First Edition: April 10, 2024

KFF Health News: Congress Likely To Kick The Can On Covid-Era Telehealth Policies
Nearly two hours into a Capitol Hill hearing focused on rural health, Rep. Brad Wenstrup emphatically told the committee’s five witnesses: “Hang with us.” Federal lawmakers face a year-end deadline to solidify or scuttle an array of covid-era payment changes for telehealth services that include allowing people to stay in their homes to see a doctor or therapist. (Tribble, 4/10)

KFF Health News: Doctors Take On Dental Duties To Reach Low-Income And Uninsured Patients
Pediatrician Patricia Braun and her team saw roughly 100 children at a community health clinic on a recent Monday. They gave flu shots and treatments for illnesses like ear infections. But Braun also did something most primary care doctors don’t. She peered inside mouths searching for cavities or she brushed fluoride varnish on their teeth. (Ruder, 4/10)

KFF Health News: KFF Health News' 'An Arm And A Leg': Attack Of The Medicare Machines
In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann tells a horror story. Instead of monsters and aliens, it’s about private health insurance companies and algorithms that call the shots on patient care. (4/10)

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. (4/9)

The New York Times: Abortion Jumps To The Center Of Arizona’s Key 2024 Races 
Democrats seized on a ruling on Tuesday by Arizona’s highest court upholding an 1864 law that bans nearly all abortions, setting up a fierce political fight over the issue that is likely to dominate the presidential election and a pivotal Senate race in a crucial battleground state. Even though the court put its ruling on hold for now, President Biden and his campaign moved quickly to blame former President Donald J. Trump for the loss of abortion rights, noting that he has taken credit for appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned a constitutional right to abortion. Just a day earlier, Mr. Trump had sought to defang what has become a toxic issue for Republicans by saying that abortion restrictions should be decided by the states and their voters. (Lerer, Nehamas and Epstein, 4/9)

The New York Times: Biden Condemns Arizona’s Abortion Ban as ‘Cruel’ and ‘Extreme’
President Biden condemned a decision by Arizona’s Supreme Court on Tuesday to uphold an 1864 ban on nearly all abortions as “cruel” and “extreme,” saying the law was first enacted well before women even had the right to vote. In a statement released within an hour of the decision, Mr. Biden called the ruling an “extreme agenda of Republican elected officials” and promised to continue the fight for reproductive rights and a restoration of Roe v. Wade, which had protected the right of women to have abortions for nearly a half century. (Kavi, 4/9)

The Washington Post: The Arizona Supreme Court Just Upended Trump’s Gambit On Abortion 
It took little more than a day for Donald Trump’s political gambit on abortion to come undone. On Monday, the former president declined to support any new national law setting limits on abortions. Going against the views of many abortion opponents in his Republican Party, Trump was looking for a way to neutralize or at least muddy a galvanizing issue that has fueled Democratic victories for nearly two years. He hoped to keep it mostly out of the conversation ahead of the November elections. On Tuesday, the Arizona Supreme Court showed just how difficult it will be to do that. The court resurrected an 1864 law that bans nearly all abortions, except to save the life of the mother. The law also imposes penalties on abortion providers. (Balz, 4/9)

Roll Call: Arizona Abortion Ruling Highlights Policy Struggle Within GOP
One day after former President Donald Trump backed away from a national abortion ban, an Arizona Supreme Court ruling criminalizing abortion in the state highlighted a growing GOP divide on the issue, with a trio of prominent Arizona Republicans blasting the decision. Senate candidate Kari Lake, a Trump ally who defended Trump’s false claims he won the 2020 election, and Rep. Juan Ciscomani, a rising star in the House Republican Conference, criticized the Arizona Supreme Court’s decision Tuesday enforcing an 1864 law eliminating all abortions in the state except in the case of saving the life of the pregnant person. Rep. David Schweikert, too, weighed in against the decision. (Cohen and Altimari, 4/9)

The Hill: Arizona Governor Slams GOP Lawmakers Who Criticized New Abortion Ruling 
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) took aim at GOP lawmakers who criticized a court ruling Tuesday that held up an 1864 law that made performing an abortion a felony in the state. Hobbs said in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper that the decision was “very harmful” for the state, noting that Arizonians are “reeling” from the ruling issued earlier today. She said she called on the legislature to repeal the “archaic ban” as soon as she took office. “I renewed that call at the beginning of this legislative session,” Hobbs continued. “The fact is that some of the Republicans right now, who are saying that this decision went too far, are the same politicians who celebrated the Dobbs decision, which paved the way for this court ruling today.” (Sforza, 4/9)

