First Edition: July 12, 2023

KFF Health News: With More People Giving Birth At Home, Montana Passed A Pair Of Laws To Make It Easier
Ashley Jones’ three children were born in three different places — a hospital, a birth center, and at home. Jones, who is 31 and lives in Belgrade, Montana, said she had “zero control over what was going on” during her hospital birth. Jones wanted a midwife to help deliver her third child, and after finding one she clicked with, she decided to go with a home birth. “I felt like I was in control of everything and she was there to listen to what I needed from her,” Jones said. (Larson, 7/12)

KFF Health News: Groups Sue To Overturn Idaho ‘Abortion Trafficking’ Law Targeting Teens
Advocates who counsel and aid Idaho teenagers seeking abortion care filed suit Tuesday against Republican Attorney General Raúl Labrador in a bid to overturn the state’s abortion travel ban. The travel ban, which took effect May 5, created the crime of “abortion trafficking,” punishable by a minimum of two years in prison. It forbids helping a person under 18 years old obtain abortion pills or leave the state for abortion care without parental permission. (Varney, 7/11)

KFF Health News: Excessive Drinking During The Pandemic Increased Alcoholic Liver Disease Death Rates 
Excessive drinking during the covid-19 pandemic increased alcoholic liver disease deaths so much that the condition killed more Californians than car accidents or breast cancer, a KFF Health News analysis has found. Lockdowns made people feel isolated, depressed, and anxious, leading some to increase their alcohol intake. Alcohol sales rose during the pandemic, with especially large jumps in the consumption of spirits. (Reese, 7/12)

KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
This week on the KFF Health News Minute: A proposed rule change to telehealth prescriptions worries some rural Americans, and a look at racial inequities in medical bill crowdfunding campaigns. (7/11)

AP: Iowa GOP Passes A Bill Banning Most Abortions After About 6 Weeks
Iowa’s Republican-led Legislature passed a bill banning most abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy during a marathon special session Tuesday that continued late into the night. Gov. Kim Reynolds immediately said in a statement she would sign the bill on Friday. ... Just after 11 p.m., lingering protesters in the gallery booed and yelled “shame” to state senators in the minutes after the bill was approved. (Fingerhut, 7/11)

Indianapolis Star: As Indiana Abortion Ban Nears, Planned Parenthood Out Of Appointments
All Planned Parenthood clinics in Indiana are out of appointments for abortion services for the next three weeks, right until the state's near total abortion ban takes effect. This news comes just after the Indiana Supreme Court announced on June 30 that it would vacate an injunction on the state's near total abortion ban, allowing it to take effect as soon the decision is certified. That's likely on or near Aug. 1. (Basile, 7/11)

Axios: Abortions Rise In Oregon After Fall Of Roe V. Wade 
Abortion rates in Oregon have increased since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade's federal abortion protections last year led patients in states where the procedure is restricted to seek care here. Oregon created a $15 million fund last year to expand abortion services across the state, while also funneling money into nonprofit abortion funds like the Northwest Abortion Access Fund, which helps people pay for the procedure and travel. (Gebel and Gonzalez, 7/11)

The Washington Post: U.N.: Black Maternal Health In Crisis Across Hemisphere, Not Just In U.S.
Black women in the Americas bear a heavier burden of maternal mortality than their peers, but according to a report released Wednesday by the United Nations, the gap between who lives and who dies is especially wide in the world’s richest nation — the United States. Of the region’s 35 countries, only four publish comparable maternal mortality data by race, according to the report, which analyzed the maternal health of women and girls of African descent in the Americas: Brazil, Colombia, Suriname and the United States. And while the United States had the lowest overall maternal mortality rate among those four nations, the report said Black women and girls were three times more likely than their U.S. peers to die while giving birth or in the six weeks afterward. (Johnson, 7/12)

Reuters: VP Kamala Harris Unveils Proposed Rule Change To Cut US Childcare Costs
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday announced new steps to lower the cost of childcare for American families with a proposal that would cap co-payments under a block grant program that serves 1.5 million children and their families each month. "This is a critical issue for almost every family in our country," Harris told reporters. "Low-income families often spend one-third, one-third of their yearly income on childcare, more than they spend on their rent or mortgage." (7/11)

The New York Times: Coronavirus Spread Widely In Deer, And Perhaps Back To People, U.S.D.A. Says 
Humans transmitted the coronavirus to white-tailed deer more than 100 times in late 2021 and early 2022, according to new research led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The research also suggests that the virus probably spread widely among deer, that it mutated in the animals and that they may have passed these altered versions of the virus back to people at least three times. The findings, some of which were also published in the journal Nature Communications, add to concerns that deer, which are ubiquitous in the United States, might become a long-term animal reservoir for the virus and a potential source of new variants. (Anthes, 7/11)

