First Edition: Aug. 9, 2024

KFF Health News: Medi-Cal’s Dental Care Gap: Getting A Tooth Pulled Is Easy — Much Harder To Get An Implant
When Bobby Moske went to a community clinic a few years ago with a toothache, he couldn’t find a dentist in Marin County willing to take Medicaid to do a root canal. Marin Community Clinics referred the 75-year-old to a dentist about 20 miles away in San Francisco, but his tooth decayed while he waited months for authorization to cover the procedure. In the end, his tooth was pulled. It was the sixth time in a decade Moske had lost a tooth for lack of dental care, he said. (Castle Work, 8/9)

KFF Health News: Violent Dementia Patients Leave Nursing Home Staffers And Residents ‘Scared To Death’
Dan Shively had been a bank president who built floats for July Fourth parades in Cody, Wyoming, and adored fly-fishing with his sons. Jeffrey Dowd had been an auto mechanic who ran a dog rescue and hosted a Sunday blues radio show in Santa Fe. By the time their lives intersected at Canyon Creek Memory Care Community in Billings, Montana, both were deep in the grips of dementia and exhibiting some of the disease’s terrible traits. (Rau, 8/9)

KFF Health News: KFF Health News' 'What The Health?': The Walz Record
Vice President Kamala Harris this week officially became the Democratic nominee for president and named Minnesota governor and former U.S. congressman Tim Walz as her running mate. ... Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. (Rovner, 8/8)

The New York Times: Engineered Virus Steals Proteins From H.I.V., Pointing To New Therapy 
Scientists have developed a new weapon against H.I.V.: a molecular mimic that invades a cell and steals essential proteins from the virus. A study published in Science on Thursday reported that this viral thief prevented H.I.V. from multiplying inside of monkeys. The new therapeutic approach will soon be tested in people, the scientists said. Four or five volunteers with H.I.V. will receive a single injection of the engineered virus. “This is imminent,” said Leor Weinberger, a virologist at the University of California, San Francisco, who led the new study. (Zimmer, 8/8)

Stat: MDMA Therapy For PTSD Faces Imminent FDA Decision 
A decades-long campaign to legalize MDMA as a mainstream medical treatment will reach a climax as soon as Friday, with the Food and Drug Administration poised to decide whether the psychedelic should be approved as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder in conjunction with psychotherapy. The regulators face an Aug. 11 deadline to decide whether to sign off on the drug or reject it. The agency could also postpone its decision if it needs more time to review data and investigate claims of irregularities in clinical trials run by Lykos Therapeutics. (Keshavan and Goldhill, 8/9)

NBC News: FDA’s ‘Hands-Off Approach’ To Additives May Allow Unsafe Ingredients In Food, Experts Suggest
The Food and Drug Administration’s “hands-off approach” to food additives, including those found in ultraprocessed foods and energy drinks, may allow unsafe ingredients to enter the nation’s food supply, according to the authors of an editorial published Thursday. The paper, in the American Journal of Public Health, comes as lawmakers and public health groups allege that the FDA has failed to take quick action to protect the public from certain additives — including brominated vegetable oil and red dye No. 3 — in food products. (Lovelace Jr. and Fattah, 8/8)

The Washington Post: Trump Won’t Rule Out Revoking Access To The Abortion Pill Mifepristone 
Donald Trump suggested in a news conference Thursday that he is open to curbing access to abortion pills through federal regulations, declining to rule out a sweeping move that some antiabortion allies have advocated. Trump has previously praised a Supreme Court ruling that maintained access to the key abortion drug mifepristone, saying, “I agree with their decision to have done that, and I will not block it.” But the GOP presidential nominee muddled his position at Thursday’s news conference at his Mar-a-Lago Club. (Knowles, 8/8)

Politico: Trump Won't Say How He'll Vote On Florida Abortion Amendment
Former President Donald Trump wouldn’t say Thursday how he’ll vote on a proposed Florida state constitutional amendment that would overturn the state’s six-week abortion ban, adding that he predicted the vote on it would wind up in a more “liberal way” than might be anticipated. Trump made the comments during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach. A POLITICO reporter asked how he — as a Florida resident — would vote and he demurred, adding that he thinks abortion has “become much less of an issue.” (Leonard, 8/8)

AP: In 60-Year-Old Tim Walz, Kamala Harris Found A Partner To Advocate For Reproductive Rights 
The makings of a presidential ticket began in an unusual spot six months ago: a Minnesota abortion clinic. At the time, it was a historic visit for Vice President Kamala Harris — no president or vice president had ever made a public stop at one. But the visit laid the groundwork for Harris to connect with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and learn about his interest in reproductive health, an issue Harris has taken the lead on during her White House term. (Seitz, 8/8)

