First Edition: Friday, Dec. 6, 2024

KFF Health News: How Measles, Whooping Cough, And Worse Could Roar Back On RFK Jr.’s Watch
The availability of safe, effective covid vaccines less than a year into the pandemic marked a high point in the 300-year history of vaccination, seemingly heralding an age of protection against infectious diseases. Now, after backlash against public health interventions culminated in President-elect Donald Trump’s nominating Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the country’s best-known anti-vaccine activist, as its top health official, infectious disease and public health experts and vaccine advocates say a confluence of factors could cause renewed, deadly epidemics of measles, whooping cough, and meningitis, or even polio. (Allen, 12/6)

KFF Health News: Six Years Into An Appalachia Hospital Monopoly, Patients Are Fearful And Furious
Jerry Qualls had a heart attack in 2022 and was rushed by ambulance to Holston Valley Medical Center, where he was hospitalized for a week and kept alive by a ventilator and blood pump, according to his medical records. His wife, Katherine Qualls, said his doctors offered little hope. In an interview and a written complaint to the Tennessee government, she said doctors at Holston Valley told her that her husband would not qualify for a heart transplant and shouldn’t be expected to recover. (Kelman, 12/6)

KFF Health News' 'What The Health?' Podcast: A Colorful Cast Could Lead Key Health Agencies 
President-elect Donald Trump has made his choices to fill some top jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services. They include controversial figures who were vocal critics of the Biden administration’s handling of the covid pandemic and have proposed sweeping changes to the agencies they would lead. (Rovner, 12/5)

The New York Times: Torrent of Anger for Health Insurance Industry Follows C.E.O.’s Killing
The fatal shooting on Wednesday of a top UnitedHealthcare executive, Brian Thompson, on a Manhattan sidewalk has unleashed a torrent of morbid glee from patients and others who say they have had negative experiences with health insurance companies at some of the hardest times of their lives. “Thoughts and deductibles to the family,” read one comment underneath a video of the shooting posted online by CNN. “Unfortunately my condolences are out-of-network.” (Searcey and Kircher, 12/5)

The Atlantic: Murder Is An Awful Answer For Health Care Anger
Two very ugly, uniquely American things happened yesterday: A health-care executive was shot dead, and because he was a health-care executive, people cheered. UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was murdered yesterday outside his hotel in Midtown Manhattan by an unknown assailant. The identity of the killer is unknown. His motive is not yet clear. Yet despite the cold-blooded nature of the attack, and despite the many unknowns, people all over the country have leaped to speculation—and in some cases even celebration—about a horrific act of violence. (Florko, 12/5)

AP: Slaying Of UnitedHealthcare CEO Spotlights Complex Challenge Companies Face In Protecting Top Brass 
Some high-profile CEOs surround themselves with security. But the fatal shooting this week of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson while he walked alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take in protecting their leaders against threats. Thompson had no personal security and appeared unaware of the shooter lurking before he was gunned down. Some of the biggest U.S. companies, particularly those in the tech sector, spend heavily on personal and residential security for their top executives. (Geller, Bussewitz and Liedtke, 12/6)

AP: New Clues Emerge As Hunt For UnitedHealthcare CEO's Shooter Enters Third Day
As the investigation into a masked gunman who stalked and killed the head of one of the largest U.S. health insurers moved into its third day Friday, possible leads emerged about his travel before the shooting. Investigators also now believe the suspect may have traveled to New York last month on a bus that originated in Atlanta, one of the law enforcement officials said. Police and federal agents have been collecting information from Greyhound in an attempt to identify the suspect. (Balsamo, Offenhartz and Sisak, 12/6)

The Washington Post: Online Sleuths Are Racing To Catch The UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Killer
Amateur internet sleuths are racing to identify the gunman who killed the chief of the nation’s largest health insurer in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, hoping to piece together clues and beat police investigators at their own high-profile manhunt. (Harwell, Gilbert and MacMillan, 12/5)

