The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Begins Allowing Medicaid Money To Be Spent On Food 
The Biden administration has started approving state requests to use Medicaid to pay for groceries and nutritional counseling as policy makers explore whether “food as medicine” programs can lead to broad health benefits and trim costs. A growing body of research suggests that addressing food insecurity can improve health as well as deliver savings by reducing medical visits, the need for medication, or by helping control serious illness. The programs have also appealed to some GOP lawmakers who believe states should have more control over their Medicaid programs. (Armour and Peterson, 2/12)

In other Medicaid updates —

St. Louis Public Radio: As Medicaid Rules Return, Missourians Could Lose Coverage
Nia Sumpter, a student, mother and patient advocate, calls herself a sickle cell warrior. People with the disease — which affects red blood cells — need to see doctors all the time. Before she enrolled in health insurance, her treatment racked up thousands of dollars in hospital bills. “With sickle cell disease, that meant I was now responsible for affording … transfusions and all of the other types of medicines,” said Sumpter, who lives in St. Louis County. “And so now I'm stuck on the hook for that. And my credit is literally like, shot.” (Fentem, 2/13)

The Boston Globe: Health Connector Braced For Flood Of New Enrollees As Medicaid Federal Funding Cuts Go Into Effect
The state program that helps people acquire required health insurance policies is preparing for an influx of new enrollees as enhanced federal funds for Medicaid are scheduled to be cut off next month. At the start of the pandemic, Congress required that state Medicaid programs keep people continuously enrolled through the end of the month in which the COVID-19 public health emergency ended. The federal emergency is scheduled to come to a close this spring. (Drysdale, 2/10)

On Medicare and Social Security —

Axios: Workplace Plans Paid More Than Medicare For Physician-Administered Drugs, Study Finds
Employer-sponsored health plans pay significantly more than Medicare for costly physician-administered drugs, threatening access to lifesaving treatments, according to a newly published analysis of claims data and Medicare files. (Dreher, 2/13)

USA Today: 'That’s Not A Republican Plan': McConnell Distances GOP From Scott On Social Security, Medicare Sunset Plan
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said any idea on sunsetting Social Security and Medicare belongs to Sen. Rick Scott—not the GOP. “Unfortunately, that was the Scott plan, that’s not a Republican plan,” McConnell said on a Kentucky radio program. (Bailey, 2/10)

Politico: GOP Senator: ‘Vast Majority’ Want ‘A Different Direction’ Than Rick Scott On Social Security 
Most Republicans don’t agree with Sen. Rick Scott‘s plan to sunset programs including Medicare and Social Security, Sen. Mike Rounds said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” even as he left the door open to other changes. “The vast majority of us would say that we prefer to look at it in a different direction, one of managing it, as opposed to a discussion about having everything start over again,” Rounds said. (Olander, 2/12)

The Hill: Can These Lawmaker Proposals Save Social Security?
Capitol Hill is talking more about Social Security, which estimates show is on track to becoming insolvent in little more than a decade, as both sides feud over how to address the rising national debt. A recent report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that spending for Social Security benefits increased by 10 percent, or $37 billion, in the four-month stretch ending in January, compared to the same period the year before. (Folley, 2/12)

NBC News: Texas Lawsuit Seeking To Reverse FDA Approval Of Abortion Pills
On Friday, New York Attorney General Letitia James led a coalition of 22 attorneys general in filing a brief that argued that if the FDA were ordered to rescind its approval of mifepristone, that would have “devastating consequences” for women across the U.S., regardless of their state’s abortion policy. Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, meanwhile, led a group of 22 Republican attorneys general who filed a brief calling the FDA’s approval of abortion pills “deeply flawed.” (Atkins, 2/11)

Bloomberg: Abortion Providers Gear Up For Judge’s Ruling Over Pill Approval 
Health providers are bracing for massive disruptions as they await a federal judge’s decision on whether to halt national access to an abortion pill approved decades ago by the Food and Drug Administration. Trump-appointed Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk is expected to rule soon on the Alliance Defending Freedom’s request for a preliminary injunction stopping the sale and distribution of mifepristone, a drug used as part of a regimen to end a pregnancy within the first 10 weeks. (Castronuovo and Lopez, 2/10)

