ProPublica/Stat: Sackler Embraced Plan to Conceal OxyContin’s Strength From Doctors, Sealed Testimony Shows
In May 1997, the year after Purdue Pharma launched OxyContin, its head of sales and marketing sought input on a key decision from Dr. Richard Sackler, a member of the billionaire family that founded and controls the company. Michael Friedman told Sackler that he didn’t want to correct the false impression among doctors that OxyContin was weaker than morphine, because the myth was boosting prescriptions — and sales. “It would be extremely dangerous at this early stage in the life of the product,” Friedman wrote to Sackler, “to make physicians think the drug is stronger or equal to morphine….We are well aware of the view held by many physicians that oxycodone [the active ingredient in OxyContin] is weaker than morphine. I do not plan to do anything about that.” “I agree with you,” Sackler responded. “Is there a general agreement, or are there some holdouts?” Ten years later, Purdue pleaded guilty in federal court to understating the risk of addiction to OxyContin, including failing to alert doctors that it was a stronger painkiller than morphine, and agreed to pay $600 million in fines and penalties. But Sackler’s support of the decision to conceal OxyContin’s strength from doctors — in email exchanges both with Friedman and another company executive — was not made public. (Armstrong, 2/21)

The New York Times: Sackler Testimony Appears To Conflict With Federal Investigation
A member of the family that owns the manufacturer of OxyContin repeatedly gave testimony in a lawsuit that conflicts with details in a report by federal prosecutors, newly disclosed court papers indicate. Dr. Richard Sackler, who was once president of the company, Purdue Pharma, and is the son of one of its founders, said under oath during a pretrial deposition that he first learned from a Maine newspaper article in 2000 that OxyContin, a powerful opioid painkiller, was being abused. His statement contradicts evidence in a confidential Justice Department report from 2006 that came to light last year. (Meier, 2/21)

The Wall Street Journal: Purdue Family Member Sought To Avoid Comparison Of OxyContin To Morphine, Documents Show
Richard Sackler, a former Purdue Pharma LP executive and member of the company’s controlling family, worked to ensure its top-selling pain medication OxyContin didn’t develop the end-of-life reputation of morphine because it could jeopardize sales, newly unveiled court documents show. The release of a 2015 deposition of Mr. Sackler sheds new light on Purdue’s attempts to market its signature drug as appropriate for a broad range of pain management, despite being twice as potent as morphine. The deposition, part of a now-resolved case in Kentucky, is a rare instance in which Sackler family members speaking directly about their role at Purdue has become public. (Randazzo and Hopkins, 2/21)

The Hill: Purdue Exec Agreed To Hide OxyContin Strength From Doctors: Report 
"During the deposition, Dr. Sackler described Purdue’s efforts to adhere to all relevant laws and regulations" Purdue Pharma spokesperson Bob Josephson said in a statement to The Hill. "Dr. Sackler’s statements in the deposition fully acknowledge the wrongful actions taken by some of Purdue’s employees prior to 2002 as laid out in the 2007 Agreed Statement of Facts with the Department of Justice, and that the company has accepted full responsibility for those actions." (Frazin, 2/21)

ProPublica/Stat: What You Should Know About Richard Sackler’s Long-Sought Deposition
STAT and ProPublica have published the long-sought deposition of Dr. Richard Sackler, a member of the billionaire family that founded and controls Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin. Here are answers to some questions about the document. (Gil, 2/21)

Stat: Intensely Private, Deeply Invested: Richard Sackler’s Role In Promoting OxyContin Emerges In Court Documents
He is one of the most elusive yet notorious figures in medicine. He is so private that few public photographs of him exist. And for years, he and his lawyers have rebuffed efforts to unearth details about his role in building the colossus of OxyContin, the opioid painkiller. But newly disclosed documents provide a glimpse into the mindset and decision-making of Dr. Richard Sackler, the onetime chief executive of Purdue Pharma and a key member of the family that controls the company. (Joseph, 2/22)

The Hill: Google Launches Effort To Fight Opioid Epidemic 
Google is launching a new effort Thursday to make it easier for people to dispose of opioids. Federal agencies, state governments and local pharmacies helped Google identify 3,500 drug drop-off locations across the country where people are invited to dispose of leftover pain pills and other addictive drugs. Now, using Google Maps or search, users can look up phrases similar to "drug drop off near me” or “medication disposal near me" and find directions to the nearest permanent disposal locations. (Birnbaum, 2/21)

