First Edition: April 9, 2024

KFF Health News: City-Country Mortality Gap Widens Amid Persistent Holes In Rural Health Care Access
In Matthew Roach’s two years as vital statistics manager for the Arizona Department of Health Services, and 10 years previously in its epidemiology program, he has witnessed a trend in mortality rates that has rural health experts worried. As Roach tracked the health of Arizona residents, the gap between mortality rates of people living in rural areas and those of their urban peers was widening. (Orozco Rodriguez, 4/9)

KFF Health News: After Public Push, CMS Curbs Health Insurance Agents’ Access To Consumer SSNs
Until last week, the system that is used to enroll people in federal Affordable Care Act insurance plans inadvertently allowed access by insurance brokers to consumers’ full Social Security numbers, information brokers don’t need. That raised concerns about the potential for misuse. (Appleby, 4/9)

KFF Health News: Readers Speak Up About Women's Health Issues, From Reproductive Care To Drinking
Letters to the Editor is a periodic feature. KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories. (4/9)

AZ Mirror: Abortion Access In AZ Will Be Decided Tuesday, When The Supreme Court Rules On An 1864 Ban
The Arizona Supreme Court’s long-awaited ruling on whether virtually all abortions performed in the Grand Canyon State should be outlawed will be released Tuesday morning. In December, the high court heard oral arguments in an appeal launched by an anti-abortion doctor hoping to reinstate a near-total ban from 1864 — nearly six decades before Arizona became a state — that prohibits all abortions except for those to save the life of the mother. The legal challenge seeks to overturn the decision from a lower court that determined the 1864 law shouldn’t overrule nearly 50 years of new laws, and a more recent 15-week gestational ban, passed in 2022, should be upheld instead. (Gomez, 4/8)

NBC News: Trump's Many, Many Positions On Abortion: A Timeline
Donald Trump’s video statement on abortion Monday — saying the legalities around the procedure should be up to the states — came after months of his publicly and privately discussing the possibility of a federal abortion ban. Trump’s positions on abortion have been a roller coaster for decades. At one point in 2015, during his run for president, he took “five positions on abortion in three days,” according to The Washington Post and as NBC News detailed at the time. (Korecki, 4/8)

The Hill: Trump Fires Back At Graham And Abortion ‘Hardliners’ Over Criticism
Former President Trump on Monday pushed back against Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and other conservatives who were critical of his statement on abortion earlier in the day, in which Trump declined to take a position on federal legislation limiting the procedure. In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that Graham was “doing a great disservice to the Republican Party, and to our Country” and argued others who publicly favor stricter abortion laws were committing political malpractice. “Terminating Roe v. Wade was, according to all Legal Scholars, a Great Event, but sometimes with Great Events come difficulties,” Trump wrote. (Samuels, 4/8)

Politico: Hill GOP's Interest In Federal Abortion Limits Withers After Trump Says No
Four years ago, the vast majority of the Senate GOP voted for a federal abortion ban after 20 weeks of pregnancy, with Donald Trump in office. On Monday, the former president effectively finished off congressional Republicans’ movement for national abortion restrictions. After Trump’s much-teased announcement that it is “up to the states to do the right thing” on abortion, which also urged Republicans to take his position in order to win this November, few GOP senators expressed interest in breaking explicitly with him. That includes the Republicans who still supported federal limits after Roe v. Wade got overturned. (Everett, Diaz and Perano, 4/8)

The Washington Post: Pregnancy Linked To Faster Aging, New Research Suggests 
The fatigue and pangs of pregnancy have made many women feel older than their years. Now there’s new research that suggests pregnancy may, in fact, accelerate the aging process. Two new studies of genetic markers in the blood cells of pregnant women suggest that their cells seem to age at an exaggerated clip, adding extra months or even years to a woman’s so-called biological age as her pregnancy progresses. (Reynolds, 4/8)

NBC News: After Solar Eclipse, Concerns About Eye Injuries Appear To Rise
Google searches about “hurt eyes” spiked Monday afternoon, just after many U.S. communities experienced the total solar eclipse. The searches suggest some people in the sun’s path were worried they’d glanced at it too long. It’s a valid concern, eye experts said. Looking at the sun without protective equipment can harm your vision, and complaints of eye issues have been documented after past eclipse events. However, cases of long-term damage after eclipses aren’t common. (Bush and Bendix, 4/9)

The Washington Post: Why Your Eyes May Hurt After The Solar Eclipse, And The Signs Of Damage 
Staring at anything for long enough can lead to eye discomfort. But the stakes are higher for anyone who watched Monday’s solar eclipse sweep across North America. After much of the country spent the afternoon gazing up at the searing rays of the sun, it’s worth distinguishing between a bout of dry eyes and the more severe retinal damage that unprotected exposure can cause. (Wu, 4/9)