CBS News: Anthem Blue Cross Says It's Reversing A Policy To Limit Anesthesia Coverage
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said Thursday that the health insurance provider is reversing a policy that was set to go into effect in February of that would have limited anesthesia coverage during surgeries and other procedures, a change that had prompted an outcry from some physicians and lawmakers. The policy, which would have covered Anthem's plans in Connecticut, New York and Missouri, was disclosed in recent weeks. ... The policy would have excluded people under 22 years old and maternity care. (Picchi, 12/5)

Fox Business: Elon Musk Weighs In On Health Care Costs Amid Insurance Scrutiny
Billionaire Elon Musk on Thursday weighed in on the cost of health care in the U.S., questioning the value Americans get for the coverage they receive. "Shouldn’t the American people be getting their money’s worth?" Musk, who was tapped to co-lead the incoming-Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, replied to a post on X. His comment was in response to a post highlighting data from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation that says that the U.S. has the highest health care admin costs (per capita) compared to OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries. (Genovese, 12/5)

Medical Economics: Business Group Sounds The Alarm On Historic Surge In Health Care Costs For 2025
For the first time in over a decade, employers are bracing for health care cost increases that are growing at rates not seen in years. Many businesses reported higher-than-expected expenses in 2023, with projections for 2024 and 2025 signaling even sharper growth. This cost trajectory has forced many organizations to reconsider long-standing partnerships and explore new strategies for cost management. Employers are expected to respond with increased request-for-proposal activity, seeking greater transparency and accountability from vendor partners. These efforts will likely disrupt current arrangements but are designed to improve long-term outcomes, including patient experience, affordability, and quality of care. Businesses will also explore alternative approaches, such as direct contracting with centers of excellence and steering employees toward high-value providers. (Shryock, 12/3)

Modern Healthcare: Why Hospitals Are Suing HHS Over Medicare Inpatient Pay
Hospitals have expanded their legal push for the federal government to boost Medicare reimbursement. More than 500 hospitals last week sued the Health and Human Services Department for allegedly miscalculating a 40-year-old Inpatient Prospective Payment System base reimbursement rate that providers say has lowered years of subsequent Medicare payments to hospitals. The lawsuit is the latest in a series of similar complaints that allege the Health and Human Services Department must increase Medicare inpatient pay. (Kacik, 12/5)

CNBC: Many People Can't Afford Long-Term Care. How A Federal Program May Help
As a historic wave of baby boomers reaches retirement age, finding affordable long-term care is a challenge. “We’re going to have a major storm coming in our country with all these folks that can’t take care of themselves,” Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-New York, said Thursday at the Employee Benefit Research Institute policy forum in Washington, D.C. (Konish, 12/5)

Modern Healthcare: Amazon Adds Hinge Health To Health Condition Programs
Technology giant Amazon is expanding a program that connects its users to digital health companies. Amazon is adding virtual musculoskeletal health company Hinge Health to its Health Condition Programs, the companies said Thursday. The programs allow users to input information about their insurance plan and potentially identify covered services such as Hinge’s virtual physical therapy. (Turner, 12/5)

The Boston Globe: Mass General Brigham Residents Union Alleges Exploitation
Eighteen months after residents and fellows at Mass General Brigham voted to unionize, about 400 doctors in training protested outside the health system’s flagship hospitals Thursday and accused their employer of bargaining in bad faith as the union seeks its first contract. Shouting “shame” and “union power,” members of the Committee of Interns and Residents, or CIR, of the Service Employees International Union said MGB has offered raises that fail to keep pace with inflation. (Saltzman, 12/5)

Iowa Public Radio: Iowa’s Troubling Physician Shortage Is Expected To Get Worse. Doctors Are Advocating For Solutions
Iowa is among the worst states in the country for physician-to-patient ratio. It ranks 44th in United States for physicians per capita, according to the Iowa Medical Society. The problem is especially acute for patients in rural areas seeking specialized care. (Dunlap, Kieffer and Gehr, 12/5)

Modern Healthcare: Acutus Medical Layoffs To Hit 70% Of Staff In 2025
Acutus Medical, a manufacturer of cardiac electrophysiology devices, plans to lay off about 70% of its employees in early 2025. The company submitted a filing to California's Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification database on Dec. 2 for the permanent termination of 57 employees, set to take effect Feb.1. (Dubinsky, 12/5)

