First Edition: April 15, 2024

KFF Health News: When Rogue Brokers Switch People’s ACA Policies, Tax Surprises Can Follow
Tax season is never fun. But some tax filers this year face an added complication: Their returns are being rejected because they failed to provide information about Affordable Care Act coverage they didn’t even know they had. While the concern about unscrupulous brokers enrolling unsuspecting people in ACA coverage has simmered for years, complaints have risen in recent months as consumers discover their health insurance coverage isn’t what they thought it was. (Appleby, 4/15)

KFF Health News: Swap Funds Or Add Services? Use Of Opioid Settlement Cash Sparks Strong Disagreements
State and local governments are receiving billions of dollars in opioid settlements to address the drug crisis that has ravaged America for decades. But instead of spending the money on new addiction treatment and prevention services they couldn’t afford before, some jurisdictions are using it to replace existing funding and stretch tight budgets. (Pattani, 4/15)

Los Angeles Times: Harris Hammers Trump On Abortion In Surprise Los Angeles Appearance
Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday continued to hammer Arizona’s new abortion ban and former President Trump’s role in overturning Roe vs. Wade during a surprise appearance in Century City. “Here’s the thing about what they’re doing and the cruelty of it: No exception in some states even for rape and incest. You are saying to a survivor of a crime of violence to their body, a violation to their body, that they have no right to make a decision about what happens to their body next,” Harris said. “That’s immoral.” (Mehta, 4/13)

NBC News: Colorado Groups Say They've Collected Enough Signatures To Place An Abortion Rights Measure On The Ballot
A proposed amendment that would formally enshrine access to abortion in Colorado’s constitution is all but certain to appear on the November ballot after a coalition of reproductive rights advocates said Friday they have collected the required number of signatures. Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom, the group leading the effort, announced it had collected the signatures of more than 225,000 registered voters, more than the approximately 124,000 required by April 26 to qualify for this fall’s ballot. (Edelman, 4/12)

Tallahassee Democrat: Abortion, Weed Amendments In Florida Don't Yet Have Enough Votes: Poll
Those campaigning to get recreational marijuana legalized and abortion rights guaranteed in Florida have a lot of work to do. Floridians will have the option to vote on both proposed constitutional amendments this November. But for the proposals to become the law the land, they must get at least 60% of the vote. If the vote were taken right now, it's far from certain that they would pass, according to an exclusive USA TODAY/Ipsos poll. (Soule, 4/14)

NBC News: Permanent Birth Control Procedures Increasing After Abortion Laws, New Research Finds
The number of young adults who chose tubal ligation and vasectomies as birth control jumped abruptly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and has continued to rise, new research shows. The paper, published Friday in JAMA Health Forum, is the first to focus specifically on the contraception choices of women and men ages 18 to 30 after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ended the constitutional right to abortion. (Mantel, 4/12)

NPR: 6 In 10 Catholics Favor Abortion Rights, Pew Report Finds 
Catholics in the U.S., one of the country's largest single Christian groups, hold far more diverse views on abortion rights than the official teaching of their church. While the Catholic Church itself holds that abortion is wrong and should not be legal, 6 in 10 U.S. adult Catholics say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to a newly released profile of Catholicism by Pew Research. (DeRose, 4/12)

The Washington Post: Kansas Governor Vetoes A Ban On Gender-Affirming Care; GOP Vows Override 
The Democratic governor of Kansas vetoed a bill Friday that would have banned gender-affirming care for minors, setting up a confrontation with the state’s Republican supermajority as it tries to join more than a dozen states restricting transgender care. The Republican-led legislature is widely expected to attempt an override of the veto. The measure that Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) quashed, Senate Bill 233, would ban hormone therapy, puberty blockers and gender reassignment surgery for people younger than 18. (Raji, 4/13)

CIDRAP: US Respiratory Virus Activity Declines, With Few Hot Spots Reported
Only one jurisdiction—North Dakota— reported high respiratory virus activity last week, down from six the previous week, the CDC said in its respiratory virus snapshot. No locations reported "very high" activity. (Schnirring, 4/12)

