The Hill: New ObamaCare Insurance Plan Rates For 2026 Are Now Public, Showing Big Increases
The rates, pricing and other data for 2026 Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance plans were publicly posted on the federal Healthcare.gov marketplace on Wednesday, just three days ahead of the start of open enrollment. The health research nonprofit KFF said the average increase in premiums for ACA plans will be 26 percent next year, based on data for “benchmark” silver plans, which are the midtier plans in each region that most people purchase and are used to set the subsidy amounts. But KFF found the amount that people pay for coverage is set to rise 114 percent on average because Congress has not extended the enhanced tax credits that help people afford insurance plans. (Weixel, 10/29)

The Hill: Dr. Mehmet Oz Minimizes Effect Of Tax Credit End On Affordable Care Act Rates
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz downplayed on Wednesday the likely substantial increase in the amount Americans will pay for health insurance on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) federal marketplace. When asked at a press conference about the lack of a deal in Congress to extend expiring enhanced tax credits, Oz said he thinks they should expire because they were only intended for a short term to help Americans through the COVID-19 pandemic. “I think we all agree that COVID has passed, so therefore COVID-era subsidies should also pass,” Oz said. (Weixel, 10/29)

The Hill: Senate GOP, Democrats Looking For ‘Off Ramp’ To End Shutdown Next Week
Senate Republicans and Democrats are trying to hammer out a proposal to end the 30-day government shutdown as soon as next week, as some centrist Democrats argue behind the scenes that their party has successfully highlighted rising health care costs and it’s time to end the stalemate.  Shutdown fatigue on Capitol Hill is growing as the government stoppage approaches the one-month mark, and the pain is increasing. (Bolton, 10/30)

The Atlantic: The Missing President
In the 29 days that the government has been closed, President Donald Trump has not traveled to Capitol Hill to jump-start negotiations, brought congressional leaders to the White House to broker a deal, or given a speech to the American public about the crisis. But he’s done a lot else in October. (Olorunnipa, Lemire and Berman, 10/29)

On SNAP and food aid —

Roll Call: Democrats Seize On Food Stamp Funding As Latest Rallying Cry 
​A funding lapse for food stamps, set to hit next week, became a new focus for Democrats on Wednesday as the partial government shutdown enters its fifth week with no resolution in sight. In a rare diversion from their single-minded focus on extending expiring health insurance subsidies, Senate Democrats introduced legislation to continue funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, during the shutdown. (Fulton, 10/29)

AP: With Federal Food Aid Set To Dry Up Amid Government Shutdown, Several States Step In To Help
With federal SNAP food assistance set to run dry this weekend amid the protracted U.S. government shutdown, Louisiana, New Mexico and Vermont became the latest states Wednesday to announce help for low-income households that rely on the funds to eat. They join states from New York to Nevada in scrambling to find ways to get food to people who are increasingly anxious and will otherwise go hungry without their normal monthly payments from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. (Beck and Mulvihill, 10/30)

Military.com: 'SNAP Is Everything': Military Families, Vets Prepare For Empty Fridges 
“We would not eat.” That is how disabled U.S. Navy veteran Juan Saro described a life without the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, which he and more than 40 millions of Americans—around 1-in-8 Americans—rely on for food assistance. That includes seniors, disabled individuals, and families with children. About 1.2 million veterans are enrolled now, according to the National Council on Aging. (Radzius, 10/29)

Military.com: American Red Cross Steps Up As Government Shutdown Impacts Military Pay, SNAP
The American Red Cross is among the organizations nationwide that are coming to military service members’ aid in light of the ongoing government shutdown and potential missed paychecks. In areas like Oklahoma City, food and hygiene drives have been scheduled to assist military communities. ... [Also,] “This October, dozens of blood drives held at federal agencies, government organizations or military bases have been canceled, resulting in more than 1,000 uncollected donations. We are actively taking steps to mitigate these disruptions to ensure patients continue to receive the blood products they need," an American Red Cross spokesperson said. (Mordowanec, 10/29)

CNN: SNAP Benefits: ‘Grocery Buddies’ Are Stepping Up To Help Families At Risk Of Losing Food Stamps
In online forums usually reserved for finding handyman recommendations and lost pets, neighbors are stepping up for one another as “grocery buddies,” creating a patchwork solution for vulnerable families across the country. Here’s how it works: Neighbors post on social media in community groups or public forums about their willingness to be a “grocery buddy” and help a family at risk of losing SNAP benefits. The poster asks those interested to send them a private message. Together, they find a grocery solution that makes sense for both parties. (Ebrahimji, 10/29)