The Hill: Arizona Governor ‘Confident’ Voters Will Have Chance To Enshrine Abortion Rights In November 
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) said Tuesday that she’s confident voters will have the opportunity to enshrine abortion rights in November and reverse a decision from the state’s Supreme Court that makes virtually all abortions in the state illegal. ... Hobbs said efforts to enshrine abortion access in the state have already surpassed the number of signatures to have ballot access in this year’s election and still have more months to gain support. (Irwin, 4/9)

San Francisco Chronicle: Arizona Abortion Ban Will Drive More Patients To California
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California is expecting a “marked increase in patients from Arizona at our health care centers in California,” Jodi Hicks, the group’s CEO, said in a statement to the Chronicle. “We’ve been generally preparing over the last several years for more and more out-of-state patients through strategic investments and statewide efforts to move forward policy solutions to support abortion access,” she said. (Stein, 4/9)

Wyoming Public Radio: Wyoming Supreme Court Declines To Take Up State Abortion Case
The Wyoming Supreme Court has declined to rule on the future of abortion access in the state. The move is just the latest development in the lengthy legal battle over reproductive rights in the Cowboy State. Teton County District Judge Melissa Owens had asked the high court to decide if the state’s near-total and medical abortion bans — passed by the state legislature last year — are constitutional, sending over 14 questions for the justices to answer. (Merzbach, 4/9)

Politico: Becerra Weighs Exit From Biden Administration For California Gubernatorial Bid 
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is considering leaving the Biden administration to mount a run for California governor in 2026, people briefed on his deliberations told POLITICO. Becerra and supporters have had conversations over the past weeks where the secretary and former California attorney general indicated to fellow Democratic officials and operatives that he would leave Washington after the November election and join the crowded field to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom in two years. (Cadelago, Gardiner and Cancryn, 4/9)

The New York Times: To Cut Cancer Risks, E.P.A. Limits Pollution From Chemical Plants
More than 200 chemical plants across the country will be required to curb the toxic pollutants they release into the air under a regulation announced by the Biden administration on Tuesday. The regulation is aimed at reducing the risk of cancer for people living near industrial sites. This is the first time in nearly two decades that the government has tightened limits on pollution from chemical plants. (Friedman, 4/9)

The New York Times: Bill In Congress Would Force Action On U.S. Troops’ Blast Exposure
Lawmakers from both parties plan to introduce a sweeping bill in Congress on Wednesday that would force the military for the first time to track and limit troops’ exposure to damaging shock waves from firing their own weapons. Routine exposure to blasts in training and combat was long thought to be safe. But research suggests that over time, exposure to repeated blasts can cause microscopic brain injuries that lead to profound mental problems, like mood swings, insomnia, substance abuse, panic attacks and suicide. (Philipps, 4/9)

AP: New WIC Rules Include More Money For Fruits And Veggies. They Also Expand Food Choices
The federal program that helps pay for groceries for millions of low-income mothers, babies and young kids will soon emphasize more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as well as provide a wider choice of foods from different cultures. The final rule changes for the program known as WIC were announced Tuesday by the Food and Nutrition Service, and will take effect within two years with some exceptions. (Aleccia, 4/9)

The Hill: Lunchables Found To Contain Relatively High Lead Levels 
The popular kids snack Lunchables contains relatively high levels of lead and sodium, a consumer watchdog group warned Tuesday. Consumer Reports (CR), a consumer advocacy group, said it tested 12 store-bought versions of Lunchables — which are made by Kraft Heinz — along with similar lunch and snack kits and found “relatively high levels of lead and cadmium” in the Lunchables kits. Cadmium is a chemical element linked to negative effects on the kidney and the skeletal and respiratory systems and is classified as a human carcinogen, according to the World Health Organization. There is not a safe level of lead for children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes. (Nazzaro, 4/9)

CIDRAP: WHO Warns About Rising Viral Hepatitis Deaths
Global deaths from viral hepatitis are rising, despite progress with prevention and better tools for diagnosis and treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned today in its annual hepatitis report, which it released at the World Hepatitis Summit. New data show that deaths rose from 1.1 million in 2019 to 1.3 million in 2022. Hepatitis is the second-leading infectious disease cause of death, with levels about the same as tuberculosis, another leading cause of infectious disease fatalities. (Schnirring, 4/9)

