Officials Probe Google for Data Practices, CMS Withdraws Vaccine Mandate
High-powered senators look for answers after Google fell through on a privacy promise and CMS reverses its controversial vaccine mandate.
Source: Getty Images
By - In policy news this week, elected officials are pushing Google to get stricter with its health data-sharing policy. Meanwhile, CMS rescinded its health worker vaccine mandate.
Senators Ask Google to Come Clean on Health Data Privacy
Nine Democratic senators, joined by Independent Bernie Sanders, reached out to Google in a letter last week looking for answers about the company’s data privacy practices. In the letter, senators asked Google to clarify its process for deleting sensitive information, including when users visit abortion clinics, fertility centers, and other facilities.
“Another report found that Google failed to delete sensitive location data in nearly 60 percent of test cases over the last several months,” the Senators wrote. “Claiming and publicly announcing that Google will delete sensitive location data, without consistently doing so, could be considered a deceptive practice.” READ MORE.
FDA Warns About Compounded Semaglutide Products
The FDA issued a warning about compounded forms of semaglutide after instances of patient harm occurred. The drug, which has exploded in notoriety in part due to social media hype, has been shown to improve weight-related medical conditions and help reduce weight, but its popular status has also led to acute shortages. Compounding pharmacists have developed their versions of the drug to provide for excess demand, but the FDA now says these formulations may contain salt formulations that are not proven safe. READ MORE.
CDC Links 40% of Foodborne Illnesses to Workers
New information from the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that 40% of foodborne illnesses stemmed from infected food workers. Data from 2017 to 2019 recorded across a broad swath of the US showed that 20.8% of illnesses came from a potentially sick worker, 17.6% came from raw food, and 14.4% of cases came from worker bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food. The report concluded that restaurant owners should take these issues seriously and follow published Food Code guidance. READ MORE.
CMS Withdraws Vaccine Mandate
The final rule published by CMS last week withdrew its vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, rescinding the requirements for workers and contractors at Medicare- and Medicaid-certified facilities to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Based on an evaluation of the evolving clinical and epidemiological circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, increased vaccine uptake, declining infection and death rates, decreasing severity of disease, increased instances of infection-induced immunity, public comments submitted to CMS, and the addition of COVID-19 vaccination quality measures to quality improvement and reporting programs, we believe regulations regarding COVID-19 vaccination of health care staff are no longer necessary,” CMS wrote in the rule. READ MORE.
Loss of ACA Preventive Care Could Hit 10M Enrollees
Research produced by Peterson-KFF showed that a loss of preventive care measures afforded by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could lead to 10 million marketplace enrollees losing access to some forms of care.
“If the Fifth Circuit Court stay is lifted and the district court’s decision is affirmed by a higher court, insurers would be allowed to introduce cost-sharing for any of the affected preventive services and drugs or exclude coverage altogether, though the latter appears to be the less likely scenario,” the researchers determined. READ MORE.
