and Sen. Toni Atkins. The full text is available at http://oneplanmychoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/SB562_Amended-3-30-17.pdf.

Chuck Todd provided interesting data on Meet the Press today showing that there are 24 moderate Republicans who recognize their constituents’ needs and wishes regarding the role of government are not in alignment with the Freedom Caucus members nor other house Republicans.

Other Congress people are planning to submit bills to Congress which would mean supporting the system as a nation. This seems unlikely with current control by Republicans but perhaps Bernie Sanders’ planned bill Medicare for all might shake loose interest from moderate Republicans.

When Charles Krauthammer writes in his Sunday editorial today that in the end, a single payer system will win out, I have hope that the tide has turned. Bernie Sanders’ new bill just might have a chance.

Action Items

• Donate to Planned Parenthood to support this organization against the assaults of congressmen who don’t understand the value of Planned Parenthood in providing basic health care for millions of low income or those without health insurance. Planned Parenthood provides services efficiently and economically versus for profit health care institutions that don’t serve working class women with these services at affordable price.

• Attend meeting about Single Payer Health Care in CA, Wednesday, April 5, 7:00 pm.

Location: Woodside Road United Methodist Church, 2000 Woodside Rd. Redwood City, Redwood City, CA 94061

Description: San Mateo County Democracy for America is proud to present Dr. Paul Song — a physician, progressive activist and member of the executive board of Physicians for a National Health Program — for updates about the new legislation for universal healthcare.Discover how California can show the rest of the country the way to provide excellent healthcare for less money and what we can do to help!Free Admission – Wheelchair Accessible
This monthly meeting is open to the public. For questions please contact Carole Dorshkind – cdorshkind@comcast.net or 650-766-2162

Details and registration at http://act.democracyforamerica.com/event/calendar_attend/4136/attend/?action_id=25414577&akid=9037.3160264.XFjFHC&ar=1&rd=1&refcode=g-cfe.d-20170331.m-9037.s-30330&taf=1

Bay Area Life Science Events Week of April 2, 2017

• QB3, Monday MidDay, April 3, 2017, Topic: “How Federal Politics Impact Funding for Science and Startups, Speaker: Ryan Davison, government affairs manager at the American Chemical Society in Washington, DC
• JLABS, Thursday, April 6, 2017, Event: MedTech Innovator 2017: JLABS Pitch Event
• Triple Ring Technologies, Thursday Evening, April 6, 2017, Topic: “The Future of Immuno-Neurology,” Speaker:Rich Casey, CEO, Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals

You can download the details for the upcoming events this week and those through June 2017 with Audreys Picks April 2 2017.

Audrey

Was the Defeat Of Trumpcare a Rookie Mistake or Disregard of Constituent Needs?

The American Health Care Act or Trumpcare never got to the starting line for a vote in the House. The Affordable Care Act, despite some flaws that could be mended by a nonpartisan Congress, continues in place. Trump blames the Democrats for not supporting its passage but also threatened to take down our current health care while Health agency is under the control of his appointed director Tom Price. #45’s total self-absorption makes it impossible for him to care about what is best for the American people or even understand what is at stake. His disregard for citizens along with total ignorance of governing and even knowing how legislation is brought to floor for vote were other factors in this big defeat.

President Trump doesn’t understand that his pugnacious approach to business deals doesn’t fit a democratic arena and House Speaker Ryan doesn’t understand what may be good for his Republican political career may not be effective in governing for the people. Despite his promises to deliver a vote on the American Health Care Act right up until the last moment, Trump’s threats and speaking from the bully pulprit didn’t convince the moderate Congressional Republicans to drop their concerns about facing their constituencies in 2018 nor the far right fail to move from their narrow ideology of spending money on the “other” being unacceptable. It was the cruel naiveté of the final bill—which offered to eliminate the ten essential health benefits—and unrealistic expectation that there were enough votes in the Republican party to carry it across the finish line that condemned passage of the bill.