CIDRAP: PAHO Issues Alert About Drug-Resistant Campylobacter Cases
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) last week urged member states to be on alert for cases of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter infection in men who have sex with men (MSM) and outbreaks in high-risk populations. Citing a February outbreak of drug-resistant Campylobacter in 13 MSM in Minnesota, as well as and multiple small outbreaks in MSM in Canada dating back to 1999, PAHO encouraged member states in an information note to be vigilant in cases of MSM presenting with diarrhea with dysentery features. (Dall, 4/9)

Fox News: STD Rates Skyrocket Among Americans 55 And Older: CDC 
Sexually transmitted disease rates have risen sharply in a certain age group – and which group it is may surprise you. The CDC's latest statistics on STDs in the U.S. show that chlamydia, Hepatitis C, and syphilis were among the diseases that have been infecting Americans aged 55 and older at an alarming rate. The statistics, which are as recent as 2022, show how STD rates have skyrocketed since 2000. (Vacchiano, 4/9)

CBS News: Bird Flu Detected In Some Birds Found In New York City Parks, Green Spaces
Bird flu has been detected in some birds found in New York City parks and green spaces. Health officials are growing more concerned about the disease and warn New Yorkers to keep their distance from wildlife. Philip Meade, a postdoctoral fellow at Icahn School of Medicine, says bird flu has been found in several geese, a peregrine falcon, a red-tailed hawk and a chicken in Marcus Garvey Park in Manhattan. (4/9)

CIDRAP: Pfizer Reports Promising Findings For RSV Vaccine In At-Risk Adults 18 To 59 Years Old 
Pfizer today announced promising phase 3 clinical trial findings for a single dose of its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, Abrysvo, in adults ages 18 to 59 who are at increased risk of RSV infection and signaled that it would submit data to regulatory agencies as part of application for approval in that age-group. (Schnirring, 4/9)

Houston Chronicle: Houston's Memorial Hermann Hospital Stops Kidney Transplants
Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center has halted kidney transplants, days after the hospital announced a liver transplant stoppage over "a pattern of irregularities" with liver donor acceptance criteria, hospital officials said Tuesday. The "irregularities," which hospital officials have declined to describe in more detail, were limited to the liver transplant program, according to a statement from the hospital. Memorial Hermann, however, decided to stop performing kidney transplants because both programs share the same leaders, the statement said. (Gill, 4/9)

Modern Healthcare: HCA Healthcare Faces More Allegations In Mission Health Lawsuit
Buncombe County in North Carolina seeks to join state Attorney General Josh Stein’s (D) lawsuit against HCA Healthcare alleging the health system shirked its Mission Health acquisition agreement. When HCA acquired Asheville, North Carolina-based Mission for $1.5 billion in 2019, Stein approved the transaction as long as HCA maintained services and increased behavioral health capacity, among other conditions. (Kacik, 4/9)

Modern Healthcare: MultiPlan, Cigna, Aetna, Others Should Face DOL Probe: AHA
The American Hospital Association wants the Labor Department to investigate the analytics company MultiPlan and its large insurer clients to determine whether they engage in business practices that disadvantage patients and providers. According to a New York Times investigation published Sunday, MultiPlan and customers such as UnitedHealth Group subsidiary UnitedHealthcare, CVS Health subsidiary Aetna and Cigna boost their finances by dispensing low payments to out-of-network providers and burdening patients with large bills. (McAuliff, 4/9)

CBS News: Lawmakers Plead For Help To Finalize Washington Health System's Merger With UPMC
Lawmakers from Western Pennsylvania are pleading for help from the state to save a health system. Washington Health System said money problems have left it with little choice but to join UPMC. Leaders in Washington County said the health care of 300,000 people is at risk if the attorney general doesn't approve a plan to let UPMC absorb Washington Health System. "The health care system will flounder if they do not merge with UPMC," Washington Health System employee Francis Kino said.  (4/10)

Los Angeles Times: Kaiser Facing Union Accusations That Patients Are Losing Mental Health Care
Months after Kaiser Permanente reached a sweeping agreement with state regulators to improve its mental health services, the healthcare giant is facing union allegations that patients could be improperly losing such care. The National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents thousands of Kaiser mental health professionals, complained earlier this year to state regulators that Kaiser appeared to be inappropriately handing off decisions about whether therapy is still medically necessary. (Alpert Reyes, 4/9)