Axios: 40 Million Would Lose Abortion Access If Court Blocks Pill, Study Shows
40 million more women would lose access to abortion care if a federal court revokes the use of a key drug in medication abortions, data from the abortion rights group NARAL shows. (Gonzalez, 2/10)

Axios: Dissatisfaction With Abortion Policy Highest Since 2001
People in America are more dissatisfied with the U.S.'s abortion policy than they have ever been in the 23 years, according to a new Gallup poll released Friday. Democrats' dissatisfaction with laws have jumped after the fall of Roe last June and nationwide GOP-led efforts to enforce abortion restrictions. For over 20 years, Republicans were more likely than Democrats to express dissatisfaction, per Gallup. (Chen, 2/10)

In other abortion news —

Wyoming Public Radio: A Trigger Ban On A Trigger Ban: House Lawmakers Adopt A Bill To Ban Abortion If Last Year’s Ban Is Ruled Unconstitutional
Last year, the Wyoming legislature passed a trigger ban that went into effect when Roe vs. Wade was overturned in June. That law is currently being challenged in court, so abortion is still legal in the state. One of the main arguments against the trigger ban is that it violates a certain section of the Wyoming constitution that's been on a lot of lawmakers' lips recently: Article 1, section 38: Right to health care access. It reads, “ Each competent adult shall have the right to make his or her own health care decisions. The parent, guardian or legal representative of any other natural person shall have the right to make healthcare decisions for that person.” (Kudelska, 2/10)

Politico: Republicans Clash With Prosecutors Over Enforcement Of Abortion Bans 
GOP lawmakers see a major flaw in their states’ near-total abortion bans: Some local prosecutors won’t enforce them. Republicans in Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina and Texas — frustrated by progressive district attorneys who have publicly pledged not to bring charges under their state’s abortion laws — have introduced bills that would allow state officials to either bypass the local prosecutors or kick them out of office if their abortion-related enforcement is deemed too lenient. (Ollstein and Messerly, 2/12)

The Wall Street Journal: Women Encounter Abortion Delays As Clinics Draw Patients From Out Of State 
Seven months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, some abortion clinics say new state bans on the procedure are pushing abortions later into pregnancy. Since the high court’s decision to remove constitutional protections for abortion, the procedure has become largely inaccessible in nearly one-third of the states, either because a ban is in place or because clinics have shut down owing to legal uncertainty. (Kusisto and Owens, 2/12)

More on pregnancy and childbirth —

CNN: Kentucky Sees Its 1st Infant Anonymously Surrendered At A Fire Station 'Baby Box' 
An infant in Kentucky became the first in the state to be dropped off safely in a “baby box” at a fire station last week, following the passage of a state law allowing anonymous surrendering of newborns at such devices. (Riess, 2/12)

NBC News: Mississippi Hit By 900% Spike In Babies Treated For Congenital Syphilis
The number of babies in Mississippi being treated for congenital syphilis has jumped by more than 900% over five years, uprooting the progress the nation’s poorest state had made in nearly quashing what experts say is an avoidable public health crisis. The rise in cases has placed newborns at further risk of life-threatening harm in a state that’s already home to the nation’s worst infant mortality rate. (Harris, 2/11)

The New York Times: Childbirth Is Deadlier For Black Families Even When They’re Rich, Expansive Study Finds 
In the United States, the richest mothers and their newborns are the most likely to survive the year after childbirth — except when the family is Black, according to a groundbreaking new study of two million California births. The richest Black mothers and their babies are twice as likely to die as the richest white mothers and their babies. Research has repeatedly shown that Black mothers and babies have the worst childbirth outcomes in the United States. But this study is novel because it’s the first of its size to show how the risks of childbirth vary by both race and parental income, and how Black families, regardless of their socioeconomic status, are disproportionately affected. (Miller, Kliff and Buchanan, 2/12)

NBC News: Wildfire Smoke Exposure In Pregnancy Raises Risk Of Preterm Birth
A study of more than 2.5 million pregnant people in California found that those exposed to wildfire smoke for at least one day faced a higher risk of giving birth prematurely. The findings were presented Saturday at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s annual meeting and are currently undergoing peer review. They're set to be published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. (Bendix, 2/11)