Chicago Tribune: Criminally Charged Illinois Health Care Providers Kept Working
After investigating complaints that Crystal Lake endocrinologist Dr. Hiralal Maheshwari had touched patients inappropriately in his exam rooms, McHenry County prosecutors approved a felony charge of criminal sexual abuse in December 2021. Under state law, the prosecutors should have immediately notified the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the state agency with oversight over medical professionals. (Hoerner and Schencker, 12/6)

San Francisco Chronicle: UCSF To Pay $15M To Woman Whose Anesthesia Was Mixed With Formaldehyde
A 42-year-old woman from Sonoma entered the emergency room at the UCSF hospital in 2021 with a swollen and bleeding fibroid in her uterus that required surgery. What followed was agony. According to a lawyer for the woman and her husband, medics mistakenly mixed her anesthetic with a mislabeled cup on the same tray that contained formalin, a liquid form of the chemical formaldehyde, and injected it. She suffered burns to her pelvic muscle and tissue, nerve damage, loss of strength and mobility, and pain that still torments her three years later. (Egelko, 12/5)

Los Angeles Times: Santa Clara County Hospitals Accused Of Illegally Dumping Fentanyl, Data
Santa Clara county hospitals have illegally dumped tons of biohazardous waste, including prescription drugs, human tissue and vials containing blood, county prosecutors said. One photo appeared to show a discarded umbilical cord or part of a human organ, among piles of trash with soiled towels, used syringes, unemptied prescription vials and over-the-counter drugs, including fentanyl, and medical equipment, officials said in a news release Thursday. Hundreds of documents with unredacted personal patient information were also found. (McDonald, 12/5)

Stat: FDA’s Califf: To Rein In Food Industry, Congress Must Invest More In The Agency
Senators on both sides of the aisle blasted the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday for not doing enough to prevent a surge in obesity and diabetes in the United States. The agency’s commissioner, Robert Califf, turned the blame back around, arguing that if Congress wants the FDA to issue tighter regulations on the food and beverage industry, it should give the agency more money and authority. (Lawrence, 12/5)

CBS News: Sanders Says RFK Jr. "Exactly Correct" On Food Issues, Has Not Decided On Trump Pick For HHS Secretary
Sen. Bernie Sanders praised Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s message on food issues Thursday, and said he had not made up his mind on whether he would oppose President-elect Donald Trump's pick of Kennedy to head the nation's health agencies. In an interview with CBS News correspondent Natalie Brand, the independent Vermont senator said that he feared some of Kennedy's views on health issues are "extremely dangerous," criticizing Kennedy's call to pull fluoride out of U.S. water supply systems and his "very wrong" views on vaccines. (Tin, 12/5)

Anchorage Daily News: Health Care Group Targets Alaska Sen. Murkowski In Effort To Block RFK Jr. From Becoming U.S. Health Secretary
A national health care advocacy group has started campaigning in Alaska to urge U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski to block Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from leading the federal Department of Health and Human Services. Politico reported last month that Protect Our Care — a left-leaning health care group — was planning to target moderate Republican senators to vote against President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for the key health care post. The group kicked off its Alaska campaign last week. (Maguire, 12/6)

Stat: RFK Jr.'s MAHA Coalition Is Already Showing Some Cracks
What began as an unlikely, diverse alliance — “Make America Healthy Again,” inclusive of everyone from ex-Bernie supporters to vaccine-critical mothers and Joe Rogan listeners — is showing some cracks. As President-elect Donald Trump and his transition team stack the next administration with officials from different backgrounds, some in MAHA are dissatisfied with his choices to lead health-related agencies. (Cueto, 12/6)

Roll Call: How Backlash To The Pandemic Helped Shape Trump’s Health Picks 
If there’s a theme among President-elect Donald Trump’s health Cabinet picks, it’s this: The vast majority were critics of how the Biden administration handled COVID-19. The pandemic upended Americans’ perspective on public health and health care delivery, both throughout the United States and among Republican lawmakers. Policy experts say that change is evident in Trump’s selections to lead major U.S. health agencies. (Cohen, 12/5)

