First Edition: May 1, 2024

KFF Health News: WHO Overturns Dogma On Airborne Disease Spread. The CDC Might Not Act On It
The World Health Organization has issued a report that transforms how the world understands respiratory infections like covid-19, influenza, and measles. Motivated by grave missteps in the pandemic, the WHO convened about 50 experts in virology, epidemiology, aerosol science, and bioengineering, among other specialties, who spent two years poring through the evidence on how airborne viruses and bacteria spread. (Maxmen, 5/1)

KFF Health News: AC, Power Banks, Mini Fridges: Oregon Equips Medicaid Patients For Climate Change
Oregon is shipping air conditioners, air purifiers, and power banks to some of its most vulnerable residents, a first-in-the-nation experiment to use Medicaid money to prevent the potentially deadly health effects of extreme heat, wildfire smoke, and other climate-related disasters. The equipment, which started going out in March, expands a Biden administration strategy to move Medicaid beyond traditional medical care and into the realm of social services. (Young, 5/1)

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. (4/30)

AP: US Poised To Ease Restrictions On Marijuana In Historic Shift, But It’ll Remain Controlled Substance
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, The Associated Press has learned, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country. The proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. However, it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use. The agency’s move, confirmed to the AP on Tuesday by five people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive regulatory review, clears the last significant regulatory hurdle before the agency’s biggest policy change in more than 50 years can take effect. (Miller, Goodman, Mustian and Whitehurst, 4/30)

The Hill: What Rescheduling Marijuana Would Look Like
Moving marijuana away from Schedule I would make it much easier to research.  Schedule III drugs are considered to have a “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.” Substances within this category include ketamine, anabolic steroids and testosterone. Since Schedule I drugs have no medical value, there is no easy way to conduct clinical research.  (Weixel, 4/30)

Axios: U.S. Panel, Cancer Groups Differ On New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines
An influential national advisory group has called for women to start getting mammograms beginning at age 40, but only every two years  — a recommendation that highlights a rift within the cancer community. (Reed, 4/30)

Military.com: Tricare Lowers Age For Colon Cancer Screenings To 45
Tricare beneficiaries at average risk for colorectal cancer can now receive covered screening exams and lab tests five years sooner, at age 45, following a recent coverage change. The change in coverage comes as people younger than 50 are getting colon cancer more often, according to the American Cancer Society. The incidence of colorectal cancer in the U.S. rose steadily from 2011 to 2020 in people younger than 50, increasing at a rate of 2% per year. Cases of advanced colon cancer in patients under 50 grew even faster during that time, at about 3% per year. (Miller, 4/30)

Military.com: More Veterans Can Get Cancer Treatment Closer To Home As VA Expands 'Close To Me' Program
More than 9,000 veterans will have access to advanced oncology treatment and monitoring in locations closer to their homes under an expansion of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Close to Me cancer care program, according to VA officials. In the program, VA providers travel to community-based outpatient clinics to provide diagnostics, treatment and services, rather than the veteran having to travel to a VA medical center. (Kime, 4/30)

AP: EPA Rule Bans Toxic Chemical Methylene Chloride, Toxic Solvent Known To Cause Liver Cancer 
The Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday it has finalized a ban on consumer uses of  methylene chloride, a chemical that is widely used as a paint stripper but is known to cause liver cancer and other health problems. The EPA said its action will protect Americans from health risks while allowing certain commercial uses to continue with robust worker protections. (Daly, 4/30)

The Hill: Harris To Blast Trump In Florida As State’s Six-Week Abortion Ban Goes Into Effect
Vice President Harris on Wednesday will head to Florida as the state’s six-week abortion ban is set to take effect, using the occasion to tear into former President Trump for his most recent comments about reproductive rights if he is reelected. Harris will deliver remarks in Jacksonville, where a Biden campaign official said she will describe Florida’s new law as one of the “Trump abortion bans” that have been implemented since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. (Samuels, 5/1)

NBC News: Florida Abortion Clinics Squeeze Patients In Ahead Of 6-Week Ban
Abortion clinics in Florida say they have been trying to see as many patients as possible before the state's ban on abortions after six weeks takes effect Wednesday. In Jacksonville, a clinic called A Woman’s Choice provided around double its usual volume of abortions Monday, according to Amber Gavin, its vice president of advocacy and operations. (Parra, Harris, Bendix and Arcodia, 4/30)

