Bloomberg: House Votes To Decriminalize Marijuana, Expunge Convictions
The House voted Friday to decriminalize marijuana, expunge federal convictions on pot-related charges and impose taxes on cannabis producers and importers. The legislation passed 220-204 with support from most House Democrats and three Republicans. Two Democrats voted against the bill. The House had passed a version of the bill in 2020, but it was never considered in the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer plans to introduce a separate marijuana legalization bill this month. (Dillard, 4/1)

The New York Times: House Votes To Decriminalize Cannabis 
The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, which passed 220-204, is unlikely to secure 60 votes to pass the Senate, despite the backing of the majority leader, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York. But supporters of marijuana decriminalization — even some Republicans who voted against the Democratic legislation — said on Friday that the vote was a necessary step toward building consensus on something that can become law. The Democrats’ bill would remove marijuana from the federal government’s list of controlled substances, impose an 8 percent tax on cannabis products, allow some convictions on cannabis charges to be expunged and press for sentencing reviews at the federal and state levels. (Weisman, 4/1)

CNN: House Passes Bill To Federally Decriminalize Marijuana
Republicans Tom McClintock of California, Brian Mast and Matt Gaetz, both of Florida, joined the majority of Democrats in supporting the bill, while Democrats Henry Cuellar of Texas and Chris Pappas of New Hampshire voted against. The bill, sponsored by Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, will prevent federal agencies from denying federal workers security clearances for cannabis use, and will allow the Veterans’ Administration to recommend medical marijuana to veterans living with posttraumatic stress disorder, plus gains revenue by authorizing a sales tax on marijuana sales. (Wilson, 4/1)

In related news about drug decriminalization in Oregon —

AP: Mixed Results For Oregon's Pioneering Drug Decriminalization 
Oregon voters approved a ballot measure in 2020 to decriminalize hard drugs after being told it was a way to establish and fund addiction recovery centers that would offer people aid instead of incarceration. Yet in the first year after the new approach took effect in February 2021, only 1% of people who received citations for possessing controlled substances asked for help via a new hotline. (Selsky, 4/3)

In other news from Capitol Hill —

PBS NewsHour: How This Bill Could Help Fill A Critical Gap In Funding For School Meals
When lawmakers passed the massive $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill last month, they failed to extend, among other programs, a series of pandemic-era school nutrition waivers that offered schools greater flexibility to plan and distribute meals. The waivers covered all students regardless of income, offered better reimbursement rates to cover the rising cost of food and helped dramatically cut the need for bureaucratic paperwork, giving school nutrition workers more time to focus on feeding kids. An estimated 90 percent of U.S. school districts have used these waivers during the pandemic to help feed 30 million children. (Santhanam, 4/1)

KHN: Insulin Copay Cap Passes House Hurdle, But Senate Looks For A Broader Bill
The chances of passing election-year legislation to help people afford insulin — which weeks ago seemed mired in political fighting — are looking brighter as a bipartisan effort to tackle the issue takes root in the Senate. That effort is still in the early stages, but it is moving forward with the support of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who tapped Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) to craft a compromise that members of both parties could accept. Adding pressure to the Senate’s efforts was a vote by the House on March 31 to pass a different bill that caps out-of-pocket insulin costs for many patients with insurance at $35 a month. (McAuliff, 4/4)

NBC News: Obama To Return To White House To Celebrate Health Care Reform
Former President Barack Obama will return to the White House on Tuesday for the first time since he left office to promote the Affordable Care Act in an event alongside President Joe Biden, a White House official said. The celebration of the 2010 health care overhaul will be their first joint appearance since they attended events commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks at Ground Zero in New York last fall, the official said. Vice President Kamala Harris will join them in delivering remarks about the expansion of health care benefits under the law, as well as Biden’s efforts to further reduce health care costs and expand access to care, the official added. (Memoli, 4/4)

AP: Obama To Return To White House For Health Care Event 
The event is part of Biden’s effort to turn his focus to pocketbook issues that directly affect American households. While job growth has been steady since he took office, inflation is at its worst level in a generation. The White House said Biden “will take additional action to further strengthen the ACA and save families hundreds of dollars a month on their health care.” Health Secretary Xavier Becerra and other members of Biden’s Cabinet will attend Tuesday’s event. (4/4)

The Hill: Obama To Make White House Return To Tout ACA Successes
Former President Barack Obama is set to participate in an event celebrating the Affordable Care Act at the White House on Tuesday, his first public appearance in his former home since leaving office. Obama, alongside President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, is scheduled to “deliver remarks celebrating the success of the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid in extending affordable health insurance to millions of Americans as part of the President’s agenda to cut costs for American families,” according to a White House agenda. (Beals, 4/3)

In other news about the Affordable Care Act —

Fierce Healthcare: State-Based ACA Exchanges Make Backup Plans In Case Congress Fails To Act On Enhanced ACA Subsidies 
The Biden administration and states across the country celebrated record-breaking enrollment gains for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) this year. But state-run exchanges are eyeing backup plans for outreach and marketing in case Congress doesn’t extend beyond this year a major driver for those enrollment gains: enhanced income-based subsidies. Some officials have warned that people could drop off coverage—and consumers may shift to less-generous plans—if Congress doesn't act in time. (King, 4/1)

The [Cedar Rapids, Iowa] Gazette: Fact Checker: Abby Finkenauer Says Chuck Grassley Tried To Dump Obamacare 12 Times 
Abby Finkenauer, a Democrat hoping to claim Republican Chuck Grassley’s seat in the U.S. Senate, tweeted March 23 about Grassley’s attempts to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. “The Affordable Care Act was signed into law TWELVE years ago today,” she tweeted. “Since then, @ChuckGrassley has voted to roll it back TWELVE times — and even voted to take away coverage for folks with preexisting conditions.” (4/4)

Insider: Trump 'Exploded' After Ex-GOP Congressman Said He Would Oppose Obamacare Repeal Legislation: Book
Former Republican Rep. Will Hurd in a newly-released book said that then-President Donald Trump "exploded" at him in 2017 after he expressed his opposition to the Affordable Care Act repeal legislation put forward by the party. Hurd — a former CIA officer who represented Texas' vast 23rd congressional district from 2015 to 2021 — recounted that in his first one-on-one phone conversation with Trump, the then-president was seeking to rally support for the legislation. (Dorman and Griffiths, 4/2)

