Trending News Today: Azar to Testify at Senate Health Committee on Drug Pricing Plan

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar will testify at a Senate hearing next month about the president’s drug pricing proposal, The Hill reported. According to the article, Azar will testify at the June 12 Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, where lawmakers will publicly examine the president’s plan for the first time, the article reported. According to President Trump, the administration can tackle many of the proposals on its own, but some of the more significant changes could require Congress, the article reported.

A swallowed capsule made up of tiny electronics and millions of genetically engineered living cells may one day be used to detect health problems from inside the gut, the Associated Press reported. According to the article, scientists tested the capsule in pigs and found that the capsule correctly detected signs of bleeding, indicating it could potentially be used to identify ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease, or even colon cancer in humans. The capsule is the latest advance in the growing field of sensors that can be swallowed or worn to monitor our health, the article noted.

Planned Parenthood and a national group representing family planning clinics has said they will consider legal action against the Trump administration if it moves forward with its plans to change the federal grant program, The Hill reported. In the proposal, the administration announced that it would ban family planning clinics that receive federal funding from referring patients for abortion or sharing locations or finances with abortion providers. According to the article, the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association has also said it would consider litigation.