First Edition: Feb. 10, 2023

KHN: Era Of ‘Free’ Covid Vaccines, Test Kits, And Treatments Is Ending. Who Will Pay The Tab Now? 
Time is running out for free-to-consumer covid vaccines, at-home test kits, and even some treatments. The White House announced this month that the national public health emergency, first declared in early 2020 in response to the pandemic, is set to expire May 11. When it ends, so will many of the policies designed to combat the virus’s spread. (Appleby, 2/10)

KHN: Montana Considers Allowing Physician Assistants To Practice Independently
Megan Zawacki started working at St. Peter’s Health in Helena, Montana, in 2020 as a physician assistant trained in treating addiction. She had gone through specialized training that allowed her to prescribe Suboxone, a medication to fight opioid addiction, but she couldn’t do so for six months. That’s because Zawacki was hired to work with a doctor who specialized in addiction medicine, but that doctor did not join St. Peter’s until three months after Zawacki was hired, and it was another three months before he became her supervisor. Under Montana law, physician assistants must be supervised by a licensed physician, with a supervision agreement filed with the state Board of Medical Examiners. (Larson, 2/10)

KHN: Public Health Agencies Turn To Locals To Extend Reach Into Immigrant Communities 
When covid-19 vaccines became available, Colorado public health officials initially relied on mass vaccination events publicized through Facebook, email, and texts, and required Coloradans to book appointments online. But when that go-big strategy drove large disparities in who was getting vaccinated, public health departments in the Denver area decided to go small instead. They provided “microgrants,” small sums for one-time projects, to community organizations serving immigrants and minorities, and allowed those groups to determine how best to use the money. (Hawryluk, 2/10)

KHN: A Health-Heavy State Of The Union 
Health care was a recurring theme throughout President Joe Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address on Capitol Hill this week. He took a victory lap on recent accomplishments like capping prescription drug costs for seniors on Medicare. He urged Congress to do more, including making permanent the boosted insurance premium subsidies added to the Affordable Care Act during the pandemic. And he sparred with Republicans in the audience — who jeered and called him a liar — over GOP proposals that would cut Medicare and Social Security. (2/9)

AP: In GOP-Held Florida, Biden Vows No Cuts To Social Security
With an eye toward the 2024 campaign, President Joe Biden took direct aim at Republicans who have floated cuts to Social Security and Medicare — telling an audience in Florida on Thursday that he would create a “nightmare” for anyone who dreamed of trying them. Venturing into a state defined by its growing retiree population and status as the unofficial headquarters of the modern-day Republican Party, the president sees a chance to use Social Security and Medicare to drive a wedge between GOP lawmakers and their base of older voters who rely on these government programs for income and health insurance. (Kim, Boak and Peoples, 2/10)

The Hill: McConnell Says Sunsetting Social Security, Medicare Is A ‘Rick Scott Plan’ Only 
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-K.Y.) said in an interview on Thursday a proposed initiative to sunset Social Security and Medicare was not a “Republican plan,” but one proposed and supported only by fellow Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.). Scott, who was unsuccessful in his run against McConnell for the top seat in the National Republican Senatorial Committee, proposed a plan in 2022 to sunset all federal legislation after five years, forcing Congress to reauthorize them. (Oshin, 2/9)

Stat: Medicare Details Forthcoming Penalties For Drug Price Hikes 
The Biden administration on Thursday offered the first glimpse into how it’s planning to enact a new law that will penalize drugmakers for hiking their prices faster than inflation. The initial guidance documents for both physician-administered and pharmacy drugs offer details about the formulas that officials plan to use to calculate the penalties, and the process for fines if drugmakers don’t comply. The guidance is open for public comment until March 11, the administration said. (Cohrs, 2/9)

NPR: Medicare Announces Plan To Recoup Billions From Drug Companies
Medicare's historic plan to slow prescription drug spending is taking shape. Thursday federal health officials released proposed guidance that outlines the first of a pair of major drug price reforms contained in the Inflation Reduction Act. Those reforms are projected to save Medicare roughly $170 billion over the next decade. President Joe Biden touted the effort underway earlier this week in his State of the Union address. "We're taking on powerful interests to bring your health care costs down so you can sleep better at night," he said. (Walker and Gorenstein, 2/9)

