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Trump declares rules on pre-existing illnesses ‘safe,’ despite anti-Obamacare lawsuit. President Trump declared protections for pre-existing illnesses “safe”, despite a lawsuit his administration is waging to have them thrown out. “Pre-existing conditions are safe,” Trump said during a rally in Wheeling, W.Va. “Just remember that.” Trump did not mention the anti-Obamacare lawsuit during his speech, but other officials have said that they believe in protections for the conditions in a manner other than Obamacare. Republicans in Congress have insisted they believe the protections should be maintained, but Democrats say that the replacement plans they crafted did not go as far as Obamacare. “I will always fight for and protect patients with pre-existing conditions,” Trump said. “Some people think that’s not a Republican thing to do. I don’t care. And I’ll tell you what, all of the Republicans are coming into that position now. All of them. And we’ll do it the right way too.”

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Trump target Pfizer picks a new CEO. Ian Read, the CEO for pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, plans to step aside at the end of this year and hand his position to Albert Bourla, the company’s chief operating officer. The change in leadership is coming at a time when the pharmaceutical industry is under scrutiny by the White House and Congress for price hikes. President Trump specifically called out Pfizer in July for raising its list prizes, saying it and other companies “must be ashamed.” In response, Pfizer delayed planned price increases on dozens of products until the end of the year. Pfizer has suffered more than $23 billion in sales losses in recent years as competitors brought rival, less-expensive generics to market. “The company has come out of the abyss it was in, and is really poised for growth,” Read said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. “Given my age, it’s time for me to move on.”

Bill to battle opioid epidemic overwhelmingly passes the House. The House voted overwhelmingly on Friday in favor of a bill that sets new policies and reauthorizes hundreds of billions of dollars in federal grants in a bid to fight America’s opioid epidemic. The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act passed easily in a 393-8 vote, and will head to the Senate, where it is expected to be approved and then will head to President Trump’s desk. The legislation is a combination of bills that the House passed in June and a major package the Senate passed last week. “We all know someone who lost a loved one because they were exposed to opioids and got addicted,” said Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee on the House floor Friday.

Democrats to push for more opioid funding if they take the House. House Democrats said last week that more money and changes to Medicaid must be the next move in fighting the opioid crisis, in a potential preview of moves Democrats might make if they take over the House this fall. Democrats detailed additional funding for treatment reimbursement for Medicaid and more funding overall for countering the epidemic. “We still haven’t expanded Medicaid coverage in many states and Medicaid coverage is crucial in terms of providing treatment,” said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., top Democrat on the House Energy & Commerce Committee. “The bottom line is that the treatment infrastructure in our country is very much inadequate.” Pallone could become chair of the committee, which has jurisdiction over major healthcare issues, if the Democrats take over the House. He did not highlight a specific bill that could be brought up, but other lawmakers have touted various proposals. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., this year introduced the CARE Act alongside Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who sponsored a Senate version. The bill would provide $100 billion over the next decade to states to fight the epidemic. “While the provisions in [the SUPPORT Act] are important, without significantly expanding access to treatment and wrap-around services through long-term, sustained funding, we continue to nibble at the edges of our national crisis — and the crisis will continue to worsen,” Cummings said on the House floor Friday.

Anti-abortion group stands by Kavanaugh. The anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List said in a statement Friday that it was “pleased” that Kavanaugh’s nomination had moved forward in the Judiciary Committee. “We are pleased to see Judge Kavanaugh advance closer to confirmation and trust Leader McConnell to make a wise decision about next steps,” said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement. “Judge Kavanaugh is a fair and independent judge in the mold of Justice Neil Gorsuch. By nominating him, President Trump is fulfilling a key promise to the voters who elected him. Vulnerable senators up for re-election should not underestimate grassroots support for Judge Kavanaugh and frustration with the tactics used to obstruct him. In battlegrounds like Missouri, North Dakota, Montana, West Virginia, and Indiana, an average of 75 percent of voters want their Democrat senator to vote to confirm Kavanaugh. They ignore their constituents at their political peril.”

EPA placed head of its children’s health office on leave to review ‘allegations.’ The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday said it recently placed the head of its Office of Children’s Health Protection on administrative leave because of “allegations” about her leadership. Chief of Staff Ryan Jackson issued a statement after union officials representing EPA employees complained about the EPA’s move to sideline Dr. Ruth Etzel, a pediatrician and epidemiologist who had been with the agency since 2015. The EPA originally did not provide a reason for placing Etzel on leave when the New York Times broke a story earlier this week about her status. “Although EPA does not customarily comment on personnel matters, due to circulating misinformation, the director of the EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection was placed on leave to give the agency the opportunity to review allegations about the director’s leadership of the office,” Jackson said Friday.

Jerry Brown vetoes bills to provide abortion pills on campus, create supervised injection sites. California Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed controversial bills that would have obligated public colleges to provide abortion pills, and another greenlighting city-funded injection sites for drug users. The vetoes came just before a Sunday deadline faced by the governor, who split with Democrats in the legislature by rejecting the proposals. The bill expanding access to abortion would have made abortion pills available to students at the University of California and California State University who are 10 weeks into a pregnancy. Brown said he vetoed the provision because it was “not necessary,” adding abortion services are already easily available to students. He cited a study showing that abortion providers were no more than five to seven miles from each campus. The bill allowing for supervised injection sites blocks plans by San Francisco to become the first in the country to open a site, though one is also in the works in Philadelphia. The intent of the program is to connect drug users to treatment facilities, to have healthcare workers on hand to revive people who overdose, and to provide people with clean needles to avoid the spread of HIV and hepatitis C. Brown said in his veto of the provision that “enabling illegal and destructive drug use will never work.”

Scientists behind cancer immunotherapy given Nobel Medicine Prize. Two scientists credited with extensive research on the how to use the immune system to fight cancer. American scientist James Allison and Japanese scientist Tasuku Honjo were given the 2018 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine on Monday, according to Reuters. Both scientists’ work in the late 1990s has led to the creation of new therapies called immunotherapy that stimulates the body’s immune system to target and fight certain cancers.

Federal judge throws out Kentucky abortion law. A federal judge Friday ruled that Kentucky’s lone abortion clinic could stay open because a state law that required agreements between clinics and hospitals was unconstitutional, according to CNN. Kentucky had said that abortion clinic EMW Women’s Surgical Center in Louisville was not compliant with a 1998 policy that required a signature with a hospital and ambulances to transfer women in case of a complication. The head of a hospital’s obstetrics and gynecology department had signed the agreement, but the state called for the signature of a hospital president or CEO. The clinic sued, calling this new requirement an undue burden. Planned Parenthood, which is hoping to open a clinic in Louisville, also joined the lawsuit.

RUNDOWN

NPR Buyer beware: New cheaper insurance policies may have big coverage gaps

Politico Will Beto’s bet on Medicaid expansion pay off?

Kaiser Health News Judges in California losing sway over court-ordered drug treatment

The Hill Dem governor hopefuls see winning issue in Medicaid expansion

Washington Post In rollback of mercury rule, Trump could revamp how government values human health

Forbes As hospitals close, Medicaid expansion rises in deep south

New York Times Uber, Lyft and the urgency of saving money on ambulances

STAT News Research is scarce on medication for pregnant women. Experts are urging the government to fix that

Reuters Sanofi, Regeneron skin cancer drug gets FDA nod