First Edition: Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024

KFF Health News: More Restrooms Have Adult-Size Changing Tables To Help People With Disabilities
The blue-and-white highway sign for the eastbound rest stop near here displays more than the standard icon of a person in a wheelchair, indicating facilities are accessible to people who can’t walk. The sign also shows a person standing behind a horizontal rectangle, preparing to perform a task. The second icon signals that this rest area along Interstate 80 in western Iowa has a bathroom equipped with a full-size changing table, making it an oasis for adults and older children who use diapers because of disabilities. (Leys, 10/3)

KFF Health News: Harris Correct That Trump Fell Short On Promise To Negotiate Medicare Drug Prices
Since Vice President Kamala Harris entered the presidential race, she and former President Donald Trump have sparred over their approaches to lowering prescription drug costs. Harris has described this as an important campaign promise that Trump made but didn’t deliver on. “Donald Trump said he was going to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices,” Harris said during the ABC News debate on Sept. 10 in Philadelphia. “He never did. We did.” (Gardenswartz, 10/3)

KFF Health News: Doctors Urging Conference Boycotts Over Abortion Bans Face Uphill Battle
Soon after the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Roe v. Wade abortion ruling in 1973, Laura Esserman used her high school graduation speech to urge her classmates to vote for the Equal Rights Amendment to expand women’s access to property, divorce, and abortion. Five decades later, with 14 states banning abortion in almost all circumstances, the University of California-San Francisco breast cancer surgeon has once again taken up the fight for women’s reproductive rights. (Cohen, 10/3)

KFF Health News: Vance-Walz Debate Highlighted Clear Health Policy Differences
Ohio Republican Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz met in an Oct. 1 vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News that was cordial and heavy on policy discussion — a striking change from the Sept. 10 debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Vance and Walz acknowledged occasional agreement on policy points and respectfully addressed each other throughout the debate. (10/2)

MSN: U.S. Government Extends Negotiation Timeline For Medicare Drug Price Cuts
The U.S. government has taken a step in its ongoing efforts to manage healthcare costs by extending the negotiation timeline for Medicare drug price cuts. This decision, announced on Wednesday, is part of a broader strategy to ensure that the process is both fair and effective. ... In response to feedback from both patients and drugmakers, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has introduced changes to the negotiation process. These changes include meeting with companies earlier and providing more opportunities for counter offers. The agency will now engage with drugmakers before making its initial offer, and one of the three allotted negotiation meetings will occur before the deadline for the first counter offer. (Morales, 10/2)

The New York Times: Gilead Agrees To Allow Generic Version Of Groundbreaking H.I.V. Shot In Poor Countries 
The drugmaker Gilead Sciences on Wednesday announced a plan to allow six generic pharmaceutical companies in Asia and North Africa to make and sell at a lower price its groundbreaking drug lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injection that provides near-total protection from infection with H.I.V. Those companies will be permitted to sell the drug in 120 countries, including all the countries with the highest rates of H.I.V., which are in sub-Saharan Africa. Gilead will not charge the generic drugmakers for the licenses. (Nolen, 10/2)

AP: US School-Entry Vaccination Rates Fall As Exemptions Keep Rising 
U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates dipped last year and the proportion of children with exemptions rose to an all-time high, according to federal data posted Wednesday. The share of kids exempted from vaccine requirements rose to 3.3%, up from 3% the year before. Meanwhile, 92.7% of kindergartners got their required shots, which is a little lower than the previous two years. Before the COVID-19 pandemic the vaccination rate was 95%, the coverage level that makes it unlikely that a single infection will spark a disease cluster or outbreak. The changes may seem slight but are significant, translating to about 80,000 kids not getting vaccinated, health officials say. (Stobbe, 10/2)

CNN: It’s Time To Get Flu And Covid-19 Shots
Respiratory virus season has arrived in the United States and health officials say that October is a prime time to get vaccinated. Vaccines for Covid-19, flu and RSV are available now. While the respiratory virus season tends to peak between December and March, getting vaccinated in the fall can help provide protection throughout the season. (McPhillips, 10/2)

Politico: DOJ Recommends Monitor For New Jersey's Veterans Homes For Pandemic Response
The Department of Justice on Wednesday announced it filed a complaint against New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration over allegations that the state delivered poor quality of care at its state-run veterans homes, where hundreds of residents died of Covid-19 throughout the pandemic. The complaint was also followed by a proposed consent decree between federal officials and the state. The proposal, which must be approved by a judge to take effect, would set up specific criteria for care and an overhaul of infection control and emergency response practices. An independent monitor will be brought in to make sure the terms of the consent decree are being followed. (Han, 10/2)

