Texas
D.C. Diagnosis: Why is Kamala Harris headed to Texas?
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MAHA moment canceled — momentum still going
President Trump canceled his plan Tuesday to talk with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about chronic illnesses and their causes under the “Make America Healthy Again” banner. A spokesperson told STAT that it was due to scheduling conflicts. (Trump rallied Tuesday night in Greensboro, NC; the virtual town hall with RFK was slated for the afternoon).
But that doesn’t mean Trump’s throwing distance between himself and the MAHA world, to some former officials’ chagrin. The former president will tape an interview with Joe Rogan, host of the extremely popular “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, on Friday. Rogan this month also interviewed Calley Means, one-half of a sibling duo that has risen as public voices of the MAHA movement.
At the HLTH conference in Las Vegas, STAT’s Nicholas St. Fleur moderated a panel on longevity featuring the other half of that duo, Casey Means. She’s the founder of the metabolic health tracking company Levels. On stage, St. Fleur asked Means about her connections with Kennedy, Trump, and MAHA.
“I am so absolutely thrilled and heartened that at the presidential level — I don’t care who’s talking about it, Bobby Kennedy, Trump or Kamala — that these conversations are now making it into the mainstream,” Means said, praising in particular Kennedy’s views on regenerative agriculture, environmental toxins, PFAS, and phthalates.
After Kennedy halted his presidential campaign and moved to Trump’s team, he said that Casey and Calley Means are the type of people he would suggest putting in charge of the nation’s health agencies. When asked if she would take a Trump administration position, Casey said: “My greatest hope is…that we put chronic disease at the center of American health care policy. And if I can have a small part in that I’d be thrilled to do so.”
Harris heads to Texas. Why?
Vice President Harris will take the stage in Houston tomorrow night with Texas Senate candidate Colin Allred. It’s a state she’s projected to lose, though Allred is deadlocked with incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz. But it’s also a reminder of the stakes she wants to keep in front of voters: Abortion bans and the impact they’re having on health care.
This isn’t a last-ditch effort to turn Texas blue, but a bid at reigniting urgency in states she could actually swing, her surrogates say. (“We’re diverting out of the battlegrounds because we think it’ll help us in battlegrounds,” senior campaign adviser David Plouffe told AP).
There are already questions about how much Democrats’ reproductive rights arguments resonate with voters juggling the range of Harris’ and Trump’s political platforms. While many Americans seem to back abortion rights, they aren’t always voting for the Democrats championing them. Harris is clearly hoping to change that: Ahead of her Houston visit, she launched an ad Wednesday that tells the story of a Texas couple who lost their pregnancy at 16 weeks but were refused abortion care.
What to expect in a Harris presidency
So, what would a Harris presidency look like? DCD co-writer Rachel Cohrs Zhang delves into it with a breakdown of her platform on high drug costs, strengthening ACA, and broadening Medicaid coverage, to name a few.
In many ways, these are goals that Democrats couldn’t quite complete during President Biden’s tenure. But others — like canceling medical debt — are newer targets. Rachel expands on what Harris has said and how she might get it done here. (And expect a Trump edition soon!)
Health care issues to watch on Election Day
With less than two weeks until Election Day, it’s no surprise that Vice President Harris and former President Trump’s policy stances are dominating the headlines. But there is a lengthy list of health care proposals and down-ballot races that could heavily shape health policy in the coming years.
More than a dozen states are voting on health care ballots and pivotal races for congressional control. I wrote a rundown of key ballot measures and races that could transform state and federal health care and ignite new debates, from what happens to 340B to more legal psychedelics.
Lame duck cheat sheet
A lot of what happens on health care policy during the lame duck and the next Congress depends on election outcomes. But that doesn’t mean you can’t prepare now by reading John Wilkerson’s cheat sheet on the health care policies to watch following the election.
Health care policies that could be in play during the lame duck include telehealth, Chinese biotech restrictions, Medicare payments for hospitals, and PBM reforms.
No matter what happens, or doesn’t happen, before newly elected officials take office in January, expect a major fight next year over expanded Affordable Care Act premium subsidies and Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, both of which expire at the end of 2025.
State Medicaid programs coming around on GLP-1s
Most state Medicaid programs don’t cover the new class of drugs for obesity — but half of those holdouts are considering it, per a new KFF report.