The new administration and Speaker Paul Ryan tried to rush through a terrible piece of legislation that the majority of Americans oppose. “Their bill would have stripped health care away from millions of Americans and ended Medicaid as we know it. It would have taken us back to the days when insurance companies could choose not to cover essential health benefits like maternity or mental health coverage.” Source: Jim Messina, Co-Chair Organizing for Action

Remember that this defeat won’t eliminate the threat of Trump seeking revenge on the Affordable Care Act through a slow death under his administration. We must fight on for an improved ACA or better still Medicare for all to bring the USA to the standard of the Western world. The response of Americans to the heartless AHCA reminds us we now have an opportunity to work on eliminating the power of the top wealthy citizens who don’t share our historic values or believe in looking after our neighbors. There is much to do but an aware populace can achieve much.

Bioscience Events in Bay Area Week of March 26, 2017

• Bio2Device Group, Tuesday Morning, March 28, 2017, Topic: “BioNews and Open Forum Discussions,” Speaker: Harry Wachob, President & Founder of B2DG
• JLABS, Tuesday Morning, March 28, 2017, Topic: “Meet with …MPM Capital ”Program Overview,” Speakers: Vinay Bhaskar, Ph.D., Principal with MPM Capital;Luke Evnin | Managing Director, MPM Capital
• Biomedical Engineering Society, Wednesday, March 29, 2017, Event: 8th Annual Bay Area Biomedical Device Conference-Medical Devices in the Connected World
• Bioscience Forum, Wednesday Evening, March 29, 2017, Topic: “Leveraging Biotech’s Novel Platforms to Tackle Global Health: A Unique Business Model to Overcome Financial Barriers,” Speaker: Eric Easom,Vice President Neglected Disease R&D, Anacor Pharmaceuticals (Acquired by Pfizer June, 2016)
• Biomedical Engineering Society, Wednesday, March 29, 2017, Event: 8th Annual Bay Area Biomedical Device Conference-Medical Devices in the Connected World
• PBSS Workshop, Thursday Afternoon, March 30 2017, Event: “Best CMC Practices for Successful Drug Development and Commercialization: Leveraging QbD and risk-based strategies for efficient CMC development,” Speakers: Prabu Nambiar, Edward Ciolkowski, James Bush (Syner-G Pharma Consulting)
• AWIS NCC Workshop, Saturday, April 1, 2017, Workshop: “Leadership by Design: Using Design Thinking to transform your Career,” Workshop Leader: Christopher Ireland

You can download the details for the upcoming events this week and those through June 2017 with Audreys Picks March 26 2017and Jobs That Crossed My Desk Through March 26, 2017

Audrey

 

Take Action to Stop Slick Political Propaganda to Repeal and Replace ACA

The ACLU says it well in condemning the Repeal of the Affordable Care Act with a replacement that is not affordable for majority of ever poorer Americans ( a group that gets larger every year) across the nation:

• Millions of Americans would lose coverage
• It would gut Medicaid to the tune of $880 billion—harming people with disabilities who rely on Medicaid for essential services
• It would block Medicaid patients from seeking care at Planned Parenthood—restricting access to cancer screenings, breast exams and STI tests and treatments, and forcing health centers to close.
• It would attack women’s ability to buy private insurance that covers abortion.Source: In Hands Off Our Healthcare: Don’t Repeal The ACA the ACLU states its case at https://ssl.capwiz.com/aclu-action/issues/alert/?alertid=76013626

Why is the ACLU so involved in this fight to prevent the American Health Care Act from being passed? Because health care is a civil right in all advanced democratic countries with exception of U.S. under Republicans who are too cheap to spend needed money to provide quality health care plan for all Americans. Those in power continue to espouse ideology that gives more money out of the pockets of hard working taxpayers to the extremely wealthy, large corporations and market-based health care system companies that enrich themselves at the expense of quality care for all. Paul Ryan is so excited about the American Health Care Act because it fulfills his dream since his frat days—to stop supporting poor people with needed health care. )http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/42545-paul-ryan-ive-been-dreaming-about-kicking-the-poor-off-medicaid-since-i-was-a-frat-boy) Paul Ryan doesn’t believe health care is a universal right but rather a privilege that can be removed when the cost is too high in his mind and those of his like-minded brothers.

