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Trump to ask for ‘substantial new resources’ to fight HIV.  President Trump is set to ask Congress for “substantial new resources” to end the spread of HIV in the U.S., one of his top health officials said Wednesday. Dr. Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary for health, told an audience at the American Public Health Association meeting Wednesday that the president’s budget would request more funding for agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Health Resources and Services Administration in order to tackle HIV. He declined to share the exact figures Wednesday morning because the rollout of the budget is delayed due to the government shutdown, but vowed that ending the spread of HIV was a priority for the administration. “I certainly will hope that Congress will support this, and I have no reason why they would not,” Giroir said.

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Here’s how the Trump administration thinks it will end HIV spread. Trump committed in Tuesday’s State of the Union address to ending the spread of HIV within 10 years, an ambitious goal but one that public health advocates have long believed is realistic. Roughly 1 million people in the U.S. are HIV-positive, and 40,000 more people are infected every year and progress has stalled. “Nobody could give us the answer of why we still have so many cases of HIV,” Giroir said. “The answer was: There is no answer. Somebody just needed to decide to make a difference and change the trajectory we were on.” Giroir said the administration’s plan was carefully mapped out, and that government agencies would be providing grants to local communities to advance the initiative, in particular focusing on places where rates of infection are especially high. CDC data show that half of new infections occur in 48 counties, the District of Columbia, and San Juan. Certain groups have a higher rate of incidence than others, including people who live in the South, African American communities, people who use drugs, and men who have sex with men. The government will aim to reduce the spread of HIV primarily by increasing access to medication, both for prevention and treatment. The administration’s goal is to increase the use of preventive medicine among people at high risk for HIV from 10 to at least 50 percent. He also said people needed to receive a diagnosis as early as possible and then soon after receive a prescription for antiretrovirals, which prevent HIV from progressing to AIDS. “We don’t need a miracle to happen,” Giroir said of the administration’s goal to end the spread of HIV. “It would be great to have a vaccine or a cure, but we can do this with the tools we have today, so let’s do it.”

Giroir addressed skepticism over the Trump administration’s sincerity to tackle the issue. While the public health community welcomed the news about the goals on HIV, they have also questioned whether policies in other areas, involving immigrants and LGBTQ people, would get in the way of progress the administration is trying to make. Asked about this at the event, Giroir begged the audience to “give us a chance,” saying that “we know we need to earn the trust of many communities.” “We want to care for people,” he said. “I do not care about anything else but caring for individuals.”

Trump also prioritized lowering healthcare costs at SOTU. Trump called for reducing the price of healthcare and prescription drugs, specifically asking Congress to pass legislation that would “finally takes on the problem of global freeloading and delivers fairness and price transparency for American patients.” Trump was alluding to a proposal his administration released that would align prices for drugs in the U.S. more similarly to what other countries pay. He also encouraged transparency on pricing across the healthcare industry as a way to increase competition and lower costs, saying that the government should “also require drug companies, insurance companies, and hospitals to disclose real prices.”

Trump again calls for paid family leave. The president’s budget will for the second year in a row contain a proposal for paid family leave, a priority for White House senior adviser and first daughter Ivanka Trump. “To help support working parents, the time has come to pass school choice for America’s children,” Trump said. “I am also proud to be the first president to include in my budget a plan for nationwide paid family leave – so that every new parent has the chance to bond with their newborn child.” Ivanka Trump has been meeting with lawmakers to encourage the proposal, leading to newfound interest from Republicans including Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Mike Lee of Utah, and Joni Ernst of Iowa. They are expected to present more bills in the coming weeks that look at how new parents can draw from Social Security early. Democrats have long called for paid family leave, but through a payroll tax.

Trump rips into Democrats for controversial abortion comments, pushes for 20-week ban. Trump blasted Democrats for authorizing “a baby to be ripped from the mother’s womb” and allowing doctors to “execute a baby after birth,” urging Congress to pass a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The president’s comments after New York loosened restrictions on abortion and as Democrats in Virginia are under fire for controversial comments regarding late-term abortion. Trump called the remarks “chilling.” “Lawmakers in New York cheered with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother’s womb moments before birth,” Trump said. “These are living, feeling, beautiful babies who will never get the chance to share their love and dreams with the world. And then, we had the case of the Governor of Virginia where he basically stated he would execute a baby after birth.” The Senate last year rejected the 20 week ban, known as the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, in a 51-46 vote. The bill would have made it a crime for doctors to perform abortions after 20 weeks of gestation. Those who break the law would face a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. The legislation contained exemptions in cases of rape, incest and a pregnant woman’s life. It did not contain exemptions for fetal abnormalities.

