First Edition: Oct. 20, 2023
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
KFF Health News:
Biden Pick To Lead NIH Finally Has Her Day, But Still Gets Caught Up In Drug Price Debate
A Senate committee finally held a hearing Wednesday on President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the National Institutes of Health. But the panel’s chair, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), was focused on drug prices — an issue over which the NIH has very little control. After introducing the nominee, Monica Bertagnolli, at a hearing of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Sanders quickly pivoted to the high prices Americans pay for prescription drugs. (DeGuzman, 10/19)
KFF Health News:
California Moves Ahead Of The FDA In Banning Common Candy Additives
Halloween candy could be in for a California makeover. Asserting that the Food and Drug Administration has not moved quickly enough on dangerous food additives, state lawmakers last month passed the California Food Safety Act, which bans four ingredients found in popular snacks and packaged foods — including candy corn and other Halloween treats. (Sciacca, 10/20)
KFF Health News:
Let’s Have An Honest Conversation About What To Expect As You Age
How many of us have wanted a reliable, evidence-based guide to aging that explains how our bodies and minds change as we grow older and how to adapt to those differences? Creating a work of this kind is challenging. For one thing, aging gradually alters people over decades, a long period shaped by individuals’ economic and social circumstances, their behaviors, their neighborhoods, and other factors. Also, while people experience common physiological issues in later life, they don’t follow a well-charted, developmentally predetermined path. (Graham, 10/20)
KFF Health News and Cox Media Group:
Senators Demand Answers From Social Security On Clawbacks Tied To Covid Relief
Three U.S. senators on a panel that oversees Social Security have called on the Social Security Administration to address a news report saying that, in violation of agency policy, people’s benefits were reduced or suspended because they received covid-19 relief payments. The lawmakers, who include Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), sent a letter to acting SSA Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi on Wednesday saying they were “deeply concerned” and wanted answers to a list of questions within 30 days. (Hilzenrath and Fleischer, 10/19)
KFF Health News' 'What The Health?' Podcast:
The Open Enrollment Mixing Bowl
Autumn is for pumpkins and raking leaves — and open enrollment for health plans. Medicare’s annual open enrollment began Oct. 1 and runs through Dec. 15. It will be followed shortly by the Affordable Care Act’s annual open enrollment, which starts Nov. 1 and runs until Jan. 15 in most states. But what used to be a fairly simple annual task — renewing an existing health plan or choosing a new one — has become a confusing, time-consuming mess for many, due to our convoluted health care system. (10/19)
Military.com:
VA Says It Performed 88 Abortions In The Past Year, But Congress Again Threatens Subpoenas In Pursuit Of More Details
The Department of Veterans Affairs provided 88 abortions in the first year that it offered the procedure, according to a document sent to Congress this month that was obtained by Military.com. The number was given to the House Veterans Affairs Committee after the Republican-led panel threatened to subpoena the VA if it did not provide detailed data on the abortions it has provided. (Kheel, 10/19)
Bridge Michigan:
Michigan Senate Votes To Repeal 24-Hour Wait For Abortion, Other Restrictions
Democrats in the Michigan Senate voted Thursday to repeal a series of abortion regulations despite strenuous Republican objections and an uncertain future for the bills in the House. The package, approved in a series of party-line votes, would eliminate a 24-hour waiting period for abortions in Michigan and repeal strict facility regulations for abortion clinics, among other things. ... The measures, now head to the House, where they face roadblocks. (Oosting, 10/19)
The 19th:
An Arizona Supreme Court Justice Openly Opposes Abortion. He’ll Hear A Case Deciding Its Legality Anyway
A justice on the Arizona Supreme Court — which this winter could decide whether the state can enforce a near total ban on abortion — has repeatedly expressed his opposition to the procedure and received campaign support from a prominent state anti-abortion activist, according to materials reviewed by The 19th. Experts told The 19th that his past comments could be grounds for him recusing himself from the abortion-ban case, which he has not done. (Luthra, 10/19)
Stateline:
Many Women Can't Access Miscarriage Drug Because It's Also Used For Abortions