KFF Health News: Refugees Will Be Among The First To Lose Food Stamps Under Federal Changes
After fleeing the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, Antoinette landed in the Atlanta area last November and began to find her footing with federal help. Separated from her adult children and grieving her husband’s death in the war, she started a job packing boxes in a warehouse, making just enough to cover rent for her own apartment and bills. Antoinette has been relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, for her weekly grocery trips. (Rayasam, 10/30)

Stat: FDA Proposes Easier Approvals For Biologics 
The Trump administration announced a draft framework Wednesday that officials say will speed cheaper versions of biologic drugs to market with the aim of making medicine more affordable and accessible for patients. (Payne, 10/29)

More on the high cost of prescription drugs —

Modern Healthcare: Insurers Push Back Against Single PBM State Models
States are getting creative to reduce Medicaid drug costs, with pharmacy benefit managers increasingly forced to adapt. This year, states including Minnesota, Nevada and Virginia enacted laws to use one PBM for their Medicaid managed care programs. They joined Ohio and Kentucky, which already have single PBMs, and more states have adopted comparable models or are considering similar approaches. Under this policy framework, a state contracts with a single PBM that operates pharmaceutical benefits for all Medicaid managed care plans and their members. (Tong, 10/29)

Modern Healthcare: What Express Scripts' Drug Rebate Phase-Out Means For PBMs
Cigna’s decision to scrap controversial prescription drug rebates may be both a transformative moment for the pharmacy benefit manager sector and merely the latest stage in the industry’s evolution. Express Scripts, housed within Cigna’s Evernorth Health Services subsidiary, and leading pharmacy benefit managers such as CVS Health subsidiary CVS Caremark and UnitedHealth Group unit Optum Rx are recalibrating their business practices amid sustained fire from President Donald Trump, Congress, state legislators, regulators and smaller competitors. (Tong, 10/29)

In other news about the Trump administration —

Axios: Trump Immigration Policies, Funding Cuts Worsen Rising Elder Care Cost
The cost of hiring help to care for an elderly or a sick person at home is skyrocketing. A labor shortage and surging demand from an aging population was already driving up prices, and now the White House's crackdown on immigration and funding cuts are making things worse. (Peck, 10/30)

The Hill: Tobacco Industry’s Policy Interference On The Rise: Report
The tobacco industry’s influence on public health policymaking in the U.S. is growing according to the latest report by the anti-smoking organization Action on Smoking & Health (ASH). ASH’s Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2025, provided first to The Hill, found that the U.S. scored an 89 out of 100 on the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index, a survey used to measure how governments respond the interference by the tobacco industry. The U.S.’s score ranked it 98 out of 100 surveyed countries. (Choi, 10/30)

NPR: How Hurricane Relief Efforts In Jamaica Are Affected By The End Of USAID
It's a major international disaster. And it comes in the wake of the Trump administration's dismantling of the world's largest aid agency, the United States Agency for International Development, along with the slashing of billions of dollars in foreign assistance. Hurricane Melissa, the most powerful Atlantic storm of this year, has torn through Jamaica and several other islands in the Caribbean, leaving a trail of devastation. With major flooding and power outages, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has declared the country a "disaster area." (Tanis, 10/29)

Bloomberg: US-China Trade War: Why Fentanyl Is At The Center Of Tariffs Fight
One of US President Donald Trump’s first actions against China following his re-election was to impose a 10% tariff on Chinese imports, punishing Beijing for what he described as its failure to curb illegal exports of fentanyl and the chemicals used to make it. Fentanyl — a powerful and highly addictive synthetic opioid — is often legally prescribed by doctors to treat post-surgery or chronic pain. But the drug, which is relatively cheap and easy to produce, is also found on the black market and its illicit versions have contributed to a rise in overdose deaths in the US over the past decade. (10/30)

Surgeon general nominee is scheduled for a virtual confirmation hearing today —

The Wall Street Journal: The Surgeon General Nominee Who Wants To Make MAHA Moms Mainstream
Dr. Casey Means wants to give the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda a less polarizing touch when she becomes U.S. surgeon general, a role where her experience as a new mother will be front and center. The wellness author, picked by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be surgeon general, was due to give birth to her first child Tuesday, just days before her expected virtual Senate confirmation hearing Thursday. (Essley Whyte and Siddiqui, 10/30)