Stat: Generics Makers Fought Drug Price Reform, But May End Up Benefiting
Generic drugmakers lobbied hard against Democrats’ new law empowering Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices. Giving the government such power seemed like an admission that generic medicines don’t do enough to keep costs down. Now that the changes are law, however, industry experts and lobbyists acknowledge the package is more of a mixed bag for generics makers like Teva and Sandoz, not an existential threat. (Wilkerson, 2/10)

San Francisco Chronicle: U.S. Public Health Emergency Renewed For The Last Time
Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services, on Thursday renewed the COVID-19 public health emergency order in the U.S. for what is expected to be the last time. (Vaziri, 2/9)

USA Today: Medicaid, Free COVID Tests Will Change After Public Health Emergency
The Biden administration on Thursday formally notified states the COVID-19 public health emergency that provided generous federal payments to subsidize care and insurance coverage for millions will end May 11. About 15 million Americans who gained Medicaid health insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic are at risk of losing coverage later this year as generous federal subsidies end. (Alltucker, 2/9)

Reuters: FEMA To End All COVID-19 Disaster Declarations On May 11 
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said on Thursday it will close all COVID-19 disaster declaration incident periods on May 11 when the U.S. government ends two major pandemic-related emergency declarations. All 50 states, five territories and three tribal nations are seeing a major disaster declaration for COVID-19, said FEMA Associate Administrator for Response and Recovery Anne Bink. (Aboulenein, 2/9)

Axios: 69% Of Health Providers Still Using Pandemic Waivers, Survey Finds
More than two-thirds of health care providers are still using pandemic waivers and flexibilities that are due to expire when the COVID public health emergency ends in May, according to an analysis by the group purchasing organization Premier. The health care system will undergo a major shift as hospitals, health systems and other providers lose special allowances on reporting requirements, patients' rights, virtual care and a host of other areas. (Bettelheim, 2/9)

The Hill: CDC Adds COVID Vaccine To Routine Immunization Schedule For Kids, Adults 
COVID-19 vaccines are now included among the routine shots recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for children, adolescents and adults. The 2023 list includes shots for the flu, measles mumps and rubella, polio, and other inoculations. (Weixel, 2/9)

Axios: Australian Researchers Find Protein In Lung That Blocks COVID Infection
Australian scientists announced Friday they've discovered a protein in the lung that sticks to the COVID-19 virus like Velcro and forms a natural protective barrier in a person's body to block infection. (Falconer, 2/10)

KQED: How To Find A Free COVID Test Near You In 2023 (Because It's Getting Harder)
Finding it harder to get a COVID-19 test lately? You’re not alone. California's pandemic state of emergency is set to end on Feb. 28, and President Biden recently announced that the federal emergency status for the nation will end May 11. (Johnson, 2/9)

CBS News: U.S. To Test Shots Against Bird Flu Outbreak, As Biden Administration Weighs Poultry Vaccinations
Federal scientists are gearing up to test the first vaccines in poultry against bird flu in years, as Biden administration officials say they have now begun weighing an unprecedented shift in the U.S. strategy to counter the growing outbreak. The move comes amid mounting concern over the threat posed by the ongoing spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza over the past few years, which has devastated flocks of wild and commercial birds around the continent. (Tin, 2/9)

CIDRAP: CWD-Sniffing Dogs Show Promise In Early Field Trial 
Using dogs to detect the presence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer droppings shows promise, according to new findings published this week in Prion. In a proof-of-concept study by University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) researchers, trained dogs—two Labrador retrievers and a Finnish spitz—correctly identified CWD in 8 of 11 CWD-positive samples and had an average false-positive rate of 13%. (Wappes, 2/9)

USA Today: US Suicide Rate Increases To Pre-Pandemic Levels: CDC
Suicide rates increased and disparities widened in 2021, returning to pre-pandemic rates after two years of decline, a federal analysis found. Notably, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis found the rate of suicide among American Indian and Alaska Native people increased 26% from 2018, followed by Black and Hispanic people, who saw 19.2% and 6.8% increases respectively. (Hassanein, 2/9)

