First Edition: Feb. 1, 2023

KHN: Nursing Home Owners Drained Cash During Pandemic While Residents Deteriorated
After the nursing home where Leann Sample worked was bought by private investors, it started falling apart. Literally. Part of a ceiling collapsed on a nurse, the air conditioning conked out regularly, and a toilet once burst on Sample while she was helping a resident in the bathroom, she recalled in a court deposition. “It’s a disgusting place,” Sample, a nurse aide, testified in 2021. (Rau, 2/1)

KHN: Watch: Covid Increases Risk Of Heart Problems, New Data Underlines
Céline Gounder, KHN’s editor-at-large for public health, discusses new data showing an excess of deaths in 2020 related to heart disease. The deaths — from heart attack and heart failure — show that the virus can affect the heart and that cardiac problems can show up months after an initial covid-19 infection has apparently resolved. Vaccines reduce the risk both of serious infections and subsequent heart problems. (2/1)

KHN: Podcast: Can They Freaking Do That?!? (2023 Update) 
The “An Arm and a Leg” podcast is back. This season, host Dan Weissmann will tell stories about patients finding creative ways to fight back against outrageous bills. This first episode of Season 9 updates a story from 2019 about a listener who got a $35 bill from a medical testing lab she had never heard of. Soon a follow-up bill arrived demanding $1,300 if she didn’t pay right away. (2/1)

The Washington Post: Baby Formula Scare Prompts FDA To Create Food Safety, Nutrition Program 
Crucially, though, the FDA’s high-powered Office of Regulatory Affairs — responsible for investigations, inspections, laboratory testing and import controls — will remain independent and serve functions across the FDA, including drugs and medical devices. Some food safety advocates say that keeping regulatory affairs separate, along with the Center for Veterinary Medicine, which works closely with the human foods division, could significantly hinder the efficacy of a new food czar. (Bogage, 1/31)

The Wall Street Journal: FDA Proposes Overhaul In Wake Of Baby Formula Shortage 
The plan unveiled by FDA Commissioner Robert Califf reorganizes the overlapping food divisions by putting a single deputy commissioner in charge of food policy and regulation within the agency. Putting one official in charge of most food-related issues “unifies and elevates the program while removing redundancies, enabling the agency to oversee human food in a more effective and efficient way,” Dr. Califf said in a statement. Dr. Califf said the FDA would conduct a national search to fill the new position. (Peterson, 1/31)

Politico: FDA Chief: No One Getting Fired Over Baby Formula Crisis 
FDA’s major overhaul of its foods division won’t include reassigning or firing any employees involved in the agency’s delayed response to the baby formula crisis, Commissioner Robert Califf said Tuesday. Califf rolled out his “new, transformative vision” of the main agency tasked with overseeing food safety in the U.S. He didn’t include any specific plans to address internal FDA breakdowns around infant formula, and instead focused on general restructuring to boost food safety efforts. But the FDA chief, asked during a press briefing, said he doesn’t have any plans to fire or reassign any FDA officials involved in the internal agency breakdowns as part of the larger reforms to the FDA’s Human Foods Program. (Hill, 1/31)

AP: FDA Revamping Foods Program To Move Past ‘Constant Turmoil’ 
“This is one of the most important changes in the history of the FDA,” Califf said in an interview. The move merges two existing FDA programs and some regulatory authorities. Tapping a single leader “unifies and elevates the program while removing redundancies, enabling the agency to oversee human food in a more effective and efficient way,” Califf said. (Aleccia, 1/31)

Stat: Medicare May Pay Less For Accelerated Approval Drugs
A Medicare official hinted Tuesday that Medicare might test a policy of paying less for drugs that receive so-called accelerated approvals than for drugs that are granted traditional approvals. (Wilkerson, 1/31)

The Hill: Dems Press GOP On Whether Anti-Socialist Bill Could Hit Medicare, Social Security 
House Democrats pushed Republicans to clarify the implications of a new bill that would denounce the “horrors of socialism” and socialist policies, expressing concern that it may include Medicare and Social Security benefits. The House Rules Committee met Tuesday to discuss the resolution, proposed on Jan. 25 by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.). (Yarrow, 1/31)

Axios: Republicans Break With Another Historical Ally: Doctors
Republicans' historical alliance with the nation's leading physicians' group has deteriorated to the point where several elected doctors are openly critical of the organization and what they refer to as its "woke" policies. (Owens and Knight, 2/1)

Modern Healthcare: What The End Of The COVID Public Health Emergency Means For Healthcare
The COVID-19 pandemic may not be over but—after nearly three-and-a-half years—the federal public health emergency is finally set to end. The healthcare system will have a lot of adapting to do. (Goldman and Devereaux, 1/31)

Politico: Covid Emergency’s End Will Mean New Costs, Hassles
The White House’s announcement that it will end the Covid-19 public health emergency — and a separate Covid national emergency — on May 11 will mean new costs and more hassles for Americans seeking health care. It will also affect those receiving government nutrition assistance and could make it easier for immigrants to request asylum. (Payne, 1/31)