AP: New York Lets COVID-19 Health Care Mask Requirements Lapse 
New York state officials said they will allow COVID-19-related masking requirements for staff and visitors in hospitals and other health care facilities to lapse on Sunday. Acting Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said that while the pandemic is not over, “we are moving to a transition.” “As we do, and with safe and effective vaccines, treatments, and more, we are able to lift the state’s masking requirement in health care settings,” McDonald said in a statement. (2/10)

More on the spread of covid —

CIDRAP: Omicron XBB.1.5 Variant Expands US Dominance 
In updated variant projections today, the CDC said the more transmissible XBB.15 subvariant makes up an estimated 74.7% of cases, up from 66.4% last week. The only area where the subvariant isn't dominant is in the far northwestern region, which includes Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. (Schnirring, 2/10)

CIDRAP: COVID Deaths 5-Fold Lower After Bivalent Vs Monovalent Booster 
Recipients of the bivalent (two-strain) COVID-19 vaccine booster were 14 times less likely to die of Omicron BA.4/BA.5 infections than their unvaccinated peers and 5 times less likely to die than recipients of the monovalent (single-strain) booster, particularly among older people, finds a study today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. (Van Beusekom, 2/10)

The New York Times: For Older Americans, The Pandemic Is Not Over
For older Americans, the pandemic still poses significant dangers. About three-quarters of Covid deaths have occurred in people over 65, with the greatest losses concentrated among those over 75.In January, the number of Covid-related deaths fell after a holiday spike but nevertheless numbered about 2,100 among those ages 65 to 74, more than 3,500 among 75- to 84-year-olds and nearly 5,000 among those over 85. Those three groups accounted for about 90 percent of the nation’s Covid deaths last month. (Span, 2/11)

In other pandemic news —

The CT Mirror: CT Supreme Court Case To Test Limits Of Hospital Immunity
Cheryl Mills, a Colchester resident with a serious heart condition, had been in Hartford Hospital for five days when she died on the bathroom floor of her room in March 2020. For four days, the 63-year-old had been waiting for the result of a COVID test so she could be cleared to enter the hospital’s special cardiac treatment area. The negative test result came through at 7:40 p.m. on March 24. (Altimari and Carlesso, 2/12)

NPR: Since COVID, Concern Grows Over Race-Based Skin Bias In Pulse Oximeters
"There's no doubt in my mind that this has led to people not getting care, not getting timely care, or even being sent home or staying home to die from COVID-19," says Noha Aboelata, a family practice physician at the Roots Community Health Center. Aboelata is a co-author on one of several studies that have shown inaccuracies in the device have led to patients of color not getting timely care. (Oza, Kwong, Lu and Spitzer, 2/10)

The Baltimore Sun: Pandemic Compounded Challenges For People Struggling With Eating Disorders
The coronavirus outbreak’s sudden destruction of eating routines and treatment schedules and the way it amplified stress and isolation were especially devastating for people in recovery from an eating disorder or at risk of developing one. Inpatient stays for eating disorders rose nationwide during the pandemic, and emergency department visits for eating disorders doubled among teenage girls. (Roberts, 2/10)

Boston Globe: Fauci's Longtime Deputy, Hugh Auchincloss, Takes His Role
Dr. Anthony Fauci was the face of the fight against Covid-19, an omnipresent figure featured on T-shirts, bobbleheads, and yard signs. He was lionized by his fans as a scientific hero and villainized by his opponents as a denier of their freedoms. But there are no tchotchkes with the likeness of the person who has replaced him at the helm of National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases. In fact, finding more than one photo of Dr. Hugh Auchincloss on the Internet is a challenge. (Puzzanghera, 2/11)

Bloomberg: FDA Memes, Tweets, Snark On Social Media: Misinformation
When Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed during a National Football League game in January, dozens of Twitter trolls quickly blamed it on Covid-19 shots. “Snake-oil salesmen” seized on the event, said Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf in an interview. The #diedsuddenly hashtag, which appeared in tweets about the incident, is often used to discredit vaccines by linking them to deaths and injuries without evidence. (Rutherford, 2/12)

CIDRAP: US Flu Activity Remain Low, But Kids' Deaths Pass 100
After an early surge, flu activity remained low nationally, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its weekly update. But the addition of 9 more flu-related pediatric deaths put the country over the 100 mark for the current influenza season. (Schnirring, 2/10)