CIDRAP: Report Details COVID-19 Spillover Events In White-Tailed Deer 
Of the 109 spillover events, 106 were within the same state, including 64 that were human-to-deer, 39 that were human-to-deer-to-deer, and 3 human-to-deer-to-human. (Soucheray, 7/11)

Bangor Daily News: Maine Eyes End To COVID-19 Vaccinate Mandate For Health Workers
Health care workers would no longer need to receive the COVID-19 vaccine under a proposed change from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. The department filed a proposed rule change Tuesday with the secretary of state’s office that would remove the COVID-19 vaccine from the list of required immunizations for workers in health care facilities. (Kobin, 7/11)

The Washington Post: GOP Probes Covid Origin Paper As Authors Protest ‘Absurd’ Allegations 
The House panel investigating the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic heard testimony Tuesday from influential virologists who concluded in 2020 that the pandemic did not begin as a laboratory leak. The hearing came amid dueling reports from lawmakers and bitter recriminations from the scientists, who say they have been wrongly maligned. (Diamond, 7/11)

Politico: Bernie Sanders Is Personally Stopping Biden’s NIH Nominee — And He’s Not Budging 
Monica Bertagnolli’s candidacy is stalled indefinitely, caught up in a standoff between the administration and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) over Biden’s drug pricing agenda. It’s a process that’s become so unexpectedly drawn out and uncomfortable for Bertagnolli that her allies privately question at what point it’s no longer worth the hassle. In addition to juggling full-time duties at NCI and her candidacy to run NIH, Bertagnolli recently underwent treatment for her own breast cancer diagnosis. (Cancryn, 7/11)

Roll Call: HHS Proposes Expanding Nondiscrimination Protections 
The Biden administration on Tuesday proposed expanding nondiscrimination protections related to sexual orientation and gender identity to some federal grant programs providing human services. While most of the Department of Health and Human Services's purview covers health care, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the National Institutes of Health, those health programs and services, said Melanie Fontes Rainer, the director of HHS' Office of Civil Rights, are covered under a provision of the 2010 health law preventing discrimination based on factors like sex, race and national origin. The new rule would focus on human services, such as some of the HHS programs covered by the Administration for Children and Families including Head Start and services provided to homeless individuals, refugees and those experiencing substance use or mental health disorders. (Raman, 7/11)

Axios: Health Care's Cyber Defenses Fall Short
A massive data breach affecting 11 million HCA Healthcare patients provided a stark reminder this week of how often the defenses of America's largest health care organizations are hacked. The hospital industry keeps sensitive personal data that is among the highest value assets on the black market — and experts predict further attacks will get harder to thwart. (Reed, 7/12)

Stat: One Year Into 988 Hotline, Staff Push For Fixes To System
One year after 988 launched as the new number for the national U.S. mental health hotline, the people behind the system say they’re still working out some kinks. In an ideal world, for example, a caller in New York looking to talk would be routed to a New York call center, so that hotline workers could direct them to the most relevant information on local resources. But right now, calls are routed to the system by area code — meaning someone based in New York, but whose phone has a Massachusetts area code, will be routed to a Massachusetts call center. (Gaffney, 7/12)

The Wall Street Journal: CVS Caremark Delays Block Customers From Their Prescriptions 
Patients whose drug benefits are covered by CVS’s Caremark business couldn’t get their prescriptions processed for many hours starting Monday morning, leaving some stranded without medications. The CVS Health unit, which is the biggest U.S. drug-benefit manager and handles the prescriptions of millions of Americans, said in a letter sent to pharmacists Monday that it was experiencing an “unexpected system slowdown.” (Mathews, 7/11)

Stat: Takeda Withdraws Application For Dengue Vaccine From FDA
Takeda announced Tuesday that it has voluntarily withdrawn its application to the Food and Drug Administration for its dengue vaccine, making it unclear when or if the vaccine will be licensed in this country. (Branswell, 7/11)

The Wall Street Journal: America Has Shortage Of Key Lead-Poisoning Drug 
Supplies are running out for a key antidote for life-threatening lead poisoning. The drug, named dimercaprol, has been a go-to treatment for years for the worst cases of lead poisoning. But doctors have had to scrounge for dwindling doses since the medicine’s sole manufacturer for the U.S. declared bankruptcy in February. Now that some parts of the country don’t have any supplies left, doctors have been forced to turn to other, less preferred treatments. (Whyte, 7/11)

