First Edition: April 14, 2023

KFF Health News: KFF Health News' 'What The Health?': The Confusing Fate Of The Abortion Pill 
The abortion pill mifepristone is now ground zero in the abortion debate. Late Wednesday night, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said the drug should remain on the market but under restrictions on distribution that were in effect before 2016, which ban prescribing by mail or by telemedicine. The restrictions would make it even more difficult for patients in states where abortion is illegal or widely unavailable. (4/13)

Tampa Bay Times: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Signs 6-Week Abortion Ban Late Thursday Night
Late Thursday night, in a private ceremony in his office, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill to ban most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. His office announced the signing in a highly unusual news release sent out after 11 p.m., then updated his schedule to say the ceremony happened at 10:45 p.m. Just hours before, the Florida Legislature sent the bill to his desk after it was passed by the Florida House. The legislation prohibits abortion in most cases after six weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest and human trafficking. In those cases, women with documentation showing evidence of the crime may have abortions up to 15 weeks of pregnancy. (Mahoney, 4/13)

AP: DeSantis Signs Florida GOP’s 6-Week Abortion Ban Into Law
The law contains some exceptions, including to save the woman’s life. Abortions for pregnancies involving rape or incest would be allowed until 15 weeks of pregnancy, provided a woman has documentation such as a restraining order or police report. DeSantis has called the rape and incest provisions sensible. Drugs used in medication-induced abortions — which make up the majority of those provided nationally — could be dispensed only in person or by a physician under the Florida law. Separately, nationwide access to the abortion pill mifepristone is being challenged in court. (Thomas, 4/13)

The Hill: White House Blasts ‘Extreme And Dangerous’ Florida Abortion Bill 
The White House on Thursday condemned Florida lawmakers for passing a law to outlaw abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, warning of broader consequences for women across the southern U.S. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that the “extreme and dangerous” bill “flies in the face of fundamental freedoms and is out of step with the views of the vast majority of the people of Florida and of all the United States.” (Samuels, 4/13)

Stat: Abortion Drug Battle Heads To SCOTUS After Appeals Court Decision
The Justice Department said Thursday that it will take the battle over abortion pill access to the U.S. Supreme Court after an appeals court allowed it to stay on the market with restrictions. (Joseph and Owermohle, 4/13)

NPR: Justice Department Will Ask The Supreme Court To Restore Full Access To Abortion Pill
"The Justice Department strongly disagrees with the Fifth Circuit's decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA to deny in part our request for a stay pending appeal. We will be seeking emergency relief from the Supreme Court to defend the FDA's scientific judgment and protect Americans' access to safe and effective reproductive care," Attorney General Merrick Garland wrote in a statement announcing the Justice Department's action. (Belluck and Liptak, 4/13)

Reuters: Some U.S. Abortion Pill Providers Curb Availability After Appeals Court Ruling
U.S. telehealth and in-person abortion providers scrambled on Thursday to keep medication abortion services available after a federal appeals court ruled that the abortion pill mifepristone could be distributed amid ongoing litigation but with significant restrictions. (Harte and Bernstein, 4/13)

AP: Abortion Providers Scramble As Courts Restrict Pills
Doctors, clinics and telehealth providers across the country are scrambling to figure out how they will continue to provide the most common type of abortion after a federal appeals court imposed new restrictions on a key abortion medication. One telehealth provider would have to shut down for two weeks. Some abortion clinics in Ohio are considering ditching the drug altogether. Meanwhile, other doctors are looking for legal loopholes to dispense the drug, called mifepristone. (Ungar and Seitz, 4/13)

Politico: What Last Night's Abortion Pill Twist Means For Access — Even In Blue States 
Should the ruling stand, retail pharmacies will no longer be authorized to dispense the drug. Physicians will not be able to prescribe the drug via telemedicine; instead, patients will have to make multiple in-person office visits to get a prescription. Additionally, non-physicians will not be able to prescribe or administer the drug, and prescribers will have to resume reporting “non-fatal adverse events” related to mifepristone to the federal government. The decision also suspends FDA approval of the company GenBioPro’s generic version of mifepristone, another blow to access. (Goldberg and Ollstein, 4/13)

