Trending News Today: Obesity Linked to Higher Metastatic Melanoma Survival in Men

House GOP leaders are discussing repealing or delaying the Affordable Care Act employer mandate, according to The Hill. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) said that he has discussed the topic with members of the committee and new Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. Rep Brady said that repealing the mandate would provide relief for employers with 50 or more workers who do not offer health coverage, according to the article.

A study published by Lancet Oncology found that men with obesity may have a longer survival rate for metastatic melanoma compared with normal weight men, The New York Times reported. Compared with normal weight men, individuals with obesity had double the progression-free survival time and nearly twice the overall survival rate. Notably, this effect increased in line with greater weight; however, this link was not observed in women, according to the article.

Yesterday, Virginia’s House of Delegates passed legislation to implement Medicaid work requirements, according to The Washington Post. This move may lay the groundwork to pursue Medicaid expansion, which state legislators have expressed support for in the past, the Post reported. Under expansion, 400,000 Virginians could receive health care, according to the article.