Overnight Healthcare: Medical groups raise concerns over Trump immigration order

Some groups are concerned President Trump’s order blocking people from seven countries from entering the United States could harm healthcare.

The order could worsen the shortage of doctors in the United States, warns the Association of American Medical Colleges.

We are deeply concerned that the Jan. 27 executive order will disrupt education and research and have a damaging long-term impact on patients and health care,” AAMC President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch said in a statement Monday.

{mosads}”The AAMC strives to ensure medical education and training is accessible for students and physicians from all backgrounds.”

American Hospital Association President Rick Pollack said he is concerned that, without modification, Trump’s executive order could adversely impact patient care, education and research.

“We are hopeful that the Administration will find solutions to preserve patient access to medical and nursing expertise from across the globe, ensuring care is not disrupted,” he said. Read more here. http://bit.ly/2kkyPSc

Company says Price got exclusive discount on medical stock

Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) was part of an exclusive group that was able to buy stock in a biotech company at a discount, the company told The Wall Street Journal.

Price, President Trump’s nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services, was among fewer than 20 people that received a 12 percent discount on shares of Innate Immunotherapeutics, the Journal reports.

The company’s statement appears to contradict Price’s testimony to the Senate Finance Committee last week, when he said that the discounted shares “were available to every single individual that was an investor at the time.”

Senate Democrats have raised questions about Price’s trading of medical stocks while a member of Congress, in particular the purchase of the biotech shares. Price has said he bought the stock after discussing it with Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), a member of the company’s board. Democrats say that could violate the STOCK Act, which prevents lawmakers from trading on congressional information. Read more here. http://bit.ly/2kkuGxJ

Koch-backed group details hopes for healthcare reform

A conservative group funded by Charles and David Koch, two brothers who are prominent GOP donors, is pushing for high-risk pools and a freeze on Medicaid expansions as lawmakers try to coalesce around a replacement for ObamaCare.

Freedom Partners began circulating a memo on Capitol Hill Monday with specific reforms it thinks lawmakers should pass, including: the creation of high-risk pools at the state level to cover people with pre-existing conditions; the elimination of the ObamaCare mandate, which required everyone buy insurance or pay a penalty; and the expansion of access to health savings accounts, so people can save and pay for healthcare with pre-tax dollars. Read more here. http://bit.ly/2kky9MI

GoFundMe page to raise money for ObamaCare ads

The site is raising money to fund ObamaCare outreach ads cancelled by the Trump administration. Former ObamaCare chief Andy Slavitt has donated. The page is here.

What we’re reading

Drug makers accused of fixing prices on Insulin (New York Times)

Hospitals scramble to help patients planning to travel to US for care (Stat News)

Ex-ObamaCare chief warns Trump’s already weakening the healthcare system (Huffington Post)

State by state

Illinois treasurer to launch tax-free savings accounts for people with disabilities (Chicago Tribune)

Changes to Wisconsin’s Medicaid program could be wide-reaching (Wisconsin State Journal)