First Edition: Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024

KFF Health News: Arkansas’ Governor Says Medicaid Extension For New Moms Isn’t Needed
Arkansas is the only state that has not taken the step to expand what’s called postpartum Medicaid coverage, an option for states paid for almost entirely by the federal government that ensures poor women have uninterrupted health insurance for a year after they give birth. Forty-six states now have the provision, encouraged by the Biden administration, and Idaho, Iowa, and Wisconsin either have plans in place to enact legislation or have bills pending in their legislatures. (Varney, 9/18)

KFF Health News: Tennessee Tries To Rein In Ballad’s Hospital Monopoly After Years Of Problems
Ballad Health, an Appalachian company with the nation’s largest state-sanctioned hospital monopoly, may soon be required to improve its quality of care or face the possibility of being broken up. Government documents obtained by KFF Health News reveal that Tennessee officials, in closed-door negotiations, are attempting to hold the monopoly more accountable after years of complaints and protests from patients and their families. (Kelman, 9/18)

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. (9/17)

The New York Times: Deep Links Between Alcohol And Cancer Are Described In New Report
Adults under age 50 have been developing breast cancer and colorectal cancer at increasingly higher rates over the last six decades, and alcohol use may be one factor driving the trend, according to a scientific report published on Wednesday. (Rabin, 9/18)

The New York Times: These Four Common Infections Can Cause Cancer
A new report says that 13 percent of cancers are linked to bacteria or viruses. Vaccines and treatments offer powerful protection. (Agrawal, 9/18)

NBC News: Breast Cancer Treatment: Drug Kisqali Approval Expanded For Earlier Stage Disease
The Food and Drug Administration expanded the approval of Kisqali, a drug for metastatic breast cancer, to also treat patients with earlier stages of the disease, drugmaker Novartis said Tuesday. The approval means that tens of thousands of women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer will have access to a medication that can help prevent their cancer from coming back. (Fattah, Kopf and Park, 9/17)

NBC News: Black Women Are More Likely Than White Women To Die Of All Types Of Breast Cancer
Black women are more likely than white women to die from even the most treatable types of breast cancer, a study published Tuesday in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found. The findings, experts say, underscore that it’s racial disparities, not biology, driving the biggest differences in death rates between Black and white women. While Black women and white women are diagnosed with breast cancer at similar rates, Black women are 40% more likely to die from the disease. (Sullivan, 9/17)

NPR: U.S. Sees A Sudden And Unexpected Drop In Fatal Overdoses
For the first time in decades, public health data shows a sudden and hopeful drop in drug overdose deaths across the U.S. "This is exciting," said Dr. Nora Volkow, head of the National Institute On Drug Abuse [NIDA], the federal laboratory charged with studying addiction. "This looks real. This looks very, very real." National surveys compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already show an unprecedented decline in drug deaths of roughly 10.6 percent. That's a huge reversal from recent years when fatal overdoses regularly increased by double-digit percentages. (Mann, 9/18)

The Baltimore Sun: More Than Fourth Of Baltimoreans Know Someone Who Died Of Overdose
In Baltimore, Black residents tend to be hit the hardest by public health crises, but results from a community survey released Tuesday by Johns Hopkins University show that income level and educational attainment are more powerful than race at predicting whether a Baltimorean has lost someone close to them from a drug overdose. (Roberts, 9/17)

San Francisco Chronicle: The S.F. Medical Examiner Said Her Dad Died Of An Overdose And Sent Her The Ashes. But It Was A Colossal Mistake
Inside the unbelievable tale of James “Jimbo” Robinson: His family held a funeral, spread his ashes, got memorial tattoos, only to learn he was alive. (Gafni, 9/17)

WUSF: For People With Opioid Addiction, Medicaid Overhaul Comes With Risks 
It was hard enough for Stephanie to get methadone treatment when she moved from Indiana to Florida last year. The nearest clinic, north of Tampa, was almost an hour away, and she needed help with transportation. But at least Stephanie didn't have to worry about affording it. Medicaid in Florida covers methadone, which reduces her opioid cravings and prevents withdrawal symptoms. (Colombini and Krisberg, 9/16)

