While Democratic presidential candidates sparred at their latest debate over the path to a better healthcare system in the U.S., President Donald Trump was in Baltimore telling members of his party at the Republicans' retreat what his administration has been pursuing.
In his Sept. 12 remarks, Trump again vowed his administration would provide Americans with a "low-cost healthcare system with more transparency and more choice."
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He insisted again that Republicans would have repealed the Affordable Care Act by now had it not been for the failure of the so-called skinny repeal bill in July 2017 — gesturing the now iconic thumbs-down from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the now-deceased lawmaker whom Trump has repeatedly blamed for the legislation's defeat, despite two other members of his party also voting against it.
Trump also insisted Americans would soon be able to "go in and negotiate the prices" of their care under a July proposal his administration has yet to finalize that would force hospitals and other healthcare providers to make the amounts they charge public. It is unclear, however, if the proposal, which followed an executive order in June, would fulfill Trump's promises.
The White House declined to say when Trump would deliver the details of his healthcare plan, which is expected to consist of a set of principles and not an ACA replacement. On Aug. 7, White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway said Trump would outline his plan during a speech this month.
Trump has been building up to that speech by unveiling a number of proposals this year, including initiatives aimed at ending HIV infection and improving care for kidney patients. He is also expected to launch an initiative building on work already underway to pursue a better influenza vaccine.
Public option vs. Medicare for All
Meanwhile, at their Sept. 12 debate, Democrats wrangled again over whether Americans should adopt a single-payer system or improve the ACA, including by adding an option to buy into programs offered by the federal government, like Medicare or Medicaid.
"What this is about is making sure that we have the most efficient way possible to pay for healthcare for everyone in this country," said presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who supports a move to a single-payer system.
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The latest poll from the nonprofit, nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation found that 69% of Americans surveyed favored having a public option, while 53% said they backed Medicare for All.
A separate poll from the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles Times reported similar results on Sept. 11.
HHS chief meets with Democrats
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Joe Grogan, director of the Domestic Policy Council at the White House, met with members of the New Democrat Coalition on Sept. 10 over lunch to discuss bipartisan ways to lower U.S. drug prices and make healthcare more affordable.
Other than a handful of tweets by the coalition, its members and Azar, no other details were disclosed about the conversation.
Natasha Dabrowski, a spokeswoman for the coalition, said the group's lunches are off the record and closed to media and the public.
The coalition said it is focused on pro-economic growth, pro-innovation and fiscally responsible policies and works to bridge the gap between the "left and right by challenging outmoded partisan approaches to governing."
US FDA chief at White House
The White House declined to say whether Trump and the current acting commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Ned Sharpless, talked last week about whether he would ultimately be the nominee to permanently lead the agency.
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Sharpless has competition for the job, namely from MD Anderson Cancer Center's Stephen Hahn.
The acting FDA chief was at the White House on Sept. 11 to reveal the administration was working on a plan to ban the sale of all non-tobacco flavored vaping products from the U.S. market.
He also traveled to Capitol Hill on Sept. 12 to meet with Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and a bipartisan group of senators to discuss the e-cigarettes issue.
Sharpless had skipped out on the two-day FDA Science Forum for the e-cigarette meetings.
At the science meeting, Amy Abernethy, principal deputy commissioner at the FDA, said the agency would be rolling out a plan next month to modernize its approach for using technology in its regulatory mission.
Bioeconomy
Also last week, the White House Office of Science Technology and Policy said it was seeking public input on the U.S. bioeconomy, which represents the infrastructure, innovation, products, technology and data derived from biologically related processes and science that drive economic growth, promote health and increase public benefit.
The information gathered will be used to address notable gaps and vulnerabilities and for promoting and protecting the bioeconomy.


Sen. Elizabeth Warren