Bloomberg: Google Maps Searches Will Show Opioid Disposal Sites 
The internet-search giant has joined with U.S. government agencies and drug-store chains like CVS Health Corp. and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. to pinpoint places where patients can drop off leftover medication. Google searches such as “drug drop off near me” will bring up locations from a database of 3,500 sites in seven states as part of the pilot program. That number will grow as the program expands, Google said Thursday in a blog post. Opioid abuse now accounts for more deaths in the U.S. than car crashes or firearms, and much of the problem stems from legally prescribed drugs that are used by family members or friends of patients. By making it easier for people to safely get rid of unused prescription drugs, the company hopes to stop them from getting into the wrong hands. (De Vynck, 2/21)

In other news on the national drug crisis —

Los Angeles Times: Southern California Doctors Arrested In Opioid Prescription Crackdown
A yearlong investigation by federal drug agents has resulted in criminal charges against several physicians and other healthcare providers accused of writing bogus prescriptions or selling painkillers and other drugs on the black market. Dubbed Operation Hypocritical Oath — a play on the Hippocratic oath taken by doctors — the investigation targeted dozens of healthcare professionals in California, Nevada and Hawaii, many of whom came under suspicion because records showed they were prescribing an unusual amount of narcotics, said Bill Bodner, deputy special agent in charge for the Drug Enforcement Agency in Los Angeles. (Rubin, 2/21)

Politico Pro: Cuomo’s Opioid Tax Faces Familiar Opposition From Pharmacists, Hospices
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to reconfigure the state’s charge on opioid suppliers is running into some of the same opposition it did when a similar version was proposed last year. The new proposal comes weeks after a federal court struck down the Opioid Stewardship Act, enacted as part of last year’s budget. It would have imposed a surcharge on companies that manufacture and distribute opioids in the state, based on their market share within New York, totaling $100 million annually for six years. (Niedzwiadek, 2/21)

Miami Herald: Addicts, Activists Push For Needle Exchange To Expand In Florida
IDEA doctors work from their main location at 1690 NW Seventh Ave., out of a van they drive to Liberty City once a week, and even on foot with backpacks in Florida City. They give out naloxone, a lifesaving drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. They distribute condoms, and provide anonymous HIV testing and antiretroviral drugs. (Flechas, 2/21)

Arizona Republic: Arizona One Step Closer To Legalizing Needle Exchanges
An Arizona legislative panel on Wednesday kept alive a proposed law that would help people struggling with drug addiction by decriminalizing needle exchanges. The House State and International Affairs Committee passed a "strike everything" amendment to legalize needle exchanges in Arizona in an 8-0 vote. The vote followed testimony from public-health officials about how needle exchanges help prevent the spread of blood-borne infections such as HIV and hepatitis C. (Innes, 2/21)

The Associated Press: Rural Kansas Lawmakers Push Farm Bureau Health Coverage Plan
Rural state lawmakers are pushing a plan to allow the Kansas Farm Bureau to offer health insurance coverage to members without having to comply with federal Affordable Care Act mandates in hopes that the influential agriculture group can offer a lower-cost product. But the proposal is drawing strong criticism from Democrats and health groups because the Farm Bureau would not be required to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions. (2/21)

Kansas City Star: Kansas Health Plan Wouldn’t Cover Pre-Existing Conditions
“According to a Gallup poll, citizens are more concerned about rising health premiums than pre-existing conditions,” said Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook, a Republican from Shawnee who voted for the bill. “We should support lower cost of acquiring health care coverage, so people can have it before they develop what would otherwise be pre-existing conditions.” Unlike plans under the ACA — commonly called Obamacare — alternatives like the Farm Bureau health plan could exclude people with pre-existing conditions. Such plans also wouldn’t have to cover things like maternity care, mental health and prescription drugs, which are required in ACA plans. (Marso, 2/21)