On norovirus —

AP: Suburban Detroit School Closed Due To Norovirus Outbreak
Classes at a suburban Detroit school have been cancelled due to an outbreak of the norovirus among students and staff. St. Michael the Archangel Catholic School in Livonia shut down Wednesday, WXYZ-TV reported Friday. Norovirus is contagious and causes inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and fever. (2/10)

San Francisco Chronicle: COVID In California: Norovirus Cases Spread Amid Relaxed Protocols
A substantial number of norovirus outbreaks are contributing to rapidly increasing cases of stomach flu across the U.S. More than 15% of laboratory tests are coming back positive, the highest figure since March, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some regions, such as the Midwest are even harder hit, with a positivity rate of 19.4%. Between August and January, there were 225 norovirus outbreaks among the 14 states that participate in the agency’s reporting program, compared with 172 outbreaks over the same period in 2021. (Vaziri, 2/10)

On avian flu —

NBC News: As Bird Flu Hits Mammals, Scientists On Alert For Mutations
Hundreds of wild sea lions in South America, a farm of minks in Europe, and more than 58 million poultry birds have died. All of these animals fell victim to the impact of avian influenza — a virus rapidly circulating the globe, killing wild and domesticated animals, disrupting ecologies and hampering the food supply. (Bush, 2/11)

The Denver Post: Bird Flu Infects Colorado Mountain Lion, Black Bear And Skunk, All Now Dead
Three animals in Colorado, each of them now dead, tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza that’s sweeping across the country, state wildlife officials said in a release. The H5N1 variant of the bird flu is ravaging bird populations across the world. Mammals, including humans, can also catch it. (Swanson, 2/10)

USA Today: Bird Flu And Humans: Will Avian Influenza Become A Pandemic?
As health officials continue to track and manage one of the largest bird flu outbreaks in recorded history, the virus is beginning to spill over into mammals – including humans. While human infections are still few and far between, health experts say it only takes one perfect combination of mutations for the virus to cause widespread transmission among the human population. (Rodriguez, 2/10)

On mad cow disease and hemorrhagic fever —

Reuters: Spain Detects A Case Of Atypical Mad Cow Disease, WOAH Says 
Spain has detected atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a dead cow in the northwestern region of Galicia, the World Organization for Animal Health said on Friday. ... The case, which was isolated, "didn't enter the food chain and so didn't represent any risk for public health or require any preventive health measure", the Galicia's regional health service said on its website. (2/10)_

Reuters: Equatorial Guinea Quarantines 200 After Unknown Hemorrhagic Fever Deaths 
Equatorial Guinea has quarantined more than 200 people and restricted movement after an unknown illness causing hemorrhagic fever killed at least eight people, Health Minister Mitoha Ondo'o Ayekaba said on Friday as the government races to test samples. ... "We are trying to quickly as possible rule out the known hemorrhagic fevers we know in the region such as Lassa or Ebola," Ayekaba told Reuters by telephone. (Atabong, 2/10)

Modern Healthcare: Kaiser Permanente Posted $4.47B Net Loss In 2022 As Costs Rose
Kaiser Permanente is the latest health system showing signs of struggle amid rising costs. Kaiser, an Oakland, California-based integrated nonprofit, on Friday reported a $4.47 billion net loss in 2022, compared with a $8.08 billion gain in 2021. (Hudson, 2/10)

Modern Healthcare: Mass General Brigham Records Nearly $1.5M In Q1 Operating Loss
Mass General Brigham continues to struggle with cost increases, staffing problems and capacity issues. The system on Friday reported net income of $480 million in its first quarter ended Dec. 31, a dramatic improvement from the $104.96 million reported in the year-ago period. However, that jump was largely supported by nonoperating factors, including more than $400 million in investment-related gains. Revenue increased 8.4% to $4.46 billion. (Hudson, 2/10)

Modern Healthcare: Oscar Health's Net Loss Grew In 2022
The insurtech's medical loss ratio improved from 88.9% in 2021 to 85.3% last year and its administrative expense ratio declined from 21.8% to 20.6%, the company reported Thursday. Oscar Health recorded a $226.6 million net loss during the fourth quarter, which beat analyst expectations of $261.3 million in net losses. (Turner, 2/10)

In related news about hospital costs —

Crain's Detroit Business: Why New Hospitals Are Being Built During Tough Financial Times
The rise of medically complex patients is presenting an opportunity for Michigan health systems willing to bet on the future of hospitals even as they struggle through tough financial times now. Henry Ford Health announced this week a planned $2.2 billion investment in the city of Detroit, including a new hospital tower and a research and innovation center with Michigan State University. (Walsh, 2/10)

