First Edition: April 17, 2024

KFF Health News: Native Americans Have Shorter Life Spans. Better Health Care Isn’t The Only Answer
Katherine Goodlow is only 20, but she has experienced enough to know that people around her are dying too young. Goodlow, a member of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, said she’s lost six friends and acquaintances to suicide, two to car crashes, and one to appendicitis. Four of her relatives died in their 30s or 40s, from causes such as liver failure and covid-19, she said. And she recently lost a 1-year-old nephew. (Zionts, 4/17)

KFF Health News: To Stop Fentanyl Deaths In Philadelphia, Knocking On Doors And Handing Out Overdose Kits
On a narrow street lined with row houses and an auto body shop in the Kensington neighborhood of North Philadelphia, Marsella Elie climbs a home’s front steps and knocks hard on the door. A middle-aged man appears with a wary look on his face. “Hello, sir, how are you doing today?” asked Elie, wearing a royal-blue jacket embroidered with the city government’s Liberty Bell logo. “My name is Marsella. I’m working with the city. You heard about the overdoses that are going around in the neighborhood, right?” (Leonard, 4/17)

KFF Health News: Paris Hilton Backs California Bill Requiring Sunshine On ‘Troubled Teen Industry’
Celebrity hotel heiress Paris Hilton is backing California lawmakers’ push to increase the transparency of residential teen therapeutic centers by requiring these programs to report the use of restraints or seclusion rooms in disciplining minors. “We shouldn’t be placing youth in facilities without knowing what these children will be subjected to,” Hilton testified Monday to the Senate Human Services Committee in Sacramento. (Castle Work, 4/17)

KFF Health News: FDA Announces Recall Of Heart Pumps Linked To Deaths And Injuries
A pair of heart devices linked to hundreds of injuries and at least 14 deaths has received the FDA’s most serious recall, the agency announced Monday. The recall comes years after surgeons say they first noticed problems with the HeartMate II and HeartMate 3, manufactured by Thoratec Corp., a subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories. The devices are not currently being removed from the market. In an emailed response, Abbott said it had communicated the risk to customers this year. (Chang and Hacker, 4/16)

KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
“Health Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from the KFF Health News newsroom to the airwaves each week. (4/16)

Modern Healthcare: Lawmakers Rip UnitedHealth At Change Healthcare Hearing
The House Energy and Commerce Committee had a lot to discuss during Capitol Hill's first hearing on the Change Healthcare breach and cybersecurity. UnitedHealth Group's absence from the proceedings was high on the list. "I'm extremely disappointed, I have to say, that the UnitedHealth Group did not send representatives to today's hearing," ranking member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) said Tuesday of the conglomerate, whose Optum subsidiary operates Change Healthcare. (McAuliff, 4/16)

Axios: Lawmakers Target Mergers In First Hearing On Change Healthcare Hack
During the first congressional hearing on the Change Healthcare hack Tuesday, lawmakers appeared to zero in on the risks of massive consolidation in health care. (Reed, 4/17)

Bloomberg: UnitedHealth CEO Witty Defends Change Healthcare Deal After Cyberattack
UnitedHealth Group Inc. Chief Executive Officer Andrew Witty said the cyberattack that interrupted payments throughout the health-care system for weeks would have been harder to recover from if UnitedHealth didn’t own the company that hackers targeted. UnitedHealth is under fire for its response to the attack that halted the flow of money and data in the US medical system, prompting outcry from hospitals, doctors and lawmakers. (Tozzi and Griffin, 4/16)

Fierce Healthcare: House To Discuss National Data Privacy Bill With Implications For Healthcare
The House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on innovation will hold a hearing Wednesday to discuss data privacy and the protection of kids online. Among a slew of bills to be discussed is a draft data privacy bill unveiled last week that would regulate all sectors of the American economy, including healthcare. The legislation is sponsored by E&C Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington, and Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Washington. (Beavins, 4/16)

The Boston Globe: Warren, Markey Call On Steward Hospital Landlords To Cut Or Terminate Lease Payments
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey are calling on two companies that own Steward Health Care’s hospital buildings in Massachusetts to reduce lease payments or terminate their leases to enable new owners to buy the financially squeezed hospitals. (Weisman, 4/16)

USA Today: Why Is Levemir Being Discontinued? Senators Demand Answers
Three U.S. Senators say they are "alarmed" Novo Nordisk discontinued U.S. sales of a popular insulin brand and are demanding answers from the pharmaceutical giant they say left patients without an affordable substitute. In a letter Tuesday to Novo Nordisk's top executives, Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said the company's decision to discontinue Levemir, a long-acting insulin, "failed to take into consideration patient access to affordable, long-acting insulin substitutes." (Alltucker, 4/16)