Axios: How Florida's Six-Week Abortion Ban Impacts Neighboring States
Florida's six-week abortion ban goes into effect Wednesday, but its impact will sweep far beyond the Sunshine State. Florida's new abortion law — one of the strictest limits in the nation — means its role as a post-Roe refuge for people seeking care in the U.S. South will dramatically change. (Habeshian, 5/1)

North Carolina Health News: NC Abortion Providers Brace For Influx Of Patients From The South
A six-week abortion ban taking effect today in Florida will usher in a significant shift in abortion access in the South. The new restrictions position North Carolina as one of the last places in the South that allows abortion past six weeks of pregnancy — a point at which many women do not yet know they are pregnant. (Crumpler, 5/1)

The Hill: Trump: It’s Up To States To Monitor Pregnancies, Prosecute Abortions
Former President Trump in a new interview suggested states with restrictive abortion bans might monitor women’s pregnancies and should be left to decide whether to prosecute women for having the procedure. Trump sat for an interview earlier this month with Time Magazine about his plans for a possible second term. When asked about various abortion policies and how he would handle them if he is elected in November, Trump repeatedly said it should be left up to individual states to decide. (Samuels, 4/30)

Time: Donald Trump On What His Second Term Would Look Like 
In exclusive interviews, the former President lays out a second-term agenda that would reshape America and its role in the world. (Cortellessa, 4/30)

The Hill: Biden Campaign Hits Donald Trump For Saying He Would Close Pandemic Preparedness Office
President Biden’s reelection campaign criticized former President Trump on Tuesday after Trump said he would get rid of the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy (OPPR). The OPPR was founded in 2022 over failures in government response to the COVID pandemic. Trump said in a TIME interview on Monday that office isn’t necessary. (Robertson, 4/30)

CNN: Spikes Of Flu Virus In Wastewater Raise Questions About Spread Of Bird Flu
Spikes of influenza A virus seen in wastewater samples from 59 sewer systems across 18 different states this spring may point to the spread of the H5N1 avian influenza virus that is currently infecting dairy cattle, a new study suggests. (Goodman, 4/30)

AP: USDA Is Testing Ground Beef For Bird Flu
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will test ground beef for bird flu particles, though officials said Tuesday they’re confident the nation’s meat supply is safe. Bird flu has been found in nearly three-dozen dairy herds across nine states. The new testing is the latest effort by the USDA to track and understand how the virus is spreading among livestock. Two studies will test if particles of the bird flu virus, called Type A H5N1, is found in beef for sale in the states where dairy cows have tested positive or in the muscles of dairy cows sent to slaughter. A third will test how cooking meat at different temperatures affects the virus using a bird flu surrogate. (Shastri, 4/30)

Reuters: Bird Flu May Infect Cows Outside The US, Says WHO 
There is a risk that the H5N1 bird flu virus, present in many wild birds, may infect cows in countries beyond the United States as they migrate, a World Health Organization official said on Tuesday. "With the virus carried around the world by migratory birds, certainly there is a risk for cows in other countries to be getting infected," Wenqing Zhang, head of WHO's Global Influenza Programme, said at a news briefing in Geneva. (4/30)

The Atlantic: America’s Infectious-Disease Barometer Is Off
The ongoing outbreak of H5N1 avian flu virus looks a lot like a public-health problem that the United States should be well prepared for. Although this version of flu is relatively new to the world, scientists have been tracking H5N1 for almost 30 years. Researchers know the basics of how flu spreads and who tends to be most at risk. They have experience with other flus that have jumped into us from animals. The U.S. also has antivirals and vaccines that should have at least some efficacy against this pathogen. (Wu, 4/30)

Modern Healthcare: Leapfrog Group Safety Grades Show Patient Experience Scores Jump
The Leapfrog Group said hospitals improved their patient experience scores for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading some to earn higher safety grades in the nonprofit watchdog's latest report. The organization’s spring 2024 report found that hospitals’ average scores on measures related to staff responsiveness and doctor communication increased between October 2021 and March 2023. Around 70% of hospitals increased their score for at least one patient experience measure. (Devereaux, 4/30)

Houston Chronicle: Memorial Hermann Liver Transplant Data Shows Rising Waitlist Deaths
Memorial Hermann’s liver transplant program had been underperforming in some areas before a national scandal emerged at the Texas Medical Center hospital, according to publicly available data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. A Houston Chronicle analysis of registry data found that the hospital’s liver transplant volume had been declining since at least 2015 and, in recent years, dropped lower than would be expected of a program with a similar patient population. (Gill and Zdun, 4/30)