The New York Times: Judge Rebukes Justice Dept. Over Efforts To Obtain Confidential Patient Details
A federal judge in Seattle has rejected a Justice Department effort to obtain confidential patient information from a provider of gender-affirming care, accusing the agency of “prosecutorial coercion” and of failing to conduct an investigation in good faith. The ruling, filed on Monday, was a scathing rebuke from a federal judge over an extraordinary attempt by the Justice Department to secure personal data in service of what it said was a bid to determine whether certain providers had committed fraud or made false claims about its services. (Thrust, 10/29)

In other health industry developments —

Modern Healthcare: Medicare Plan Finder Errors Must Be Fixed, Democrats Urge CMS
Top Democrats blasted the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services over reported flaws in the Medicare Advantage provider lists an agency contractor assembled. House Ways and Means Committee ranking member Richard Neal (D-Mass.) and House Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) wrote CMS Wednesday to demand it rectify “inaccurate, incomplete and contradictory information” on provider networks the agency incorporated into the Medicare Plan Finder. (Early, 10/29)

The Wall Street Journal: In Medicare, Less Is Now More For Big Insurers
For big insurers, touting Medicare Advantage growth once signaled strength. These days, reassuring investors means showing you can shrink your exposure to the program. (Wainer, 10/29)

Healthcare Dive: Centene Posts $6.6B Loss On Massive Value Writedown
The goodwill impairment charge is meant to realign Centene’s value on its own books with its value in the market, which has plummeted this year. Still, Centene upped its earnings outlook for 2025. (Pifer, 10/29)

WGCU: Lee Health Is Part Of New Golisano Children's Alliance, Formed With $253 Million Gift 
A commitment of $253 million has been given by philanthropist Tom Golisano to six children's hospitals around the country. They will join Lee Health's Golisano Children's Hospital and three others to form the Golisano Children's Alliance, representing 10 children's hospitals across the eastern United States. (10/29)

North Carolina Health News: Medicaid Funding Gap Forces Closure Of NC Perinatal Group 
On Friday, North Carolina will be the only state in the country to no longer have a statewide collaborative focused on improving perinatal care. The Perinatal Quality Collaborative of North Carolina stands to lose its entire $905,000 budget on Friday, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services confirmed this week in an email to NC Health News. (Fernandez, 10/30)

Bloomberg: Harry You SPAC Agrees To Merge With Clinic-In-A-Box Firm OnMed
Blank-check deal veteran Harry You’s latest special purpose acquisition company has agreed to merge with a business that operates portable health-care stations. Berto Acquisition Corp. has signed a nonbinding letter of intent to combine with OnMed LLC, according to a statement Wednesday confirming an earlier Bloomberg News report. Financial details were not disclosed. (Baker, 10/29)

Also —

MedPage Today: Study Identifies U.S. Regions Vulnerable To Trump's $100K Visas For Foreign Docs
The percentage of physicians sponsored by the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to hire workers outside the country to work in specialty occupations, was significantly higher in vulnerable and underserved counties, according to a cross-sectional study. (Firth, 10/29)

MedPage Today: Egg Freezing Benefits Are A Key Job Consideration For Female Docs
Fertility coverage, particularly egg freezing, is a key influence on female physicians' job decision-making, a survey showed. Physicians with current inadequate oocyte cryopreservation coverage were more than 4 times more likely to say fertility benefits would affect whether they accepted a job offer compared to those who thought their current coverage was adequate ... according to Ashley Veade, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. (Robertson, 10/29)

Modern Healthcare: How Robotic Surgery Is Using AI At Johns Hopkins, Lenox Hill
Surgical robots have transformed the operating room for doctors, bringing greater precision to procedures and improving patient outcomes. The next frontier: Robots that can perform procedures entirely on their own. What once was the stuff of science fiction is starting to become a reality as academic medical centers and research universities collaborate to develop the technology. It may take over a decade for the advancements to reach clinical practice and there would need to be a regulatory framework designed to approve them. (Dubinsky, 10/29)