Bloomberg: Kratom’s First FDA Study Suggests Capsules Safe At High Doses
Kratom leaves appear safe even at high doses when taken in capsule form, US regulators found in their first preliminary study of the popular botanical compound that they’ve targeted as a potential public health threat. The US Food and Drug Administration research is intended to help fill a void surrounding the compound that’s been used for centuries in Southeast Asia, where people chew the leaves to get their mind-altering effects. Important questions remain about its impact in drinks and concentrates — more common in the US — which contain higher levels of kratom and could pose greater danger to consumers. (Rutherford and Milton, 9/17)

Reuters: US Senate IVF Bill Fails After Republicans Block It, Despite Trump Support 
A U.S. Senate bill aimed at enshrining federal protections and expanding insurance coverage for fertility treatments failed on Tuesday, as Republicans voted against it days after Donald Trump surprised supporters by voicing support for such a policy. The bill failed 51-44, falling short of the required 60-vote threshold after most Republicans voted against it for the second time. Democrats control the chamber by a slim 51-49 margin. (Warburton, 9/18)

The Hill: Democrats Block Ted Cruz Attempt To Pass GOP IVF Bill
Democrats on Tuesday blocked an attempt by Republican Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Katie Britt (Ala.) to pass a GOP in vitro fertilization (IVF) access bill through unanimous consent, repeating a similar showdown that occurred earlier this year. Cruz sought unanimous consent for the IVF Protection Act, which was blocked by Democrats in June at the same time their own IVF access bill, the Right to IVF Act, was blocked by Republicans. (Choi, 9/17)

Houston Chronicle: Houston Fertility Clinic Transferred Damaged Embryos, Lawsuit Says
Nicole and Agustin Alarcon began to worry they were doing something wrong after their third attempt at in vitro fertilization once again ended without a pregnancy. Then a doctor called them with a startling admission. The couple learned the embryos used in all three IVF cycles had been damaged earlier this year, but that a Houston fertility clinic opted to move forward with the transfers anyway, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Harris County District Court. (MacDonald, 9/17)

AP: VP Says Woman's Death After Delayed Abortion Treatment Shows Consequences Of Trump's Actions 
Vice President Kamala Harris said Tuesday that the death of a young Georgia mother who died after waiting 20 hours for a hospital to treat her complications from an abortion pill shows the consequences of Donald Trump’s actions. Amber Thurman’s death, first reported Monday by ProPublica, occurred just two weeks after Georgia’s strict abortion ban was enacted in 2022 following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn nationwide abortion rights. Trump appointed three of the justices who made that decision and has repeatedly said he believes states should decide abortion laws. (Seitz, 9/17)

ProPublica: Candi Miller Died Afraid To Seek Care Amid Georgia’s Abortion Ban 
A Georgia committee of experts in maternal health recently deemed Candi Miller’s death “preventable,” ProPublica has learned. The group, which includes 10 doctors, directly blamed the state’s abortion ban. (Surana, 9/18)

The Washington Post: Louisiana Hospitals And Pharmacists Prep For New Abortion Pills Rules 
Staff in some Louisiana hospitals are doing timed drills, sprinting from patient rooms and through halls to the locked medicine closets where the drugs used for abortions, incomplete miscarriages and postpartum hemorrhaging will have to be kept — as newly categorized controlled substances — starting Oct. 1. That’s hardly the only preparation taking place across the state as a law targeting mifepristone and misoprostol, the first of its kind in the country, goes into effect in two weeks. (Wax-Thibodeaux, 9/17)

Bloomberg: Harris Seeks To Cap Child Care Costs At 7% For Working Families
Vice President Kamala Harris said that she would seek to cap child care costs for working families at 7% of their income, her latest effort to assure voters that she will address the high prices and broad economic anxiety that has threatened her bid for the White House against Republican Donald Trump. “My plan is that no family, no working family, should pay more than 7% of their income in child care,” Harris said Tuesday at an event in Philadelphia with the National Association of Black Journalists. (Lowenkron and Woodhouse, 9/17)

Stat: Democrats Attack Trump-Vance Over Health Insurance Protections 
GOP vice presidential-hopeful JD Vance made some confusing comments over the weekend about deregulating health insurance. Democrats are using that to their advantage by characterizing the Trump-Vance ticket as being against a popular insurance protection. (Wilkerson and Owermohle, 9/17)