WUSF Public Media: Special Health Insurance Enrollment Period Could Help Floridians At Risk Of Losing Medicaid 
Floridians who may not be able to afford health insurance can now get access to free coverage under a special enrollment period for Affordable Care Act plans. The expanded enrollment comes as the federal health emergency that helped millions of people gain Medicaid coverage during the pandemic could be ending in the coming months. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launched the special enrollment period in March to help Americans making up to 150% of the federal poverty level receive free health insurance coverage. For an individual, the cutoff is $19,320 and for a family of four it's $39,750. Officials say the temporary expansion could help those who have gained access to Medicaid during the public health emergency, which started early on in the pandemic and continues today. (Bruner, 4/1)

In other Medicaid news —

North Carolina Health News: Medicaid Winds Down Coverage For PT & OT Telehealth 
Before the pandemic, Valerie Fox almost never used telehealth — nobody did at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham, where she works as a behavioral health occupational therapist. Now, many patients request it. “Especially with the VA, a lot of people come from a lot of different parts of the state to here,” Fox said. “When we go to transition to outpatient work, it’s a lot easier.” With telehealth, people can more easily incorporate OT into their daily schedules — an hour here, an hour there. “It doesn’t become this big thing,” she said. (Donnelly-DeRoven, 4/4)

Honolulu Star-Advertiser: Support Is Overwhelming To Restore Cuts To Medicaid Dental Care Coverage 
State House and Senate proposals to restore Medicaid dental coverage for more than 200,000 eligible recipients — after state funds were stripped 13 years ago — have received universal written support from state agencies, Hawaii’s major health care organizations, private dentists and their associations, medical clinics in Waianae and Waimanalo, and social service agencies serving the needy, seniors and the disabled. (Nakaso, 4/4)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Stacey Abrams Leans Into Medicaid Expansion As New Bid For Governor Begins
When Stacey Abrams ran for governor in 2018, Brian Kemp’s advisers worried that she’d carve a path to victory by pulling off a dual narrative of being both an icon of the left and a pragmatic consensus-builder to middle-of-the-road voters. Though she struggled to navigate that balancing act four years ago, Abrams may be in a better position to pose such a threat as she prepares for a potential rematch against Kemp. (Bluestein, 4/1)

KHN: Patients’ Perilous Months-Long Waiting For Medicaid Coverage Is A Sign Of What’s To Come
Korra Elliott has tried to avoid seeing a doctor while waiting to get on Medicaid. She worries she can’t afford more bills without any insurance coverage. But in early March — five months, she said, after applying and with still no decision about her application — a suspected case of the flu sent her blood pressure soaring and landed her in the emergency room. The 28-year-old mother of four from Salem, Missouri, is among the tens of thousands of uninsured Missourians stuck waiting as the state slogs through a flood of applications for the state-federal health insurance program. Missouri expanded the program last year after a lengthy legal and political battle, and it now covers adults who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level — about $18,800 annually for an individual. (Sable-Smith and Pradhan, 4/4)

KHN: Record Fines Might Mean California Is Finally Serious About Improving Medi-Cal
Is California getting tougher on health plans that participate in Medi-Cal, the state’s insurance program for low-income residents? A few weeks ago, state regulators imposed a record $55 million in fines on L.A. Care, California’s largest Medi-Cal managed-care plan, for failing to ensure adequate care and allowing treatment delays that threatened enrollees’ health. Patient advocates hope the move signals stricter enforcement against other Medi-Cal insurers, which have many of the same shortcomings for which the regulators just fined L.A. Care. (Wolfson, 4/4)

NBC News: GI Symptoms? It's Probably Not Covid, But It Could Be Norovirus
As Covid-19 cases continue to fall in the United States, cases of another virus are rebounding to pre-pandemic levels. Outbreaks of norovirus, the bug responsible for the dreaded stomach flu, have been on the rise since January, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From August 2021 through the beginning of last month, the CDC reported 448 norovirus outbreaks. During the same time period the previous year, just 78 were reported. (Edwards, 4/1)

Mint: Amid Covid Pandemic, US Grapples With Norovirus
Since early January, the number of weekly outbreaks has risen from fewer than 10 to more than 50. There's no data to suggest that the Norovirus outbreaks are linked to the omicron variant of the coronavirus. But it may be possible that the lifting of Covid restrictions is helping the virus spread. (4/2)

KOAA: How To Spot The Difference Between The Stomach Flu And Covid
A local doctor says the stomach flu has been going around Colorado Springs, and he has been helping more sick children. I spoke with Dr. Vu, a medical physician at Matthews-Vu, Healthcare for Children and Adults in the Springs. He says he has noticed a rise in the number of stomach flu cases, especially among children. (Peters, 4/1)

In related news about norovirus —

AP: Californians Warned About Risk From British Columbia Oysters 
At least 34 people statewide have contracted norovirus in the past few weeks in California after eating raw oysters harvested in British Columbia, Canada, state health officials said Saturday. The state Department of Health issued a warning not to eat raw oysters imported from British Columbia where officials have closed multiple growing regions for sanitary contamination. (4/2)

CBS News: 29 Minnesotans Suffer Norovirus Symptoms After Eating Raw Oysters
Health officials say 29 Minnesotans recently suffered from norovirus after eating oysters at a restaurant, CBS Minnesota reports. They fell ill after eating the raw oysters at Travail Kitchen in Robbinsdale on March 20. The restaurant notified public health authorities and has since stopped serving the oysters, according to officials. The Stellar Bay Gold oysters had originated from Deep Bay 14-8 in British Columbia, and were harvested on March 10. (4/2)

And cases of the flu are sweeping parts of the country —

CIDRAP: Flu Activity Shifting To Northern Corners Of US
Flu levels in the Northeast and Northwest rose last week, and although activity is still highest in central and southeast regions, markers there showed signs of decline, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest weekly update. The percentage of outpatient visits for flulike illness held steady, at 1.8%, and is still below baseline. At public health labs, all respiratory samples that were positive for flu were influenza A, and, of subtyped influenza A samples, all were H3N2. (4/1)