Reuters: US States Sue Over Biden Rule Extending Health Insurance To DACA Immigrants
A group of Republican-led states filed a lawsuit on Thursday seeking to block the Biden administration from allowing up to 200,000 immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children to access federally-run health insurance. The 15 states led by the office of Republican Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach say a rule adopted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in May violates a federal law that prohibits giving public benefits to people who lack legal immigration status. (Wiessner, 8/8)

Stat: Medicare Drug Negotiation Lawsuit Tossed Out In Loss For Pharma
A federal judge on Thursday tossed out a U.S. Chamber of Commerce lawsuit challenging Democrats’ drug pricing law. The decision is yet another loss for the pharmaceutical industry and its allies, which have filed lawsuits across the country arguing that the Inflation Reduction Act, which created a drug price negotiation program in Medicare, is unconstitutional. So far, they have lost every one. (Zhang, 8/8)

Stat: Medicare Paid More For J&J's Stelara When It Was Covered Under Part D
A popular biologic medicine used to combat autoimmune diseases cost Medicare and its beneficiaries considerably more when the injectable treatment was obtained at pharmacies rather than injected in physician offices due to different methods for determining payment, a new analysis found. (Silverman, 8/9)

Stateline: States Want To Lower Drug Prices. A Federal Law Stands In Their Way
Oliver Lackey opened a pharmacy in his hometown of Fairview, Oklahoma, so he could “provide the best patient care.” He set up shop a decade ago in the local grocery store with “zero prescriptions.” Before long, business took off — yet he was still struggling. “I was getting more patients and was filling more prescriptions,” Lackey told Stateline. “But as I grew in revenues, my reimbursement from the insurance companies and PBMs every year was getting worse.” (Chatlani, 8/8)

North Carolina Health News: How Many Hospitals Will Join Cooper's Medical Debt Initiative? 
At least 37 of the state’s 99 hospitals have so far signed up for a new state program that promises them extra federal money if they agree to wipe out low-income patients’ old medical debt and to take steps to help those patients avoid debt in the future, state health officials said. (Crouch, 8/9)

CNN: Daily Marijuana Use Linked To Deadly Head And Neck Cancers, Study Finds
Using marijuana daily for years may raise the overall risk of head and neck cancers by 3.5% to 5%, according to a new study that analyzed millions of medical records. (LaMotte, 8/8)

Fox News: FDA Approves New Immunotherapy Drug For Endometrial Cancer Patients
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug for certain adult patients with endometrial cancer. Jemperli (dostarlimab-gxly) — made by British pharmaceutical company GSK — is intended for people with primary advanced or recurrent forms of the cancer, according to the FDA’s Aug. 1 announcement. It is an immunotherapy-based drug, which means it leverages the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells. (Rudy, 8/8)

CBS News: Drug Used To Treat Nausea Could Help Prevent Breast Cancer From Spreading, Study Says
A drug used to treat nausea could be used in the fight against breast cancer. In a new study published in Nature, researchers at Rockefeller University discovered that activation of sensory nerves in breast tumors promotes cancer growth and its spread to other parts of the body. They also found that an FDA-approved anti-nausea drug called aprepitant could disrupt this pathway and prevent the growth and spread of breast cancer in mice. (Marshall, 8/8)

CIDRAP: COVID Drops To 10th Leading Cause Of Death In US 
Provisional data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) on the top causes of deaths in the United States in 2023 shows COVID-19 dropped to the tenth leading cause of death. In 2022, it was the fourth leading cause of death, meaning deaths from COVID dropped by 68.9% in 1 year. There were 76,446 deaths from COVID-19 in 2021, and 245,614 in 2022. In 2023, the leading causes of death in the United States were heart disease (680,909 deaths), cancer (613,331), and unintentional injury (222,518). (Soucheray, 8/8)

CBS News: Concerns Rise About COVID Cases Associated With Lollapalooza
Health officials are preparing for a spike in COVID-19 cases in the wake of Lollapalooza this past weekend. Lollapalooza once again brought more than 100,000 music lovers to Grant Park each day of the four-day festival. Along with a good time, some appear also to be leaving with positive COVID-19 tests—and posts shared online have urged other attendees of both the festival itself and afterparties to get checked out. (De Mar, 8/8)

CBS News: Measles Cases Are Triple What They Were Last Year In The U.S. Doctors Say Vaccines Can Help
Federal health officials are renewing warnings about the growing number of measles cases and encouraging parents to get their children the recommended vaccinations before school starts. Measles outbreaks are up substantially, CDC numbers show. CDC officials say that's because there was a drop in vaccinations, which they say are the best way to keep communities safe and free from potentially deadly diseases. (Stahl and Nau, 8/8)