KHN: Doctors Are Disappearing From Emergency Rooms As Hospitals Look To Cut Costs 
Pregnant and scared, Natasha Valle went to a Tennova Healthcare hospital in Clarksville, Tennessee, in January 2021 because she was bleeding. She didn’t know much about miscarriage, but this seemed like one. In the emergency room, she was examined then sent home, she said. She went back when her cramping became excruciating. Then home again. It ultimately took three trips to the ER on three consecutive days, generating three separate bills, before she saw a doctor who looked at her bloodwork and confirmed her fears. (Kelman and Farmer, 2/13)

Stat: Patients Still Face Surprise Ambulance Bills. There's No Fix In Sight
One night in November 2021, 11 weeks into her pregnancy, Carolyn Provine started bleeding — a lot. When she passed out, her wife and mother-in-law called an ambulance and drove 21 miles to the hospital for an emergency surgery. But the hemorrhaging, and miscarriage, no longer were Provine’s only concerns. “My first thought was, ‘Wait, is there some way for me not to take an ambulance?’” said Provine, 26, a reading specialist in Vermont. (Herman, 2/13)

In other health care industry news —

North Carolina Health News: Not Enough Support Staff For People With Disabilities
Matt Potter is 36 years old and a disability rights activist. He has cerebral palsy and uses an electric wheelchair. Right now, his parents are his primary caretakers. They help him get to and from the bathroom, move in and out of bed, change his clothes and so on — things he describes as “intense, but rather simple personal care needs.” But they’re getting older. (Donnelly-DeRoven, 2/13)

The Boston Globe: A 15-Year-Old Stayed In A Hospital For 40 Days. The Reason? The State Child Welfare Agency Had No Place To Put Him
For 40 days last fall, James’s entire life fit within the four walls of an emergency department room in Leominster. The 15-year-old lived in a windowless room, ate hospital meals, wore thin papery scrubs, and was allowed to leave only to use the bathroom or shower down the hall. (Koh, 2/11)

Chicago Tribune: Shortage Of In-Home Nurses Leaves Kids Waiting In Hospital Beds. ‘The Entire System Is Feeling The Pressure.’ 
Ricardo Ruiz could have left the hospital two months ago. Instead, the toddler waited while his family searched for a nurse who could help care for him at home. Ricky, as his parents call him, was born prematurely at 27 weeks with underdeveloped lungs. The 15-month-old has a tracheostomy tube in his neck connected to a ventilator that helps him breathe. He needs 24-hour-a-day, specialized care, which is why his family hoped to find an in-home nurse. (Schencker, 2/12)

KHN: Montana’s Tax-Exempt Hospitals Oppose Increased Oversight By State Officials 
Nonprofit hospitals are fighting Montana’s attempt to boost oversight of the ways they claim they provide benefits to their communities in exchange for millions of dollars in tax breaks. It’s the latest clash in a national struggle between policymakers and the industry over whether hospitals’ charitable giving is enough to justify their tax-exempt status. (Houghton, 2/13)

CNN: Almost Half Of Children Who Go To ER With Mental Health Crisis Don't Get The Follow-Up Care They Need, Study Finds
Every night that Dr. Jennifer Hoffmann works as an attending physician in the pediatric ER, she says, at least one child comes in with a mental or behavioral health emergency. Over the span of her career, she’s seen the number of young people needing help grow enormously. “The most common problems that I see are children with suicidal thoughts or children with severe behavior problems, where they may be a risk of harm to themselves or others,” said Hoffmann, who works at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. (Christensen, 2/13)

In other mental health news —

Wyoming Public Radio: As Wyoming Leads The Nation For Suicide Deaths, Mental Health Advocates Hope 988 Will Be Established And Funded In The State
Wyoming leads the nation for suicide deaths. A bill hopes to address that fact and is slowly moving through the legislature. It would permanently establish the 988 Suicide and Crisis Line in Wyoming, establish quality standards and potentially provide some kind of funding. (Kudelska, 2/10)

