First Edition: February 21, 2023

KHN: A Law Was Meant To Free Sick Or Aging Inmates. Instead, Some Are Left To Die In Prison
Jimmy Dee Stout was serving time on drug charges when he got grim news early last year. Doctors told Stout, now 62, the sharp pain and congestion in his chest were caused by stage 4 lung cancer, a terminal condition. “I’m holding on, but I would like to die at home,” he told the courts in a request last September for compassionate release after serving about half of his nearly 15-year sentence. (Clasen-Kelly, 2/21)

KHN: Why Do Politicians Weaponize Medicare? Because It Works
The Medicare wars are back, and almost no one in Washington is surprised. This time it’s Democrats accusing Republicans of wanting to maim the very popular federal health program that covers 64 million seniors and people with disabilities. In the past, Republicans have successfully pinned Democrats as the threat to Medicare. (Rovner, 2/21)

KHN: Cleanup Workers Got Sick After Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. They Want BP To Pay
The oil washed ashore every day, globs of tarlike ooze blighting sugar-white sand beaches. Rodney Boblitt’s job was to report it. A special agent for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, he was assigned to patrol 14 miles of Panhandle beaches on an all-terrain vehicle, alerting cleanup crews to new slicks from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion. (O'Donnell and Chesnes, 2/21)

KHN: Senators Say Health Worker Shortages Ripe For Bipartisan Compromise
Senators are eying the growing shortage of health care workers in the United States as one of the few problems where there is room for bipartisan solutions, even in a deeply divided Congress gearing up for a presidential election cycle. (McAuliff, 2/17)

KHN: Journalist Angela Hart Furnishes Framework On Homelessness In California
KHN senior correspondent Angela Hart discussed homelessness in California and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s legacy on KPBS’ “Midday Edition” on Feb. 9. She discussed the same issue on Cap Radio’s “Insight” on Feb. 13. (2/18)

The Wall Street Journal: Jimmy Carter, 98, To Receive Hospice Care At Home
Former President Jimmy Carter, after health setbacks and a series of hospital stays, has decided to “spend his remaining time” at home with his family and receive hospice care rather than seek further medical interventions, the Carter Center said Saturday. (McWhirter and Hanrahan, 2/19)

The New York Times: Jimmy Carter, 98, Opts For Hospice Care
“After a series of short hospital stays, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention,” the center said in a statement posted on Twitter. “He has the full support of his family and his medical team. The Carter family asks for privacy during this time and is grateful for the concern shown by his many admirers.” (Baker, 2/18)

ABC News: 5th Person Confirmed To Be Cured Of HIV
Researchers are announcing that a 53-year-old man in Germany has been cured of HIV. Referred to as "the Dusseldorf patient" to protect his privacy, researchers said he is the fifth confirmed case of an HIV cure. Although the details of his successful treatment were first announced at a conference in 2019, researchers could not confirm he had been officially cured at that time. (Sathyakumar, 2/20)

The Hill: Fifth Person Cured Of HIV After Stem Cell Transplant, Researchers Say
In the study published in the Nature science journal, German researchers detailed the case of a 53-year-old patient who was diagnosed with HIV in 2008. After their diagnosis, the patient was placed on antiretroviral therapy (ART) which suppressed the viral load within their system. The patient was enrolled in the University Hospital Düsseldorf’s IciStem program, which explores potential HIV cures requiring stem cell transplants. (Choi, 2/20)

AP: Montana Lawmaker: There's A Religious Right To Abortion
In Montana, a state lawmaker who is an ordained Jewish rabbi argues religious freedom laws that protect health care workers’ religious beliefs should also protect abortion rights for those who belong to religions that support such rights. “It seems that both sides should be permitted to have equal protections for their religious conscience,” said Rep. Ed Stafman, a Democrat. (Beth Hanson, 2/18)

