HHS Nominee Grilled on Measles Strategy and Data Privacy

Accountability and Responsiveness

• 🤝 Nominee Mr. Andres commits to being accountable, responsive, and timely in responses to all senators, regardless of party affiliation.
• 💡 He acknowledges Senator Whitehouse's passion for CMS payment issues affecting hospitals in Rhode Island and neighboring states.

Measles Outbreak Strategy

• ❓ Senator Whitehouse questions the acceptable number of measles cases and deaths in the U.S., asking if the current HHS strategy would be reconsidered if numbers worsen.
• 💉 Mr. O'Neal states that measles is never okay and every death is one too many, emphasizing the MMR vaccine as the best prevention method.
• ⚠️ He expresses concern about the growing outbreak and is open to hearing about other reforms the department could take.

Medical Data Privacy

• 🔒 Mr. Andres asserts he is a strong advocate for medical privacy, supporting HIPAA and its privacy rules.
• 🧐 He agrees to investigate questions regarding access to HHS data sets and potential issues like data exfiltration or backdoors.

End-of-Life Care Reform

• 🏥 Senator Whitehouse proposes Rhode Island as a model for end-of-life care, highlighting flaws in the current system.
• 🏡 He points out unnecessary hospital stays for nursing home transitions and the problematic use of ambulances for respite care.
• 🩺 Suggestions include having nurses or social workers visit homes for respite and allowing palliative and medical treatment to occur concurrently.

Legislative Hurdles

• 📜 Mr. Andres acknowledges the bipartisan PBM legislation that was derailed, with Senator Whitehouse seeking his assistance in getting such bipartisan efforts passed.