Berkeley Lovelace Jr.

Scoop: Democratic think tank @SearchlightInst is pushing the party to embrace a new idea: Free primary care for all Americans. The group wants Dems to rethink their approach to health care and break out of the M4A vs ACA rut. They’re unimpressed with CAP’s proposal and warn that Dems need to have a vision beyond opposing Trump and restoring expired subsidies. “This is still our best issue, but we have not been on offense in a way that’s capturing people’s imaginations and getting them excited,” says @AJentleson. “We don’t need to be on defense or just advocating for incremental reforms.” Story w/ @BerkeleyJr: nbcnews.com/politics/polit…

Hospital CEOs came under criticism at a House hearing, with lawmakers accusing them of overcharging patients and exploiting the system. nbcnews.com/health/health-…

New tidbit from @FDA press conference on real-time trials: Mallika Mundkur is now acting chief medical and scientific officer -- two hats previously worn by outgoing CBER Director Vinay Prasad.

Most Alzheimer’s blood tests work by measuring levels of proteins that build up in the brain and are thought to play key roles in the disease. But it’s still an ongoing debate how well the tests can predict who will go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease, doctors say. nbcnews.com/health/health-…

NEW - The FDA approved Regeneron’s Otarmeni, the first gene therapy for genetic hearing loss. The drugmaker said it will offer the drug for **free** to U.S. patients. nbcnews.com/health/health-…

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., clashed with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a Senate hearing Wednesday afternoon, criticizing the secretary over his vaccine policy and abortion medications and debunking a scientific study. nbcnews.com/health/health-…

NEW - New rules approved by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could blunt the impact of a federal judge’s order freezing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee and putting many of its decisions on hold, experts say. nbcnews.com/health/health-…

@camillerrivera @brendini511 @TopherSpiro Sorry, I was referring to @brendini511 !

@BerkeleyJr @brendini511 @TopherSpiro It won’t let me DM you. But yes happy to chat. DM me

The real reason I was so sick for 2 weeks and what lead to my hospitalization was that my insurance company denied my coverage for my new medication for two months. Leaving me getting sicker and sicker. This should be a campaign issue.

@brendini511 @camillerrivera @TopherSpiro Hi there. I'm a reporter with NBC News. Would you be open to chatting about this? I'm working on an article about prior authorization. Thanks!

@camillerrivera @TopherSpiro My mom was just put on bloodthinners. The first prescription included 5 days of double doses. It took 2 weeks for the pharmacy to get approval from her insurance company. The blood clot is in her jugular, so nothing to worry about/s

New: the nation’s top drug lobbyist is stepping down. STEVE UBL is moving on from PhRMA after a decade-plus, he told The Post in an interview. Ubl's organization has been battling with Trump on his drug-price plans. washingtonpost.com/health/2026/04…

Abbvie put Humira on TrumpRx even though two biosimilar competitors are already on the site. Humira costs $950 via TrumpRx but the biosimilar competitors start at $207 to $299 via the site and never get to nearly as high a price point as the brand. How does this help patients?

New: Trump's surgeon general nominee has stalled. White House is telling the Senate to move on Casey Means, whose hearing was over a month ago. Will she get a vote? When? "No comment on Casey," says HELP Chair Bill Cassidy. @BerkeleyJr @ariabendix & me nbcnews.com/health/health-…

Exclusive: The White House adds three drugs for diabetes and lung disease to the self-pay platform TrumpRx, as the administration works to expand the site as part of its push to lower drug prices. nbcnews.com/health/health-…

Reliable sources within HHS and the CDC confirm to NBC News that this is inaccurate.

NEW: 💊TrumpRx isn't doing much for drug prices. What would it take to change that? nbcnews.com/health/health-…

About 1 in 3 U.S. adults say they’ve made trade-offs to afford health care in the past year, including rationing or skipping medications or borrowing money, according to a poll from West Health-Gallup. nbcnews.com/health/health-…

NEW: In a phone interview, Dr. Mehmet Oz told me Obamacare enrollment may be “too high” and predicts it could fall to around 19 million, arguing some people in ACA plans shouldn’t be enrolled. nbcnews.com/health/health-…

@DeanClancy The large shift to bronze plans (higher deductible), as states have reported, seems notable.

@BerkeleyJr The slight dip in ACA enrollment in 2026 compared to 2025 is modest in historical terms Certainly not a crisis x.com/DeanClancy/sta…

NEW: More people appear to be walking away from Obamacare coverage or switching to cheaper plans for 2026 compared to this time last year, according to early enrollment data from several states. nbcnews.com/health/health-…

ACA premiums have officially gone up this month with the tax credits expired. Many people are moving toward low-premium plans with high deductibles and less coverage. Overall sign-ups are down more than 800,000 compared to last year. From @BerkeleyJr: nbcnews.com/health/health-…

@underwoodgeu62 Hi! Just wanted to follow up. Thanks!

@underwoodgeu62 Hi Ginger. I’m a health reporter with NBC News. Are you free to chat about your experience with the cost of Eliquis? Working on a story related to that. Thanks!

My life changed in 2 months. I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Was quoted $1000 for insurance. Can't afford. Because of blood clots, Eliquis is $1600. Can't afford. I worked all my life. Lies everyday. We must flip the house and Senate. This regime is deadly. Deadly!