Modern Healthcare: Walmart Health To Close All Clinics, End Virtual Care
Walmart will close all of its clinics and its virtual care platform in a sharp reversal of its five-year-old health center strategy. The retailer attributed the shutdown of its Walmart Health unit, which involves closing 51 clinics across five states, to a challenging reimbursement environment and escalating operating costs, making the business model unsustainable. Walmart declined to share closing dates for individual centers, but a spokesperson said some clinics will remain open for up to 90 days. (Hudson, 4/30)

Axios: End Of Internet Subsidy Threatens Telehealth Access
Millions of low-income Americans may find it harder to see health care providers virtually after federal subsidies for high-speed internet expired Tuesday. Many of the 23 million households that received financial help to afford their internet bill made or attended health care appointments online, a federal survey indicates. (Goldman, 5/1)

Minnesota Public Radio: In Money-Saving Move, Mahnomen Hospital Shutters Inpatient Beds, Keeps Outpatient And Emergency Care 
In what could be a harbinger of things to come for struggling rural hospitals, Mahnomen Health will transition its 10-bed hospital to a rural emergency center starting Wednesday. The money-saving move effectively eliminates overnight stays at the federally designated critical-access hospital located in northwest Minnesota. Outpatient and emergency services will continue. (Eagle III, 5/1)

Modern Healthcare: Tenet Healthcare Plans To Invest In Specialty Care, Expansions
Tenet Healthcare plans to grow its ambulatory surgical center footprint and invest in specialty hospital care after a strong first quarter, CEO Dr. Saum Sutaria said. During a first-quarter earnings call with analysts Tuesday, Sutaria said Tenet spent $449 million on 45 new ambulatory facilities during the quarter and the system anticipates more mergers and acquisitions and start-up investments for its ambulatory surgical center division. (DeSilva, 4/30)

Modern Healthcare: CVS Health Buys Medicare Advantage Broker Hella Health
CVS Health paid an undisclosed sum to acquire Hella Health, according to the Medicare Advantage brokerage's founder. Hella Health debuted in 2020 and claims to offer more than 3,000 Medicare plans from insurers such as CVS Health subsidiary Aetna, UnitedHealth Group subsidiary UnitedHealthcare and Humana. (Tepper, 4/30)

Crain's Chicago Business: Moody's Gives Duly Health And Care Credit Rating Downgrade
Following various belt-tightening measures, including layoffs and compensation cuts, Duly Health & Care was downgraded by a major bond credit ratings agency, an indication that the private-equity-backed physicians group’s financial position continues to darken. Moody’s Ratings downgraded Duly on three key metrics in an April 16 report, saying the action reflected its “deteriorating operating performance and very high leverage," or debt loads, based on an analysis of the company’s financial performance in the 12 months ended Sept. 30. (Davis, 4/30)

Modern Healthcare: Akili Layoffs Hit 46% Of Employees
Digital therapeutics company Akili said Tuesday it is reducing its workforce by 46% and exploring strategic alternatives. Akili, which has developed video game therapies for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, said in a release it was eliminating its marketing and medical affairs teams. As a result, the company said it would “substantially reduce” promotional activity for its EndeavorRx and EndeavorOTC therapeutic video games. This is the third major layoff for Akili in 18 months. (Turner, 4/30)

Modern Healthcare: What UHG’s Andrew Witty Will Tell Congress About The Change Outage
UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty is scheduled to be on Capitol Hill Wednesday, responding to lawmakers demanding answers about the company's failed cybersecurity measures and response to the Change Healthcare cyberattack. Witty plans to testify before the Senate Finance Committee Wednesday morning and the House Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations in the afternoon. The House committee released Witty’s written testimony ahead of the hearing. (Berryman, 4/30)

Modern Healthcare: CMS’ Daniel Tsai Defends Medicaid 80/20 Rule Against GOP Critics
A senior Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services official pushed back against Republican attacks on the agency's controversial long-term care regulations during a congressional hearing Tuesday. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.) and other GOP lawmakers asserted that rules to boost pay for home- and community-based healthcare workers and to mandate minimum staffing levels at nursing homes could jeopardize providers and hamper access to care. (McAuliff, 4/30)