CIDRAP: Feds Launch Indoor Air Quality Research Program 
The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) this week announced the launch of the Building Resilient Environments for Air and Total Health (BREATHE) program, which is a platform with a goal of improving indoor air quality across the country. The agency said the BREATHE program focuses on enabling the next generation of "smart buildings" that have integrated systems that continually assess, measure, and report indoor air quality and make real-time interventions such as extra ventilation or disinfection to reduce airborne threats to human health. (Schnirring, 4/12)

CBS News: Pandemic Alcohol-Related Health Complications Hit Middle-Aged Women Hardest, Pitt Study Finds
Middle-aged women experienced "stark" increases in alcohol-related health complications during the pandemic, according to research led by a University of Pittsburgh physician-scientist. The research published Friday in JAMA Health Forum sounds the alarm about the need for public health and clinical interventions to reverse the trend, scientists said. (Bartos, 4/12)

CIDRAP: Study Finds No Evidence COVID-19 Causes Childhood Asthma
A study today in Pediatrics says there is no evidence that COVID-19 infections lead to asthma in children. The study, conducted by researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), included 27,423 patients ages 1 to 16 years who received polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for SARS-COV-2 from March 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021. Patients were followed up for 18 months. (Soucheray, 4/12)

CIDRAP: Younger People In Wealthy New York City Areas Snatched Up COVID Vaccine Reserved For Seniors 
Many younger people in high-income New York City neighborhoods accessed COVID-19 vaccinations before they were eligible, risking the lives of older people in low-income areas by pushing them down the queue, according to research in the Journal of Urban Health. (Van Beusekom, 4/12)

Reuters: Pfizer Wins Pause On Moderna's COVID-19 Patent Lawsuit
Moderna's patent lawsuit claiming Pfizer (and BioNTech copied its COVID-19 vaccine technology will be put on hold while the U.S. Patent Office determines whether two of the three Moderna patents at issue are valid, a Massachusetts federal court said on Friday. (Britttain, 4/12)

Bloomberg: New York City Reports Rise In Human Leptospirosis, Disease Caused By Rat Urine
New York City is seeing a rise in cases of human leptospirosis, a disease caused by rat urine, which if left untreated can cause kidney failure and liver damage. The city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued an advisory on Friday after 24 people were diagnosed with the disease in 2023, the highest number in a single year, and six cases were reported so far this year. (Cattan, 4/12)

San Francisco Chronicle: Invasive, Dengue-Carrying Mosquito Species Detected In The Bay Area
Santa Clara County is home to about 20 native mosquito species, including the common house mosquito, the cool weather mosquito and the Western encephalitis mosquito. These mosquitoes, known to bite during dusk and dawn, transmit diseases like West Nile virus, Western equine encephalitis and St. Louis encephalitis. The aggressive Aedes aegypti mosquito, originating from tropical and subtropical regions, bites during the day. (Vaziri, 4/12)

Chicago Tribune: First Case Of Measles Detected In DuPage County Since 2009
DuPage County health officials announced on Saturday that a county resident tested positive for measles, the first case identified in the county since 2009, amid a national and regional uptick in the highly contagious virus. (Johnson, 4/14)

Houston Chronicle: Report Highlights Risks Of Smallpox Resurgence
Health experts should prepare for smallpox, the only human disease ever to have been eradicated, to make a reappearance domestically and internationally, a new report says. The report from the Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine pulled from new information gleaned from the COVID-19 pandemic and the pox outbreak to understand how medical experts are ready to deal with the disease, according to a news release from Texas A&M. (Ikramuddin, 4/13)

AP: Are Milk And Eggs Safe To Eat During This Bird Flu Outbreak? 
Scientists say there’s no evidence to suggest that people can contract the virus by consuming food that’s been pasteurized, or heat-treated — or properly cooked. “It’s not a food safety concern,” said Lee-Ann Jaykus, an emeritus food microbiologist and virologist at North Carolina State University. ... U.S. producers are barred from selling milk from sick cows and must divert and destroy it. In addition, milk sold across state lines is required to be pasteurized, or heat-treated using a process that kills bacteria and viruses, including influenza. (Aleccia, 4/13)