NPR: Pharma Execs Argue In Favor Of Mifepristone Access
With the future of a commonly used abortion medication on its way to the Supreme Court, the pharmaceutical industry has escalated its warnings: If court orders to limit or undo the Food and Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone are allowed to stand, industry executives and law experts say, the effects could reach far beyond abortion. The lawsuit, filed last November by a coalition of anti-abortion groups and doctors, takes aim at nearly every step of the FDA's regulatory process — including its original approval of mifepristone for use up to seven weeks of pregnancy in 2000, along with the agency's later decisions to expand approval to 10 weeks of pregnancy and allow the drug to be dispensed by mail. (Sullivan, 4/14)

AP: New Hampshire Senate Rejects Lifting Abortion Ban Penalties
The penalties associated with New Hampshire’s 24-week abortion ban will remain in place after the state Senate on Thursday killed legislation that would have removed them. The Republican-led Senate voted 14-10 along party lines to reject a bill that would have removed the civil and criminal penalties from the 2021 ban on abortion after the 24th week of pregnancy. It also rejected adding an explicit right to abortion up to 24 weeks to state law. Both bills had passed the House, where Republicans hold a narrow 201-196 majority. (Ramer, 4/13)

Fierce Healthcare: DOJ Calls For Stay On ACA Preventive Services Ruling
The Department of Justice (DOJ) wants a federal judge to ensure that preventive care coverage requirements in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) remain available while it appeals a ruling striking the provisions down. The DOJ filed on Wednesday a request with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas for a partial stay of an earlier judgment from Judge Reed O’Connor that strips the preventive care coverage requirements for insurers. (King, 4/13)

AP: Biden Says He's Expanding Some Migrants' Health Care Access 
President Joe Biden announced Thursday that hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children will be able to apply for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges. The action will allow participants in the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, to access government-funded health insurance programs. “They’re American in every way except for on paper,” Biden said in a video released on his Twitter page. “We need to give Dreamers the opportunities and support they deserve.” (Miller, Seitz and Balsamo, 4/14)

The Hill: Biden Announces Medicaid, ObamaCare Access For DACA Recipients 
DACA beneficiaries are not currently eligible for those benefits because their immigration status does not meet the current definition of “lawful presence” required to enroll in Medicaid and the ObamaCare exchanges. Under the administration’s plan, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is preparing a new rule to amend that definition by the end of the month. (Bernal, 4/13)

Reuters: FDA Mandates New Safety Warnings For Opioid Pain Medicines
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday it will require new safety warnings to be added in the prescribing information on labels for opioid pain relievers, including a warning about increased sensitivity to pain. FDA said data suggests patients who use opioids for pain relief after surgery often have leftover tablets, which puts them at risk for addiction and overdose. (4/13)

Bloomberg: World Has 28% Risk Of New Covid-Like Pandemic Within 10 Years
There’s a 27.5% chance a pandemic as deadly as Covid-19 could take place in the next decade as viruses emerge more frequently, with rapid vaccine rollout the key to reducing fatalities, according to a predictive health analytics firm. Climate change, growth in international travel, increasing populations and the threat posed by zoonotic diseases contribute to the risk, according to London-based Airfinity Ltd. But if effective vaccines are rolled out 100 days after the discovery of a new pathogen, the likelihood of a deadly pandemic drops to 8.1%, according to the firm’s modeling. (4/13)

NPR: You're Less Likely To Get Long COVID After A Second Infection Than A First
If you've gotten COVID more than once, as many people have, you may be wondering if your risk for suffering the lingering symptoms of long COVID is the same with every new infection. The answer appears to be no. The chances of long COVID — a suite of symptoms including exhaustion and shortness of breath — falls sharply between the first and second infections, according to recent research. (Stein, 4/14)