Reuters: U.S. Judge Weighs Expanding Lawsuit Over Family Separations To Cover More Children
A U.S. judge on Thursday appeared open to ordering the government to find potentially thousands of additional children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border by the Trump administration, which could greatly expand the scope of a lawsuit challenging the separations. U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw in San Diego called a January report by an internal government watchdog that found the U.S. government had started implementing its policy of separating families months before it was announced "a very significant event." (Cooke, 2/21)

The Washington Post: ACLU Asks Judge To Order Trump Administration To Determine How Many Children Were Separated From Their Parents At Border
The report, from the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services, estimated that the separations extended beyond the 2,700-plus children identified in a class-action lawsuit over President Trump’s border crackdown, which drew widespread condemnation, including from Republicans. “I was shocked to hear that there were thousands who were separated,” Lee Gelernt, an ACLU lawyer who represents the parents, told U.S. District Judge Dana M. Sabraw during a hearing in San Diego, adding that they could be at risk of being “permanently orphaned.” (Sacchetti and Perry, 2/21)

The New York Times: Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Drinking Water Leave Military Families Reeling
When Army Staff Sergeant Samuel Fortune returned from Iraq, his body battered by war, he assumed he’d be safe. Then the people around him began to get sick. Neighbors complained of tumors, thyroid problems and debilitating fatigue. Soon, the Colorado health department announced an unusually high number of kidney cancers in the region. Then Mr. Fortune’s wife fell ill. The military, it turned out, had been leaching toxic chemicals into the water for decades. (Turkewitz, 2/22)

The Associated Press: Team To Review Uranium Exposure Risk At Grand Canyon
An investigative team from state and federal agencies will visit Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona over concerns about uranium exposure. Park officials said in a news release Thursday that a group of health and safety experts will visit in the coming weeks. A June 2018 audit found three 5-gallon (19-liter) buckets of uranium rock samples at the park's Museum Collection building. They were subsequently moved to a restricted area. (2/21)

Sacramento Bee: Trump Administration: No More Talks With CA On Carbon, Cars
The Trump administration Thursday broke off negotiations with California over limits on greenhouse gas emissions from cars, blaming state officials for failing to offer “a productive alternative” to the White House’s plans. The decision, which has been looming for months, intensifies the rift between California and the Trump administration over climate change and carbon emissions. (Kasler, 2/21)

The New York Times: Looking To Technology To Avoid Doctors’ Offices And Emergency Rooms
As politicians debate how to improve the nation’s expensive — and some would say broken — health care system, Americans are eagerly turning to the latest tech devices in hopes of preventing and detecting medical problems early and avoiding costly trips to the doctor or emergency room. “Technology every day is playing a more important role in preventing and even diagnosing illness,” said Gary Shapiro, chief executive of the Consumer Technology Association and author of “Ninja Future: Secrets to Success in the New World of Innovation.” “We are just beginning this journey of revolutionizing health care and reducing trips to the doctor.” (Morrissey, 2/21)

Kaiser Health News: Is New App From Feds Your Answer To Navigating Medicare Coverage? Yes And No
Millennials, beware: Your grandparents are about to start calling you for help downloading the new Medicare smartphone app. The iPhone and Android app, which launched Feb. 6, is called “What’s Covered,” and true to its name, it mostly answers one simple, yes-or-no question: Is this medical procedure covered by traditional Medicare? Milt Roney, a 71-year-old retired government worker in a well-to-do suburb of Washington, D.C., agreed to check out the app with me, though he was skeptical from the outset. (Bluth, 2/22)

Tampa Bay Times: A Support Group In Your Phone. Healing For Mental Illness Comes One Text At A Time.
Cope Notes launched quietly nearly a year ago from Crowder's South Tampa home, and now has about 1,000 users. Crowder said they range in age from 14 to 40. He's the one writing the messages that are delivered each day, but they are reviewed by a panel of mental health counselors and professors, public relations professionals and privacy compliance officials. The service costs $9.99 a month, or $8.99 a month for an annual subscription. (Griffin, 2/22)

The New York Times: DNA Gets A New — And Bigger — Genetic Alphabet
In 1985, the chemist Steven A. Benner sat down with some colleagues and a notebook and sketched out a way to expand the alphabet of DNA. He has been trying to make those sketches real ever since. On Thursday, Dr. Benner and a team of scientists reported success: in a paper, published in Science, they said they have in effect doubled the genetic alphabet.Natural DNA is spelled out with four different letters known as bases — A, C, G and T. Dr. Benner and his colleagues have built DNA with eight bases — four natural, and four unnatural. They named their new system Hachimoji DNA (hachi is Japanese for eight, moji for letter). (Zimmer, 2/21)