The Wall Street Journal: Arizona Lawmakers Expected To Make Bipartisan Push To Repeal Abortion Ban 
Amid mounting pressure to change the narrative on abortion, several state GOP lawmakers could join with Democrats on Wednesday in an effort to repeal Arizona’s 160-year-old near-total ban. If they are successful, the Democratic governor has said she would sign the rollback. “I’m a little bit cautiously optimistic that barring extreme shifts we’re going to be able to get this done,” said Democratic state Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, the sponsor of the repeal legislation. Stahl Hamilton said she has been in touch with Rep. Matt Gress, a Republican, about gathering support on his side. Gress declined to comment but last week led an unsuccessful effort to repeal the ban. (Collins, 4/17)

The Hill: Montana Abortion Rights Group Launches Ballot Initiative 
A reproductive rights group in Montana launched an initiative Tuesday to include a state constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights on the ballot in the general election this November. On Tuesday, Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights announced that it has officially launched its signature drive to get the required 60,000 signatures from Montanans by June 21 to qualify the measure on the ballot. (Fortinsky, 4/16)

The Texas Tribune: Texas, Idaho Abortion Bans Test Against Federal Emergency Medicine Rule 
For almost 40 years, American hospitals have operated under a federal law that says they must treat and stabilize any patient experiencing a medical emergency. But now, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act finds itself on a collision course with conservative states that want to ban abortion in nearly all cases. (Klibanoff, 4/17)

NBC News: Mexican State Of Sonora Closest To Arizona, Bans Most Abortions, Creating Regional Void
Though American and Mexican women have long relied on one another for abortion care, the impending restrictions in Arizona are set to create a regional lack of access that spans into the neighboring Mexican state of Sonora — where abortion is also banned with minimal exceptions. Such stringent abortion restrictions have left organizers scrambling to support women seeking care on both sides of the border. (Espadas Barros Leal and Linares, 4/16)

Military.com: Expanding VA's Fertility Treatment Coverage To Vets Without Service Injuries Too Costly, Secretary Says
Expanding coverage of fertility treatments to veterans whose infertility is not caused by a service-connected injury would lead to "substantial" cost increases for the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Secretary Denis McDonough told lawmakers Tuesday. During an appearance before the House Appropriations Committee subpanel in charge of the VA budget, McDonough was asked by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., why the VA does not cover in vitro fertilization for veterans suffering from infertility unless it is caused by a service-connected injury. (Kheel, 4/16)

NPR: Biden Administration Announces New Global Plan To Thwart Future Pandemics
A disease originating in a remote area halfway around the world can travel to the U.S. in as little as 72 hours. That's why the Biden administration has launched a new effort to improve the ability of the U.S. to prevent, detect and respond to the spread of infectious diseases. ... "It will help protect people — across our nation and around the world — from security threats, particularly those posed by infectious diseases," said President Joe Biden in a statement. "It will make the United States stronger, safer and healthier than ever before." (Emanuel, 4/16)

CBS News: Bird Flu Makes Its Way To Another Flock In Michigan
Another flock in Michigan is detected to have the contagious highly pathogenic avian influenza, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. MDARD officials say the virus, which was first detected in Michigan in 2022, was found in Newaygo County, making it the seventh flock in the state in the last two years. It was previously detected in a commercial flock in Ionia County. (Booth-Singleton, 4/16)

CBS News: Whooping Cough Detected In Montgomery County; What You Need To Know
Montgomery County's Office of Public Health is investigating an increase in whooping cough cases primarily among high school students, a county spokesperson told CBS News Philadelphia on Monday. ... Montgomery County officials said the whooping cough vaccine, although effective, does wane with time for those who received the shot during childhood which is why the majority of the cases they're monitoring are among high schoolers. (MacAulay, 4/16)

CIDRAP: FDA To Review 5-In-1 Meningococcal Vaccine Candidate 
British drugmaker GSK announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted an application for review of the company's 5-in-1 meningococcal vaccine. GSK's MenABCWY vaccine candidate will target the five groups of Neisseria meningitidis bacteria (meningococcal serogroups A, B, C, W, and Y) that cause most cases of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) globally. It combines the antigenic components of GSK's well-established meningococcal vaccines, Bexsero and Menveo. (Dall, 4/16)