Scientific American: How Often Should People Get COVID Boosters? 
The CDC and FDA have decided that one updated COVID booster is enough for now, in contrast to recommendations from other countries and global health organizations. (Young, 4/13)

CIDRAP: Florida Reports Second Local Dengue Case In Miami-Dade County 
Florida, which reports sporadic local dengue infections, has confirmed two cases so far for 2023, both in Miami-Dade County, according to the latest surveillance update from the Florida Department of Health (Florida Health). In 2022, Florida reported 68 local dengue cases, mostly from Miami Dade County. The state had eliminated local dengue transmission in the 1930s, but experienced outbreaks in Key West in 2009 and 2010. (Schnirring, 4/13)

ABC News: Everything You Need To Know About The Rare Fungal Infection That's Infected Nearly 100 People In Michigan
Nearly 100 cases of a rare, fungal infection have been linked to a Michigan paper mill. Public Health Delta & Menominee Counties (PHDM) said 19 cases of blastomycosis have been confirmed while another 74 are suspected. (Kekatos, 4/13)

ABC News: Paul Edmonds, 5th Person Apparently Cured Of HIV, Steps Forward To Share His Story
One of only five people in the world to achieve full remission of HIV is stepping forward to share his story in an ABC broadcast exclusive. Paul Edmonds’ journey into medical history began decades ago. He was diagnosed with AIDS in 1988 - a time when it was a potential death sentence. Thanks to his own perseverance and advances in treatment, he survived - even thrived - after his diagnosis. (Salzman and Zepeda, 4/13)

The Hill: Whitmer Signs Gun Safety Bills In Wake Of School Shootings
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed a number of bills on Thursday aimed to implement gun safety measures in the state amid the recent rise of school shootings across the United States. ... Senate Bill 79 will protect children by requiring an individual to keep firearms stored in locked boxes or containers. It also establishes a range of penalties if violated. Senate Bill 80 also updates the state’s criminal code for safe storage of firearms to prevent child from gaining access to the weapons. Senate Bills 81 and 82 will lower the costs of firearm safety devices to ensure owners can safely store their guns. (Oshin, 4/13)

AP: Missouri To Limit Gender-Affirming Care For Minors, Adults 
Missouri’s attorney general announced new restrictions Thursday on gender-affirming care for adults in addition to minors in a move that is believed to be a first nationally and has advocacy groups threatening to sue. Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced plans to restrict health care for transgender people weeks ago, when protesters rallied at the Capitol to urge lawmakers to pass a law banning puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries for children. But the discussion was focused on minors, not adults. Missouri Attorney General spokeswoman Madeline Sieren clarified in a statement later in the day that adults also would be covered. (Ballentine and Hollingsworth, 4/14)

AP: Nebraska Trans Care Ban For Minors Advances -- With A Twist 
Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, who has been among the most vocal in opposing the bill, sobbed on the mic. “I am sorry,” she cried, addressing parents of transgender children. “I’m sorry there’s nothing more I can do in my power. You are loved. Your children are loved. You matter.” The bill has proved to be the session’s most contentious, with Cavanaugh leading an effort to filibuster every bill before the Nebraska Legislature for weeks to protest it. That effort has largely hamstrung the body’s work. While lawmakers have managed to advance a number of bills, it had not passed a single bill by Thursday. (Beck, 4/13)

Stat: Medicare Advisers Endorse Reforms To Lower Drug Spending
In the latest move to address prescription drug pricing, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission unanimously approved three recommendations to address the cost of certain medicines covered by the program. (Silverman, 4/13)

NPR: Medicare's Hospice Experiment: Putting Private Insurers In Charge
Hospice doctor Bethany Snider sees the writing on the wall: "The hospice care we've known and loved won't be the same 10 years from now." Hosparus Health, the Louisville-based hospice agency where Snider serves as chief medical officer, is one of more than 100 provider organizations partnering with some of the country's largest health insurers on a federal experiment that could transform hospice care for millions of people. (Walker and Gorenstein, 4/13)