The New York Times: Covid And Flu Can Triple Your Risk Of Heart Attack
A number of viral infections, including flu, Covid-19 and shingles, are linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, a new study affirmed. The risk of a heart attack triples within the first few weeks after a Covid-19 infection, the study suggested, and quadruples in the month after a flu infection. The study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, was a large review and analysis of existing research. (Agrawal, 10/29)

CIDRAP: International Air Travel—Especially Packed Flights—Fueled Flu, COVID-19 Spread During Pandemic, Researchers Say
A new study in The Journal of Infectious Diseases links higher intercontinental airline passenger flight volumes to both influenza activity and COVID-19 case and death rates, suggesting that short-term travel restrictions and in-flight interventions could slow disease transmission when coupled with public health measures. Flights from Asia played a larger role in disease spread, the study found. (Van Beusekom, 10/29)

CIDRAP: Meta-Analysis Of COVID, RSV, Flu Vaccines For Fall Provides 'Sea Of Data' Showing Efficacy, Safety
A meta-analysis of 511 studies on US COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza vaccines find meaningful protection against severe disease and hospitalization, evidence that can help fill the void in vaccine guidance formerly provided by independent federal review. The large-scale project, conducted by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy's (CIDRAP's) Vaccine Integrity Project (VIP), was published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. CIDRAP, which publishes CIDRAP News, started the VIP to provide science-based information to help people, communities, policymakers, and clinicians make informed vaccine choices. (Van Beusekom, 10/29)

Stat: How Moderna, The Company That Helped Save The World, Unraveled
An in-depth analysis of Moderna's dramatic rise and fall, from mRNA triumph to existential crisis, and what its uncertain future means for biotech. (Mast, 10/30)

Also —

The New York Times: Deputies Put Down 5 Escaped Monkeys They Were Wrongly Told Had Covid 
Sheriff’s deputies euthanized five monkeys that got loose when the truck carrying them overturned on a Mississippi highway on Tuesday after the driver mistakenly told them that the primates were infected with Covid-19, hepatitis C and herpes when they were not, the authorities said. Three other monkeys that escaped were still loose as of Wednesday afternoon, Sheriff Randy Johnson of Jasper County, Miss., said in a phone interview, lamenting the sequence of events that had led to several of the monkeys being put down. (Vigdor, 10/29)

On vaccine policy —

Politico: RFK Jr.’s Top Vaccine Adviser Says He Answers To No One
Martin Kulldorff wants to rebuild Americans’ declining trust in vaccines even if that means limiting access to some shots in the process. Kulldorff, who leads the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory panel, spoke exclusively to POLITICO about how he sees his role and the task Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime skeptic of vaccine safety, has given him. (Gardner and Gardner, 10/29)

NPR: Cannabis Use Before Age15 Is Linked To Physical And Mental Health Issues
Teens who start using cannabis before age 15 are more likely to use the drug often later in their lives. They are also more likely to develop mental and physical health problems in young adulthood compared to their peers who did not use the drug in adolescence. Those are the findings of a new study in JAMA Network Open. (Chatterjee, 10/29)

More health and wellness news —

Bloomberg: Character.AI To Ban Children Under 18 From Talking To Its Chatbots
Artificial intelligence startup Character.AI will ban kids from having conversations with chatbots on its platform following growing pressure from lawmakers and a raft of lawsuits alleging the company’s so-called characters are responsible for harms to children. The company said Wednesday that by Nov. 25 it will stop users under the age of 18 from having open-ended conversations with its chatbots, which users can create and talk to. (Metz, 10/29)

The New York Times: In Senior Homes, A.I. Technology Is Sensing Falls Before They Happen 
Today’s anti-fall technology has come a long way from ‘I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!’ Here’s how it works. (Cohen, 10/29)

Newsweek: Sitting Too Long Is Bad For You. These Foods May Help
We’re often told to move more—by exercising, stretching, or simply standing up—to combat the effects of prolonged sitting. But what we eat may also play a key role in offsetting the negative impacts of a sedentary lifestyle. This is the conclusion of a team of researchers from the University of Birmingham in England, who discovered that eating flavanol-rich foods—such as tea, berries, apples and cocoa—can help protect vascular health in men from the harmful effects of prolonged sitting. (Notarantonio, 10/29)

Katie Couric Media: A Stroke Survivor Shares the Raw Reality of Recovery
How long does stroke recovery take? A patient explains the timeline of learning to speak and move again and what the process is like. (Meyerson and Zuckerman, 10/29)