Those opposed to universal health care have used fear-based ideology in past to deny Americans same quality of preventive and therapeutic care that other foreign nations provide their citizens as “socialist”, claim such a system would destroy choice for patients, and would place too much power in hands of governments. The propaganda that patients want to control their own choices so much that they would choose not to have mandated insurance to provide care when needed and that “access” is the most important value even if the accessible plans are unaffordable. Access is worthless if one can’t afford the price of insurance under plan that gives expensive alternative choices and eliminates the needed subsidies to pay for that more expensive policy. Just as the new proposed budget is heartless, the American Health Care Act is a cruel joke on our citizenry.  And especially so for the population in rural red states that voted forThrump, the biggest con man of them all.

“Repealing the ACA threatens our civil rights and liberties and harms millions of vulnerable people.” Tell your members of Congress to oppose the American Health Care Act and remember the need to bring relief to the suffering and least able to protect themselves from slick talking politicians.

Action Item

Go to https://ssl.capwiz.com/aclu-action/issues/alert/?alertid=76013626&type=CO&emsrc=Nat_Appeal_AutologinEnabled&emissue=reproductivefreedom_disabilityrights&emtype=capwiz&ms=eml_170317_reproductivefreedom_disabilityrights_ACArepeal&__af=query_string_encrypted

And follow suggestions for contacting your representatives and voice your opinion about repeal of ACA without equivalent or better health care. We have to communicate the sham nature of the propaganda in behalf of huge tax cuts to the wealthy and increased income for the middle men health care companies  that run our “market” health care.

Highlights of Bioscience Events Week of March 19, 2017

• HBA, Monday Evening, March 20, 2017, Fireside Chat: The Future of Medicine with Former NBC Medical Journalist Dr. Nancy Snyderman, Featured speakers: Nancy Snyderman, Consulting global health professor, former otolaryngologist, former chief medical editor, Stanford University; Jennifer Lovejoy, Chief science officer, Arivale; Ramji Srinivasan, Chief executive officer, Counsyl; Darren Brown, Executive vice president, employee benefits, ABD Insurance & Financial Services
• EPPICon 2017, Saturday, March 25, 2017. Event: 11th Annual flagship event of EPPIC Global, Keynote Speakers: Ira Mellman, PhD (Genentech) and D. J. Patil (Chief Data Scientist, White House Office of Science and Technology)
• CABS, Saturday Afternoon, March 25, 2017, Topic: “Precision Medicine for oncology and immunology”

You can download the details for the upcoming events this week and those through June 2017 with Audreys Picks March 19 2017.

Audrey

 

 

FDA Commissioner Pick Preferred to Other Potential Candidates

In “Stand Up For Science” written by Steve Usdin, Washington Editor, BioCentury this week, we learn how little the industry has done to speak up for value of science and sense. Some of the Trump Administration’s potential candidates alongside talk of totally upending the proven drug approval system were met with chagrin by many and still pose very serious risks even with the appointment of Scott Gottlieb, a past conservative high-level employee of the FDA under the George W. Bush administration and supporter of deregulation. He is expected to be approved but industry is still not out of the woods from crazy thinking by the cost slashing army of Trump and far-right anti-science politicians. The agency still faces potential budget reductions and political attacks on the wisdom and decision-making of the agency’s professionals.  Steve Usdin advises “The Risks Are That Two Decades Of Progress Toward More Efficient, Science-Based Regulation Would Stop” and be replaced with approval of drugs with only Phase I studies and market force controlled review alone.

Usdin reports that the industry abdicated its responsibility to be involved in stating the “criteria for an acceptable FDA commissioner, to commit itself to rally support for any nominee who meets those criteria and to adamantly oppose one who falls short.” Rather they remained silent and sat on the sidelines. So far we are lucky with Gottlieb who is still viewed as too close to industry due to his venture capital history but at least he is physician with agency experience. Note that his approval is not assured as Trump listens to Peter Thiel who recommended a poorly qualified candidate for the job, Jim O’Neill. (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/10/health/fda-scott-gottlieb.html?_r=0)

Now Trumpcare Has Arrived, Is It Passable? 