CNN: Childhood Vaccinations Will Have Prevented More Than 500 Million Illnesses And 1 Million Deaths In US Since 1994, CDC Report Says 
Routine childhood vaccinations will have prevented hundreds of millions of illnesses, tens of millions of hospitalizations and more than 1 million deaths among people born between 1994 and 2023, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A new report, published Thursday by the CDC, analyzed the benefits of routine childhood immunizations in the United States through the CDC’s Vaccines for Children Program, which launched in 1994. The research also found that the vaccinations saved the country billions of dollars. (Howard, 8/8)

CIDRAP: Clinicians Detail H5N1 Infections In 2 Michigan Farm Workers 
A group led by Michigan clinicians yesterday described two H5N1 avian flu infections in dairy workers who were sick in May, one with conjunctivitis and the other with more systemic flulike symptoms. They detailed their findings in a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine. The workers were employed at two separate farms. The first patient began having right-eye symptoms 1 day after milk had splashed in their eye while milking a cow. ... Meanwhile, the worker from the second farm had cared for sick cows, including administering oral fluid therapy, which typically involves contact with the animal's oral secretions. The worker used eye protection and gloves, but not a respirator or a mask. (Schnirring, 8/8)

NBC News: Valley Fever Outbreak At California Music Festival Shows Fungus' Threat
An outbreak of Valley fever among attendees and workers at an outdoor music festival in California’s Central Valley highlights the fungal infection’s mounting threat. Fourteen people who traveled to attend or work at the Lightning in a Bottle Festival in Bakersfield in May have tested positive for Valley fever and developed symptoms, the California Department of Public Health told NBC News on Thursday. At least three of them were hospitalized. (Bendix and Barakett, 8/8)

CIDRAP: Hospitalization Linked To Higher Risk Of MRSA Infections In Households 
A new study suggests that people who've recently been hospitalized could potentially be a major source of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) transmission in households. (Dall, 8/8)

Modern Healthcare: Nursing Homes May Face More Fines For Health, Safety Violations
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has added another weapon to its arsenal as it ramps up efforts to enforce nursing home safety and quality rules. The agency decided that federal and state authorities may levy more fines against skilled nursing facilities when inspectors uncover health and safety deficiencies. Under a final rule published July 31, regulators are now empowered to concurrently fine providers on both per-day and per-instance bases. (Early, 8/8)

CBS News: Brigham And Women's Hospital Nurses Reach Contract Deal, Avoid One-Day Strike
Nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston will not go on strike after a reaching a new contract deal on Thursday. Two weeks ago, the union authorized a one-day strike because their negotiations with hospital administrators were deadlocked. The Massachusetts Nurses Association said the tentative contract includes pay raises, health insurance choice, better staffing, and workplace violence prevention. (8/8)

The Colorado Sun: Larimer County’s Mental Health Center Lays Off 75 People
Larimer County’s community mental health center has abruptly laid off 75 employees, causing a gap in care for some of the most vulnerable patients and increasing concerns about how far the fallout will spread after a seismic shift in Medicaid funding. (Brown, 8/8)

Modern Healthcare: How Community Health Centers Adapt To Staffing, Pay Limitations
Community Healthcare Network has struggled to find clinicians as health centers face a staffing crisis because they just can't afford to pay what other employers offer. “We have a very compelling mission and many healthcare workers want to commit to that mission, but the formula at health centers is, ‘Work very hard under the toughest of circumstances for less money than you can get almost anywhere else,’” CEO Robert Hayes said. “So it’s a tough sell.” (Devereaux, 8/8)

Modern Healthcare: Inpatient Claim Denials Grew In 2023: Kodiak Solutions
Insurance claim denials continue to be a vexing problem for healthcare providers, forcing them to expend more resources to reverse payers' decisions in an already-inflated cost environment. One common approach among insurers is denying payment until the provider submits additional information. Payers say it's a way to ensure their dollars are being spent appropriately, but many providers argue it's a stalling tactic. (Hudson, 8/8)

Axios: Eli Lilly's Weight-Loss Drug Sales Skyrocket, Crushing Expectations
Eli Lilly proved Thursday that the market for weight-loss drugs isn't softening. The company is riding the GLP-1 rocket ship to higher sales and profits, cementing its status as a global pharmaceutical powerhouse. (Bomey, 8/8)