The Washington Post: Can Family Medicine Improve America’s Mental Health? 
Primary care providers are at the forefront of the nation’s deepening behavioral health crisis because when patients walk into a doctor’s office, they bring all their needs with them. Asthma. Anxiety. Diabetes. Depression. Sniffles. Stress. “We artificially separate ‘this is a mental health issue’ and ‘this is a physical health issue,’” said Lisa Barkley, a doctor and director of the family medicine residency program at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, where James is training. “But really, people are just coming in for their issues.” (Johnson, 2/10)

The Wall Street Journal: With Therapists In Short Supply, College Students Counsel Each Other 
Hamilton College has found one answer to the growing number of students seeking mental-health care on campus: Send them to other students. The school trains about a dozen undergrads a year to serve as peer counselors, a role that entails being a good listener to other students. The counselors go through about three days of training per year and attend weekly meetings to review peer conversations with the school counseling center’s professional therapists. (Petersen, 2/12)

ABC News: A Child Psychiatrist Breaks Down Biden's Youth Mental Health Priorities: Analysis 
Today’s youth are suffering, and inaction is no longer an option. In his State of the Union address to the country this week, President Joe Biden made clear that youth mental health is a priority. As the U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy has been emphasizing since 2021 – and as many parents and caregivers have known firsthand for a while – the mental health needs of young people in this country have long since risen beyond what the current health system has the capacity to support. (Chaudhary, 2/12)

On the health effects of social media on children —

Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Could Require Parental Consent For Kids To Use Some Social Media
Ohio could soon make it easier for parents to restrict their children's access to TikTok, Snapchat and other apps. Part of Gov. Mike DeWine's two-year budget proposal would require social media companies to get parental consent before allowing kids under age 16 to use their platforms. They would be tasked with creating a splash page that verifies the user's age and obtains the necessary consent from a parent or guardian. (BeMiller, 2/12)

NBC News: Lawsuit Filed Against The Maker Of Eyedrops Linked To Infections
A woman in Florida filed a lawsuit late Thursday against the maker of EzriCare artificial tears and Walmart after suffering a bacterial infection that she said was caused by the eyedrops. Houston-based Lange Law Firm, which is representing the woman, Teresa Phillips, 60, of Bradford County, said the lawsuit is the first nationwide over injuries related to eyedrops linked to a drug-resistant bacterial infection called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. (Lovelace Jr., 2/10)

Bloomberg: Eye Drop Recall: Artificial Tears Linked To Infection Clusters In Four States
Clusters of infections linked to the use of eye drops have been found in four states, according to US health officials tracking the outbreak that’s already led to the death of one person. At least 35 of 56 cases related to the recalled eye drops have been reported from California, Connecticut, Florida and Utah, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesperson. Eight other states have also tallied infections, the CDC said, with some leading to permanent vision loss. (Muller, 2/10)

In other health and wellness news —

The Washington Post: Study Links Traffic Noise And Common, Vexing Hearing Problem 
Tinnitus — a ringing or whistling sound in the ears — plagues millions worldwide. Though the estimates of those bothered by the condition vary, a new study suggests they may have something in common: exposure to road traffic noise at home. The paper, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, looked to Denmark to find a potential link between road noise and tinnitus levels. The nationwide study included data on 3.5 million Danish residents who were 30 and older between 2000 and 2017. Over that time, 40,692 were diagnosed with tinnitus. (Blakemore, 2/11)

NPR: Chocolate For Heart Health? FDA Says Maybe, If It's High In Cocoa Flavanols
Back in 2018, a company that manufactures chocolate and cocoa products, Barry Callebaut AG Switzerland, petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to allow the use of a health claim on labels, pointing to the link between the consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Now, after an exhaustive review of studies, the FDA has responded. (Aubrey, 2/12)

CNN: Restrict Calories To Live Longer, Study Says, But Critics Say More Proof Is Needed 
People of normal weight may be able to extend their life span by restricting calories, according to a new study that attempted to measure the pace of aging in people asked to cut their calorie intake by 25% over two years. “We’ve known for nearly 100 years that calorie restriction can extend healthy life span in a variety of laboratory animals,” said senior author Daniel Belsky, an associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. (LaMotte, 2/10)