Modern Healthcare: Aetna’s Alleged Peek At Texas Medicaid Bids Prompts Protests
Texas gave two consultancies and a law firm a sneak peek into how managed care companies bid to run Texas’ $116 billion Medicaid program, which some insurers contend gave CVS Health's Aetna subsidiary an unfair advantage. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission last August released 18 companies’ redacted proposals to manage the state's Medicaid program to consultancy Health Management Associates and law firm Hahn, Loeser and Parks after the two submitted public information requests. (Tepper, 4/30)

News Service of Florida: Judge Gives The Go-Ahead To Medicaid Class-Action Lawsuit Against Florida
A federal judge has cleared the way for a class-action lawsuit that alleges Florida did not properly inform people before dropping them from the Medicaid program after a COVID-19 public health emergency ended. (Saunders, 4/30)

ABC News: Rural Americans Are At Higher Risk Of Early Death Than Urbanites: CDC
Rural Americans are more likely to die early from one of the five leading causes of death than those who live in urban areas, according to new federal data. Researchers looked at the number of potentially preventable deaths from 2010 through 2022. The report was published Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Kekatos, 4/30)

The Hill: Attorneys General Sue Biden Administration Over Revisions To Title IX
A group of six GOP state attorneys general sued the Biden administration over changes to Title IX on Tuesday, the fourth such suit over proposed revisions to the anti-discrimination protections in two days. Tuesday’s suit, led by Kentucky and Tennessee, claims that expansions to campus sexual assault rules overstep the president’s authority. It follows a pair of suits from nine states on Monday contesting transgender student protections. (Robertson, 4/30)

New Hampshire Bulletin: Some NH Patients Stuck In Hospitals Due To Inadequate Insurance, Report Finds
Patients who are medically cleared to be discharged from a hospital continue to stay much longer than they need to largely because they cannot get the ongoing specialized care they require, according to a new report from the New Hampshire Hospital Association. (Timmins, 4/30)

CBS News: 16,000 People With Disabilities Are In State-Operated Institutions. This Is How Experts Say Health Care Should Change
More than 16,000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, or IDD, are housed in institutions in the U.S., reports the Residential Information Systems Project. While that's significantly lower than nearly 200,000 people in the 1960s, there is more work to be done, says disability rights activist Rebecca Cokley. Cokley, currently working as the disability rights program officer at the Ford Foundation, was born with achondroplasia, a common cause of dwarfism. (Roppolo, 4/30)

Stat: As Private Equity Dominates Wheelchair Market, Users Wait Months For Repairs
When Maureen Amirault purchased her first electric wheelchair in 2020, she had been living with muscular dystrophy for decades. Braces and a cane helped, but walking became too arduous, so she got a chair through a company called Numotion. (Broderick, 5/1)

Reuters: First Trial Over Zantac Cancer Claims Set To Begin In Chicago 
The first trial over claims that blockbuster heartburn drug Zantac, once sold by GSK and other companies, causes cancer is set to begin this week in Chicago. Jury selection began on Tuesday before Judge Daniel Trevino of the Circuit Court of Cook County and was expected to continue Wednesday morning. Lawyers will deliver their opening statements once a jury is chosen. GSK and Boehringer Ingelheim are the only defendants in the trial, after other companies settled. (Pierson, 4/30)

NPR: Scientists Restore Impaired Brain Cells In Timothy Syndrome Patients
Scientists have found a way to restore brain cells impaired by a rare and life-threatening genetic disorder called Timothy syndrome. A type of drug known as an antisense oligonucleotide allowed clusters of human neurons to develop normally even though they carried the mutation responsible for Timothy syndrome, a team reports in the journal Nature. The approach may help researchers develop treatments for other genetic conditions, including some that cause schizophrenia, epilepsy, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder. (Hamilton, 4/30)

Fox News: ‘Liquid Gold’ Could Bring New Hope To Multiple Sclerosis Patients, Study Suggests
Researchers may have hit "gold" when it comes to the treatment of multiple sclerosis. An experimental medication called CNM-Au8 — a drinkable liquid with gold nanocrystals — has shown promising results in clinical trials in terms of improvements in MS symptoms. The "catalytically active" liquid, developed by Clene Nanomedicine in South Carolina, can cross the blood-brain barrier to help improve cellular energy and restore neurological function, according to researchers. (Rudy, 4/30)

CNN: Anger Can Harm Your Blood Vessel Function, Study Shows
Does it ever feel as if your anger courses through your veins? Well, that isn’t too far off, according to new research. Feelings of anger adversely affect blood vessel health, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association. (Holcombe, 5/1)