The Washington Post: House To Vote Wednesday On Doomed GOP Bill To Avert Government Shutdown
The House will vote Wednesday on the plan by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to fund the government, the speaker announced Tuesday — though the proposal lacks even enough Republican votes to pass and could deal the GOP a setback in government funding negotiations as a shutdown deadline nears. (Bogage, 9/17)

The Hill: Republicans Unlikely To Push Vote To Overturn Nursing Home Mandate
Republicans are not planning to force a vote on a resolution to overturn the Biden administration’s plan mandating minimum staffing levels in nursing homes, Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said.  A resolution under the Congressional Review Act isn’t subject to the 60-vote filibuster and needs only a simple majority of votes. The CRA is a fast-track legislative tool that allows lawmakers to nullify rules even after the executive branch has completed them. (Weixel, 9/17)

The Hill: GOP Rep. Bucshon Calls Vaccine Access For Children, Elderly ‘Critically Important’
Vaccine access of Americans, especially for children and the elderly, is “critically important,” Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN) said Tuesday.  “We need to get back to a normal place where we understand that vaccination has really changed the world,” Bucshon said during “Boosting the Status Quo: Vaccinating America’s Most Vulnerable,” a panel event hosted by The Hill and sponsored by the American Society for Clinical Pathology.  “Access to vaccination is really critically important for both children and seniors.” (O'Connell-Domenech, 9/17)

NBC News: Virus That Can Cause Paralyzing Illness In Children Is Spiking In The U.S., Data Shows
A respiratory virus that sometimes paralyzes children is spreading across the U.S., raising concerns about another possible rise in polio-like illnesses. Wastewater samples have detected a significant escalation in an enterovirus called D68, which, in rare cases, has been linked to acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM. The illness affects the nervous system and causes severe weakness in the arms and legs. This most often occurs in young children. (Edwards, 9/17)

CIDRAP: Child Flu Deaths Last Season Matched US Record High
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week reported two more pediatric flu deaths for the 2023-24 season, which matched the previous record high of 199 fatalities in kids during the 2019-20 flu season. Among the fatal cases, 73 were younger than 5 years old and 126 were ages 5 to 17. Roughly half involved influenza A. Of those with known subtypes, 43 had H1N1 and 16 had H3N2. Three children died from coinfections involving both influenza A and influenza B. (Schnirring, 9/17)

CBS News: Two Human Cases Of Rare Raccoon Roundworm Reported In Los Angeles
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials on Monday said that they are currently investigating the discovery of two humans cases of a rare infection called "raccoon roundworm." While no information about either of the patients was provided, officials say that both were in the South Bay area. Raccoon roundworm, known as Bylisascaris procyonis, is an intestinal parasitic infection that can affect the human spinal cord, brain and eyes, officials said. (Fioresi, 9/17)

The Washington Post: Norovirus Sickens Dozens On Hawaii Hiking Trail, Forcing Site’s Closure 
The Kalalau Trail is closed until at least Thursday because of a norovirus outbreak, according to state officials. At least 50 people fell ill. (Kaur, 9/17)

Bloomberg: Novo Says Ozempic ‘Very Likely’ Target For Next US Price Cut
Ozempic, the blockbuster diabetes shot made by Novo Nordisk A/S, is “very likely” to be one of the next drugs targeted for a price cut in bargaining with the US government’s Medicare program, a company executive said. The Inflation Reduction Act, which allows the US to directly negotiate drug prices with manufacturers for the first time, last month slashed the cost of 10 of the world’s biggest medicines by 38% to 79% for 2026. (Smith and Muller, 9/17)

NBC News: Bernie Sanders Says Ozempic Can Be Produced For Less Than $100 A Month
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., renewed his criticism of drugmaker Novo Nordisk on Tuesday, claiming that the CEOs of major generic pharmaceutical companies have told him that they can produce and sell its blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic for less than $100 a month. Sanders made the remark at an expert roundtable event on Capitol Hill, which served as a preview to Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen's testifying before the Senate ​​Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee next week. (Lovelace Jr., 9/17)