CBS News: Bindle Water Bottles Popular On Instagram Could Pose Risk Of Lead Poisoning
A popular brand of insulated bottle poses a risk of lead poisoning, according to Consumer Reports. In its tests of the product, Consumer Reports found that the Bindle bottle could expose users to "extremely high" levels of lead. The advocacy group also said some bottles contained bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to cause fertility problems and some kinds of cancers. Bindle markets the product as BPA-free. (Cerullo, 2/10)

NBC News: How To Protect Our Memory? Education Is Key, New Science Suggests
A handful of factors, such as education, income and job type, may increase the likelihood that people in their mid-50s will still be mentally sharp, a new study finds. An analysis of data from more than 7,000 U.S. adults showed that these factors could explain nearly 40% of the differences in the amount of cognitive ability people had lost by age 54. Education, in particular whether a person had finished college, made the biggest difference in cognitive abilities such as memory, judgment and focus, Ohio State University scientists reported Wednesday in a scientific journal. (Carroll, 2/11)

AP: Nebraska Considers Medical Conscientious Objection Bill
Nebraska lawmakers are following the path of other conservative states in considering a bill that would allow medical providers, facilities and insurers to cite their religious, ethical or moral beliefs in denying some medical treatments. Critics say it’s simply another way to target abortion rights and the LGBTQ community. The bill, introduced by Sen. Dave Murman, of Glenvil, casts a wide net. The term “medical providers” covers everyone from doctors, nurses and pharmacists to mental health counselors and nursing home staffers — all of whom could refuse to perform nonemergency procedures, from abortions and gender-affirming hormone treatments to prescribing birth control — if the provider has a moral objection to it. (Beck, 2/10)

In related news about transgender health care —

AP: Florida Doctors' Board Tightens Ban On Gender-Affirming Care
A prohibition against puberty blocking hormones and gender-affirming surgeries for minors in Florida was tightened further after a board overseeing doctors eliminated an exception for clinical trials Friday at the request of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration. Some members of the public attending the meeting in Tallahassee shouted expletives, and law enforcement officers positioned themselves in the front of the room after the vote by the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine. (Schneider, 2/10)

AP: Transgender Advocates Sue South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem 
A transgender advocacy group in South Dakota sued Republican Gov. Kristi Noem and the head of the state’s Department of Health on Friday over the state’s decision to terminate a contract with the group last December. The Transformation Project filed a lawsuit Friday that alleges that the decision to terminate the contract — which resulted in the group losing a nearly $136,000 grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — was discrimination. (Biraben, 2/10)

Pew Stateline: Republicans Filing 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, 2/11)

The Texas Tribune: Greg Abbott Says He Backs Legislation Banning Transgender College Athletes 
Gov. Greg Abbott said Saturday that he would back legislation banning transgender student athletes from competing on a collegiate level on teams that match their gender. “This next session, we will pass a law prohibiting biological men to compete against women in college sports,” Abbott said at the Young America’s Foundation Freedom conference in Dallas. (Dey, 2/12)

AP: Lawsuit Seeks Medical Testing After Toxic Train Derailment 
Residents who filed a federal lawsuit in the fiery derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals along the Ohio-Pennsylvania line are seeking to force Norfolk Southern to set up health monitoring for residents in both states. The lawsuit filed Thursday by two Pennsylvania residents calls for the rail operator to pay for medical screenings and related care for anyone living within a 30-mile (48-kilometer) radius of the derailment to determine who was affected by toxic substances released after the derailment. The lawsuit also is seeking undetermined damages. (2/10)

CBS News: Texas Officials Investigate Chemical Leak That Triggered Shelter-In-Place Order
A shelter-in-place order issued Sunday morning for portions of Texas' most populous county was lifted by the early afternoon, local officials announced. The order applied to sections of Harris County, which includes Houston and is home to more than 4 million residents, and was ordered in response to a chemical gas leak at a 99 Cents Only Store distribution center about 30 miles west of the city. (Mae Czachor, 2/12)

The Colorado Sun: Did Toxins From A Colorado Manufacturer Cost A Young Man His Leg?  
Blake Darnell and his father, Gordon, gingerly make their way across a layer of sidewalk ice to an overlook, where they peer down at a snow-covered set of bike jumps where Blake spent his teenage years perfecting his moves. At age 32, Blake has to limp to the spot. (Booth, 2/13)

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

Tampa Bay Times: Florida Nursing Homes See Spike In Serious Violations
A man in a wheelchair was left outside a St. Petersburg nursing home on a 95-degree summer day. When the nursing home’s staff discovered him two hours later, he was unresponsive. His body temperature had climbed to 106. (Chritchfield, 2/10)