Trump urges Congress to boost spending by $500M to fight childhood cancer. Trump called for a $500 million increase in funding for medical research on childhood cancer over a decade, a cause he said “all Americans can get behind.” Trump plans to call for the increase in spending as part of his budget, which presidents typically release in February. The National Institutes of Health, which funds medical research, will spend an estimated $462 million on childhood cancer in 2019. The NIH’s National Cancer Institute estimates that 11,060 children will be diagnosed with cancer in 2019, and that 1,190 will die.

Planned Parenthood, transgender service members on Pelosi guest list for Trump speech. Planned Parenthood President Leana Wen and two transgender members of the military were among Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s guests at Tuesday night’s State of the Union address. Pelosi’s has invited more than two dozen guests, including husband Paul and daughter Alexandra.Pelosi’s guest list included two transgender military service members, Army Capt. Jennifer Peace, and Army Maj. Ian Brown.

Bipartisan senators on surprise medical bills. Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Todd Young, R-Ind., Tom Carper, D-Del., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., asked insurers and hospitals to answer a series of questions about how they charge or pay for medical services as they seek to tackle the issue of surprise medical bills. They asked for details about balance billing, a practice where patients pick up what their insurer doesn’t cover; what insurers pay for out-of-network care; how premiums are impacted by different types of care; and how much emergency departments receive for their care.  “Surprise medical billing is a complex problem, and crafting bipartisan, effective legislation to address it will require greater engagement from the private sector,” the senators wrote in a letter. “We want to protect patients from costly surprise bills while preventing undue disruption in the healthcare system. To meet this goal, it is critical that we receive additional data and more complete feedback in order to refine and inform our legislative proposal.” Senators are asking for answers by Feb. 18.

House Democrats keep the spotlight on Obamacare. House Democrats are holding three hearings around the same time this morning to bring attention to actions the Trump administration has taken against Obamacare, such as joining the lawsuit to undo the law’s rules protecting people with pre-existing illnesses. Leading up to the 2020 election, Democrats want to keep the spotlight on the Trump administration and Republicans for trying to undo the law, and want the public to see the impact that the changes could have for them.

Senate Democrats press drugmakers for answers on soaring price of insulin. Democrats on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee sent letters Tuesday to insulin drugmakers Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi demanding to know why insulin costs had soared, putting medication for people with diabetes out of reach. “Rapidly increasing insulin prices mean that for many patients, access to this essential medicine is threatened,” wrote the senators, led by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the ranking member. “Patients have had to resort to desperate measures when confronted with increased insulin prices or high cost-sharing for their prescriptions. Some patients have turned to GoFundMe pages to request help paying for insulin, and one in four diabetic patients report rationing the medication because of the cost, with potentially devastating consequences. It is clear these steep price increases are resulting in patients lacking access to the life-saving medications they need.”

E&C Republicans ask for hearing on ‘Medicare for all.’ House Republicans are asking committee leaders for a hearing about the proposal to implement a government-financed healthcare system in the U.S. In a letter to Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J, and Health Subcommittee Chairwoman Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., the Republicans wrote that “Medicare for All was a critical issue in the last election among Democrats running for the House of Representatives, and there are important questions about the proposal that the committee should investigate.” The letter was sent Tuesday by Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., ranking member of Energy and Commerce, and Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, ranking member of the Health Subcommittee. They noted that a majority of House Democrats had supported the proposal, and said they thought the public should hear how Democrats would tackle the financing for the government healthcare system. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has asked the Budget and Rules Committees to hold hearings on the proposal.

RUNDOWN

The Intercept Top Nancy Pelosi aide privately tells insurance executives not to worry about Democrats pushing ‘Medicare for all’

NPR Most inmates with mental illness still wait for decent care

Dallas Morning News Abortion, transgender health protections should be ‘wiped permanently’ from Obamacare, says Texas AG Ken Paxton

Boise State Public Radio Idaho Supreme Court rules Medicaid expansion is Constitutional

Jackson Clarion-Ledger Fetal heartbeat abortion ban bills clear first hurdles in House, Senate