Politico: Collegiate Sports NAIA Association Restricts Transgender Women From Competing In Women’s Sports 
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics on Monday voted to bar transgender women from competing in women’s sports competitions. NAIA’s Council of Presidents unanimously voted in favor of the policy that says “only students whose biological sex is female” may participate in women’s sports. But all student athletes may participate in men’s sports. (Quilantan, 4/8)

Reuters: US CDC Says Bird Flu Risk Low, But Asks States To Be Ready With Rapid Testing
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday bird flu risk to the public remains low even as it asked the state public health officials to be prepared to respond. The agency asked for plans to quickly test and provide treatment to potentially impacted farm workers following positive results among cattle herds. It also encouraged state health officials to communicate about any challenges they are facing. (4/8)

Axios: Rural COVID Patients Likelier To Die After Hospitalization
A new Mayo Clinic study finds rural COVID-19 patients were 22% likelier to die after a hospital stay than their urban counterparts and that disparities persisted despite the rollout of coronavirus vaccines. Why it matters: The findings underscore how the U.S. rural population is one of the most medically vulnerable groups, often having limited access to high-quality post-acute, primary, and specialty care, researchers wrote. (Bettelheim, 4/9)

Modern Healthcare: Medicare Advantage Rate Cut Threatens Nursing Homes
Nursing home operators are bracing for another financial setback: the possibility of lower reimbursements from Medicare Advantage plans next year. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ 0.16% base payment rate cut to Medicare Advantage payers in 2025 is ringing alarm bells among nursing home industry trade groups as some insurers said the cut could prompt them to reduce payments to providers. (Eastabrook, 4/8)

Modern Healthcare: How The Leapfrog Group Hospital Survey Changed For 2024
Hospitals must report their compliance with new safety and quality measures, from maternal care practices to diagnostic error prevention, after a series of changes to the 2024 Leapfrog Hospital Survey. The survey, which opened to hospitals April 1, is completed by more than 2,300 facilities annually and assesses hospitals’ safety, quality and efficiency based on national performance measures set by the Leapfrog Group. (Devereaux, 4/8)

CBS News: Zuckerberg SF General Hospital Undergoing Security Review After Logbook Goes Missing
Zuckerberg San Francisco General hospital is conducting a policy review and additional security training with staff after a medical logbook went missing in December, creating a privacy breach, according to a Friday press release. There is no evidence that the information from the breach has been misused or used to access patient health or financial information. (4/8)

Bloomberg: USC, Emory Credit Ratings Threatened By Struggling Hospitals 
Like other major universities, the University of Southern California has poured resources into expanding its health system. But it’s coming at a cost. Moody’s Ratings downgraded USC a notch to Aa2 last month, citing underperformance from its growing health system. Similarly, the agency lowered its outlook for Emory University to negative in January, citing “current and expected future weak operating performance stemming largely from Emory Healthcare.” (Coleman-Lochner, 4/8)

Stateline: States Want To Make It Harder For Health Insurers To Deny Care, But Firms Might Evade Enforcement
In recent years insurers have ratcheted up their use of prior authorization, causing delays and denials of care that are harming or even killing people, many doctors and patients say. In the past couple of years, more than two dozen states have considered legislation designed to minimize prior authorization delays and denials, and nine states have enacted new laws, according to the American Medical Association, which has advocated for them. (Chatlani, 4/8)

The New York Times: Paying Off People’s Medical Debt Has Little Impact On Their Lives, Study Finds
Over the past decade, R.I.P. Medical Debt has grown from a tiny nonprofit group that received less than $3,000 in donations to a multimillion-dollar force in health care philanthropy. It has done so with a unique and simple strategy to tackling the enormous amounts that Americans owe hospitals: buying up old bills that would otherwise be sold to collection agencies and wiping out the debt. ... But a study published by a group of economists on Monday calls into question the premise of the high-profile charity. (Kliff, 4/8)

Modern Healthcare: Modern Healthcare's 2024 Innovators Awards Winners
Innovation in healthcare can take many forms. Sometimes it means creating artificial intelligence-powered software that alerts clinicians when individuals need extra attention, developing a novel surgical technique or rolling out an app to facilitate seamless patient engagement. ... The individuals and organizations named to Modern Healthcare’s Innovators Awards list this year have one thing in common: They think outside the box and are propelling the industry forward. (4/8)

Reuters: Exclusive: Synchron, A Rival To Musk’s Neuralink, Readies Large-Scale Brain Implant Trial 
Synchron Inc, a rival to Elon Musk's Neuralink brain implant startup, is preparing to recruit patients for a large-scale clinical trial required to seek commercial approval for its device, the company's chief executive told Reuters. Synchron on Monday plans to launch an online registry for patients interested in joining the trial meant to include dozens of participants, and has received interest from about 120 clinical trial centers to help run the study, CEO Thomas Oxley said in an interview. (Taylor, 4/8)