The Republican American Health Care Act known as Trumpcare was quickly put together without the care and concern needed to develop a program that would deliver on the President’s campaign promises of a better, more affordable plan for everybody. The big elephant in the room is how to finance this campaign promise from a party ideologically not committed to provide care for our poorer citizens. Trumpcare  simply stated “covers fewer Americans, increases costs for low-income and senior citizens, increases the deficit, defunds Planned Parenthood and does next to nothing to reduce overall health care costs.” The San Jose Mercury editorial of March 9^th summarizes the rushed GOP health care plan as a disaster. (http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/03/08/editorial-why-paul-ryans-health-care-plan-is-an-unmitigated-disaster/)

California will suffer huge lost payments from the Federal government as will other states which expanded Medicaid. “By a conservative estimate, the state stands to receive $8 billion less a year from the federal government to cover its health care costs for low-income families qualifying for Medi-Cal.” The rich will stand to gain huge tax reductions and the poor will lose coverage. Tom Price doesn’t understand or, maybe does, but doesn’t care that low income folks can’t use promised tax credits to replace lost subsidies under Obamacare. The cost of health care is being shifted to the individuals and taxpayers who are least able to pay for it. Trumpcare is a path to destroying Medicaid which reached so many poorer Americians.

 Highlights of Bay Area Bioscience Events Week of March 12, 2017

• UCSC Clinical Trials Course: March 13-17, 2017, Event: Clinical Trials Essentials: An Intensive One-Week Course, Event Dates: Monday March 13- Friday, March 17 2017
• Bio2Device Group, Tuesday Evening, March 14, 2017, Topic: “Brink of Catastrophe: Catching Addiction Early,” Speaker: David Deacon, CEO, DxRx Inc
• WIB, Thursday Evening, March 16, 2017, Event: WIB-San Francisco Bay Area Women’s History Month Event: Leveraging Partnerships in the Growing Immuno-Oncology Space; Moderator: Stacy Feld, VP, Consumer Venture Investments & External Innovation, J&J Innovation – JJDC; Panelists: Julie Hambleton, MD, VP and Head of US Medical, Bristol-Myers Squibb; Sylvaine Cases, PhD, VP of Oncology Scientific Innovation, Janssen R&D and J&J Innovation;Jane Grogan, PhD, Head of Adaptive Tumor Immunity and Principal Scientist, Genentech
• CABS, Saturday Afternoon, March 18, 2017, Topic: “NGS for cancer and autoimmune diseases”

You can download the details for the upcoming events this week and those through April 2017 with Audreys Picks March 12, 2017.

Audrey

Republican Efforts to Steam Roll Repeal and Replace Obamacare Hitting Obstacles

The Republican leadership, especially, Paul Ryan has been almost gleeful about their party’s positioning right now to achieve their economic programs which seek to turn the clock back on liberal social programs and other trends they want to reverse under their leadership. They may do some unfortunate things in their attempt to stop the inevitable trends in the U.S. but they aren’t expected to succeed in the end. They can’t take away health insurance from 32 million Americans without some consequences to their political viability.

Taking healthcare entitlement programs back to earlier times with far less people insured, higher prices for the least able to pay for it, poorer quality healthcare for all and higher death rates due to poor quality health care is not likely in the end. Once Americans like a program we know historically the Congress can’t take it away. “The chaos surrounding Republican efforts to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act illustrates just how difficult this rollback would be. The idea of repealing the ACA first and coming up with a replacement later died quickly, forcing Republicans to confront the fact that they cannot agree on what the new plan should be. Some want to keep the Medicaid expansion, some balk at requiring higher deductibles, some worry about reducing subsidies, and many fear political damage from throwing millions of people off health insurance. The disunity of the repeal forces is so palpable that former House Speaker John Boehner, who once led the charge to repeal the ACA, now admits that repeal is “not going to happen” and that “most of the framework of the Affordable Care Act” will remain in place.”(Source: Things look bleak for liberals now. But they’ll beat Trump in the end. He and his movement will fade, and the values and priorities of the left will eventually triumph by Ruy Teixeira, Washington Post, March 3, 2017 at https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/03/03/optimistic-leftist/?hpid=hp_no-name_opinion-card-c%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.6504f57b1f42)

Highlights of Bay Area Life Science Events for Week of March 5, 2017

• JLABS, Tuesday Morning, March 7, 2017, Topic: “Value of Biotechnology Business,” Speaker: John Selig | Managing Partner, Mavericks Capital
• BMES and B2Device Group, Tuesday Evening, March 7, 2017, Event: BMES and B2DG for a Happy Hour

You can download the details for the upcoming events this week and those through May 2017 with audreys-picks-march-5-2017.

Audrey