Since losing her first pregnancy four months ago, 32-year-old Lulu has struggled to return to her body’s old rhythms. Lulu, who asked to be identified by her first name to protect her privacy, bled for six full weeks after her miscarriage and hasn’t had a normal menstrual cycle since. Such disruptions aren’t uncommon after miscarriage, which affects roughly 1 in 10 known pregnancies. But for Lulu, they’ve also served as a persistent reminder that she couldn’t access the drug mifepristone — her preferred method of care — to help her body pass the miscarriage. Instead, her doctor prescribed a drug called misoprostol, which on its own is less effective. “I recall clarifying with her about the kind of medication I would get,” Lulu said. “When she said misoprostol … I was really shocked. I made her repeat herself.” (Dewey, 10/20)
The Wall Street Journal:
CVS Pulls Certain Cold Medicines From Shelves And Will Stop Selling Them
CVS Health is pulling some of the most common decongestants from its shelves and will no longer sell them, after advisers to U.S. health regulators recently determined that an ingredient doesn’t work. The products contain oral phenylephrine, an almost-century-old ingredient in versions of decongestants and over-the-counter pills, syrups and liquids to clear up congested noses. ... Oral products that list phenylephrine as its only active ingredient include Sudafed PE. (Hopkins, 10/19)
Bloomberg:
Sanofi’s Lantus Insulin To Sell For $35 Via GoodRx Site
Sanofi’s Lantus, its most commonly prescribed insulin, will sell for $35 a month through GoodRx Holdings Inc. in a deal that signals the drug-discount site’s growing business with large pharma companies. Under the agreement, GoodRx will sell Lantus supplies at the same price to both insured and uninsured patients, the companies said Thursday. While Sanofi said in March that it would lower list prices for Lantus and cap out-of-pocket costs for people with insurance at $35 a month starting next year, the GoodRx price goes into effect immediately for all customers. (LaPara and Tozzi, 10/19)
AP:
So-Called Toddler Milks Are Unregulated And Unnecessary, A Major Pediatrician Group Says
Powdered drink mixes that are widely promoted as “toddler milks” for older babies and children up to age 3 are unregulated, unnecessary and “nutritionally incomplete,” the American Academy of Pediatrics warned Friday. The drinks, which are touted to parents on TikTok, in television ads and on other sites, often contain added sugar and salt. The manufacturers make unproven claims that the drinks boost kids’ brains or immune systems, said Dr. George Fuchs, a member of the AAP’s nutrition committee, which released the new report. (Aleccia, 10/20)
CBS News:
This Flesh-Eating Parasite Spread By Sand Flies Has Foothold In U.S., Appears To Be Endemic In Texas, CDC Scientists Report
Once thought to be a danger largely reserved for travelers, a flesh-eating parasite known as Leishmania mexicana is now likely spreading locally through some sand flies native to the southern U.S., a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis has concluded. Skin sores caused by Leishmania mexicana typically erupt weeks to months after people are bitten by an infected fly. The parasite can continue to inflict damage for years, leading to long-term scarring in its wake. (Tin, 10/19)
Reuters:
First Pill For Dengue Shows Promise In Human Challenge Trial
A pill for dengue fever developed by Johnson & Johnson appeared to protect against a form of the virus in a handful of patients in a small human challenge trial in the United States, according to data presented by the company on Friday. There are currently no specific treatments for dengue, a growing disease threat, the company said ahead of presentation of the data at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Annual Meeting in Chicago. (Rigby, 10/20)
CIDRAP:
High Demand For Nirsevimab Leads To Supply Glitches
Unprecedented demand for nirsevimab-alip (Beyfortus), the new long-acting monoclonal antibody injection for preventing respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in newborns, has led to some supply problems, Sanofi said last week in a statement. Despite an aggressive supply program, demand for Beyfortus has been higher than expected, especially for the 100-mg dose used for babies born before RSV season. Sanofi said it is closely collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure doses are equally distributed through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. It added that its distribution plan for the private market will be similar and that it is working with AstraZeneca to boost supply. (Schnirring, 10/19)
AP:
California Tech CEO Convicted In COVID-19 And Allergy Test Fraud Case Sentenced To 8 Years In Prison
A Silicon Valley executive who lied to investors about inventing technology that tested for allergies and COVID-19 using only a few drops of blood was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in prison and ordered to pay $24 million in restitution, federal prosecutors said. Mark Schena, 60, was convicted last year of paying bribes to doctors and defrauding the government after his company billed Medicare $77 million for fraudulent COVID-19 and allergy tests, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement. (10/18)