Cincinnati Enquirer: First Pediatric Flu Death Of 2022 Recorded In Ohio
An 8-month-old boy from Ashland County is the first pediatric flu death of the season, the Ohio Department of Health reported Friday. Following an unusually slow season that saw only 108 hospitalizations statewide in 2020-2021, Ohio has reported 972 flu-associated hospitalizations so far this season. At this point during the 2019-2020 flu season for example, the state saw 10,540 hospitalizations related to the flu. Abnormally low numbers from 2020-2021 were a product of COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing efforts, experts say. (Sutherland, 4/2)

FOX 56 News: Flu Cases On The Rise In Kentucky 
As COVID-19 cases decline, flu cases are on the rise. The uptick is being seen across the country and here in Kentucky. According to the Kentucky Department of Public Health, 3500 flu cases have been reported so far this season. Lexington is currently dealing with 157 cases, up 7 cases from last week. Baptist Health Lexington Chief Medical Officer Dr. James Borders said over the last week his hospital has seen twice the number of flu cases compared to the week before and are also seeing an uptick in cases compared to last year. Still, he said the numbers are lower than pre-pandemic levels. (Payne, 4/1)

KWTX: Experts Warn Of Severe Flu Season As Central Texas School District Is Forced To Shut Down
Experts warn this year’s flu season is proving more intense than in recent years and the spike in flu cases has already shut down a Central Texas school district. The Mart Independent School District canceled classes on Thursday and Friday after it experienced an outbreak of flu cases across multiple campuses. (Crown, 4/1)

The New York Times: U.S. Nursing Home Deaths Appear To Be At Pandemic Lows
Deaths at American nursing home residents from Covid appear to be at their lowest levels since the coronavirus first swept the United States more than two years ago, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some 67 residents died during the week ending March 27. While that number could be adjusted in the coming weeks, it mirrors the lows last reached during June 2021 before facilities were hit with the Delta and Omicron variants. Although cases among residents climbed much more sharply in the fall and winter, deaths still reached roughly 1,500 in January before steadily dropping. (Abelson, 4/4)

NPR: New Laws Say Patients Can Have Visitors Even In An Outbreak
Jean White's mother has dementia and moved into a memory care facility near Tampa, Fla., just as coronavirus lockdowns began in the spring of 2020. For months, the family wasn't allowed to go inside to visit. They tried video chats and visits from outside her bedroom window, but White said that just upset her mom, who is 87. White's mother couldn't grasp why she could hear familiar voices but not be with her loved ones in person. When the family was allowed in to see her, disruptions continued. White said the facility kept shutting down anytime a resident or staff member had the virus. (Colombini, 4/3)

In other news about the spread of covid —

San Francisco Chronicle: This Bay Area School Is Reinstating Its Mask Mandate After A COVID-19 Spike
A Bay Area elementary school has restored its mask mandate after reporting a sudden increase in COVID-19 cases. Since March 22, Coleman Elementary School in San Rafael has confirmed 23 total cases of the coronavirus across the school — 17 in students and six in employees — the district said. In response, the school informed families that it would be reinstating an indoor mask mandate through April 15. Marin County schools aligned with state guidelines that allowed lifting indoor mask mandates on March 12, though face coverings were still strongly recommended. (Vainshtein, 4/1)

Los Angeles Times: Coronavirus Cases Are Spiking Elsewhere. Will L.A. County Be Hit Hard Or Be Spared?
After dramatic declines in coronavirus cases, Los Angeles County has hit another plateau this week that comes amid the spread of the highly infectious BA.2 Omicron subvariant. BA.2 has led to new increases in cases in other areas, from a significant surge in Britain that has resulted in an increase in hospitalizations and deaths, and the apparent beginning of a wave in New York and Massachusetts. Similar trends have not yet been seen in Los Angeles County or in California overall, and officials can’t say with certainty what will come next. (Money and Lin II, 4/2)

The Boston Globe: Amid Climbing Mass. COVID-19 Cases, Health Experts Urge Booster Shots
More than two years into the pandemic, local health experts are closely watching an increase in COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts driven by a more transmissible subvariant of the virus, while rates of new vaccinations and booster shots have leveled off. Amid the rise in cases locally, specialists encouraged vaccinated people to get their booster shots to help reduce the chance of severe infection and to ease pressure on an already beleaguered health system. Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said a third shot of a two-dose vaccine is critical for reducing the risk of hospitalization and death. (Hilliard, 4/3)

St. Louis Public Radio: St. Louis Health Officials Say The Pandemic Is Not Over 
Missouri officials have announced an end to the coronavirus pandemic emergency, saying the state is moving on from the crisis. But public health officials think it may be too early to declare victory over the pandemic. “I found it laughable,” Dr. Faisal Khan, St. Louis County's acting health director, said of the state’s announcement earlier this week. “The pandemic is certainly not over; it's certainly not entering any semblance of an endemic phase. Pronouncements of victory are premature and self-delusional.” (Fentem, 4/1)

Detroit Free Press: Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan Tests Positive For COVID-19
Despite widely available vaccines, nobody is 100% safe from contracting COVID-19 — including Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. In a Facebook post Sunday afternoon, Duggan announced he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus after waking up with a cough Saturday morning. Although an initial home test performed Saturday came back negative, Duggan said he administered a follow-up test Sunday, which yielded the positive result. "I’m really glad I got the booster shot," Duggan said in the post. "The symptoms I have are mild — much like an average cold. Fortunately, my wife Sonia has tested negative." (Wethington, 4/3)

Also —

CIDRAP: Molnupiravir Reduces COVID-19 Symptoms, Virus By Day 3, Data Show
Three new studies to be presented at the upcoming European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) conference at the end of the month demonstrate benefits of the antiviral molnupiravir against COVID-19 infections, including evidence that Merck's pill reduces symptoms of the SARS-CoV-2 virus by day 3 of administration. All three studies are based on results seen in the MOVe-OUT study, which was conducted throughout 2021 to determine the drug's efficacy against COVID-19 infections. (4/1)

Houston Chronicle: Fort Bend ISD Announces District Wide Rollout Of UV-C Disinfection Devices
All Fort Bend Independent School District buildings are equipped with UV-C disinfection devices, the district announced on Thursday. Working in partnership with bio-safety technology company R-Zero, the Fort Bend ISD has installed 135 Arc UV-C systems across its 82 campuses and 20 additional support facilities in the district. These sustainable devices were purchased with funds from the 2021-22 COVID-19 School Health Support Grant. (Varma, 4/3)