AP: How Will Life Change Once The COVID-19 Emergency Ends? 
COVID-19′s arrival rapidly accelerated the use of telehealth, with many providers and hospital systems shifting their delivery of care to a smartphone or computer format. The public health emergency declaration helped hasten that approach because it suspended some of the strict rules that had previously governed telehealth and allowed doctors to bill Medicare for care delivered virtually, encouraging hospital systems to invest more heavily in telehealth systems. Congress has already agreed to extend many of those telehealth flexibilities for Medicare through the end of next year. (Seitz, 1/31)

The Washington Post: End Of Covid Emergency Injects Uncertainty Into Telehealth 
After the Biden administration announced an end to the public health emergency for covid-19 on Monday, psychiatrist Adam Pruett posted a message on Reddit for telehealth clients: Make appointments now, while they still can. A federal emergency declaration in January 2020 waived the requirement for health-care providers to meet patients in person before prescribing tightly regulated drugs known as controlled substances, ranging from opioids to benzodiazepines. That enabled Pruett, who is based in Vermont, to build a nationwide telehealth practice prescribing ketamine as a mental health treatment. Once the emergency declaration expires May 11, that practice could be in legal limbo. (Gilbert, 1/31)

The Washington Post: For GOP Base, Battles Over Coronavirus Vaccines, Closures Are Still Fiery
For many Americans, the relentless focus on covid seems largely a thing of the past: Far fewer are wearing masks, businesses and schools are mostly open, and many people have learned to live with the occasional threat of contracting the virus. But among activist Republicans, immense anger and resentment persists at government policies aimed at curbing the pandemic, such as vaccine mandates, school closures and mask requirements. And as that anger bubbles up in the newly Republican-controlled House and among potential GOP presidential contenders, it is shaping up as a significant part of the party’s message. (Abutaleb, Roubein and Arnsdorf, 1/31)

The New York Times: Students Lost One-Third Of A School Year To Pandemic, Study Finds
Children experienced learning deficits during the Covid pandemic that amounted to about one-third of a school year’s worth of knowledge and skills, according to a new global analysis, and had not recovered from those losses more than two years later. Learning delays and regressions were most severe in developing countries and among students from low-income backgrounds, researchers said, worsening existing disparities and threatening to follow children into higher education and the work force. (Baumgaertner, 1/30)

CIDRAP: Twice-Weekly Rapid COVID Tests May Be Better Than Infrequent PCR
A study today in BMJ Open involving the Japan Professional Football League suggests that frequent COVID-19 rapid antigen testing (RAT) can better detect positive SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infections than infrequent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, despite the latter's higher sensitivity. (Van Beusekom, 1/31)

The New York Times: Deer Could Be A Reservoir Of Old Coronavirus Variants, Study Suggests
The Alpha and Gamma variants of the coronavirus continued to circulate and evolve in white-tailed deer, even after they stopped spreading widely among people, a new study suggests. Whether the variants are still circulating in deer remains unknown. “That’s the big question,” said Dr. Diego Diel, a virologist at Cornell University and an author of the study, which was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Tuesday. (Anthes, 1/31)

The Hill: Public Health Emergency For Mpox Officially Ends 
The public health emergency for the mpox outbreak that began last year is officially ending as of Tuesday, with the number of reported cases continuing to dwindle and advocacy groups declaring the emergency’s conclusion a victory for the LGBTQ community. The Biden administration announced in December that it was not expecting to renew the public health emergency (PHE) for mpox, previously referred to as monkeypox, that was first declared in August 2022. The PHE was renewed once in November. (Choi, 1/31)

AP: Indiana Justices Won't Hear 2nd Abortion Case For Now 
Indiana’s high court said it will not immediately consider a challenge to the state’s abortion ban that is based on the argument that the law violates some people’s religious freedoms, leaving that decision to an appeals court, at least for now. The state Supreme Court issued an order Monday saying the state Court of Appeals will first consider the case, after a lower court judge in December sided with residents who claim the state’s abortion ban infringes on their religious beliefs. (Rodgers, 1/31)

AP: Vermont Lawmakers Mull Bills To Protect Abortion Providers
Vermont lawmakers are taking testimony on a pair of bills that aim to protect health care workers who provide abortions and gender-affirming health care in Vermont from legal and disciplinary action from states that limit or ban those practices. The bills were introduced seven months after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and as states have restricted or taken steps to protect access to such care. (Rathke, 1/31)

AP: Anti-Abortion Activists Aim To Sway GOP White House Hopefuls
Emboldened anti-abortion activists are looking to the 2024 presidential election as an opportunity to solidify their influence over the Republican Party. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, the most influential group in the anti-abortion movement, is telling each potential GOP presidential hopeful that to win its backing — or avoid being a target of its opposition — they must support national restrictions on the procedure. Exceptions in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother are acceptable, the activists say, but leaving the question for states to decide is not. (Burnett and Colvin, 2/1)

The Colorado Sun: Another Colorado Hospital Stops Letting Women Get Their Tubes Tied
When the only hospital in Durango with a maternity ward decided that it would no longer let women get their tubes tied, there was no public announcement. Mercy Hospital’s website doesn’t spell it out, either. Instead, a read-between-the-lines statement added to the Centura Health hospital’s website in September noted that Mercy is “responsible for conducting itself in a manner consistent with the ethical principles of the Catholic church ministry.” (Brown, 1/31)