Reuters: GSK Says Efficacy Of Its Shingles Vaccine Remains High After Years 
British drugmaker GSK (GSK.L), opens new tab said on Wednesday long-term data showed that its blockbuster shingles vaccine, Shingrix, had 79.7% efficacy in participants aged 50 years and above, six to 11 years after vaccination. The vaccine's efficacy remained high at 82% at year 11 after initial vaccination, GSK said, citing data from a long-term follow-up, late-stage trial that tracked participants for up to about 11 years after they were first vaccinated with Shingrix. (4/17)

Modern Healthcare: Elevance Health, CD&R To Form Primary Care Company
Elevance Health has entered a definitive agreement with private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice to form a company focused on primary care, the insurer said Monday. The unnamed organization would combine services from Elevance's Carelon Health and Clayton, Dubilier's Millennium Physician Group and its digital health company Apree Health. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but Elevance said it is investing cash and Carelon Health assets into the partnership. (DeSilva, 4/16)

Reuters: North Carolina Backs FTC Bid Against $320 Million Health System Deal 
North Carolina has backed the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit seeking to block Novant Health’s $320 million acquisition of two hospitals in the state, a deal the agency said would lead to higher prices and reduced innovative care. North Carolina’s state treasurer on Monday filed a “friend of the court” brief urging, opens new tab U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell in the Western District of North Carolina to preliminarily stop Novant from buying the hospitals from Community Health Systems. (Scarcella, 4/16)

Modern Healthcare: Pacs Group Closes IPO, Raises $450M
Pacs Group, an operator of skilled nursing facilities, closed its initial public offering after raising about $450 million. The company, which has more than 200 skilled nursing facilities and other post-acute operations in nine states, sold 21.4 million shares of stock Wednesday at $21 per share. Underwriters also exercised the option to purchase an additional 3.2 million shares from selling stockholders at $21 per share, Pacs Group said Tuesday. (DeSilva, 4/16)

WUSF: Tampa General Hospital Breaks Ground On Tower For Surgery, Neuroscience And Transplants
Tampa General Hospital broke ground Monday on a 12-floor medical tower for surgery, neuroscience and transplant services, a flagship effort of a $550 million master plan. The 565,000-square-foot building, adjacent to Tampa General’s main campus on Davis Islands, will include 144 beds, 32 operating suites and an expanded intensive care unit. There will also be space for education and two floors reserved for future growth. (Colombini, 4/16)

Modern Healthcare: Why CVS’ Oak Street Is Opening Retail Clinics As Others Shutter
CVS Health is opening Oak Street Health primary care clinics at its retail pharmacy stores — a move that hasn’t always worked out for competitors. CVS acquired primary care provider Oak Street last May for $10.6 billion and announced plans to add 50 to 60 Oak Street clinics in 2024. Most of those clinics are expected to be standalone locations, including some located in closed CVS stores. But CVS also is piloting a setup that replaces much of the retail space in existing stores with clinics. (Hudson, 4/16)

Iowa Public Radio: Iowans With Disabilities Say House Bill Doesn't Go Far Enough To Ensure They Can Work, Get Married
More Iowans with disabilities who work could qualify for government-funded health coverage through Medicaid under a bill in the Iowa House of Representatives. But those who have been pushing for changes say it wouldn’t go far enough to ensure disabled Iowans can continue to receive services if they get a job promotion or get married. (Sostaric, 4/16)

San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. Officials Back California Bill To Expand Methadone Access
In the face of rising fentanyl overdose deaths, San Francisco officials are pushing to change state law to expand the types of clinics that can dispense methadone and make it easier for patients to get take-home doses of the drug. Assembly Member Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, called the measure his “most important bill of the year.” Dr. Christy Soran, a deputy medical director at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, said she sees the legislation as a key tactic to address fentanyl overdoses in the city. (Bollag, 4/16)

CBS News: Santa Monica Protestors Say LA County's Park Needle Distribution Program Is Unsafe
Santa Monica community advocates gathered at Reed Park Tuesday morning to protest the Los Angeles County needle distribution program. While the county says the program saves lives and protects public health, the Santa Monica Coalition says handing out needles in three of the city's public parks attracts drug users to the parks and is a safety issue as needles are discarded throughout the parks. (Sharp, 4/16)