Military.com: You Now Need A Credit Card In Most Cases To Get Access To DoD, VA Benefits Websites
Andrew Langer was pretty sure his daughter was on the wrong website when she tried to apply for new credentials to access Tricare, the military health program, from their home near Fort Eustis, Virginia. As part of the online validation process for the Defense Department's MHS Genesis electronic health records system, Langer's daughter was told she would need to furnish the last eight digits of a credit card and undergo a "soft" credit check to gain access. (Kime, 4/13)

Stat: Express Scripts Launches New Pricing Plan Amid Scrutiny Of PBMs
Amid increasing scrutiny of pharmacy benefit managers, Express Scripts is launching a new pricing plan that is designed to provide a clearer view on what its clients are paying for prescription medicines. (Silverman and Wilkerson, 4/13)

Stat: Group Studying Ambulance Surprise Bills Will Meet — 4 Months Late
The federal committee in charge of finding ways to stop surprise billing from ground ambulances and health insurers will officially meet for the first time on May 2 and 3, the federal government said Thursday. The 17-person committee was supposed to meet in January, but the meeting was postponed. A rescheduling for March also never came to pass. (Herman, 4/13)

Modern Healthcare: Salesforce Health Cloud Expands At-Home Capabilities
Salesforce is targeting home health with its latest healthcare software capabilities, the San Francisco-based company said Thursday morning. (Turner, 4/13)

Stat: Google Will Let Health Care Customers Test Its Generative AI Model
Accelerating medicine’s AI race, Google is releasing a version of its generative language model to health care customers who will begin testing its ability to perform specific tasks in medical and research settings, STAT has learned. (Ross, 4/13)

The Washington Post: That Weed You Bought Might Not Be As Potent As Promised, Study Finds
The weed you’re buying might not make you as high as you hoped. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Northern Colorado tested samples of cannabis sold at several Colorado dispensaries. Overall, they found that the product labels promised a potency higher than what was actually in the bags. (Amenabar, 4/13)

AP: First QB Helmet Designed To Help Reduce Concussions Approved 
The first quarterback-specific helmet designed to help reduce concussions has been approved for use by the NFL and NFLPA, the AP has learned. The helmet, manufactured by Vicis, reduces severity of helmet-to-ground impacts, which league data says account for approximately half of quarterback concussions. (Maaddi, 4/13)

NPR: For The Millions Who Get Recurring UTIs, A Breakthrough Sheds Light On Why
Research published in Nature Microbiology ... suggests that UTIs can actually change the DNA in the cells lining the urinary tract. Those cells can then change size and start an immune response that actually makes them more susceptible to repeated infections. (Barnhart, 4/13)

Stat: Scientists Studying Bears Find Path To Treat Deadly Blood Clots
Like many cardiologists, Manuela Thienel spends most days in the chlorinated, temperature-controlled halls of a large hospital. But one week in February 2019, her work brought her to a snowy Swedish forest, where she stood shuddering in a winter coat, looking on as veterinarians and rangers walked into a bear den to drug a hibernating bear and retrieve its blood. Thienel believed hibernating bears may hold an answer to an ailment that kills up to 100,000 Americans every year. (Mast, 4/13)

AP: Promising New Malaria Vaccine For Kids Approved In Ghana 
Ghana on Thursday became the first country to approve a new malaria vaccine for young children, one that officials hope will offer better protection against the disease that kills hundreds of thousands every year. Final results from late-stage trials have not yet been published, and the vaccine is under review at the World Health Organization. Preliminary results from early testing of the new vaccine, developed at the University of Oxford, have suggested the vaccine is far more effective than the only malaria vaccine now authorized for use by the WHO. (Mednick, 4/13)