NBC News: Study: Covid's Racial Disparities Made Some White People Less Vigilant About The Virus
A new study ... published in Social Science & Medicine, found that white people surveyed in the United States in fall 2020 cared less and were even more likely to shun pandemic safety precautions after learning about the disproportionate ways it impacts Black communities and other communities of color. “When white people in the U.S. were more aware of racial disparities in Covid-19, they were less fearful of Covid-19,” said Allison Skinner-Dorkenoo, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Georgia and co-author of the study. “We found evidence of less empathy for people who are vulnerable to Covid-19 and we also found evidence of reduced support for safety precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19.” (Adams, 4/1)

The New York Times: How Covid And Diabetes Collide In A Public Health Train Wreck
After an insect bite on his back became infected, David Donner, a retired truck driver in rural Alabama, waited six hours in a packed emergency room with his wife, before coronavirus vaccines were widely available. A few days later, they both began experiencing the telltale symptoms of Covid-19.Debra Donner quickly recovered, but Mr. Donner, 66, landed in the I.C.U. “The virus barely slowed her down, but I ended up surrounded by nurses in hazmat suits,” he said. His halting recovery has left him dependent on a wheelchair. “I walk 20 feet and I’m huffing and puffing like I ran 20 miles.” (Jacobs, 4/3)

AP: States Look For Solutions As US Fentanyl Deaths Keep Rising 
As the addiction and overdose crisis that has gripped the U.S. for two decades turns even deadlier, state governments are scrambling for ways to stem the destruction wrought by fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. In statehouses across the country, lawmakers have been considering and adopting laws on two fronts: reducing the risk to users and increasing the penalties for dealing fentanyl or mixing it with other drugs. Meanwhile, Republican state attorneys general are calling for more federal action, while some GOP governors are deploying National Guard units with a mission that includes stopping the flow of fentanyl from Mexico. (Mulvihill, 4/3)

Science Alert: US Has A Catastrophic Rise In Fentanyl-Contaminated Drugs, Researchers Find
The proportion of illicit pills laced with a dangerous opioid has continued to rise throughout the coronavirus pandemic, doubling between January 2018 and December 2021, according to a recently published study funded by the US National Institute on Drug Abuse. Using data on drug seizures collected by agencies across a nation-wide program, a team of researchers led by New York University epidemiologist Joseph J. Palamar evaluated the state of the opioid black market in the past three years. (McRae, 4/1)

The Guardian: How Fentanyl Flooded The US And Sent Opioid Deaths Soaring 
During the coronavirus pandemic, drug overdose rates in America surged. In 2020, overdoses were up by 31% in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The death rate increased most dramatically among Black and Indigenous Americans – rising by 49% and 43% respectively in just one year. Experts say a large portion of this increase can be explained by the growing prevalence of fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid. The reporter Erin McCormick has been investigating how the drug became so widespread in the US, and how its rise is rewriting the narrative of America’s opioid crisis. (Safi, McCormick and Mendoza, 4/3)

In other news about the opioid crisis —

The Street: Vertex Has A Pain Pill That May Replace Opioids 
Biotech Vertex Pharmaceuticals VRTX is getting closer on an approval for its pain pill that could serve as a replacement for opioids since trials showed greater improvements in pain relief. The company said on March 31 that it received positive results from two Phase 2 proof-of-concept studies that investigated treating patients with acute pain following abdominoplasty surgery or bunionectomy surgery with their drug known as VX-548. (Chang, 4/1)

Stat: Vertex Non-Opioid Painkiller Meets Goals In Mid-Stage Studies
A novel pain drug from Vertex Pharmaceuticals met its goals in two mid-stage trials, the company said Thursday, paving the way for pivotal trials that could lead to approval. The highest dose of the drug, a pill called VX-548, beat placebo at reducing patients’ pain within 48 hours of surgery, Vertex said. The company tested its medicine in two studies, enrolling about 550 patients who had just undergone either abdominoplasty or bunionectomy, giving them either placebo, the opioid treatment hydrocodone, or one of three dosage strengths of VX-548. Vertex now plans to advance VX-548 into pivotal studies in the second half of this year, pending permission from the Food and Drug Administration. (Garde, 3/31)

AP: West Virginia Lawsuit Against Opioid Makers Set To Start
Opening statements are set in a lawsuit in West Virginia accusing several drugmakers of misrepresenting the risks and benefits of opioids. The bench trial starts Monday in Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Teva Pharmaceuticals Inc., Allergan and their family of companies. (4/4)

C-HIT.ORG: Churches And Health Care Align To Offer Trusted Space For Addiction Treatment
In the basement of Madry Temple Church in New London, Margaret Lancaster, a health program coordinator at Ledge Light Health District, shows the pastor how to administer Narcan, the opioid overdose reversal treatment. In New Haven, at the Dixwell Avenue Congregational United Church of Christ, the Rev. Jerry Streets and local clinical staff are offering substance use disorder treatment. These alliances of frontline health care workers with trusted community leaders are addressing the alarming rise of substance use disorders by leveraging the cultural power of churches to reach people in need of help. (Jones, 4/3)

In related developments from around the world —

The Hill: Taliban Announces Official Ban On Poppy Cultivation
The Taliban on Sunday announced a ban on cultivating poppy flowers, which are used to make heroin, in a move seen as courting global approval while also putting farmers’ livelihoods at risk. The order also forbids the production, use and transit of other narcotics. (Beals, 4/3)

Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Employment Stalls In March Following Large Boost
Healthcare industry hiring in March saw the smallest increase in a year, as providers continue to experience staffing shortages and COVID-19 cases are on a slow decline. Healthcare companies added an estimated 8,300 jobs in March, down from 66,400 in February, according to preliminary data the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Friday. The industry contributed to a total of 431,000 new jobs across the economy. Last month saw the smallest uptick in helathcare hiring since March 2021, when the industry gained 6,000 jobs. (Devereaux, 4/1)

In updates from the health insurance industry —

South Florida Sun Sentinel: United Healthcare Members Lose Network Access To Broward Health 
Thousands of United Healthcare members on Friday lost in-network access to Broward Health hospitals and ambulatory care facilities after the two entities failed by Thursday to reach agreement on a new contract. UnitedHealthcare plans affected are employer-sponsored, individual, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid plans branded under UnitedHealthcare’s name or affiliates Preferred Care Network, WellMed, Medica and Neighborhood Health Partnership. Members of those plans lost in-network status as of Friday to Broward Health hospitals in Fort Lauderdale, Deerfield Beach and Coral Springs, Weston urgent care center and 15 outpatient/ambulatory care centers across the county. (Hurtibise, 4/1)