CNN: GLP-1 Pills Are Coming, And They Could Revolutionize Weight-Loss Treatment
Jared Holz thought about taking one of the new GLP-1 drugs for weight loss for months before he actually filled the prescription. And even when he got the drug, he waited a month before using it. Part of his hesitation: He dislikes needles, and all the drugs in this class that have been approved for weight loss come as shots that users give themselves once a week. (Tirrell, 9/17)

The Wall Street Journal: 23andMe Board Resigns In New Blow To DNA-Testing Company And CEO Anne Wojcicki 
All seven independent directors of DNA-testing company 23andMe resigned Tuesday, following a protracted negotiation with founder and Chief Executive Anne Wojcicki over her plan to take the company private. (Winkler, 9/18)

Modern Healthcare: CDC Diagnostic Recommendations Aim To Reduce Errors, Improve Care Works
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is launching a program to help hospitals reduce diagnostic errors and provide more safe, accurate patient care, the agency announced Tuesday. Missed, delayed or wrong diagnoses can occur due to a variety of factors, including communication breakdowns and technological issues, said Dr. Preeta Kutty, deputy associate director for science in the division of healthcare quality promotion at the CDC. (Devereaux, 9/17)

New Hampshire Public Radio: NH Attorney General Demands Answers On Exeter Hospital Cuts
New Hampshire’s attorney general is demanding answers from Exeter Hospital about its plans to cut services. The Portsmouth Herald reported Monday that Core Physicians, an affiliate of Exeter Hospital, has informed patients it will stop offering neurology, podiatry and pediatric dentistry as of Oct. 11. The hospital also plans to close its occupational health program in the coming weeks. And last week, Exeter Hospital said it plans to end a paramedic intercept service that many area towns rely on to fill gaps in their emergency services, angering local officials. (Cuno-Booth, 9/17)

Modern Healthcare: Amazon Adds Talkspace To Health Condition Programs
Technology giant Amazon is expanding a program aimed to help consumers navigate their insurance benefits. Amazon announced on Tuesday it was partnering with virtual therapy provider Talkspace on its Health Condition Programs. Amazon, which first announced the program in January, allows its users to input information about their insurance plan and potentially identify covered services such as Talkspace's virtual therapy. (Turner, 9/17)

Stat: From Epic To FDA, The Leaders Presenting At HHS’ Invite-Only AI Event
Federal health officials wrestling with when and how to use artificial intelligence will on Wednesday host an invitation-only meeting of AI leaders across industry, academia, and government. Called “AI in Action: Transforming Health and Human Services,” the three-hour event is hosted by the federal health department. Its agenda illustrates a department excitedly working through how AI fits into its mission — as well as into the United States’ broader health care system. (Aguilar and Ross, 9/17)

Modern Healthcare: CHS' Northwest Healthcare To Buy 10 Urgent Care Centers
Community Health Systems' Northwest Healthcare signed an agreement to acquire 10 urgent care centers in Arizona from Carbon Health. The acquisition, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter, would increase capacity in the Tucson, Arizona, area and grow Northwest's network to more than 80 care sites, according to a Monday news release. (Hudson, 9/17)

Modern Healthcare: VillageMD's Summit Health To Open Hub Locations In New Jersey
Multispecialty care provider Summit Health is expanding its footprint in New Jersey this fall. New York-based Summit, part of Walgreens-backed VillageMD, opened a 78,000-square-foot hub facility in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, this week and plans to open another 34,000-square-foot location in Bridgewater in late October, according to a Tuesday news release. Details of the financial investment were not disclosed. (Hudson, 9/17)

AP: Rockies' Ryan McMahon Makes $1 Million Donation To Children's Hospital Of Colorado
Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon and his wife, Natalie, said Tuesday they were donating $1 million to the Children’s Hospital of Colorado. McMahon, whose six-year, $70 million contract runs through 2027, said he and his wife, who recently became parents, liked the idea of helping children in need. (9/17)

CBS News: California Congressman Introduces Bill That Could Provide Kidney Donors With Financial Incentive
Every day, 12 people die waiting for a kidney donation. Living donations, where someone donates one of their kidneys, are more effective but aren't as common. However, there is a proposal to change that with a financial incentive. ... Central Valley Congressman Josh Harder says a fix could be financial. He's introduced a bill that would give living donors $50,000 in tax credits over five years. (Garcia, 9/17)