On food allergies and Halloween —

MedPage Today: Dubai Chocolate Puts Clinicians On Alert For Allergy Risks
Clinicians are raising concerns that trendy "Dubai-style chocolate" could be landing more food allergy patients in the emergency department, especially as Halloween approaches. Some may not realize that pistachio is a key ingredient, but that's not the only challenge, experts said. The bars often contain many allergens -- including other nuts, sesame, wheat, and milk -- and not all of these may be disclosed, as labeling standards can vary with imported products. (Fiore, 10/28)

North Carolina Health News: Food Allergies Can Make Halloween Tricky To Navigate
For many, Halloween is a fun-filled night with clever costumes, giant skeletons standing sentinel over plastic boneyards littered with rubbery, bloodied extremities and glowing jack-o-lanterns guarding bowls of treats. While many sweet-toothed trick-or-treaters delight in the sugary goodness awaiting them beyond the mazes of pseudo-spooky obstacles, All Hallows Eve can be a real fright night for those with food allergies and sensitivities — and for their caregivers. (Blythe, 10/28)

Anchorage Daily News: Alaska Supreme Court Weighs Reinstating Law That Would Require Abortions To Be Provided By Licensed Physicians 
The Alaska Supreme Court is considering whether to overturn a lower court ruling that removed restrictions on the kind of providers who can perform abortions in the state. A Superior Court judge last year struck down a law that required abortions to be performed only by a doctor licensed by the State Medical Board. The ruling came after Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky sued the state in 2019. (Samuels, 10/29)

Today in Ohio: Ohio Just Cut Off Cancer Screenings And Birth Control For Thousands — All To Punish Planned Parenthood 
Ohio’s move to cut off Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood could soon create a healthcare access crisis for tens of thousands of vulnerable patients across the state—especially in communities where few affordable alternatives exist. (10/29)

KFF Health News: The Quiet Collapse Of America’s Reproductive Health Safety Net
In late October, Maine Family Planning announced three rural clinics in northern Maine would close by month’s end. These primary care and reproductive health clinics served about 800 patients, many uninsured or on Medicaid. “People don’t realize how much these clinics hold together the local health system until they’re gone,” said George Hill, the group’s president and CEO. “For thousands of patients, that was their doctor, their lab, and their lifeline.” (Gounder, 10/30)

More health news from Florida and Missouri —

Becker's Hospital Review: Court Reverses $213M Judgment Against Florida Hospital In 'Netflix' Case
A Florida appeals court has vacated a $213 million judgment against St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in a case popularized by a Netflix documentary. The family of Maya Kowalski had sued the hospital for claims including false imprisonment, wrongful death and medical negligence after the institution held the then-10-year-old under state custody in 2016, suspecting her mother, Beata, of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Beata later died by suicide, and the family’s story became the subject of the documentary “Take Care of Maya.” (Bruce, 10/29)

The Marshall Project: Missouri’s Competency Restoration Backlog Soars Despite Attempts To Fix It 
A backlog of defendants deemed mentally unfit for trial persists despite public policy changes to address the crisis. (Bogan, 10/30)

From California —

San Francisco Chronicle: California Mpox Cases Spur Vaccine Push For High-Risk People
California health officials are urging people at high risk of contracting mpox — a viral disease that causes painful rash and fever — to make sure they’re fully vaccinated, in light of three recent locally acquired cases in the state. “We want people to know Clade I is here, it’s circulating, and people should get up to date on the vaccine,” California Public Health Officer Dr. Erica Pan said Tuesday during a briefing with medical professionals. (Ho, 10/29)

Los Angeles Times: Most Of California's Public K-12 Schools Offer Virtually No Shade 
The vast majority of urban, public grade schools in California are paved-over “nature deserts” sorely lacking in trees or shade — leaving most of the state’s 5.8 million school-age children to bake in the sun during breaks from the classroom as rising global temperatures usher in more dangerous heat waves. That’s the conclusion of a team of California researchers from UCLA, UC Davis and UC Berkeley who studied changes in the tree cover at 7,262 urban public schools across the Golden State between 2018 through 2022. (Beason, 10/29)

