Trending News Today: Motives of Some Patient Advocacy Groups in Question

President Donald Trump’s recent address to Congress provided encouragement to GOP lawmakers, as he briefly discussed the divide seen over healthcare and taxes. Many lawmakers, including Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), believed that Trump’s speech was a success, and an example of his potential greatness as president, according to The Washington Post. However, the address did not dive into specific details about healthcare reform, which is a top priority for Republicans.

Republican lawmakers from Indiana are warning federal legislators that repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could undo the Medicaid expansion that Pence implemented as governor. The lawmakers said that tens of thousands of low-income individuals could lose coverage if certain aspects of the ACA are repealed. To preserve the program, which covers more than 400,000 individuals, Indiana created a new campaign to promote the benefits of expansion, The New York Times reported.

More than 80% of patient advocacy groups have been discovered to accept funding from pharmaceutical and medical device companies, according to The New York Times. This funding was found to account for more than half of yearly profits in certain groups, which may call their decision making into question. Patient advocacy groups have rejected prior claims that their source of funding impacts their actions, and have taken steps to improve transparency, the Times reported.