Health Care News Podcast

On September 14, Sen. Rand Paul grilled Dr. Anthony Fauci on royalty payments government scientists receive from private third-party entities. The non-profit watchdog,  Open the Books has been relentlessly investigating these private royalty payments because the public has been drastically impacted by public health guidance.  Adam Andrezejewski, CEO and founder of Open the Books, says it is important to understand how government health agencies make their decisions when decision makers have personal wealth gains on the line. He believes the payments over the past ten years come close to $400 million.  Fauci announced he is retiring from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in December, but Andrezejewski believes he will still have much influence in the loop between regulators and pharma.

Open the Books has been investigating Fauci and the NIH regarding his salary and retirement package as well as the hundreds of media appearances during the pandemic. Now the group, through FOIA is trying to get the names, amounts and payers of royalty payments government scientist get from private companies if their research is eventually licensed by a private company.

Discussed during the 20-minute podcast:

1.  Should this be a bi-partisan concern?

2.  What about Fauci’s point that guidance, vaccine approval came from non-NIH agencies?

3. Why Open the Books got interested in probing royalty payments

4. How the payments work. Shouldn’t these royalty payments go back to taxpayers for funding the salaries of the researchers? (Federal law allows the payments)

5. How forthcoming has NIH been on document requests?

6. Does Fauci get royalty payments?  Where will Fauci go after he retires from NIH in December? Andrezewjewski speculates

 

Useful links:

REP. MOOLENAAR, U.S. House Appropriations hearing: 
https://www.openthebooks.com/nih-acting-director-admits-royalty-payments-have-appearance-of-conflict-of-interest/

Homeland Security Government Accountability Committee Letter To NIH: https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/dr-rand-paul-and-hsgac-republicans-send-letter-acting-director-nih-requesting-information

Show Notes

On September 14, Sen. Rand Paul grilled Dr. Anthony Fauci on royalty payments government scientists receive from private third-party entities. The non-profit watchdog,  Open the Books has been relentlessly investigating these private royalty payments because the public has been drastically impacted by public health guidance.  Adam Andrezejewski, CEO and founder of Open the Books, says it is important to understand how government health agencies make their decisions when decision makers have personal wealth gains on the line. He believes the payments over the past ten years come close to $400 million.  Fauci announced he is retiring from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in December, but Andrezejewski believes he will still have much influence in the loop between regulators and pharma.
Open the Books has been investigating Fauci and the NIH regarding his salary and retirement package as well as the hundreds of media appearances during the pandemic. Now the group, through FOIA is trying to get the names, amounts and payers of royalty payments government scientist get from private companies if their research is eventually licensed by a private company.
Discussed during the 20-minute podcast:
1.  Should this be a bi-partisan concern?
2.  What about Fauci’s point that guidance, vaccine approval came from non-NIH agencies?
3. Why Open the Books got interested in probing royalty payments
4. How the payments work. Shouldn’t these royalty payments go back to taxpayers for funding the salaries of the researchers? (Federal law allows the payments)
5. How forthcoming has NIH been on document requests?
6. Does Fauci get royalty payments?  Where will Fauci go after he retires from NIH in December? Andrezewjewski speculates
 
Useful links:
REP. MOOLENAAR, U.S. House Appropriations hearing:
 https://www.openthebooks.com/nih-acting-director-admits-royalty-payments-have-appearance-of-conflict-of-interest/
Homeland Security Government Accountability Committee Letter To NIH: https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/dr-rand-paul-and-hsgac-republicans-send-letter-acting-director-nih-requesting-information

Creators & Guests

Host
AnneMarie Schieber
AnneMarie Schieber brings decades of experience as an investigative news reporter to the forefront as host of Health Care News from The Heartland Institute. Along with hosting the podcast, Schieber is the managing editor of Health Care News, Heartland's monthly newspaper for health care reform. Before her work in the liberty movement, Schieber spent several decades at television stations in Michigan, Minnesota, New York and Pennsylvania. The Associated Press awarded her the top honor of "Best Individual Reporting" for being the first reporter to call attention to government efforts to subsidize spending by increasing automobile fines, typically on low-income motorists.

What is Health Care News Podcast?

The Heartland Institute podcast featuring libertarian and conservative health care scholars who are working to put power back into the hands of patients and doctors, and away from government bureaucrats.