HHS Secretary Alex Azar promised Thursday (June 4) that COVID-19 drugs and vaccines that benefit from taxpayer backing will be free or affordable to Americans.

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons has sued FDA alleging the agency impeded COVID-19 patients’ access to hydroxychloroquine by placing “arbitrary, irrational, and unjustifiable limitations” on distribution and use of the drug through the agency’s Emergency Use Authorization.

Congress' investigative arm found that most states are struggling to carry out federal Medicaid requirements, including those restricting use of Medicaid money for inpatient stays at certain mental health facilities, requiring payments for expensive new FDA-approved drugs for outpatient care, aligning care for dually-eligible beneficiaries, and requiring prospective payments to community health centers and rural clinics.

FDA is updating its upcoming food safety blueprint using lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to call for enhanced supply chain traceability, smarter analytical tools and the formation of partnerships, FDA chief Stephen Hahn and Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy Frank Yiannas wrote in an agency blog.

CMS on Thursday (June 4) announced it has started publicly posting COVID-19 data on Nursing Home Compare, after requiring nursing homes to begin reporting COVID-19 cases and deaths to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in April.

As nationwide protests spark concerns about a second wave of COVID-19, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield avoided directly answering lawmakers’ questions about whether he has advised President Donald Trump, police agencies and the military against using tear gas on protesters because of concerns it causes coughing, which helps spread the disease. He responded that CDC has “advocated strongly” for face masks and coverings to be made available to protesters and that lawmakers raised a good point.

HHS on Thursday (June 4) announced it will require patient demographic data on all COVID-19 lab tests as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield apologized to lawmakers for the inadequacy of CDC’s previously released COVID-19 report on racial disparities.

A new RAND analysis of potential public option designs finds that setting reimbursement rates would likely lower premiums, but most options would not significantly increase the number of insured Americans unless the policy is coupled with additional financial help.