San Francisco Chronicle: Closure Of Seton’s Moss Beach ER Spurs Fight Among Local Officials
The future of a recently closed emergency department in a coastal Bay Area community is up in the air, as local officials are demanding that it reopen immediately, against the wishes of hospital executives who shut it down temporarily for repairs. Seton Coastside in Moss Beach — about halfway between Pacifica and Half Moon Bay — includes an emergency department and a 116-bed skilled nursing facility. It closed April 1 to begin construction that’s expected to take up to nine months. (Ho, 4/9)

Modern Healthcare: Banner Health CEO Peter Fine To Retire
Banner Health CEO Peter Fine will retire June 30, the nonprofit health system said Tuesday. Fine was named president and CEO of Banner in 2000, shortly after Samaritan Health System and Lutheran Health System merged in 1999 to form the Phoenix-based system. Fine, who will resign from the board, plans to serve in an advisory role as CEO emeritus through January 2025, Banner said in a news release. (Hudson, 4/9)

Stat: U.S. Urged To License Xtandi Patents To Cut Pricey Cancer Drug's Cost
In the latest gambit to lower the cost of a pricey medicine, three advocacy groups are pushing the Biden administration to use federal laws to license patents on a cancer treatment to outside manufacturers in order to produce lower-cost versions. In a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the groups maintain the U.S. government has the right under two different federal laws to authorize “qualified companies” to make and sell generic versions of the Xtandi prostate cancer drug. And in this instance, they argue this could be done without having to pay royalties or encounter a court injunction that would block production. (Silverman, 4/9)

Stat: Virginia Governor Vetoes Plans To Create A Prescription Drug Affordability Board
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a bill that would have created a new entity for capping the cost of prescription drugs, an increasingly popular tactic that a growing number of state lawmakers around the U.S. are exploring to control their budgets. The Prescription Drug Affordability Board, which was designed to function like a rate-setting authority, would have set upper payment limits used to cap the cost of a select number of medicines for Virginia residents who are covered by a state or local government agency or a commercial health plan. (Silverman, 4/9)

Central Florida Public Media: DeSantis Announces Expansion Of CORE, Florida’s Opioid Recovery Network
The state's Coordinated Opioid Response network, established in 2022, will cover 17 more counties, including Lake, Orange, Polk and Seminole, for a total of 29. Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday announced the expansion of Florida's Coordinated Opioid Response network, known as CORE, at a stop in Sanford. CORE, a substance abuse and recovery network established in 2022, will cover 17 more counties, including Lake, Orange, Polk and Seminole, for a total of 29. (Byrnes, 4/9)

Colorado Sun: Colorado Settles Lawsuit Over Lack Of Children's Mental Health Care
Colorado must hire an outside consultant to examine its mental health services for children after a class action lawsuit claimed the state’s policies are resulting in kids getting stuck in hospital emergency rooms and institutions. Under the terms of the settlement of the 2021 case, the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing did not admit to violating federal or state laws but agreed to pay for an outside examination of its Medicaid policies. (Brown, 4/9)

The New York Times: Parents of Michigan School Shooter Sentenced to 10 to 15 Years in Prison
Jennifer and James Crumbley, who were convicted of involuntary manslaughter for failing to prevent their teenage son from killing four fellow students in the deadliest school shooting in Michigan’s history, were each sentenced on Tuesday to 10 to 15 years in prison. Their separate jury trials ended in guilty verdicts in February and March, making them the first parents in the country to be convicted over the deaths caused by their child in a mass shooting. (Fortin and Betts, 4/9)

ABC News: About One-Third Of Socially Vulnerable Women Missing Recommended Mammograms: CDC
Thousands of women between ages 50 and 74 are not receiving life-saving mammograms, according to new federal data. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the prevalence of mammography use over a two-year period, in a report published Tuesday. (Kekatos, 4/9)

The New York Times: Should Alcoholic Beverages Have Cancer Warning Labels?
Fifteen words are roiling the global alcohol industry. Beginning in 2026, containers of beer, wine and liquor sold in Ireland will be required by law to bear a label in red capital letters with two warnings: “THERE IS A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN ALCOHOL AND FATAL CANCERS” and “DRINKING ALCOHOL CAUSES LIVER DISEASE.” ... Last week, the Alaska State Legislature held a committee hearing on a bill that would require businesses selling alcohol to post signs carrying a cancer warning. (Alcorn, 4/9)