The New York Times: Are AI Mammograms Worth The Cost? 
Clinics around the country are starting to offer patients a new service: having their mammograms read not just by a radiologist, but also by an artificial intelligence model. The hospitals and companies that provide these tools tout their ability to speed the work of radiologists and detect cancer earlier than standard mammograms alone. ... Experts are excited by the prospect of improving the accuracy of screening for breast cancer, which 300,000 women are diagnosed with each year in the United States. But they also have concerns about whether these A.I. tools will work well across a diverse range of patients and whether they can meaningfully improve breast cancer survival. (Sheikh, 4/8)

CNN: There’s Still No Standard Test To Detect Pancreatic Cancer Early. Scientists Are Working To Change That
To spot breast cancer early, there are mammograms. To find colon cancer early, there are colonoscopies. But there is no standard test to detect early cases of pancreatic cancer, before cancer cells have spread and when surgery is more likely to be helpful. Finding pancreatic cancer early could help increase a patient’s chances of survival. Although pancreatic accounts for just about 3% of all new cancer cases in the United States, it’s the third leading cause of cancer deaths and is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer deaths by the end of this decade. (Howard, 4/8)

The Wall Street Journal: Sorry, But Blood Tests Won’t Replace Stool Samples Or Colonoscopies Yet 
For years now, there has been immense excitement for liquid biopsies—blood tests that can detect cancer early. Eventually, tests like the Galleri developed by Grail could revolutionize the practice of medicine by allowing patients to catch and treat the disease early. When it comes to colon cancer, though—the second biggest cause of cancer deaths behind lung cancer—blood-based tests have proved disappointing. The latest setback came last week, after privately held Freenome announced top-line results from a clinical study for the early detection of colon cancer among average-risk adults. The results failed to impress investors. (Wainer, 4/8)

Health News Florida: DeSantis Signs Bill To Provide Skin Cancer Screenings For State Employees
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed seven bills, including a measure requiring health insurance plans for state workers to cover skin-cancer screenings. DeSantis also signed a bill that designates April as “Hot Car Death Prevention Month” (HB 591). Lawmakers last month unanimously passed the skin-cancer screening bill (HB 241) after limiting it to state employees. (Mayer, 4/8)

NBC News: Fake Botox Injections May Be Linked To Hospitalizations, Illinois Officials Warn
Fake Botox injections may have led to the hospitalizations of two people in Illinois, the state's Public Health Department said Monday. "Illinois residents should exercise caution when considering cosmetic treatment," Dr. Sameer Vohra, the state's public health director, said in a media statement. "Receiving these treatments in unlicensed, unapproved settings can put you or your loved ones at serious risk for health problems." (Edwards, 4/8)

Los Angeles Times: California Moves To Ban Use Of The Weedkiller Paraquat
New California legislation seeks to permanently ban paraquat, a powerful and widely used weedkiller that has been linked to Parkinson’s disease and other serious health issues. Assembly Bill 1963, introduced recently by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), would sunset the use of paraquat beginning in January 2026. The herbicide, which is described by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as highly toxic, is regularly sprayed on almonds, grapes, cotton and other crops in the state. (Smith, 4/8)

CNN: Toxic ‘Forever’ Chemicals Found In Excessive Levels In Global Groundwater, Study Says 
Potentially toxic chemicals called PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are found in surface and groundwaters around the world at levels much higher than many international regulators allow, a new study found. ... Even in locations with no known source of contamination, 31% of ground water samples exceeded threshold limits proposed in March 2023 by the US Environmental Protection Agency, according to the study, and nearly 70% exceeded standards set by Health Canada. (LaMotte, 4/8)

Seattle Times: How Do Wildfires Affect Mental Health? A New Study Examines The Connection
Checking air quality and staying indoors when smoke inundates the Seattle area has become second nature during Washington’s wildfire season in recent years. But new research highlights how wildfires can affect a less visible aspect of well-being: mental health. A University of Washington study published in late February found an increase in prescriptions to treat depression and anxiety or stabilize mood in the six weeks after wildfires. The study used prescription data, commercial insurance claims and pharmacy records to examine the impact of 25 large California wildfires from 2011 to 2018. (Blatchford, 4/8)

The Atlantic: Almost No One Is Happy With Legal Weed
The legalization of cannabis in the United States—the biggest change in policy for an illegal substance since Prohibition ended—has been an unqualified success for approximately no one. True, the drug is widely available for commercial purchase. ... But a significant part of the market is still underground, medical research is scant, and the aboveground market is not exactly thriving. Longtime marijuana activists are unhappy. Entrepreneurs are unhappy. So are people who buy weed, as well as those who think weed should never have been legal in the first place. (Hu, 4/8)