Houston Chronicle: Memorial Hermann Says Kidney Transplant Program Will Be Reactivated
Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center said Friday that it is working toward a “quick reactivation” of its kidney transplant program, which was halted amid an investigation that found a doctor was manipulating records for liver transplant candidates. The hospital said it is working with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston to “make the necessary changes that will allow for the quick reactivation of the kidney transplant program under a different physician leadership structure.” (MacDonald, 4/12)

Military.com: A Decade After Scandal, VA Health Care May Be At Another Crossroads
Ten years after a scandal over wait times at Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers sparked new programs to increase veterans' access to private health care services, a divided Congress is debating the future of VA medical care and how best to fund the department. The VA has requested $369.3 billion for its fiscal 2025 budget, including nearly $150 billion for health care. Within that amount, the VA has allocated $86 billion for care provided in VA hospitals and clinics and $41 billion for private network care. (Kime,4/12)

Modern Healthcare: CMS’ IPPS Rate Miscalculation Led To Underpayments: Lawsuit
More than two dozen hospitals sued the Health and Human Services Department, as well as HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, over alleged Medicare inpatient hospital underpayments stemming from a decades-old error. HHS miscalculated the Inpatient Prospective Payment System base payment rate used in fiscal 1984, skewing years of subsequent Medicare payments to hospitals, alleges the lawsuit filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. (Kacik, 4/12)

Modern Healthcare: Defense Health Agency’s Naomi Escoffery Outlines Telehealth Plan
With an operating budget of $16.9 billion and a global workforce of almost 130,000, few healthcare delivery organizations can match the size of the Defense Health Agency. ... As a result, the agency is in the middle of a digital transformation initiative with plans to adopt virtual care services across all military hospitals and clinics beginning in October. (Turner, 4/12)

Modern Healthcare: Potential CMS Measure Shows Divide Over Quality Training Standards
Hospitals may soon be required to provide set quality training to staff as part of a Medicare reporting program, but health systems and advocacy organizations are split on whether the standardization of quality-related skill sets is necessary to improve patient care. (Devereaux, 4/12)

The New York Times: National Academy Asks Court To Strip Sackler Name From Endowment 
The National Academy of Sciences is asking a court to allow it to repurpose about $30 million in donations from the wealthy Sackler family, who controlled the company at the center of the opioid epidemic, and to remove the family name from the endowment funds. The petition filed by the Academy in Superior Court in Washington, D.C., Thursday aims to modify the terms of the donations so the institution can use them for scientific studies, projects and educational activities. (Jewett, 4/12)

San Francisco Chronicle: Genentech And Sanofi To Lay Off Hundreds Of Bay Area Employees
Biotech giants Genentech and Sanofi are set to lay off hundreds of Bay Area workers in the coming months. Genentech disclosed in regulatory filings this week that it will lay off 436 employees at its South San Francisco headquarters at 1 DNA Way. The layoffs are expected to begin June 5. (Vaziri, 4/12)

NPR: An FDA Approved Device Offers A New Treatment For Ringing In The Ears
More than 25 million adults in the U.S., have a condition called tinnitus, according to the American Tinnitus Association. It can be stressful, even panic-inducing and difficult to manage. ... There's no cure, but there are a range of strategies to reduce the symptoms and make it less bothersome, including hearing aids, mindfulness therapy, and one newer option – a device approved by the FDA to treat tinnitus using electrical stimulation of the tongue. (Aubrey, 4/15)

The Texas Tribune: Texas Psychologists’ Board Considers Cheaper State Licensing Test 
A costly new national certification exam for psychologists has convinced the profession’s licensing authority in Texas to consider crafting a cheaper alternative to help alleviate a persistent mental health provider shortage here. On Thursday, the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists moved to begin researching the cost of a cheaper state exam instead of requiring applicants to take a new $450 “skills” test offered by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, known also as ASPPB. (Simpson, 4/12)

The New York Times: Hudson Yards ‘Vessel’ Sculpture Will Reopen With Netting After Suicides 
Nearly three years after a series of suicides shut down the Vessel, the 150-foot-tall centerpiece of the Hudson Yards complex in Manhattan, the project’s developer said on Friday that it would reopen this year with new safety measures. The attraction will reopen once “floor-to-ceiling steel mesh” has been installed on several staircases, said Kathleen Corless, a spokeswoman for Related Companies, the developer of Hudson Yards. (Meko and Schweber, 4/14)