Mississippi Clarion Ledger: UMMC, Blue Cross Blue Shield Mississippi Contract Expires
The University of Mississippi Medical Center's contract with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi expired Thursday night at midnight after they failed to reach an agreement over how much the insurer should pay for patient care. The dispute centers around how much the hospital system wants the insurer to pay in order to cover hospital services for their members. Over the past 18 months, UMMC has treated more than 50,000 patients with a Blue Cross Commercial health insurance plan, according to a press release the hospital system issued on Friday. (Clark and Hawkins, 4/1)

In biotech and research news —

The Boston Globe: Eight Studies By Former Harvard, BIDMC Researcher Retracted Over Ethics Review
A former Harvard professor and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center doctor has had eight research studies or abstracts retracted by three different medical journals for problems with critical oversight approvals for the research. The retracted studies, led by ophthalmologist Dr. Jorge Arroyo, include one published in Wiley Online Library in June 2021 that was retracted in February because the study was conducted in a way that differed from the protocol approved by BIDMC. Another study, published in March 2021 in Translational Vision Science & Technology, was retracted in March for failing to obtain institutional approval at all. (Bartlett, 4/3)

Houston Chronicle: UT Health Doctor Hopes Pitch Contest Stirs Interest In Implantable Blood Pump
A UT Health Houston doctor is helping develop a fully implantable blood pump, which early research shows may have reduced risks for contributing to strokes, infection and rehospitalizations than similar products already available. Dr. Richard Smalling, a cardiologist at UT Health in Houston, has spent nearly two decades helping develop the the Pulsatile Flow Torroidal Left Ventricular Assist Device. He will be in Washington, D.C., on Saturday to pitch the device at a national competition hosted by the American College of Cardiology and the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. (Carballo, 4/2)

Stat: Xenotransplantation Trials Will Require Adjusting Expectations, Experts Say
On the heels of some important “firsts” this past year, xenotransplantation — grafting animal organs into humans — is on the cusp of crossing over into new territory: human trials. In January, University of Maryland surgeons transplanted a pig heart into a 57-year-old man, who survived two months. And last fall, New York University doctors implanted pig kidneys into recently deceased individuals to show there wouldn’t be immediate rejection of the organs. As exciting as these procedures were for researchers who have been trying to make xenotransplantation a reality, they highlighted the slow pace of clinical development, which has been stalled in primate studies for decades. (Cueto, 4/1)

AP: With Students In Turmoil, US Teachers Train In Mental Health
As Benito Luna-Herrera teaches his 7th grade social studies classes, he is on alert for signs of inner turmoil. And there is so much of it these days. One of his 12-year-old students felt her world was falling apart. Distance learning had upended her friendships. Things with her boyfriend were verging on violent. Her home life was stressful. “I’m just done with it,” the girl told Luna-Herrera during the pandemic, and shared a detailed plan to kill herself. (Gecker, 4/4)

ABC News: Later School Start Times Eyed To Address Youth Mental Health Crisis
California was the first state to mandate that high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Pediatrician Dr. Bert Mandelbaum hopes New Jersey will be the second. New Jersey is one of several states exploring later school start times, as educators and health professionals grapple with concerns about the pandemic's impact on youth's mental health. (Deliso, 4/3)

In other mental health news —

Wyoming Public Radio: Some Say Mental Health Funding Could Go A Long Way Toward Improving Services 
Thanks to American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and increased revenue, the Wyoming legislature took a crack at addressing a longtime problem in the state: the lack of mental health care services. Lawmakers voted to put millions of the federal dollars into the effort. Wyoming Department of Health Director Stefan Johansson said it's always been a problem. "Mental health, it seems to be a topic that in state planning or state government, that never goes away, we're talking about it every year," said Johansson. Fremont Counseling Service Director Scott Hayes said Wyoming's mental health system is fragile. (Beck, 4/1)

The Wall Street Journal: Why So Many Women In Middle Age Are On Antidepressants 
For years, middle-aged women have had some of the country’s highest rates of antidepressant use. Now, scientists are starting to better understand why—and to develop more targeted treatments for women’s midlife depression. About one in five women ages 40 to 59 and nearly one in four women ages 60 and over used antidepressants in the last 30 days during 2015 to 2018, according to the latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Among women ages 18 to 39, the figure was about one in 10. Among men, 8.4% of those ages 40 to 59 and 12.8% of those 60 and older used antidepressants in the last 30 days, according to the NCHS data. (Petersen, 4/2)

And more public health news —

USA Today: Terry Wallis, Arkansas Man Who Woke Up After Nearly 2 Decades In A Coma, Dies At 57
Terry Wayne Wallis, the Arkansas man who spent 19 years in a coma before regaining awareness and speaking in 2003, died last week, according to an obituary. He was 57. Wallis was in an automobile accident in his home state of Arkansas with a friend in July 1984, six weeks after his daughter, Amber, was born, according to the obituary in Roller Funeral Homes. The car plunged into a creek, and the two weren't found until the following day, underneath a bridge, the Associated Press reported in 2003. Wallis' friend was killed while Wallis was put into a coma. The accident had left him a quadriplegic. Wallis remained in the coma for 19 years, until June 12, 2003, when we said "mom," his first word since he was comatose. (Mendoza, 4/3)

NPR: Unilever Recalls Suave Antiperspirants Because Benzene Was Found
Unilever is voluntarily recalling two Suave aerosol antiperspirant products after identifying elevated levels of benzene in some samples of the products during an internal review. It's the latest company to recall consumer products because the carcinogen was found in samples. The nationwide recall covers lots of two antiperspirants with expiration dates through September 2023: Suave 24-Hour Protection Aerosol Antiperspirant Powder in 4 oz. and 6 oz. sizes and Suave 24-Hour Protection Aerosol Antiperspirant Fresh in the 6 oz. size. You can check if any of your products are affected here. If you have an affected product, Unilever says you should stop using it and throw it away. (Torchinsky, 4/1)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Pregnant Women With Mild High Blood Pressure Benefit From Treatment
Pregnant women with mild high blood pressure and their babies can benefit from treatment, according to a large study co-authored by a researcher at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Current national guidelines only suggest treating pregnant women with severe high blood pressure, but that could change following the new study, which was published Saturday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Guidelines are set by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (Johnson, 4/2)