KFF Health News: California Faces Limits As It Directs Health Facilities To Push Back On Immigration Raids
In recent months, federal agents have camped out in the lobby of a Southern California hospital, guarded detained patients — sometimes shackled — in hospital rooms, and chased an immigrant landscaper into a surgical center. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have also shown up at community clinics. Health providers say that officers have tried to enter a parking lot hosting a mobile clinic, waved a machine gun in the faces of clinicians serving the homeless, and hauled a passerby into an unmarked car outside a community health center. (Boyd-Barrett, 10/30)

CIDRAP: Analysis Suggests Cigarette Butts Are A Vector For Antibiotic-Resistance Genes 
A new study suggests cigarette butts are an "overlooked yet potent" vector for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), Chinese researchers reported today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (Dall, 10/27)

Medical Xpress: Combining Two Brain Scans Uncovers Hidden Clues To Future Teen Anxiety
A new study could help make it easier to spot teens most at risk of anxiety before it takes hold. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, found that combining two kinds of brain scans can better predict which teens are likely to experience greater anxiety as they get older. The work sheds new light on how the adolescent brain responds to mistakes and why those responses vary from person to person. (10/26)

Medical Xpress: Why Does ALS Take Away Body Movement? The Hidden Burden That Seals The Fate Of Motor Neurons
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is among the most challenging neurological disorders. Despite many advances, a key unanswered question remains—why do motor neurons, the cells that control body movement, degenerate while others are spared? In a study appearing in Nature Communications, Kazuhide Asakawa and colleagues used single-cell–resolution imaging in transparent zebrafish to show that large spinal motor neurons—which generate strong body movements and are most vulnerable in ALS—operate under a constant, intrinsic burden of protein and organelle degradation. (10/27)

MedPage Today: Adding Physical Therapy Did Not Further Reduce Knee Pain From Meniscal Tear
Combining in-clinic physical therapy with home exercise did not lead to greater reductions in knee pain for patients with degenerative meniscal tear, a randomized trial showed. (Haelle, 10/29)

MedPage Today: Plant-Based Estrogen Diminished Menopause Symptoms 
Unlike other oral estrogens, estetrol dimmed hot flashes without impacting liver proteins. (Henderson, 10/27)

Bloomberg: This Open Enrollment Might Give You Sticker Shock
Americans embarking on the annual task of sifting through the health plans offered by their employers to find the one that gives them the most bang for their buck are facing a new reality: many of those options no longer feel affordable. This year, the process isn’t just complex or confusing — it’s painful. (Lisa Jarvis, 10/29)

Stat: Covid Vaccine Guidelines Should Include Health Care Workers
Currently, based on wastewater testing, the U.S. has up to one million Covid cases per day. Testing is done by gathering sewage and looking for bits of genetic material from germs that indicates ongoing transmission in a community. There is sound evidence that vaccination both reduces transmission of Covid-19 and infection. (Judy Stone and Judith Feinberg, 10/30)

The New York Times: Big Wellness Finds An Easy Target With Perimenopause
We live in a country where the rising cost of deductibles, for those who have insurance, means that many day-to-day maladies are self-treated. The majority of Americans now seek health information on social media (and even when we don’t seek it, it is dumped into our eyeballs). We are left to separate a world of unproven, exaggerated and sometimes false claims from the truth. (Jessica Grose, 10/30)

Undark: CBD’s Unseen Effects On The Teenage Brain
In the popular narrative, cannabidiol, or CBD, is portrayed as a natural, non-intoxicating cure for a host of ailments — and sometimes that extends to the anxieties of modern adolescence. CBD is everywhere, infused in products such as gummy candies, vapes, skincare serums, and even fizzy seltzers. Usually derived from the hemp plant, CBD is pitched as a calming remedy with none of the stigma of marijuana. Even a 2018 World Health Organization report noted that CBD shows no signs of abuse or dependence potential. But as a physician and neuroscientist who studies how CBD affects the developing brain, I have to offer a different, more troubling answer: We simply don’t know if it’s safe for teens. (Nima Sadrian, 10/30)

Stat: FDA Criticism Of MDMA-Assisted Therapy Is An Opportunity For Psychedelic Medicine
In September, the Food and Drug Administration released its recent complete response letter (CRL) to Lykos Therapeutics, denying approval for MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. It confirmed the issues raised at the 2024 FDA Advisory Committee meeting regarding the approvability of MDMA. When the non-approval was announced in 2024, critics called it the end of psychedelic medicine. Advocates blamed regulatory roadblocks. (Jama Pitman, 10/30)