CNN: Small Gift Cards Can Be A Key Tool To Stop Stimulant Addiction, But Stigma Stands In The Way 
Clyde Davis battled a methamphetamine and heroin addiction for over nine years. He tried various treatment programs, but none worked for him before he reached his insurance maximum and was forced to discharge. “I was trying to die; just putting myself through torture because I didn’t feel like I deserved to live and be happy,” Davis said. (Cheng, 4/16)

The New York Times: California Women’s Prison With Sex Abuse Culture Will Close 
For years, the women housed at the low-security federal prison in Northern California said they were victims of sexual assault at the hands of staff. There were harrowing accounts of rape, sexual touching and voyeurism at the Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin. Some inmates said they were forced to strip naked, while others recounted being made to serve as lookouts while staff members brutalized their cellmates. The abuse was so persistent, one investigation found, that prison employees called the facility “the rape club.” (Knight, 4/15)

WUSF: Tampa Police, Crisis Center Of Tampa Bay Partner To Handle Calls On Mental Health
The 988 Suicide and Crisis hotline was launched in 2022 to provide people in a mental health crisis with another hotline to call other than 911. Starting this summer, staff from the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay will work in Tampa's police dispatch center to further refine 911 calls that don't need police involvement. Police Deputy Chief Calvin Johnson says when officers have to respond to mental health crisis calls, it can be very difficult for them. (Lebron, 4/16)

The Washington Post: Ohio Judge Temporarily Blocks Ban On Gender-Affirming Care For Minors 
An Ohio judge temporarily blocked a law Tuesday that would have banned gender-affirming care for minors, a week before it was set to take effect — the latest juncture in the state’s months-long battle over the issue. Franklin County Judge Michael J. Holbrook’s restraining order lasts for two weeks or until a hearing to consider a longer-term order blocking the law, whichever is sooner. Families of transgender children can continue accessing gender-affirming medical treatments, like puberty blockers and hormone therapy, until then. (Kaur, 4/17)

AP: Idaho's Ban On Youth Gender-Affirming Care Has Families Scrambling For Solutions 
Forced to hide her true self, Joe Horras’ transgender daughter struggled with depression and anxiety until three years ago, when she began to take medication to block the onset of puberty. The gender-affirming treatment helped the now-16-year-old find happiness again, her father said. A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court late Monday allowing Idaho to enforce its ban on such care for minors could jeopardize her wellbeing once again. Horras is scrambling to figure out next steps and is considering leaving Idaho, where he’s lived his whole life, to move to another state. (Rush, 4/16)

NPR: Finally, Tough New Safety Rules Are Out To Prevent Severe Black Lung
"No miner should ever have to sacrifice their health or lungs in order to provide for their family," said Chris Williamson, the assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. The Mine Safety and Health Administration acted after joint investigative reporting by NPR, Ohio Valley ReSource, Public Health Watch, Mountain State Spotlight and Louisville Public Media exposed: a once-hidden epidemic of severe, incurable and fatal black lung disease. (Berkes and Hicks, 4/16)

The Washington Post: A Blood Test To Detect Cancer? Some Patients Are Using Them Already.
When her husband was undergoing cancer treatment, Cindy Perez of Southwest Ranches, Fla., learned about a new blood test that could help find early cancers. The 50-year-old said she felt fine, but her husband urged her to take the test anyway. To her surprise, the blood test — called Galleri — came back positive. Scans revealed a small tumor in her groin and a diagnosis of mantle cell lymphoma, a rare but aggressive form of cancer. She was treated and now, two years later, she’s in remission. “For me, the test was a miracle,” she said. “A real big miracle.” (Cimons, 4/16)

NBC News: FDA Winds Down Part Of Lead-Contaminated Applesauce Probe
The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday it’s winding down some of its U.S. response to lead-contaminated cinnamon applesauce pouches, which have sickened hundreds of children across the country. The FDA will continue to actively investigate how WanaBana’s apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches, which were recalled in late October because of high lead levels, became contaminated. However, much of the work the agency has done to ensure no one else buys the applesauce pouches has ended. (Lovelace Jr., 4/16)

The Washington Post: U.K. Lawmakers Pass ‘Smoke-Free Generation’ Bill, One Of World’s Strictest
Britain is poised to launch a world-leading project to create a “smoke-free generation,” after the House of Commons passed a bill Tuesday banning the sale of cigarettes to anyone born in 2009 or later. For years, antismoking health experts have relied on education campaigns and higher taxes to snuff out the habit. Now Britain is going all in on a ban that could spell the end of tobacco here — though wily companies are quickly striving to deliver their nicotine via less harmful delivery systems. (Booth, 4/16)