CIDRAP: Connecticut Reports First Human Rickettsia Parkeri Case 
Connecticut officials have reported the first human case in the state of the tickborne disease Rickettsia parkeri. This is also the first case detected in the Northeastern region of the country. The disease is spread by the Gulf Coast tick Amblyomma maculatum. Unlike other ticks in the region, Gulf Coast ticks favor grassland habitats. (Soucheray, 10/2)

Stat: CDC Testing Of Missouri's Bird Flu Case Hits Obstacles, Delaying Answers
U.S. health officials have run into obstacles in their efforts to determine whether a Missouri person infected with H5N1 bird flu passed the virus on to others, causing a delay that will likely fuel concerns about the possibility that there has been human-to-human transmission. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has blood samples from several health workers and a household contact of the Missouri case that it plans to test for antibodies that would indicate whether they too had been infected with the virus, an agency official told STAT. (Branswell, 10/2)

Bloomberg: Human-To-Human Bird Flu Spread In Missouri Is Unlikely, CDC Says
Chances are low that human-to-human spread of bird flu occurred in a group of people who were exposed to a patient infected with the virus in Missouri, US health authorities said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is assisting Missouri health officials in its investigation of seven people who began experiencing symptoms after contact with the H5N1-infected patient. (Suvarna, 10/2)

CIDRAP: USDA Confirms More H5N1 In Idaho Dairy Cows 
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed H5N1 avian flu in one more dairy herd in Idaho, pushing the national total to 244 across 14 states. Idaho has now reported 34 H5N1 outbreaks on dairy farms, three of them since early September. (Schnirring, 10/2)

Stat: Marburg Virus Outbreak In Rwanda Draws Concern Over Possibility Of Spread
A large outbreak of Marburg virus in Rwanda is drawing international concern about the possibility of spread beyond the country’s borders. The number of cases detected so far, 27, already makes the outbreak one of the biggest involving Marburg on record. Nine of those individuals have died. There are currently no licensed vaccines to combat the disease. In a statement issued late Monday, the World Health Organization categorized the risk of spread to neighboring countries as high. It also suggested there is a risk of spread beyond East Africa. (Branswell, 9/30)

NPR: Marburg Is A Scary Virus. How Scared Should We Be Of Rwanda's Outbreak?
If you are healthy, live life as normal and do "not panic," he said. But those feeling sick must seek immediate medical attention. Nsanzimana is Rwanda's health minister — and his country is in the grips of its first-ever outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus. The virus comes from fruit bats and is in the same family as the Ebola virus. There are no known treatments or vaccines, although supportive care like IV fluids is helpful. The death rate can be as high as 88%. (Emanuel, 10/2)

Reuters: US CDC Warns Of Overdose Risk From Fake Prescription Medicines Online 
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday alerted public health officials and clinicians about the potential risk for drug overdose among individuals ordering counterfeit prescription medicines from online pharmacies. The counterfeit pills sold through illegal internet-based pharmacies frequently contain fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is the leading cause of drug overdoses in the United States, the health agency said. (10/2)

Stat: To Aid Addiction Treatment, Lawmakers Tell DEA To Back Off Buprenorphine Enforcement
Two Democratic lawmakers are pushing the Drug Enforcement Administration to take a more lax approach to regulating buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid addiction. “Bupe,” also known by the brand name Suboxone, is one of just two medications currently approved to treat opioid cravings and withdrawal. And though it is associated with a 38% reduction in risk of opioid death, it remains stigmatized because it is chemically an opioid — and, accordingly, highly scrutinized by the DEA. (Facher, 10/3)

CNN: Doctor Charged In Connection With Matthew Perry’s Death Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To Distribute Ketamine
Mark Chavez, one of the two doctors charged in connection with “Friends” star Matthew Perry’s death, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine as part of a plea agreement during a court appearance in Los Angeles on Wednesday. In accordance with the agreement, Chavez formally pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute ketamine to Perry, who died in October 2023 due to “acute effects” of the anesthetic and subsequent drowning, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office autopsy report. He was 54. (Rosenbloom, Galeana and Watt, 10/2)

Reuters: Gun, Transgender Rights, Porn Cases Loom As US Supreme Court Returns
The U.S. Supreme Court launches its new nine-month term on Monday with several major cases already on its schedule - involving guns, transgender rights, online pornography and more - and with the possibility of confronting legal disputes that may arise from the Nov. 5 presidential election. The first big case before the court comes on Tuesday, when it hears arguments involving largely untraceable, home-assembled firearms called "ghost guns." (Chung, 10/2)