NPR: Humira Loses Monopoly As Copycat From Amgen Comes To Market
After 20 years and $200 billion in revenue, Humira — an injectable treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and several other autoimmune conditions — has lost its monopoly. Early Tuesday morning, California-based biotech firm Amgen released Amjevita, the first close copy of the best selling drug of all time. At least seven more Humira copycats, known as biosimilars, are expected to debut later this year. (Walker and Gorenstein, 1/31)

NBC News: CDC: Eyedrops Sold At Walmart, Other Stores Linked To Infections
One person has died and at least three others are left with permanent vision loss because of a bacterial infection possibly linked to a brand of over-the-counter eyedrops, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A majority of those affected reported using preservative-free EzriCare Artificial Tears before becoming ill, the CDC reported in a statement dated Jan. 20. (Edwards, 1/31)

AP: Group Makes First Funding Award To Combat Opioid Epidemic 
A Kentucky commission assigned to distribute money from a massive settlement with opioid companies has made its first funding award to help combat the state’s opioid epidemic, Attorney General Daniel Cameron said Tuesday. The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission has awarded $10.5 million in funding to a pilot program, Cameron announced. The program will offer behavioral health treatment options for people struggling with substance use disorder as an alternative to incarceration. (Schreiner, 1/31)

AP: West Virginia Looking For Help Feeding Kids During Summer
The state of West Virginia is looking for local government agencies, nonprofit groups and other organizations to help run a summer feeding program for children. The program sponsored by the Department of Education provides free meals to children in lower-income areas at sites such as schools, churches, community centers, pools, parks, libraries, housing complexes and summer camps. (2/1)

North Carolina Health News: Access To Food Benefits May Reduce Rates Of Child Neglect, Abuse
States that expanded access to federal food benefits saw decreases in the rates of cases investigated by child protective services, a new study by researchers from UNC Chapel Hill shows. (Fernandez, 2/1)

The Boston Globe: Dr. Megan Ranney Named Dean Of Yale’s School Of Public Health
One of Rhode Island’s best-known health experts, Dr. Megan Ranney, will be the new dean of the Yale School of Public Health, Yale University President Peter Salovey announced Tuesday. She’ll begin her new job on July 1. Ranney, an emergency room doctor who is the founding director of the Brown-Lifespan Center for Digital Health, became a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Alphonse, 1/31)

NBC News: Obesity Can Cause Changes In The Brain Similar To Alzheimer's, Study Suggests
Being overweight in midlife has been linked to greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, and a new study shows that brain changes in obese people mirror some of those with Alzheimer’s. Scientists at McGill University in Montreal analyzed brain scans of more than 1,300 people in the first research to directly compare the patterns of brain shrinkage in obese people and in Alzheimer’s patients. (Carroll, 1/31)

NPR: Obesity Training That Could Help Reduce Stigma Is Missing In Medical School
Tong Yan grew up in a Chinese-American enclave of Los Angeles in a family that revered food, but thought little of those who carried excess weight. "Definitely there was like an implicit fattist kind of perspective, like small comments that are made about people's weight," Yan says. Obesity did not affect him or his family, but a friend — who wasn't even that heavy — became the butt of jokes. "Also implied was that people who are obese are lazy and not motivated," he recalls. (Noguchi, 1/31)

Stat: Brain MRIs Reveal Impact Of 'Toxic Stress' On Black Children 
Stressful experiences during early childhood — particularly economic strife — appear to act as a toxic stressor that can alter regions of the brain tied to the processing of stress and trauma, according to a new study published Wednesday. The researchers found that Black children were impacted more than white children, largely because of the higher amounts of poverty and adversity they face. (McFarling, 2/1)

CNN: The Dirtier Your Air, The Higher Your Risk Of Depression Or Anxiety, Study Finds
People who live in a highly polluted area have a much higher risk of depression and anxiety than those who live with cleaner air, a new study says. The study, published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, found that people who were exposed to higher amounts of multiple air pollutants for a long period – including particle pollution, nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen oxides – had an increased risk of depression and anxiety. (Christensen, 2/1)

CBS News: Layoff Survivor Guilt Is Real For Workers Who Survive Layoffs
Mass layoffs like those roiling the tech industry affect more than the people who lose their jobs. Laid-off workers face practical challenges, such as staying financially afloat and securing new employment, as well as tough emotions, like feeling rejected. Meanwhile, those who remain after their colleagues are dismissed suffer from "survivor layoff guilt," according to workplace psychologists and layoff survivors themselves. (Cerullo, 2/1)

AFP: Canada Province Decriminalizes Hard Drugs In New Bid To Combat Opioid Crisis
A Canadian province on Tuesday decriminalized the possession of small amounts of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and other hard drugs in a radical policy shift to address an opioid overdose crisis that has killed thousands. Adults found with up to 2.5 grams of these drugs, rather than face jail or fines, will be provided with information on how to access addiction treatment programs. Police will also not seize their drugs. (1/31)