Politico: Dem Governors Pledge To Protect Abortion As Neighbors Add Restrictions 
Democratic governors in two states that are regional centers for abortion access pledged on Thursday to defend access to the procedure, pushing the federal government to do more and warning against further restrictions. “We’re not an island, we’re an oasis,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in an interview with POLITICO on Thursday. “People come to Illinois to exercise what are their fundamental rights, and they’re being denied in other states, every state around us, and then another ring of states around them. So think about how if you want to exercise your rights, how far you have to travel if you don’t live in Illinois in order to exercise those rights.” (Hooper and McCarthy, 2/9)

AP: South Carolina Senate Passes New Abortion Ban After Ruling
The South Carolina Senate passed an abortion ban on Thursday in the Republican-led chamber’s latest quest to craft a law that passes constitutional muster, but differences with a stricter proposal from the House could derail the effort once again. Republicans have faced several setbacks in their efforts to further restrict abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal protections this summer, allowing the conservative state’s previous ban to take effect. (Pollard, 2/9)

AP: West Virginia House OKs Bill To Fund Anti-Abortion Centers
The GOP-dominated West Virginia House overwhelmingly passed a bill Thursday that would allow for taxpayer money to be funneled into anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers, months after lawmakers passed a near-total ban on the procedure in one of the nation’s poorest states. West Virginia’s is just the latest of a growing number of proposals from states across the U.S. to provide taxpayer support for the centers, which are typically religiously affiliated, free and counsel clients against having an abortion. They are generally are not licensed as medical facilities. (Willingham, 2/9)

Modern Healthcare: Walgreens Buys Medly Assets Amid Shutdown
Digital pharmacy startup Medly is closing its doors at the end of February, two employees confirmed. A U. S. Bankruptcy Court judge in Delaware on Monday approved the sale of Medly's pharmacy assets, including its patient data, pharmacy records and prescription drug inventory to Walgreens for $19.35 million. The sale did not include its retail assets, such as over-the-counter drugs sold through its app and in physical locations. (Perna, 2/9)

Modern Healthcare: Tenet Profits Plummet In 2022 Amid Ambulatory Care Delays
The Dallas-based for-profit health system is about a year behind on its planned ramp-up stemming from a $1.2 billion deal with SurgCenter Development announced in 2021, CEO Dr. Saum Sutaria told investors during an earnings call Thursday. Under the deal, Tenet and its subsidiary United Surgical Partners International took an ownership stake in 92 ambulatory surgery centers. Tenet also signed a $1.1 billion agreement with SurgCenter to acquire stakes in up to 45 centers in 2020. (Hudson, 2/9)

Modern Healthcare: Molina Healthcare Reports Strong Year Despite Fourth-Quarter Slump
Molina Healthcare turned in a strong performance for 2022 despite its fourth-quarter profits plummeting. The health insurer on Thursday said fourth-quarter net income fell 46% to $56 million, or 96 cents a share, compared with $103 million, or $1.74 a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue for the quarter rose to $8.22 billion, from $7.41 billion. (Berryman, 2/9)

Reuters: U.S. Investigating Elon Musk's Neuralink Over Hazardous Pathogens 
The U.S. Department of Transportation said on Thursday it is investigating Elon Musk's brain-implant company Neuralink over the potentially illegal movement of hazardous pathogens. (Levy, 2/9)

The Boston Globe: Somerville Startup’s Glasses Can Live-Caption Conversations For The Hard Of Hearing 
The high-tech glasses from Somerville startup Xander look like they might be for virtual reality or video gaming, but the chunky, black spectacles actually have a simpler and more important purpose. Designed for people who are hard of hearing or deaf, the Xander glasses generate text captions of a conversation in real time for the wearer. And the device works without a connection to a smartphone or the Internet. (Pressman, 2/9)