Stat:
House Committee Hearing Kicks Off Potential Doctor Pay Reforms In Medicare
The House Energy & Commerce health subcommittee kicked off its first hearing in four years on whether to reform the way Medicare pays doctors. But they didn’t discuss how to pay for those changes. Lawmakers brought up 23 different bills on the topic, many of which are drafts that haven’t been introduced. (Wilkerson, 10/19)
Fierce Healthcare:
Physician-Owned Hospitals Could Have Saved $1.1B In 2019: Report
A new analysis backed by doctor lobbying groups suggest that physician-owned hospitals could have fueled about $1.1 billion in savings across 20 of Medicare’s most expensive conditions in 2019— though the hospital industry is sticking firm to its stance that the broadly restricted facilities are a detriment to the U.S. healthcare system. The technical report (PDF), commissioned by the Physicians Advocacy Institute and The Physicians Foundation, but conducted by researchers from UConn Health and Loyola University Chicago, concluded that the Medicare program and its beneficiaries’ total payments at traditional hospitals would have been 8.6% and 15.2% (depending on the condition) lower if reimbursed at the same rate as a physician-owned hospital (POH). (Muoio, 10/19)
Axios:
Medicare's Plan To Fix Major Drug Shortages Has Big Gaps, Experts Say
A Medicare proposal to help alleviate major shortages of cancer drugs and other essential medicines could disadvantage facilities serving vulnerable populations and instigate new supply issues, experts and hospital groups say. (Goldman, 10/19)
Stateline:
10 Medicaid Holdout States Scramble To Improve Health Coverage
The Republican-led states that have refused to expand Medicaid are trying a variety of strategies to save struggling hospitals and cover more people without full expansion, which was one of the key provisions of the Affordable Care Act. ... But health care advocates say those efforts are weak substitutes for full expansion — especially as non-expansion states continue to fare poorly on most health metrics. (Claire Vollers, 10/19)
The Texas Tribune:
Denton School Will Open A Health Clinic For Students On Medicaid
A North Texas school district plans to open a new school-based health clinic to serve its students covered by Medicaid, despite concerns from certain parents that the district is overstepping its role. Leaders in the Denton Independent School District say the clinic will make health care more readily available for its students — 49% of whom are eligible for the federal free or reduced price lunch program, an indicator of economic hardship. (Runnels, 10/20)
Modern Healthcare:
Aetna Coverage Cuts Threaten Access, Hackensack Meridian CEO Says
Hackensack Meridian Health will ask Aetna about its coverage cuts to virtual care during contract negotiations, said Robert Garrett, CEO of the nonprofit health system. CVS Health subsidiary Aetna plans to cut commercial telehealth reimbursement for dozens of services as of Dec. 1, including some mental health services. Aetna said the move is “in-line with the industry” as the healthcare system continues to transition out of the COVID-19 pandemic, when telehealth utilization spiked and has since waned. (Kacik, 10/19)
Modern Healthcare:
Prospect Medical Holdings To Sell Crozer Health
Prospect Medical Holdings is looking to sell Crozer Health within a year, the private equity company said Thursday. Prospect said in a statement it will work with Morgan Stanley to advise on the sale—a process it hopes to begin after 60 days. (Hudson, 10/19)
Modern Healthcare:
Waystar IPO Could Reopen Market For Digital Health Startups
Digital health investors and analysts will see how Wall Street responds to digital health’s first U.S.-based initial public offering in 2023 before declaring another IPO window has opened. Healthcare payment technology company Waystar announced its parent company, Waystar Holding Corp., had filed a registration statement on Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission related to a proposed initial public offering. (Turner, 10/19)
WMFE:
AdventHealth Opens Southeast’s First Lifespan Down Syndrome Clinic In Orlando
Adults with Down syndrome in the Southeast now have a one-stop shop for specialty treatments in Orlando. AdventHealth is expanding its services for children and adults by opening the Stella Tremonti Down Syndrome Clinic (SMILE, for short). The clinic is named after the 2-year-old daughter of one of the founding donors — the lead guitarist of the band Creed, Mark Tremonti. (Pedersen, 10/19)
Becker's Hospital Review:
New York Hospital Limits Care After City Runs Out Of Water
Samaritan Medical Center in Waterton, N.Y., is pausing some clinical services and rescheduling surgeries due to a major water main break, the hospital said Oct. 19.The water main break occurred the morning of Oct. 19 outside Waterton's main water treatment facility. As of 2 p.m., Mayor Jeffrey Smith said the city's reservoirs were completely depleted and that all the water left is what is in the pipes, according to The Watertown Daily Times. Once the break is located and repaired, it will take 24 to 36 hours to refill the reservoirs. (Bean, 10/19)