Miami Herald: Portuguese Man O’ War Safety Tips On South FL Beaches 
Natives probably know the primary thing to do when they see those pretty blue and purple bubbles that look like partially deflated balloons on the beach. Don’t pick them up! Spring on South Florida beaches is not just for spring breakers and swimmers. Spring is also often about the return of Portuguese man o’ war. These sea creatures are best viewed from afar because they have tentacles — and even when the creatures lie immobile on the beach, they’ve enough juice to sting. (Cohen, 4/2)

Fox News: Amy Schumer Reveals Struggling With A Disorder Called Trichotillomania: What Is It?
Comedian Amy Schumer is bringing awareness to a mental health condition she has secretly battled until now, according to multiple reports. "I think everybody has a big secret and that’s mine," she told The Hollywood Reporter over a mid-February interview. "And I’m proud that my big secret only hurts me, but it’s been what I’ve carried so much shame about for so long." Trichotillomania, pronounced (trick-o-till-o-may-nee-uh), is a condition marked by repetitive hair pulling that is classified as part of a group of body-focused repetitive behaviors, such as nail-biting, hair pulling or skin pricking, that leads to physical damage and psychological distress, according to the TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors. (Sudhakar, 4/2)

Houston Chronicle: DOJ Says State Policies Blocking Gender-Affirming Care For Children Violate The Constitution
The Department of Justice is warning states like Texas that policies meant to block transgender children from receiving gender-affirming care violate their constitutional rights. “Intentionally erecting discriminatory barriers to prevent individuals from receiving gender-affirming care implicates a number of federal legal guarantees,” DOJ officials wrote in a letter sent Thursday to state attorney generals. The letter comes after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton authored a nonbinding legal opinion that some gender-affirming care may constitute child abuse and Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the state’s child welfare agency to investigate parents who get such care for their children. (Wermund, 4/1)

In other health news from across the U.S. —

St. Louis Public Radio: Missouri Farmers Can Use Previously Restricted Herbicide 
Farmers in five Missouri counties are now free to use an herbicide that had been restricted in January. The initial ban came down from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which restricted use of the Enlist brand of herbicides in counties where the endangered American burying beetle is present. There was a fear it could harm the insect. But a coalition of farm groups from several states, led by the Missouri Department of Agriculture, pushed back. The EPA looked at additional data about the runoff levels of the herbicide if applied properly. The agency canceled the restriction last week. (Ahl, 4/4)

AP: Lawmakers Aim For More Emergency Rooms In Rural Mississippi 
Mississippi lawmakers have approved a bill aimed at bolstering health care in rural Mississippi. The bill recently approved by both chambers of the state Legislature would permit the construction of “freestanding” emergency rooms in rural counties. The freestanding ERs would not have to be attached to hospitals. (4/2)

Politico: ‘Back To The Giuliani Era’: Adams’ Order To Clear Homeless Camps Ignites Fury In New York 
A series of violent encounters in New York’s subway system this year pushed the city’s new tough-on-crime mayor to take decisive action. Eric Adams sent NYPD officers into transit hubs and onto trains to force homeless people out. Now the mayor has a new target: Makeshift shelters built up by homeless people all over New York. He’s again sent city police officers in, this time to clear out those living in tents, under boxes or in other homes on the street. Officers have already broken down nearly 250 encampments and Adams is now launching another round sweeps. (Chadha and Eisenberg, 4/2)

In abortion news —

Stateline: Blue States Enact New Laws To Create Abortion Havens
If the U.S. Supreme Court decides in June, as expected, that all states can limit abortions to the earliest stages of pregnancy or ban the procedure altogether, hundreds of thousands of Americans are likely to start traveling to states where abortion remains legal. In preparation, lawmakers in those states are considering bills that would remove hurdles such as waiting periods and parental notifications, and some are proposing to help low-income patients by paying for travel and other practical expenses that add to the true cost of abortion care. (Vestal, 4/1)

KHN: Journalists Discuss How Legislation Affects Mental Health Care And Abortion Training 
KHN senior correspondent Sarah Varney discussed how state abortion restrictions are limiting training options for medical students and residents who want to learn how to perform abortion procedures on Newsy’s “Evening Debrief” on March 30. ... KHN interim Southern bureau editor Andy Miller discussed a groundbreaking mental health bill on Georgia Public Broadcasting’s “Lawmakers” on March 28. (4/2)

AP: UK Hits Record COVID-19 Levels; Nearly 5 Million Infected
The prevalence of COVID-19 in the U.K. has reached record levels, with about 1 in 13 people estimated to be infected with the virus in the past week, according to the latest figures from Britain’s official statistics agency. Some 4.9 million people were estimated to have the coronavirus in the week ending March 26, up from 4.3 million recorded in the previous week, the Office for National Statistics said Friday. The latest surge is driven by the more transmissible omicron variant BA.2, which is the dominant variant across the U.K. (Hui, 4/2)

The New York Times: Cuts In Britain Could Cause A Covid Data Drought 
The British government on Friday shut down or scaled back a number of its Covid surveillance programs, curtailing the collection of data that the United States and many other countries had come to rely on to understand the threat posed by emerging variants and the effectiveness of vaccines. Denmark, too, renowned for insights from its comprehensive tests, has drastically cut back on its virus tracking efforts in recent months. (Zimmer, 4/2)

KHN: Travel In The Time Of Covid: Getting There Is Easy — It’s Getting Home That’s Hard 
I’m being held captive in England by the U.S. government. On the day my wife and I were to fly home from London after a brief visit, we took a covid-19 test, as required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to travel to the U.S. The United States will not allow anyone to fly into the country who has tested positive for covid, and it is up to the airlines to enforce that. My wife’s test was negative. My test was positive. She flew out. I stayed put. (Darlin, 4/4)