Stat: Break The Logjam: Economists Pitch Plan To Curb Dire Drug Shortages
There are alarmingly frequent reports of shortages of vitally needed medicines. From tablets to treat ADHD and severe pain to injectable treatments for syphilis and various cancers, the U.S. has been facing a number of serious shortages recently. And this was before a U.S. Senate report found the number of active shortages reached a peak at 295 at the end of 2022. The reasons can vary, from quality control failures at manufacturing plants to surging demand, including significant interest that has at times squelched availability of drugs taken for weight loss. (Silverman, 7/12)

Reuters: Exclusive: Most Patients Using Weight-Loss Drugs Like Wegovy Stop Within A Year, Data Show 
Only about one-third of patients prescribed a popular weight-loss drug like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy were still taking it a year later, while total healthcare costs for the group rose sharply, according to an analysis of U.S. pharmacy claims shared with Reuters. The annual cost of overall care for patients prior to taking Wegovy or a similar drug was $12,371, on average, according to the analysis. The full-year cost after starting the medication jumped by 59% to $19,657, on average. (Terhune, 7/11)

Stat: How Are Insurers Handling Leqembi And Related Scans?
A week after the Food and Drug Administration granted full, traditional approval to a new Alzheimer’s treatment, insurers are finalizing their plans to cover it as well as associated scans and diagnostic tests. Medicare will cover most patients eligible for Leqembi, a new treatment developed by Eisai and Biogen to help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The drug, which has modest benefits, has potentially serious side effects for some patients including brain swelling and bleeding. (Cohrs, 7/12)

The Washington Post: Elizabeth Holmes Projected To Be Released In 9 Years Instead Of 11 
Elizabeth Holmes is now projected to leave prison two years earlier than the 11-year sentence assigned her, federal prison records show. The disgraced Theranos founder is set to be freed Dec. 29, 2032, according to her profile on the Bureau of Prisons website. Abraham Simmons, a Justice Department spokesman, said Holmes’s sentence has not changed. He said a prisoner’s release date “almost certainly” will reflect good conduct and recidivism-reduction programs that inmates can use to reduce their time in prison. (Gregg and Mark, 7/11)

AP: Mississippi Removes Thousands Of People From Medicaid As It Examines Post-Pandemic Eligibility
Mississippi has removed more than 29,000 people from Medicaid as the program starts reviewing who is eligible to keep coverage now that the federal government has ended a pandemic public health emergency. That is just over 3% of people who were enrolled in the state’s program in June. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid said in a statement Monday that it expects enrollment to further decrease in the coming months as officials continue reviewing eligibility. (Pettus, 7/11)

AP: North Carolina Medicaid Managed Care For People With Mental Illness And Disabilities Delayed Again 
North Carolina’s planned managed care program for Medicaid enrollees who also need services for behavioral health or intellectual or developmental disabilities is being delayed again by state officials. The start date for these “tailored plans” that will cover roughly 160,000 people had been last Dec. 1. The state Department of Health and Human Services then pushed back its implementation to April 1, then to this coming Oct. 1. (7/11)

AP: Workers In Maine Will Get Paid Family And Medical Leave Starting In 2026 
Most Maine workers will get up to 12 weeks of paid time off for family or medical reasons as part of a supplemental budget Democratic Gov. Janet Mills signed into law on Tuesday. The spending bill included $25 million in startup costs for the state program which allows workers — starting in 2026 — to receive paid leave to deal with illness, to care for a relative, or for the birth of a child. (Sharp, 7/11)

USA Today: Mosquito-Borne West Nile Virus Detected In Ohio. What To Know
A mosquito sample collected in Cincinnati, Ohio has tested positive for the West Nile virus, the Cincinnati Health Department reported Monday. The department collected the sample during routine, ongoing "surveillance" to find mosquito-borne diseases in the Cincinnati area, located near the Ohio River, according to a news release. (Sutherland, 7/11)

AP: Oregon County Pauses Plan To Distribute Tin Foil, Straws For Fentanyl Users 
A plan by Oregon’s largest county to distribute tin foil and straws for fentanyl users and glass pipes for methamphetamine and crack users has been halted after opposition from Portland’s mayor and other officials. “Our health department went forward with this proposal without proper implementation protocols,” Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said in a statement to KGW-TV. “And in that light, I am suspending the program pending further analysis.” (7/11)

AP: North Carolina Medical Marijuana Bill Likely Dead For This Year, House Speaker Says
Legislation that would legalize marijuana use for medicinal purposes in North Carolina is probably dead for the rest of this year’s General Assembly session, House Speaker Tim Moore said Tuesday, citing opposition by many fellow Republicans in his chamber. A bill that would lay out the structure for patients with serious and life-ending illnesses to lawfully obtain cannabis and smoke or consume it passed the Senate by a wide margin over four months ago. But it has idled in the House ever since, save for a committee hearing on the measure in early June. (7/11)