AP: White House Criticizes Youngkin Over Menstrual Tracking Bill
The White House rebuked Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin this week for supporting state lawmakers’ rejection of a bill that that would have prohibited police from issuing search warrants for digitized data about women’s menstrual cycles. (2/18)

AP: North Dakota Moves To Curb Trans Identity In Data, Minors
The North Dakota House passed gender-related bills Friday that would omit transgender identity from state data collection and criminalize health care providers who give gender-affirming care to minors. The bills still need to go through the Senate and governor to become law. (Ahmed, 2/17)

The Hill: Utah Senate Votes To Ban Conversion Therapy From Health Care Providers
The Utah Senate on Friday unanimously approved legislation to ban certain health care providers from practicing conversion therapy on minors, moving the legislature closer to codifying rules set by the state government in 2020. (Migdon, 2/17)

The Wall Street Journal: Why The Covid-19 Death Toll In The U.S. Is Still Rising
The U.S. has dodged a major wintertime Covid-19 surge as the pandemic continues to recede into the background. But the death toll is still growing. The U.S., which recently topped 1.1 million Covid-19 deaths since the pandemic began, continues to record several hundred more each day, death-certificate data show. The people who are dying remain old, often with underlying health issues such as heart and lung ailments, the data indicate. (Kamp, 2/20)

The New York Times: As The Pandemic Swept America, Deaths In Prisons Rose Nearly 50 Percent
Deaths in state and federal prisons across America rose nearly 50 percent during the first year of the pandemic, and in six states they more than doubled, according to the first comprehensive data on prison fatalities in the era of Covid-19. (Valentino-DeVries and Pitchon, 2/19)

Politico: 'Amazing Coincidence' Moderna Offered Free Vaccines When Asked To Testify, Bernie Sanders Says
It “maybe was just a wild and crazy coincidence” drug company Moderna announced a plan to give free Covid vaccines to uninsured Americans right as a Senate committee asked them to testify — but it was “a step in the right direction,” Sen. Bernie Sanders said Sunday. (Olander, 2/19)

The Wall Street Journal: Sen. John Fetterman Set For Lengthy Hospital Stay
Sen. John Fetterman could remain hospitalized for more than a month as the Pennsylvania Democrat undergoes treatment for depression, a senior aide said, following a series of health setbacks. (Hughes, 2/18)

AP: FDA’s Own Reputation Could Be Restraining Its Misinfo Fight
The government agency responsible for tracking down contaminated peanut butter and defective pacemakers is taking on a new health hazard: online misinformation. It’s an unlikely role for the Food and Drug Administration, a sprawling, century-old bureaucracy that for decades directed most its communications toward doctors and corporations. (Perrone, 2/20)

Stat: Cereal, Pasta Companies Blast FDA For Strict Definition Of ‘Healthy’
General Mills, Kellogg’s, and the rest of the country’s cereal makers are mad at the FDA. So are the packaged food companies, the pasta industry, and the pickle lobby (yes, it exists). The companies behind America’s favorite culinary indulgences are worried their products wouldn’t be considered “healthy” under a recent Food and Drug Administration proposal — and they’re urging regulators to reconsider. (Florko, 2/21)

The Wall Street Journal: EPA Reinstates Tougher Rules On Mercury, Other Toxins Eased Under Trump
The Biden administration has reinstated an Obama-era rule on mercury and other toxic chemicals that are emitted from coal-fired and oil-fired power plants, pollutants that the Environmental Protection Agency says are a health risk to people who live near these facilities. EPA officials said Friday that the rule, known as the 2012 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, is “appropriate and necessary” to regulate emissions from power plants under the existing 1990 Clean Air Act. (Niiler, 2/17)

Fierce Healthcare: Majority In Survey Not Aware Of Medicaid Redeterminations
A recent survey of adults found more than 60% are not aware their eligibility for Medicaid could be in danger, underscoring the massive task states and managed care plans face ahead of an April 1 deadline. The analysis, published Thursday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, looks at the awareness of the looming Medicaid eligibility redeterminations at the end of 2022. The survey, conducted by the think tank Urban Institute, showed awareness was lacking across the country regardless of the area. (King, 2/17)