In other global covid news —

The Wall Street Journal: In Shanghai, Strict Covid Rules Separate Children From Parents
As a viral video ricocheted around China’s internet, showing toddlers and infants in a Shanghai medical facility, crying as they were crammed in threes and fours on metal-barred beds, one 39-year-old mother was particularly distraught. “I searched for any sight of my daughter in the video but couldn’t find her,” said the mother, who asked to be identified only by her surname, Zhu. Ms. Zhu said she had been separated from her 2½-year-old daughter on Tuesday after they tested positive for Covid in Shanghai, home of what is quickly becoming China’s biggest coronavirus outbreak in more than two years. (Xie and Qi, 4/3)

Bloomberg: China's Covid Variants: New Omicron Virus Subtype Discovered
China added more than 13,000 new Covid-19 infections with state media reporting a case infected with a new subtype of the omicron variant. The new iteration of the virus, isolated from a mild Covid-19 patient in a city less than 70 kilometers (43 miles) from Shanghai, evolves from the BA.1.1 branch of the omicron variant, Global Times reported, citing sequencing data from local health authorities. The report said the subtype doesn’t match other coronavirus that’s causing Covid in China nor those submitted to GISAID, where scientists around the world share the coronavirus they sequenced as a way to monitor mutations. (4/3)

Bloomberg: Natural Remedies For Covid: China Tries To Promote Traditional Herbal Medicine
As Hong Kong’s outbreak became the deadliest in the world, among the aid Beijing sent to the financial hub were 1 million packets of honeysuckle, rhubarb root, sweet wormwood herb and other natural ingredients, all mixed according to principles of traditional Chinese medicine. Practitioners of the centuries-old medicinal system argue such herbal combinations can be just as effective as antiviral pills like Pfizer Inc.’s Paxlovid. (4/3)

AP: Man In Germany Gets 90 COVID-19 Shots To Sell Forged Passes 
A 60-year-old man allegedly had himself vaccinated against COVID-19 dozens of times in Germany in order to sell forged vaccination cards with real vaccine batch numbers to people not wanting to get vaccinated themselves. ... He was caught at a vaccination center in Eilenburg in Saxony when he showed up for a COVID-19 shot for the second day in a row. Police confiscated several blank vaccination cards from him and initiated criminal proceedings.(Grieshaber, 4/3)

Bloomberg: WHO Suspends Procurement, Supply Of Bharat Biotech Covid Vaccine
The World Health Organization suspended procurement and supply of Covaxin, a Covid-19 vaccine made by Bharat Biotech International Ltd., citing issues following an inspection at the company’s facilities. The Indian vaccine maker has committed to address deficiencies in good manufacturing practices and is developing a corrective and preventive action plan, the World Health Organization said, without specifying when the suspension will be lifted. It recommended countries which have received the vaccine to “take actions as appropriate.” (Trivedi and Kay, 4/3)

Axios: 1. The Search For Next-Generation Cancer Treatments
A flood of cancer drugs has entered the market over the last decade, and some have been game changers for treating the disease. However, most are yielding only incremental advances: They're important to patients, but may be ballooning the already enormous cost of cancer care. Some experts argue that the financial incentives to develop drugs mimicking those already on the market are detrimental to patients because they divert resources from truly transformative discoveries. (Owens and Snyder, 4/2)

Axios: 2. The Fast-Changing Survivability Of Cancer
Death rates for many individual cancer types, such as melanoma, have seen historic drops in the last decade. At the same time, a few cancers like pancreatic cancer have remained stubbornly unchanged. Others like colorectal cancer have even seen worrisome increases. Between 2000 and 2021, cancer death rates in the U.S. dropped 27%, from 196.5 to 144.1 deaths per 100,000 people. Much of that progress occurred since the human genome was sequenced, allowing major changes in how we understand cancer, screen for it, and ultimately treat it with personalized therapies, experts say. (Reed, 4/2)

Axios: 3. How COVID Reshaped Cancer Care
The pandemic disrupted cancer treatments for millions of Americans, but it led health care providers to speed up efforts to shift care from hospitals and clinics to patients' homes. Cancer patients at higher risk for infections and other complications could benefit from therapy and testing at home — and the care delivered in less intensive settings could also be cheaper. The pandemic delayed cancer screening, treatments and rehabilitation while causing supply shortages and diverting medical staff. Many patients fearing COVID-19 stayed away from clinics as their cancers worsened. (Bettelheim, 4/2)

Axios: 4. Meet The New AI Cancer Detectives
Algorithms are increasingly being put to work alongside radiologists and pathologists to help detect and diagnose cancers. AI developers say these tools can help relieve a stressed health care system and improve critical medical decision-making, but experts caution about the risk of overdiagnosis that could drive up health spending and bring the possibility of unnecessary, risky biopsies. Some also warn it's too soon to say whether the tools are effective. (Snyder, 4/2)

Axios: 5. The Pandemic Made Cancer Disparities Worse
Health disparities among cancer patients — a known ongoing issue in America — were exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. A study out earlier this week of 3,506 cancer patients shows "significantly higher COVID-19 severity" among African American than white cancer patients, bolstering similar findings from an earlier 2020 study of 73.4 million electronic health records. Black cancer patients also experienced delays in radiotherapy sessions and in access to novel anti-COVID therapies like remdesivir — instead often receiving hydroxychloroquine, later found to be ineffective. (O'Reilly, 4/2)

Axios: 6. The Health Benefits Of Easing Cancer Costs
Particularly common among cancer patients, "financial toxicity" is a term that's used to describe the financial strain of paying for expensive medical care. Financial planners may be the solution. Patients that received financial guidance or financial assistance have a higher survival rate, according to a 2020 research study — meaning relieving crushing financial burdens may have also improved their medical outcomes. Even when they have health insurance, cancer patients still face out-of-pocket costs — like copayments and deductibles — that can add to the emotional stress of fighting cancer, especially if they don't have a financial safety net. (Moriarty, 4/2)

In other news about cancer —

Press Association: Cancer Testing: AI Could Predict Drug Combinations In Two Days
A new test could take less than two days to predict what drug combinations might work for cancer patients, a new study suggests. The cutting-edge technique uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse data from tumour samples and can more accurately estimate a patient's response to medication than is currently possible. The test can be carried out in 24 to 48 hours and the rapid turnaround means it has the potential to help doctors decide which treatment is best. (Massey, 4/4)