Stat: In Large Study, A Single Dose Slashed Sepsis Rate In Childbirth 
An inexpensive and easy-to-deliver intervention — a single dose of the antibiotic azithromycin — could sharply reduce the number of pregnant people in low- and middle-income countries who develop the life-threatening condition sepsis in childbirth, a study published Thursday reported. (Branswell, 2/9)

Stat: Reynolds Pushes FDA To Pull Puff Bar, Elf Bar From Shelves
Cigarette giant Reynolds American is calling on the Food and Drug Administration to crack down on manufacturers of disposable e-cigarettes, like Puff Bar and Elf Bar, which are increasingly being used by young people. The company, which also makes Vuse e-cigarettes, submitted a formal “citizen petition” to the FDA earlier this week calling on the agency to adopt an enforcement policy specifically targeted at disposable competitors to its products. (Florko, 2/9)

AP: North Carolina Medicaid Expansion Measure Back Before House
The North Carolina House will hear and likely vote on a Medicaid expansion measure next week, a key legislator said. The bill’s introduction this week, along with comments Thursday from Senate leader Phil Berger, reaffirms that a deal on expansion and perhaps other health care access reforms hasn’t yet been reached between the two chambers. But it also means that accepting expansion remains a priority for Republicans during this year’s chief General Assembly work session. (Robertson, 2/9)

The Washington Post: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Is Inspiring Copycat GOP Bills Across U.S.
Wyoming’s rugged terrain is almost a nation away, geographically and culturally, from the suburbs and swamps of Florida. But as Wyoming lawmakers meet for the legislative session, the influence of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is looming large over the state Capitol in Cheyenne. GOP lawmakers in the Equality State have introduced a proposal to ban references to sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, replicating chunks of a controversial law that DeSantis implemented in Florida. (Craig, 2/9)

Stateline: Republicans Have Filed Dozens Of Bills To Disrupt Transgender Youth Health Care
Republican lawmakers in more than half the states are continuing a party-line push to restrict doctors and other medical providers from offering some gender-affirming health care to minors, even with parents’ consent. (Barrett, 2/9)

The New York Times: Fetterman Remains Hospitalized As Doctors Rule Out A Second Stroke
Senator John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania Democrat who suffered a near-fatal stroke before winning his seat last year, spent a second night in the hospital on Thursday as doctors ruled out another stroke but monitored him for signs of seizure, his spokesman said. Mr. Fetterman, 53, was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday after feeling lightheaded while attending a Democratic Senate retreat in Washington. After an M.R.I. and other tests, doctors ruled out another stroke, the spokesman said. As of Thursday night, there had also been no signs of seizure. (Karni, 2/9)

Los Angeles Times: California's Wet Winter Could Mean More Ticks This Year Or Next
“The longer and more rain usually means ticks are out for longer,” said Dan Salkeld, an ecologist at Colorado State University and a scientific advisor for the Bay Area Lyme Foundation. “Having a good rainy wet season is going to be good for ticks.” (Toohey, 2/9)

AP: State Board Reports Hundreds Of Pending Nevada MD Complaints 
A Reno television station said it has found that the time it takes the Nevada State Medical Board to resolve complaints against doctors can hamper medical malpractice cases in court. KRNV-TV reported Wednesday that in response to a public records request, the board said it has 455 pending cases, including three on hold since 2016 because police also are investigating. Medical Board Executive Director Ed Cousineau told KRNV-TV that staffing issues can make it difficult to complete investigations in a timely manner. (2/9)

San Francisco Chronicle: 'A Ticket To Nowhere': Thousands Are Brought To S.F. Hospitals Involuntarily. Then What Happens?
Dr. Scott Tcheng was shocked to hear the number: People suffering from mental illness in San Francisco were brought to city hospitals on temporary, involuntary holds more than 13,600 times over a recent 12-month period. The emergency room doctor who works at several hospitals sees people struggling with mental illness or drug-induced psychosis return repeatedly, sometimes brought against their will. Tcheng knew the number for involuntary holds would be high – but not that high. (Moench, 2/9)