Billings Gazette: Montana To Crack Down On Synthetic Marijuana
Montana will soon crack down on synthetic marijuana and intoxicating hemp products that have proliferated through regulatory loopholes despite concerns they pose a health risk to children. The Cannabis Control Division, the marijuana regulatory arm of the Montana Department of Revenue, said Tuesday eradicating synthetic products will be the "biggest lift" for the agency between now and the 2025 Legislature. (Larson, 7/11)

Los Angeles Times: Newsom Launches $20-Million Campaign On The Dangers Of Extreme Heat 
As California braces for its most intense and prolonged heat wave of the year, state officials are investing in new methods to warn residents of the dangers of soaring temperatures. Extreme heat is among the deadliest of all weather-related events, with the National Weather Service recording more heat-related fatalities than deaths from hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and other climate hazards in 2022. (Smith, 7/11)

The Washington Post: First Major Saharan Dust Event Reaches Florida. What It Means
Like the wildfire smoke across North America of late, the fine particles contained in Saharan dust can be harmful to breathe in large quantities, especially for those with respiratory issues and nearer the source. (Livingston, 7/11)

The New York Times: Phoenix Heat Becomes A Brutal Test Of Endurance 
In triple-digit heat, monkey bars singe children’s hands, water bottles warp and seatbelts feel like hot irons. Devoted runners strap on headlamps to go jogging at 4 a.m., when it is still only 90 degrees, come home drenched in sweat and promptly roll down the sun shutters. Neighborhoods feel like ghost towns at midday, with rumbling rooftop air-conditioners offering the only sign of life. (Healy, 7/11)

Houston Chronicle: Food Not Bombs Fined More Than $10K For Feeding Houston's Homeless
Ben Craft’s sedan pulled up to the Downtown Public Library on a recent Monday evening, packed with pasta and serving supplies. Craft was on his way to pass out fresh, vegetarian meals to those in need, something volunteers have done there for nearly two decades, four days a week. People had already formed a line down the block, which faced the same park as City Hall, when he arrived. (Schuetz, 7/11)

USA Today: Racism Has 'Huge' Implications For Childhood Obesity, Study Finds
Racism contributes to childhood obesity, according to a new study that found children as young as 9 were more likely to meet the definition of obesity if they faced racism a year earlier. While the link between racism and obesity has long been assumed, this was a clear confirmation in young children, said co-author Adolfo Cuevas, an expert on racism and health at the NYU School of Global Public Health. (Weintraub, 7/11)

NBC News: Black Men Are At An Increased Risk For Melanoma, Study Finds
Black men are at a higher risk of death from melanoma than other racial groups, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD). Across 205,125 cases of male patients diagnosed with cutaneous invasive melanoma from 2004 to 2018 tracked by the National Cancer Database, the five-year survival rate was the lowest for Black men at 51.7%. The rate of survival was the highest for white men, at 75.1%, compared to the other racial groups in the study. (Bellamy, 7/11)

Bloomberg: US Veterans In ‘Redlined’ Areas Face Greater Heart Death Risks, Study Shows
US military veterans living in areas with a history of economic discrimination face an increased risk of death, according to a study that adds to the evidence of social factors’ impact on health. (Webb Carey, 7/11)

USA Today: PFAS In US Drinking Water: Filtration Systems 'Band-Aid' To Problem
Consumer-available water filtration systems that everyday people can use to rid PFAS from tap water are the center of a new study from the nonprofit activist group Environmental Working Group. Scientists from the group researched the effectiveness of several filtration systems available to consumers across the U.S., and determined that they can serve as a "band-aid" to the problem until a longer-term solution comes to form, said Sydney Evans, a senior science analyst at the Environmental Working Group who has led many types of PFAS testing nationwide. (Jimenez, 7/12)

CNN: A Little Exercise Counters Depression In People With Chronic Conditions, Study Finds
As little as 20 minutes of moderate activity a day for five days a week can significantly lower the risk of depressive symptoms for people over 50 who have conditions often linked to depression, such as diabetes, heart disease and chronic pain, a new study found. People without chronic disease in the study, however, needed to do moderate to vigorous exercise two hours a day to see improvement in depressive symptoms, according to lead study author Eamon Laird, a researcher at the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre at the University of Limerick in Ireland. (LaMotte, 7/10)

CBS News: Restaurants Charging Extra For Water, Bread And Workers' Health Plan
A Los Angeles restaurant has come under fire after a prominent podcaster took issue with an unfamiliar surcharge on his guest check: an extra 4% fee automatically added to the bill to help fund the workers' health insurance. (Cerullo, 7/12)