The potential for expanded coverage of Wegovy and Zepbound under Medicaid comes as private plans are starting to aggressively crack down on covering the medications for obesity. Medicare prohibits coverage of the drugs for that indication, Tara Bannow writes.
Currently, just 13 state Medicaid programs cover GLP-1s for obesity; most others cite the drugs’ high cost. The report notes increased spending on the class of drugs starting in 2021. Dive into the findings.
Meet the new CDRH director
It’s official: Michelle Tarver will be the new leader of the FDA’s medical devices center, STAT’s Lizzy Lawrence scooped this week.
Tarver has temporarily served in the role since veteran devices head Jeffrey Shuren announced his departure in July. The agency conducted a nationwide search for Shuren’s replacement, but Tarver quickly seemed to be the top pick, shadowing Shuren at conferences and town halls, Lizzy writes.
Tarver joined the center in 2009, eventually becoming the director of the Office of Transformation and helping to launch the agency’s patient engagement advisory committee. Read more.
Jill Biden calls on industry to support women’s health
Addressing a packed main stage hall on the last day of the HLTH conference, Jill Biden touted her husband’s track record on womens’ health — and called on industry to investigate and fund key gaps in medical knowledge about womens’ health care.
“The potential in this space is too great to ignore,” Biden said.
As of Wednesday, Joe Biden-founded health agency ARPA-H has awarded $110 million — more than it had originally pledged — to a few dozen projects, the White House announced in conjunction with HLTH.
What we’re reading
- Frustrated with Change Healthcare breach, senators propose removing limits on HIPAA fines, STAT
- “Not Medically Necessary”: Inside the company helping America’s biggest health insurers deny coverage for care, ProPublica
- Opinion: Primary care physicians should receive abortion training, STAT
- CDC told McDonald’s about potential E. coli outbreak late last week, CNBC
Saturday started out a bit warm and sticky outside in North Texas, but there will be plenty of sunshine in the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to climb into the upper 80s. Most of the area will stay dry today, but there is a chance for an isolated storm that could reach severe criteria late tonight for counties to the northwest of the metroplex.
Make sure you have an indoor plan for Mother’s Day celebrations tomorrow! Sunday morning will start warm, muggy, and dry for most with the exception of an isolated storm possible along the Red River.
A First Alert Weather Day is in place on Sunday due to a front that will swing across North Texas in the late afternoon through the evening. All modes of severe weather will be likely, but the main threat includes a significant risk of hail up to 2 inches in diameter and winds up to category 1 hurricane strength.
Once the front moves through, cooler temperatures will settle into the forecast on Monday. However, the cool down won’t last long. A warming trend returns and temperatures climb into the 90’s once again at the end of the next week. Stay tuned!
Just days before Mother’s Day, a North Texas father is grieving the sudden loss of his wife and unborn son after she died unexpectedly, only days before her due date. Avi Carey said he is still in shock over the death of his wife, Tiffany, whom he described as his “rock” and “soulmate.”
“Tiffany’s smile, her radiance, her presence … she didn’t meet a stranger,” Carey said.
Nearly two decades together
The couple had been together for nearly two decades, raising two children, Kingston and Kasyn, and preparing to welcome their third child, a baby boy they planned to name Kylo.
Carey said Tiffany began complaining of a severe headache just days before she was due to give birth. He recalled her sitting on the couch, dozing off multiple times – something he said was unusual.
A short time later, Carey found her unresponsive.
“I saw her face … her lips were blue. And I already knew,” he said with tears in his eyes.
A celebration turned to heartbreak
Tiffany Carey and her unborn son died May 2, leaving behind a grieving husband and two children. The loss came less than a week after the family had celebrated a baby shower.
“We went from celebrating the baby shower to planning a funeral in less than five days,” Carey said.
A crisis affecting Black mothers
Health officials say cases like this highlight a broader crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women in the United States are more than three times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy‑related causes, and most of those deaths – around 80% – are considered preventable.
Carey said he is still searching for answers and now lives with questions about whether warning signs were missed.
“I would say educate yourself. Take everything seriously,” he said. “That should have been a red flag … the headache.”
Honoring Tiffany’s legacy
Now, surrounded by baby supplies meant for a child who never arrived, Carey said he is focused on honoring Tiffany’s memory and raising their children with the values she lived by.
“She always said, ‘You’ve got to lead with love,’” he said. “She did that in everything.”
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