The Oklahoman: Anti-Abortion Oklahoma Bill Would Make Procedure A Felony
The fight to tighten Oklahoma's already strict abortion laws has resumed as one Republican lawmaker introduced the first anti-abortion bill of the 2025 legislative session. Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, filed House Bill 1008 which would classify abortion as a felony for providers and grant protections for fetuses. If passed, the bill would revive Senate Bill 612, which was signed into law in 2022 before being struck down by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. (Aston, 12/5)

AP: Michigan Democrats Move To Protect Reproductive Health Data Before GOP Takes Control Of House 
Michigan Democrats are pushing this month to pass legislation they say will improve reproductive health care, in particular the safety of digital health data, ahead of Republicans taking over the state House in 2025. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is backing a bill designed to protect reproductive health data including data logged on menstrual cycle tracking apps. Similar legislation that has passed in other states is aimed at keeping the data from being used to target people seeking abortions. (Volmert, 12/6)

Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Legislators Pass Bill To Protect Unconscious Patients From Abuse
Legislation to better protect patients that was introduced as a result of sexually abusive doctors is a step closer to becoming law. The Ohio House of Representatives on Wednesday passed House Bill 89, sending it to the state Senate for consideration. ... If passed by the legislature's upper chamber and signed into law by the governor, the bill would prohibit medical providers from conducting intimate exams unless medically necessary or for certain other exceptions. (Filby, 12/5)

WFSU: KidCare Expansion Gets Federal OK After Yearlong Delay. Then Florida Rejects It
The DeSantis administration plans to reject this week’s federal approval of Florida’s plan to expand KidCare, the state’s health insurance program for children. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services accepted Florida’s application for a waiver after a yearlong delay, but with the stipulation that the state provides 12 months of continuous coverage. (Menzel and Mayer, 12/6)

The Oklahoman: OKCPD Sees Decrease In Mental Health Calls With Help Of 988 Hotline
Oklahoma City has seen a 57% decrease in mental health-related calls dispatched to Oklahoma City police officers in the last 13 months, the department announced Tuesday, which is partially attributed to the success of the state's 988 Mental Health Lifeline. The reduction, the department says, shows that more Oklahoma City residents are receiving mental health assistance from specialized support, rather than emergency law enforcement intervention. (Kelly, 12/5)

CBS News: U.S. Sets Thanksgiving Record For Whooping Cough Cases
At least 364 pertussis infections were reported to health authorities last week, according to figures published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, marking the worst Thanksgiving week for whooping cough in recent decades. This tops the previous Thanksgiving record of 228 cases of pertussis which were reported for the week ending Nov. 27, 2010. That year there were 27,550 cases reported by the end of 2010, below the 28,167 already tallied so far this year. (Tin, 12/5)

CIDRAP: Flu Patients Less Likely To Die If Given Oseltamivir On Day Of Hospitalization, Data Suggest 
Patients given the antiviral drug oseltamivir on the day of hospital admission for influenza A had less severe disease and were less likely to die or require intensive care and dialysis or vasopressors (drugs to raise blood pressure) than those who didn't receive early therapy, suggests a US study published last week in Clinical Infectious Diseases. (Van Beusekom, 12/5)

CIDRAP: Mpox Continues Its Africa Spread As Clade 1b Confirmed In 2 More Nations 
Africa's mpox outbreaks are still trending upward. ... Countries reported 36 more deaths, raising the total this year to 1,200. "We are still losing people," said Jean Kaseya, MD, MPH, director-general of Africa CDC. The region reported 2,708 new cases, putting the total for the year at 62,171 cases in 20 countries. Most cases and all of the deaths last week were from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has been the main outbreak epicenter. (Schnirring, 12/5)

AP: 13 Children Die In Mexico From Suspected Contaminated IV Bags
Thirteen children under the age of 14 have died in central Mexico and authorities said Thursday they suspect contaminated IV feeding bags as the culprit. The federal Health Department ordered doctors across the country not to use IV nutrition bags made by the company Productos Hospitalarios S.A de C.V., though the exact source of the infections is still under investigation. Phone calls to numbers listed for the company and emails seeking comment went unanswered. (12/5)