Bloomberg:
Ozempic Maker Is Testing Weight-Loss Drugs For Kids
Pharmaceutical companies are looking to get buzzy weight-loss shots approved for younger and younger patients. Eli Lilly & Co. is planning to test its diabetes drug Mounjaro for patients six and up with obesity, according to a person familiar with the trial who didn’t want to be named because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. Novo Nordisk A/S is also testing Saxenda — an older and less powerful version of its blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy — in kids as young as six. (Muller, 10/20)
Reuters:
Bristol Myers' Injectable Form Of Opdivo Meets Main Goal In Kidney Cancer Trial
Bristol Myers Squibb said on Thursday the injectable form of its blockbuster cancer drug Opdivo met the main goal in trial that had patients with a type of kidney cancer. The new formulation of the drug that was tested in the trial used Halozyme Therapeutics' proprietary technology, which allows large volumes of Opdivo, currently administered intravenously, to be delivered as an injection under the skin. (10/19)
CBS News:
Researchers Are Looking To Use Artificial Intelligence To Help Detect Pancreatic Cancer
Nearly 70% of patients with pancreatic cancer face death within the first year of diagnosis. That's why early detection is critical. But doctors say small pancreatic cancers aren't easily detected on CT scans until it's advanced to an incurable stage. For this new study, researchers used imaging datasets from past CT scans of those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer to create an artificial intelligence model. They hope it will help aid in early detection of small tumors that are currently difficult to detect. (Stahl, 10/19)
Fox News:
New Prostate Cancer Treatment Could Be On The Horizon, Say UK Researchers: ‘Tremendously Exciting’
A new study published in the journal Nature has found that for some patients with treatment-resistant prostate cancer, a new process can "block" the messages that cancer uses to "hijack" white blood cells. In early clinical trials, researchers from The Institute of Cancer Research in the U.K. found that this process made advanced prostate cancers more treatable, "shrinking tumors or halting their growth," according to a press release from the university. (Rudy, 10/19)
WMFE:
Number Of Opioid Overdoses In Florida Is Down For The First Time In Years
Opioid overdose deaths are declining overall in the Sunshine State, according to new data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Central Florida region saw some of the biggest reductions, according to a report by Project Opioid. Opioid overdose deaths skyrocketed after the start of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. But in 2022, Florida saw a 2.6% decrease in drug overdoses, CDC data showed. (Pedersen, 10/19)
News Service of Florida:
Florida Proposal Would Provide Alzheimer's Training For Law Enforcement
A Senate Republican on Monday filed a proposal that would offer training to law-enforcement officers about Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, filed the proposal (SB 208) for consideration during the 2024 session, which will start in January. (10/19)
News Service of Florida:
Federal Judge Grants Class-Action Status In Florida Trans Treatment Case
A federal judge Wednesday said a lawsuit challenging new Florida restrictions on treatments for transgender people will move forward as a class action. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle issued a 15-page order that “certified” a class action in the lawsuit filed on behalf of transgender children and adults. (10/19)
Axios:
Arkansas' Sanders Bans Gender Neutral Terms From State Documents
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an executive order Thursday banning the use of terms like "pregnant person" and "chestfeeding" in state government documents. The terms are to be replaced with "pregnant woman" and "breastfeeding." Legislatures in all but two states introduced more than 500 bills during the 2023 session targeting the LGBTQ+ community, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. (Sparkman, 10/19)
Fox News:
Suicide And Genetics: Study Identifies 12 DNA Variations That Could Increase The Risk
Researchers from the University of Utah Health have identified 12 genetic variations that are linked to a higher risk of suicide attempts, according to a study published this month in The American Journal of Psychiatry. Scientists across several hospitals conducted a worldwide analysis of almost one million people across 22 different populations. ... Then they identified the genetic variations that were more common among the 43,871 people who attempted suicide. (Rudy, 10/20)
The Washington Post:
Depression After Weaning Can Be A Serious Concern For Some New Moms