The Hill: Texas Gov. Abbott Orders Hospitals To Collect And Send State Data On Patients’ Immigration Status
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed an executive order Thursday requiring hospitals to ask patients about their immigration status to help the state determine the cost of providing healthcare to noncitizens. Beginning Nov. 1, Abbott is directing hospitals in Texas to gather data on “patients who are not lawfully present in the United States,” as well as the number of inpatient discharges and emergency visits and the costs of care. (Irwin, 8/8)

The CT Mirror: CT's Stricter Medicaid Limits Could Reduce Coverage, Advocates Say
Beginning in October, Connecticut will enact a stricter income threshold for HUSKY A, the Medicaid coverage for parents and caretaker relatives of eligible children. Currently, parents and caretaker relatives who earn up to 160% of the federal poverty level, or FPL, qualify for HUSKY A. But a measure passed last session, which was introduced and backed by Gov. Ned Lamont, will reduce the eligibility threshold to 138% of the federal poverty level beginning Oct. 1, 2024. (Golvala, 8/8)

AP: Prompted By Mass Shooting, 72-Hour Wait Period And Other New Gun Laws Go Into Effect In Maine
With eleventh hour guidance from the state, Maine gun retailers on Friday began requiring a three-day wait period for gun purchases under one of the new safety laws adopted following the state’s deadliest mass shooting. Maine joins a dozen other states with similar laws, requiring that buyers wait 72 hours to complete a purchase and retrieve a weapon. The law is among several gun-related bills adopted after an Army reservist killed 18 people and injured 13 others on Oct. 25, 2023, in Lewiston. (Sharp, 8/9)

The Washington Post: In Charleston, S.C., Hospitals Are In The City’s Highest Flood Risk Areas
Maggie Thomas packed up Sunday night knowing floods might maroon her for a day or two in the hospital where she works. The 36-year-old doctor brought an air mattress and bedding, changes of scrubs, some snacks and a book as Tropical Storm Debby crept north, carrying with it rainfall that would soon drench this flood-prone city, inundating parts of one of its most low-lying zones, the hospital district. (Mellen, 8/8)

The New York Times: Rikers Inmates Are Routinely Denied Medical Care, Court Filing Says
New York City’s Correction Department has failed to take detainees to medical appointments thousands of times every month, in some cases never notifying them and later saying they “refused care,” according to a court filing on Thursday by groups that have sued over access to health care in the city’s jails. Detainees are blocked from medical care in myriad ways, according to the filing. They include lack of transportation to medical appointments and a dearth of staff to accompany them. Sometimes, where people are in cells under lockdown, the Correction Department prevents detainees from leaving their units for medical care and limits phone access to ask for it, they said. (Meko, 8/8)

The New York Times: Newsom Clears Homeless Camps In L.A. County, Where He Wants More ‘Urgency’ 
On Thursday, Mr. Newsom, in sunglasses, jeans and a black ball cap, visited two homeless encampments on their turf without directly informing city or county leaders. The only advance notice seemed to be state placards that warned people days ago they were facing citation or arrest if they continued to stay there. His office said state officials also called local homeless providers to ask for help in finding shelter. “People are done. If we don’t deal with this, we don’t deserve to be in office,” Mr. Newsom said, tearing into a rancid, garbage-strewn campsite on state property under Interstate 10 in Los Angeles, alongside a crew of state workers in orange vests. (Hubler, 8/8)

Chicago Tribune: Hospital Misplaced Woman's Body, Family Alleges In Lawsuit
A California hospital misplaced the body of a 31-year-old woman who died at the facility, leaving her family thinking she was alive and missing for a year, her family alleges in a lawsuit filed Wednesday against the hospital and the Chicago-based health system that owns it. (Schencker, 8/8)

CBS News: New UC Davis Study Connects ADHD To The Neighborhood Children Grow Up In
A new study from UC Davis Mind Institute finds growing up poor puts some children at higher risk for attention deficit hyperactive disorder. The new UC Davis research shows that the chance of kids getting ADHD could be connected to the neighborhood they live in. "The fewer the resources, the poorer the neighborhood, the more ADHD symptoms later in life," Catrina Calub said. (8/8)

NPR: 3rd Person Dies In Listeria Outbreak Tied To Boar's Head Products
There has been a third death connected to the listeria outbreak among Boar’s Head deli meats, the CDC said Thursday. A person most recently died in Virginia, adding to the two previous deaths reported in New Jersey and Illinois. In addition, 43 people have been hospitalized across 13 states, including Missouri, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts. (Archie, 8/9)

CNN: How Do Teens Quit Vaping? Some Simply Send A Text For Help, New Study Shows 
For teens who want to stop vaping nicotine, an interactive text message program was found to be effective at helping them quit. The anonymous program begins with this message: “Ready to quit? Text the date you want to quit for daily tips a few weeks before and after your quit date.” (Howard, 8/8)