Los Angeles Times: My Nurse Friend Was Pushed To The Brink During The Pandemic 
My friend is a healthcare worker. My friend is the healthcare worker you would want at your bedside in a medical crisis. A registered nurse at a community health center, she has spent the last two years connecting underserved patients with therapeutics for COVID, driving unhoused COVID-positive patients to the infusion center for monoclonal antibody treatments to prevent worsening infection. (Dipti S. Barot, 4/2)

CNN: Why I'm Getting A Second Booster Shot 
On Tuesday, the US Food and Drug Administration gave the green light to Americans 50 and older to receive an additional Covid-19 booster shot. In the coming days, weeks and months, as those eligible for this extra dose decide whether to roll up their sleeves, we can expect the public chatter to take all the varied tones we've heard over the past two years: indignation that our health authorities dare to suggest yet another vaccine dose, delight that another vaccine dose will boost waning immunity and everything in between. Though it's clear that the FDA is being tip-toe cautious, I love their decision. Let's face it: Every time we have thought the coast was clear on Covid, we have been wrong. (Kent Sepkowitz, 4/3)

Los Angeles Times: While We Line Up For A Fourth Shot, The World’s Poor Haven’t Gotten Their First
Go ahead — line up for your second booster shot, Americans. But as you do, take a moment to consider how lucky you are to live in a part of the world where the healthcare system, for all its flaws, puts protection from COVID-19 within reach. Because it’s not that way everywhere. (Nicholas Goldberg, 4/3)

Stat: Should Race Be Included In Allocation Algorithms For Covid Therapies?
When the Omicron surge threatened to overwhelm hospitals and the number of infections greatly exceeded the quantities of anti-Covid therapies that might help keep people out of the hospital, the need to prioritize individuals at the highest risk was clear. Yet controversy quickly arose around what attributes — including race — might be used to evaluate risk and prioritize access to scarce resources. “The left is now rationing life-saving therapeutics based on race, discriminating against and denigrating, just denigrating, white people to determine who lives and who dies,” former President Trump declared at a rally in Arizona on Jan. 15. “If you’re white you have to go to the back of the line to get medical help!” (David M. Kent, Keren Ladin and O. Kenrik Duru, 4/4)

Kansas City Star: MO Gov. Mike Parson Says COVID Emergency He Downplayed Over 
On Wednesday, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson declared an end to the COVID-19 emergency. “The COVID-19 crisis is over in the state of Missouri, and we are moving on,” the governor said in a prepared statement. Thursday, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said her state would treat the disease as endemic, which means it’s no longer considered an existential threat. The rest of us must be more cautious. For the people diagnosed with COVID-19 Wednesday, or for those in the hospital battling the disease, it isn’t over. For victims of long COVID, it’s not over. (4/4)

Kansas City Star: KS Sens. Moran, Marshall, Help End COVID Pandemic Worldwide 
On March 15, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions advanced the PREVENT Pandemics Act with strong bipartisan support, including from Kansas Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall. Despite the bill having important provisions for public health response and preparedness, it lacks one key factor: preventing the emergence of new COVID-19 variants to end the current pandemic. Bipartisan conversations around a new COVID-19 budget supplemental have begun. Still, they lack Republican support for global pandemic relief. Sens. Moran and Marshall’s failure to intervene and support new funding to vaccinate the world is not only utterly morally unacceptable and enormously ineffective, but it will also continue the COVID-19 crisis. (Pranav Savanur, 4/4)

Modern Healthcare: Insulin Has Been Around For 100 Years, So Why Is It Still So Expensive? 
The high cost of insulin in the U.S., where some people with diabetes pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a month's supply, has long been a symbol of our broken healthcare system. Too many people with diabetes have been forced to ration their insulin—taking dangerously low doses to make the drug last, while driving themselves into poorer health, and in some cases, poverty. (Dan Liljenquist and Martin VanTrieste, 4/1)

Columbus Dispatch: What Does The Mental Health Crisis Mean For Ohio Children?
Our children are not okay. The pandemic highlighted a childhood mental health crisis that has led national organizations to call for an emergency declaration and led the U.S. Surgeon General to issue an advisory citing alarming increases in youth mental health challenges. In February, the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee held a special hearing on “America’s Mental Health Crisis,” where I had the honor to provide testimony on its impact on children and the workforce. (Angela Sausser, 4/1)

Los Angeles Times: Why Won't UC Clinics Serve Patients With Medi-Cal? 
One in three Californians are insured through Medi-Cal — the state’s health insurance program for low-income residents. Yet very few of these patients are able to get care through the University of California’s health systems. Only a tiny fraction of primary care patients seen at UC clinics have Medi-Cal coverage. In some sites, it’s as little as 1% — even in areas with high numbers of Medi-Cal enrollees. The reason for this lack of access, according to UC administrators, is because state reimbursements for Medi-Cal patients don’t cover the cost of treating them. (Michael Wilkes and David Schriger, 4/4)

The Star Tribune: End The 'Ceiling.' Make Expanded Health Insurance Aid Permanent. 
Allen Zutz has seen firsthand how much more affordable health insurance has become for many northern Minnesotans after what he calls "the ceiling" was lifted. Zutz is a health insurance broker based in Bemidji. What he's referring to is the upper limit on income eligibility to qualify for Affordable Care Act financial assistance that instantly discounts monthly premium costs for those who buy health insurance on their own. In 2021, Congress temporarily lifted that eligibility cap. (4/3)

The Star Tribune: How To Make Medicaid Racially Equitable 
The term "Minnesota paradox," coined by Samuel Myers at the University of Minnesota, describes how Minnesota can have one of the highest qualities of life for white residents, while Black residents fare worse in nearly every measurable category than in virtually every other state. For Black Minnesotans, the consistent denial of equal opportunities in housing, education, nutrition, healthy neighborhoods and justice under the law makes the racial health disparities here less surprising. (Nathan Chomilo, 4/3)

The New York Times: ‘Trump Is Gone, And We Still Have The Problems’: Michael Lewis Makes Sense Of Our Bungled Covid Response 
Dr. Anthony Fauci has been the face of America’s Covid response and has been praised and vilified for his expertise. But who are all the other people who have worked behind the scenes at agencies like the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to guide America through the pandemic? This is a question Michael Lewis tackles in his book “The Premonition,” which was published in May 2021. He talks about how getting to know these public health experts gave him a completely different understanding of the country’s public health system — and the systemic challenges institutions like the C.D.C. face when pandemics and other crises strike. (4/4)