Valley News: Group Installing ‘NaloxBoxes’ To Help Reverse Overdoses 
Amy Lappin, deputy director of Lebanon Public Libraries, looked out the window of Kilton Library one day about a year and a half ago as she was shelving books and saw a man suffering from a heroin overdose. She called 911 and the man was revived by paramedics. The library is across the street from a fire station, so first responders were nearby. But she still recalls the day as a difficult one. (Doyle-Burr, 2/11)

Philadelphia Inquirer: John Fetterman Released From Hospital; Will Return To Senate Monday
Sen. John Fetterman was released from the hospital late Friday afternoon after checking himself in on Wednesday with lightheadedness. Fetterman’s office said that doctors ruled out another stroke and that he was expected to return to the Senate when the chamber is back in session on Monday. (Terruso, 2/10)

The Washington Post: Darryl Tyree Williams Died After Raleigh Police Used Taser, Despite Warnings Of Heart Problems 
A North Carolina man who died about an hour after police repeatedly used a Taser on him had told officers that he had heart problems before he lost consciousness, according to footage of police surveillance and body cameras. Darryl Tyree Williams, 32, died on Jan. 17, shortly after he fled an arrest for alleged drug possession and was stunned at least three times by officers with the Raleigh Police Department. Six officers have been placed on administrative leave amid an internal investigation and a separate inquiry from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. (Bella, 2/11)

Stat: ChatGPT-Assisted Diagnosis: Is The Future Suddenly Here? 
The notion that people will regularly use computers to diagnose their own illnesses has been discussed for decades. Of course, millions of people try to do that today, consulting Dr. Google, though often with little success. Given the low quality of many online health sources, such searches may even be harmful. Some governments have even launched “Don’t Google It” campaigns to urge people not to use the internet for health concerns. (Ruth Hailu, Andrew Beam and Ateev Mehrotra, 2/13)

Los Angeles Times: Will New Blood Donation Rules Finally Stop Stigmatizing Gay Men?
As a sophomore in college in 2011, I was deferred from donating blood for being a gay man. I was confronting the homophobia built into the FDA’s blood donation ban for men who have sex with men. (Eric Kutscher, 2/11)

The Star Tribune: A Daunting Challenge For Health Care
As the viral threat became clear in the pandemic's earliest weeks, Congress took a conscientious step. It boosted Medicaid funding for states willing to keep people enrolled continuously through the end of the public health emergency, ensuring people who contracted COVID would be able to access care. (2/12)

Stat: Inspiring Clinicians To Reduce Health-Care-Generated Climate Change
Almost everyone is a patient at some time. And even if the interaction with a doctor or nurse or other clinician is brief, it’s an opportunity to do something to fight climate change. The health care sector is responsible for 8.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. To be sure, some of that comes from the amount of energy hospitals consume 24/7. But some also comes from choices that health care workers make. (Matthew J. Meyer, 2/13)

The Atlantic: Society Tells Me To Celebrate My Disability. What If I Don’t Want To? 
I have a form of cerebral palsy called hemiplegia, which affects one side of the body. The word has two parts: hemi, meaning “half,” and plegia, connoting stroke or paralysis. I have had a “half stroke,” but I prefer the romance of my high-school Greek teacher’s translation: I was, as he put it, struck on one side. (Emil Sands, 2/11)

The Boston Globe: The Best Treatment For COVID-19 Could Be The One You Can’t Get
This week, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study on a promising, variant-proof treatment for COVID-19. The clinical trial of nearly 2,000 people evaluated one shot of interferon lambda compared to a placebo for treatment of outpatients with COVID. The participants were at high risk for progression to severe disease, and 83 percent of them were vaccinated. (Paul Sax and David Boulware, 2/10)

The New York Times: I Answer The Phone At A Mental Health Hotline. Here’s What I’ve Learned
The role of mental health navigator — of providing humane, knowledgeable guidance — has been around for decades, filled by the country’s therapeutic consultants, with fees from $100 to $350 an hour or up to at least $5,000 per quarter. In recent years, nonprofits like the one where I volunteer have emerged to provide a similar, less concierge-like service at no cost to anyone in need. (Benedict Carey, 2/12)