AP: Why Sick Minks Are Reigniting Worries About Bird Flu
A recent bird flu outbreak at a mink farm has reignited worries about the virus spreading more broadly to people. Scientists have been keeping tabs on this bird flu virus since the 1950s, though it wasn’t deemed a threat to people until a 1997 outbreak in Hong Kong among visitors to live poultry markets. (Stobbe, 2/18)

Reuters: Develop Vaccines For All Animal Influenza Strain, Says Incoming WHO Chief Scientist
Governments should invest in vaccines for all strains of influenza virus that exist in the animal kingdom as an insurance policy in case of an outbreak in humans, the incoming chief scientist at the World Health Organization said on Monday. Countries ranging from the United States and Britain to France and Japan have suffered record losses of poultry in outbreaks of avian flu in the past year. (Grover, 2/21)

CIDRAP: US Flu Activity Declines Further; Flu Subtypes Show Some Shifts
The nation's flu indicators showed more signs of decline, including fewer hospitalizations and deaths, but the percentage of 2009 H1N1 and influenza B viruses are showing small rises in a season that started early and was dominated by the H3N2 strain, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its weekly update. (Schnirring, 2/17)

Reuters: Pepsico Recalls Some Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino Drinks In U.S.
Pepsico Inc (PEP.O) recalled more than 25,000 cases of Starbucks (SBUX.O) chilled coffee drink after glass was found in some of the bottles, the U.S. Food and Drug administration said in a notice. The voluntary recall, which was initiated on Jan. 28, covers more than 300,000 bottles of the Starbucks frappuccino vanilla chilled coffee drink, the FDA said. (2/19)

The Washington Post: Study: Cheap, Effective Dental Treatment Could Help Low-Income Kids
Writing in JAMA Network Open, researchers report on CariedAway, a study that compared dental sealants with an application of silver diamine fluoride (SDF), a colorless liquid that is brushed on to the molars. The Food and Drug Administration labels SDF as a medical device to be used to treat tooth sensitivity, but dentists are increasingly using it to prevent cavities from forming or worsening. In 2018, the American Dental Association approved SDF’s use for cavity prevention in both kids and adults. (Blakemore, 2/18)

The Hill: Reckitt Recalls Baby Formula Over Possible Contamination With Deadly Bacteria
Nutrition product manufacturer Reckitt is voluntarily recalling baby formula after the product was possibly contaminated with Cronobacter sakazakii, a bacteria that can be life-threatening among young children. The company says it is recalling two batches of ProSobee 12.9 oz. Simply Plant-Based Infant Formula out of “an abundance of caution” and that “all product distributed went through extensive testing and tested negative for the bacteria.” (Tanner, 2/20)

Reuters: Abbott Gets FTC Notice For Information On Infant Formula Products
Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) said on Friday it received a civil investigative demand in January from the Federal Trade Commission related to a probe of the companies participating in bids for women, infants and children formula contracts. (2/18)

The Washington Post: Paul Berg, Nobel Biochemist Who First Spliced DNA, Dies At 96
Paul Berg, a Nobel laureate biochemist whose breakthrough in splicing DNA molecules helped place the foundations for the biotech industry, but who was once so concerned about possible risks from manipulating genes that he asked scientists to allow government oversight, died Feb. 15 at his home on the Stanford University campus in California. He was 96. Stanford announced the death in a statement. No cause was given. (Murphy, 2/18)

CBS News: Spinal Cord Stimulation Can Improve Arm And Hand Motion After A Stroke, Study Finds
A study published in the medical journal Nature on Monday found that targeted electrical pulses delivered to the spinal cord can help improve arm and hand movement after a stroke. Two patients were able to regain additional motion in their arm and hand through a device implanted at the base of the spine, which delivered pulses in areas responsible for hand and arm function. (Mandler, 2/20)