The Washington Post: Philadelphia Becomes Fourth City To Ban Top Ghost Gun Parts Dealer
Philadelphia on Friday became the fourth city in the United States to successfully sue Polymer80, the nation’s biggest seller of “ghost gun” parts. The city negotiated a settlement in which the company agreed to stop selling the parts in eastern Pennsylvania, and JSD Supply, a large local distributor, agreed to stop selling the parts statewide. “Ghost guns” are firearms assembled by individuals, without serial numbers on any of the parts, so when they are discovered after a shooting or other crime, they can’t be traced to an original purchaser or owner. They are also convenient for convicted felons and others who are legally disqualified from buying guns. Some companies also sell “kits” with all the parts and directions needed to make a complete, unserialized weapon. (Jackman, 4/14)

AP: Oldest Living Conjoined Twins, Lori And George Schappell, Die At 62
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, according to funeral home officials. They were 62. The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died April 7. The cause of death was not detailed. The twins had distinct brains but were joined at the skull. George, who had spina bifida and was 4 inches shorter, was wheeled around by Lori on an adaptive wheeled stool. Despite each having to go where the other went, it was “very important” to both “to live as independently as possible,” the obituary said. (4/13)

AP: A Majority Of Americans Say They Would Feel Better If They Slept More, Poll Shows 
If you’re feeling — YAWN — sleepy or tired while you read this and wish you could get some more shut-eye, you’re not alone. A majority of Americans say they would feel better if they could have more sleep, according to a new poll. The Gallup poll, released Monday, found 57% of Americans say they would feel better if they could get more sleep, while only 42% say they are getting as much sleep as they need. That’s a first in Gallup polling since 2001; in 2013, when Americans were last asked, it was just about the reverse — 56% saying they got the needed sleep and 43% saying they didn’t. (Hajela and Sanders, 4/15)

The Washington Post: WHO: Hepatitis Is Second-Leading Infectious Cause Of Death Worldwide 
More than 6,000 people a day are infected with viral hepatitis — and progress fighting the disease has stalled, a recently released World Health Organization report suggests. The analysis, released at the World Hepatitis Summit in Lisbon this month, looks at the burden of viral hepatitis in 187 countries and assesses the world’s progress toward eliminating the disease. (Blakemore, 4/14)

Reuters: Nigeria Becomes First Country To Roll Out New Meningitis Vaccine, WHO Says 
Nigeria has become the first country in the world to roll out the "revolutionary" new Men5CV vaccine against meningitis, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. Nigeria is one of the hotspots of the deadly disease in Africa. Last year, a 50% rise in annual cases was reported across 26 African countries regarded as meningitis hyperendemic countries, according to the WHO. (Adetayo, 4/13)

Reuters: South Africa Recalls J&J's Cough Syrup Sold In Six African Nations After Suspected Toxicity 
South Africa's health regulator said on Saturday it is recalling batches of Johnson & Johnson's children's cough syrup after detection of high levels of diethylene glycol. The affected batches were sold in South Africa, Eswatini, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria, the statement added. (4/13)

Reuters: Mexico Sounds Alarm Over 'Zombie Drug' Sedative In Opioids
Mexican public health officials are sounding an alarm after a study discovered the presence of animal tranquilizer Xylazine in opioids in cities on the country's northwest border with the United States. Known popularly in English by names like "tranq dope" and "zombie drug," Xylazine cut into heroin and fentanyl has in recent years worsened the opioid scourge in U.S. cities like Philadelphia. (O'Boyle, 4/12)

AP: No Link Between Ozempic, Wegovy And Suicide, Drug Regulators In Europe Find
Drug regulators in Europe have found no evidence that popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are linked to a higher risk of suicidal thoughts or actions. The European Medicines Agency regulatory committee announced the results of its review on Friday. It’s the latest group to conclude there’s no known tie between a new class of obesity drugs and suicide. (Aleccia, 4/12)