The Hill: Trust In Supreme Court Drops To Record Low In New Poll
Public trust in the Supreme Court is at a record low, with more than half of Americans disapproving of the nation’s highest court since its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, a new survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania showed. The survey, conducted from July 12 to August 12, found that 56 percent of Americans disapprove somewhat of the court, saying they either trust it “a little” or “not at all.” (Ventura, 10/2)

Axios: Study Reveals Thousands Of Long-Term Deaths From Hurricanes
Hurricanes and tropical storms have long-term health consequences, generating 7,000 to 11,000 excess deaths over the 15 years following the event, a new study finds. Until recently, most of the attention has been focused on direct causes of death, such as drownings from floodwaters, rather than the complex cascade of events that can elevate mortality long after a storm fizzles. (Freedman, 10/2)

NBC News: At Asheville's Mission Hospital, Workers Describe The Dire Conditions After The Storm
Facing what could be months without a steady water supply, the only solution for Mission Hospital was to dig a well. The Asheville, North Carolina, hospital was crippled after fast-moving Hurricane Helene dumped a record amount of rain in the region over the weekend. “The entire water infrastructure to the area was obliterated,” said Hannah Drummond, a nurse at the hospital and the chief nurse representative for National Nurses United, the union that represents nurses at Mission Hospital. (Edwards, Kopf, Fattah and Burke, 10/3)

AP: Hospitals Mostly Rebound After Helene Knocked Out Power 
While hospitals and health care organizations in the Southeast largely stayed open and functioning during Hurricane Helene to provide essential care for their communities, they were not unscathed. Most hospitals used generators or backup systems to power their facilities through the hurricane. Many places halted elective procedures. Few closed completely. ... Providers, like their communities, are now in the recovery phase. Health care workers are still unaccounted for in western North Carolina, where at least 57 people died in and around Asheville. Officials also say mental health care facilities were destroyed in that area. (Bose, 10/2)

NBC News: Vance's High-Risk Pool Health Insurance Plan: Would It Help Or Harm Sick Patients?
During Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, the Republican nominee, vowed to protect health insurance coverage for people with pre-existing conditions while also doubling down on a proposal to place them in a so-called high-risk pool, separating them out from healthier individuals. To many policy experts watching the debate, the two statements seemed irreconcilable — and harked back to a time before the Affordable Care Act, which guaranteed coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, became law. (Lovelace Jr., 10/2)

Politico: Dems Dismiss Trump-Vance Abortion Messaging As ‘Lip Service,’ But It Might Be Working 
Trump and Vance’s efforts on the debate stage and on social media Tuesday night were the latest examples of the GOP ticket’s months-long effort to neutralize one of Democrats’ most effective lines of attack and rebrand as moderate on abortion, and there are signs it might be working. Recent polling in several battleground states shows that many who support abortion rights — and plan to vote for state-level protections for the procedure — also plan to cast their vote for Trump despite his self-professed leading role in overturning Roe v. Wade. (Ollstein, 10/2)

Los Angeles Times: Melania Trump Defends Abortion Rights In New Memoir
Former First Lady Melania Trump offered a passionate defense of a woman’s right to abortion, including in the late stages of pregnancy — a direct contradiction of the views of her husband, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, according to excerpts of her memoir that is scheduled to be released next week. “It is imperative to guarantee that women have autonomy in deciding their preference of having children, based on their own convictions, free from any intervention or pressure from the government,” the former president’s wife writes in “Melania,” according to a report published by the Guardian on Wednesday. (Mehta and Jarvie, 10/2)

The Washington Post: Medicare Advantage Giant Humana Reels After Ratings Cut 
One of the country’s largest providers of private Medicare plans saw its stock sink to its lowest level in 15 years after the federal government cut the rating for one of its most popular offerings. Shares of Humana plunged Wednesday after the company revealed in a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission that only 1.6 million people — about a quarter of its members — are signed up for Medicare Advantage plans rated four stars or higher for 2025. This year, 94 percent of its members are enrolled in them. (Telford, 10/2)

Modern Healthcare: How 2025 Medicare Advantage Ratings Will Be Affected By Cut Points
Getting top quality scores will continue to be a challenge for Medicare Advantage insurers that had grown accustomed to high star ratings and lucrative bonus payments. That's because the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is elevating most of the "cut points" used to calculate 2025 Medicare Advantage star ratings, according to financial analysts and consultants who previewed the agency’s guidelines before the highly anticipated release of the latest ratings later this month. (Berryman, 10/2)