Stat: Antibody Treatment Benefits Patients Getting Bone Marrow Transplant
An experimental antibody that delivers lethal radiation directly to the bone marrow improved the outcomes of stem cell transplants for older patients with relapsed leukemia — and may change the way transplant medicine is practiced. (Feuerstein, 2/21)

CIDRAP: COVID Vaccine Tied To Fewer Heart Attacks, Strokes Among Previously Infected
COVID-19 vaccination is linked to fewer heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular issues among previously infected adults, suggests a US study today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. (Van Beusekom, 2/20)

CIDRAP: Original MRNA COVID Vaccines Protect Young Kids Against Omicron, But Efficacy Wanes
Omicron infection for US children 3 to 5 years old, but it is considerably higher 1 to 2 months after vaccination compared with 3 to 4 months, according to a study today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. (Wappes, 2/17)

CIDRAP: Antibiotics For COVID-Related Visits More Common In Adults
An analysis of US health insurance claims found that receipt of antibiotics for COVID-19–related outpatient visits was more common in adults than children and adolescents during the first 2 years of the pandemic, researchers reported today in JAMA Health Forum. (Dall, 2/17)

CIDRAP: Previous COVID-19 May Slash Severe Illness At Reinfection By 89%
The risk of COVID-19 hospitalization among previously infected adults is 89% to 90% lower for at least 10 months than for their never-infected peers, according to a meta-analysis published late last week in The Lancet. (Van Beusekom, 2/20)

The Hill: Reported HIPAA Complaints And Breaches Shot Up From 2017 To 2021: HHS
A report released on Friday found that HIPAA complaints and breaches spiked between 2017 and 2021, with the agency in charge of handling the notices saying it lacks sufficient resources to properly respond. ... According to the report, the number of large HIPAA breaches rose by 58 percent between 2017 and 2021, and the number of complaints rose by 39 percent. The agency defines large breaches as ones that affect at least 500 individuals. (Choi, 2/17)

FiercePharma: Docs Admit To Changing Perceptions Of A Drug Due To Social Media
Social media can have as powerful an influence on physicians as they do on the public, according to a new survey conducted by Sermo and LiveWorld. Of the 50-plus pharma marketers and 200-plus U.S. physicians surveyed, more than half (57%) of doctors said they frequently or occasionally change their initial perception of a medication due to social media. (Renfrow, 2/20)

The Wall Street Journal: Walgreens CEO Bets On Doctors Over Drugstores In Search For Growth
A year into her job as Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.’s WBA 1.21%increase; green up pointing triangle chief executive, Rosalind Brewer realized the company’s board wasn’t entirely sold on her plan to save its ailing drugstore business.  So she took directors on the road. (Terlep, 2/19)

AP: Clinic To Open Near Ohio Derailment As Health Worries Linger
Early next week, the state plans to open a medical clinic in the village to evaluate those who are worried and analyze their symptoms, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced. The clinic will include a team of experts in chemical exposures that is being deployed to eastern Ohio. (Orsagos and Seewer, 2/17)

AP: Maryland Lawmakers Want To Modernize Mental Health Services
A bipartisan group of Maryland lawmakers on Friday gathered to express their support for a package of legislation to modernize and improve access to mental health services in the state. The measures focus on getting people help earlier, preferably in community and primary care settings, before they experience a mental health crisis requiring costly trips to the emergency room or in-patient care. (Witte, 2/17)

The Washington Post: Embryos Were Damaged After IVF Clinic Used Spoiled Oil, Lawsuit Says
A California couple hoping to start a family someday turned to in vitro fertilization — storing their embryos with a plan to use them later to have “one or more children,” according to a lawsuit. But in January, the couple received news they’d hoped to never hear from their fertility clinic. All of the embryos they’d stored were damaged. (Somasundaram, 2/21)