CBS News: Consumer Reports Finds "Unpredictable" Mercury Spikes In Canned Tuna
A Consumer Reports investigation out Thursday morning found "unpredictable" spikes of mercury levels in five popular canned tuna brands — and suggests that pregnant people "avoid canned tuna altogether." "While canned tuna, especially light varieties, has relatively low average levels of mercury, individual cans can sometimes have much higher levels," Consumer Reports said. (Lynch Baldwin, 2/9)

The Washington Post: Fabuloso Recalls 4.9 Million Bottles Of Cleaner Over Bacteria Risk
Colgate-Palmolive is recalling 4.9 million bottles of Fabuloso multipurpose cleaners over possible bacteria contamination. The Consumer Product Safety Commission, which announced the recall Wednesday, said the cleaners may contain Pseudomonas, which is commonly found in soil and water. The bacteria can put people with compromised immune systems and other health conditions at risk of serious infection. People with healthy immune systems are generally not affected, according to the CPSC. (Gregg, 2/9)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: 71 Norovirus Cases Linked To Outbreak At Las Vegas School
An outbreak of norovirus at an Las Vegas elementary school has grown to 71 confirmed and probable cases, the Southern Nevada Health District reported Thursday. The outbreak at Wayne Tanaka Elementary School in the southwest valley began around Jan. 27, according to the health district. (Clemons, 2/9)

NBC News: Norovirus Spreading In 2023: Symptoms And How The Virus Transmits
Norovirus is sometimes referred to as the stomach flu, but it is not related to the influenza virus. Rather, it is a highly contagious virus that typically causes gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain. Mild fever and aches are possible, too. Just a few virus particles are enough to make someone sick, and they spread easily via hands, surfaces, food and water. An infected person can transmit the virus for days after they’re feeling better, potentially even up to two weeks, according to the CDC. (Varinsky, 2/9)

Reuters: UK Says Norovirus Cases Sharply Rise In England
Norovirus cases in England are 66% higher than the average at this time of year, official data showed on Thursday, with the biggest rise in confirmed infections seen in those aged 65 years and over. Outbreaks caused by the vomiting and diarrhea-causing norovirus have surged in hospitals, schools and care homes, with majority of cases in care home settings, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. (2/9)

The Washington Post: Daunting Medical Issues For Earthquake Survivors Are Just Beginning
In coming weeks, as search efforts turn to the grim task of recovering bodies, countless survivors will need medications for high blood pressure, diabetes and asthma left behind in the rubble. Pregnant women will give birth in makeshift shelters and refugee camps. Cancer patients will go without treatment. Freezing temperatures mean survivors in thrown-together shelters face hypothermia or frostbite. Close quarters in shelters could also lead to the spread of the coronavirus and other respiratory viruses. (Ovalle, 2/9)

Reuters: Two-Year Old Rescued From Rubble 79 Hours After Earthquake In Turkey
A two-year old boy was rescued on Thursday from the rubble of a building that collapsed in the southern city of Antakya, 79 hours after a massive earthquake struck the area this week, killing more than 19,000 people in Turkey and Syria. (2/9)

AP: Syria Orphans From Quake Taken In By Overwhelmed Relatives 
A Syrian baby girl whose mother gave birth to her while trapped under the rubble of their home during this week’s devastating earthquake now has a name: Aya, Arabic for “a sign from God.” With her parents and all her siblings killed, her great-uncle will take her in. Aya is one of untold numbers of orphans left by Monday’s 7.8-magnitude quake, which killed more than 20,000 people in northern Syria and southeastern Turkey. The pre-dawn quake brought down thousands of apartment buildings on residents as they were roused from sleep, so entire families often perished. (Sewell and Chehayeb, 2/9)

Reuters: Quarter Of Ukrainians At Risk Of Severe Mental Health Conditions - Adviser 
A quarter of Ukraine's population is at risk of developing a severe mental health condition as the country grapples with the year-long Russian invasion, a senior health official said on Thursday. Michel Kazatchkine, a member of the Eastern and Central European and Central Asian Commission on Drug Policy, said the conflict in Ukraine had not only resulted in a shortage of medical supplies and personnel but had also caused a major threat to mental health. (2/9)