While postpartum depression is relatively well studied, with the Food and Drug Administration recently approving a new drug for its treatment, a similar condition that affects new mothers — known as postweaning depression — has almost no research dedicated to it. Postweaning depression occurs during or after the cessation of breastfeeding and is thought to result from a subsequent drop in hormone levels. Symptoms can include anxiety, hopelessness, irritability and insomnia. It is unclear how many women may have or be at risk of postweaning depression because research is limited. (Kim, 10/19)
The Washington Post:
Sleeping Less Associated With Symptoms Of Depression, Study Finds
Short sleepers — those who regularly get five or fewer hours of sleep at night — may be at a higher risk of developing depression symptoms, according to a study published Thursday. Researchers examined the health data of 7,146 individuals, age 50 and older in England, and found that older adults who sleep five or fewer hours a night — either because of a genetic predisposition or other reasons — were more likely to show signs of depression years later. The researchers followed the study participants for an average of eight years. (Amenabar, 10/19)
American Homefront Project:
After A Series Of Suicides, USS George Washington Returns To Sea With More Mental Health Care
Capt. William Mathis, the second in command of the USS George Washington, walked the carrier's flight deck in mid-September. The ship was operating off the coast of Florida to stay out of the path of Hurricane Lee. Talking with reporters, Mathis recalled the feeling on board when a sailor died by suicide Jan. 23. “The captain cried, I cried, as he was a member of our family,” Mathis said. “It was very difficult. And it will never be easy to deal with the death of one of our sailors, one of our teammates.” (Walsh, 10/19)
Roll Call:
Military Obesity Rates Soar, Compounding Recruitment Challenges
Obesity rates among active-duty servicemembers doubled in the past decade, and antiquated policies and incomplete data have complicated efforts to combat the trend, according to a new report from the American Security Project. Military obesity rates across the active duty jumped from 10.4 percent in 2012 to 21.6 percent in 2022, according to the study, the findings of which were released on Oct. 12. This mirrors a national trend that has shrunk the military’s recruitment pool and led to billions of dollars in associated health care costs. (Satter, 10/18)
The Washington Post:
Strokes Could Kill Nearly 10 Million People In 2050, Research Predicts
Worldwide stroke deaths could increase by 50 percent by 2050, killing as many as 9.7 million people per year, an international group of stroke researchers predicts in a report in Lancet Neurology. Young people and those in low- and middle-income countries face even higher increases, the report says. The document, produced by dozens of researchers writing as the World Stroke Organization-Lancet Neurology Commission Stroke Collaboration Group, forecasts an ongoing “huge” global burden because of stroke and calls for “pragmatic solutions” to reduce the medical condition worldwide. (Blakemore, 10/19)
The New York Times:
Strokes Are More Common And Serious In Women
Each year, more than 6.6 million people worldwide die from strokes, and researchers caution that the incidence is increasing, especially in young and middle-aged people and in low- and middle-income countries. In a report published last week, researchers predicted that stroke deaths would increase by about 50 percent, reaching 9.7 million deaths annually in 2050. Strokes occur when the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the brain is cut off. This can happen when blood vessels get weak and eventually rupture under pressure, known as a hemorrhagic stroke. More commonly, clots or plaque can block blood vessels to the brain; this is known as an ischemic stroke. Both types of stroke can lead to permanent damage or death. (Sheikh, 10/18)
NPR:
More Than One Serving Of Red Meat A Day May Drive Up The Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes
People who routinely eat a lot of red meat may be increasing their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study. Processed meats, like bacon and hot dogs, are linked to an even higher risk. Researchers tracked the eating habits of more than 200,000 people enrolled in long-term health studies for up to 36 years and found that those who regularly consumed a lot of red meat — more than a serving per day — had a significantly higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. (Aubrey, 10/19)
Columbus Dispatch:
More Young Children Are Getting Sick Through Contact With Vape Liquid
During a press conference Thursday, Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff warned of the rising danger of children being poisoned by the liquid used in e-cigarettes and vapes. The number of e-cigarette exposures reported to the state’s poison centers has nearly tripled over the past seven years from 130 in 2015 to 360 in 2022. So far this year, 328 exposures have been recorded, signaling another likely increase. (Bentley, 10/19)