San Francisco Chronicle: California AG Lawsuit Seeks To Reopen AHMC Hospital In Moss Beach
In a move that could restore critical medical services to a coastal Bay Area community, California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Wednesday sued the owner of Seton Coastside hospital, alleging the recent closure of its emergency department violates the terms of a state-mandated agreement that requires the hospital to maintain emergency and other medical services. The lawsuit, filed in San Mateo County Superior Court, accuses AHMC Healthcare ... of failing to meet conditions it agreed to in 2020, when it acquired the hospital from its previous owner. (Ho, 10/2)

Axios: Steward's Hospital Solutions Spark New Concerns
The Steward Health debacle may be nearing an end, but critics worry some of the arrangements in place to keep the chain's hospitals and 5,000-person doctors group up and running could trigger another fiasco. Why it matters: Almost everyone agrees that Steward's management had a big hand driving the system into bankruptcy. But some argue there were also systemic problems related to private equity ownership and risky sale-leasebacks of properties that still loom over the surviving entities. (Owens, 10/2)

Modern Healthcare: Why Labcorp, Quest Diagnostics Are Buying Up Hospital Labs
Independent lab companies have continued their transaction spree in 2024, either by forming partnerships with hospitals and health systems or by outright acquiring some of their lab assets. Quest Diagnostics has announced seven acquisitions this year, including its recent purchase of select lab assets from Minneapolis-based Allina Health. Slated to close later this year are deals with OhioHealth in Columbus and University Hospitals in Cleveland. (DeSilva, 10/2)

The Washington Post: Eli Lilly’s Weight-Loss Drug No Longer In Shortage, FDA Says 
The two-year shortage of Eli Lilly’s blockbuster weight-loss and diabetes drugs is over, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday. Eli Lilly’s supply of Mounjaro, which is used to treat Type 2 diabetes, and popular weight-loss drug Zepbound, can now meet present and projected national demand, the FDA said in a statement. Both medications, which trigger the hormone GLP-1 and curb hunger, have been in shortage since 2022 as demand for weight-loss drugs has skyrocketed. (Ziegler and Gilbert, 10/2)

Reuters: Lilly To Invest $4.5 Bln On New Facility To Scale-Up Pipeline Drug Production 
U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly said on Wednesday it will invest $4.5 billion to create a new center in Indiana that will focus on developing new ways to manufacture its drugs and increasing production of experimental medicines used in clinical studies. (10/2)

The New York Times: Officials Cast Doubt On A Dementia Drug, But Human Trials Continue 
The S.E.C. alleged shortcomings in research said to support the drug, and its developer agreed to a $40 million settlement. Some experts wonder why clinical trials have not been stopped. (Rosenbluth, 10/2)

CNN: Black-Colored Plastic Used For Kitchen Utensils And Toys Linked To Banned Toxic Flame Retardants 
Black-colored plastic used in children’s toys, takeout containers, kitchen utensils and grocery meat and produce trays may contain alarming levels of toxic flame retardants that may be leaching from electronic products during recycling, a new study found. ... “It was especially concerning that they found retardants that aren’t supposed to be used anymore,” said toxicologist Linda Birnbaum, former director of the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program. “I would recommend not using black plastic for food contact materials or buying toys with black plastic pieces,” said Birnbaum, who was not involved in the study. (LaMotte, 10/1)

The Hill: Southern California Study Shows Extensive Exposure To Toxic Airborne Plasticizers
Urban populations in Southern Californian are facing chronic exposure to toxic airborne “plasticizer” compounds — two of which have already been banned from children’s products, a new study has found. Plasticizers are commonly used chemicals that serve the purpose of making materials more flexible, appearing in a wide range of products from food containers to shower curtains to gardening equipment to textiles, the authors noted. (Udasin, 10/2)

Reuters: Jury Urged To Hold Formula Makers Responsible For Premature Baby's Illness 
A lawyer for a Missouri mother on Wednesday urged jurors to hold Abbott, Reckitt's Mead Johnson unit and St. Louis Children's Hospital responsible for a severe intestinal illness that she says her prematurely born son developed after the hospital fed him the companies' formulas. Tim Cronin, who represents Elizabeth Whitfield and her son Kaine, told the jurors in an opening statement at trial in St. Louis state court that the two companies have long known that feeding cow's milk-based formula to very small premature babies increases their risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). But, they "made no attempt to tell parents at all, and no serious legitimate attempt to communicate to hospitals or doctors about the extent of the risk," he said. (Pierson, 10/2)

AP: Condoms Aren’t A Fact Of Life For Young Americans. They’re An Afterthought 
Condom use is down among sexually active teens and young adults. The decline in condom use is due to a combination of medical advancements like long-term birth control options and drugs that prevent sexually transmitted infections, a fading fear of contracting HIV and widely varying levels of sex ed. (Bose, 10/2)