The New York Times: China Uses DNA To Track Its People, With The Help Of American Expertise
The authorities called it a free health check. Tahir Imin had his doubts. They drew blood from the 38-year-old Muslim, scanned his face, recorded his voice and took his fingerprints. They didn’t bother to check his heart or kidneys, and they rebuffed his request to see the results. “They said, ‘You don’t have the right to ask about this,’” Mr. Imin said. “‘If you want to ask more,’ they said, ‘you can go to the police.’” (Wee, 2/21)

Stat: Genetic Testing For All Breast Cancer Patients? A Specialist's View 
Earlier this month a team of researchers from Tulane University and the genetic testing company Invitae called for all men diagnosed with prostate cancer to get tested. And last week the American Society of Breast Surgeons recommended that all patients diagnosed with breast cancer get offered genetic testing. By contrast, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network — an alliance of top cancer centers — recommends genetic testing just for cancer patients of certain ages and those who have a family history. (Robbins, Garde and Feuerstein, 2/22)

The Washington Post: Changing ‘The Tragedy Narrative’: Why A Growing Camp Is Promoting A Joyful Approach To Alzheimer’s
Tom and Peggy Misciagna were sitting in their Manassas, Va., home recently, talking about the children they adopted overseas in the 1980s, when Tom, 64, misremembered a major detail. “We got two kids out of India — ” he said. Peggy, 59, chimed in. “Philippines.” “Oh yeah, Philippines,” said Tom, a retired CIA officer. He grinned wryly at his wife. “That’s Ollie talking.” Ollie is their nickname for Alzheimer’s, the disease Tom was diagnosed with seven years ago. (Bahrampour, 2/21)

The New York Times: Sepsis Is A Common Cause Of Hospital Deaths
Sepsis, a life-threatening response to infection, is a common cause of deaths in hospitals, according to a new report. The study looked at 568 people who had died in hospitals and whose average age was 70. More than half had sepsis, and it was the immediate cause of death for nearly 200 of them; another 100 had sepsis but didn’t die of it. Only 36 of the sepsis deaths might have been prevented with earlier antibiotic treatment or other measures, the researchers determined. (Rabin, 2/21)

CNN: FDA Proposes New Sunscreen Regulations
The US Food and Drug Administration is proposing new regulations on over-the-counter sunscreens in an effort to keep up with the latest scientific and safety information. The proposal, announced Thursday, is available for public review and comment for the next 90 days and addresses the safety of common sunscreen ingredients, as well their dosage forms, sun protection factor (SPF) and broad-spectrum requirements. It also addresses labeling, aiming to make it easier for consumers to identify key product information. (Bracho-Sanchez, 2/21)

CQ: Discrimination Fears May Depress Use Of Black Lung Screenings
Federal officials are examining potential barriers, such as a fear of retaliation from employers, that may explain why only about one-third of coal miners participate in a program to screen for black lung disease even as the number of workers suffering from the deadly condition is rising. The lack of participation concerns lawmakers and the federal agency that administers the program, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The institute, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, plans to issue a congressionally-mandated report on the issue by the end of March. (Siddons, 2/22)

NPR: Patients Find Relief For Food Allergies In Oral Immunotherapy Treatment
Scouring ingredient lists. Carrying an EpiPen. Sitting at the special lunch table at school. These anxiety-ridden measures have become routine for families with severe food allergies, who know it takes only one wrong bite to end up in the emergency room. Nearly 6 million U.S. children and teens — about 8 percent, or two per classroom — have food allergies. In children, allergy to peanuts, which can be life-threatening, has gone up more than 21 percent since 2010. (Landhuis, 2/21)

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Which Diets, Exercises Ease Symptoms Of HIV? Case Researcher Determined To Find Answers
The four-year Prosper-HIV Study, which kicked off in January, will help determine if exercise and diet affect depression, muscle aches, fatigue, anxiety and pain, among patients with HIV, Webel said. She is an assistant professor at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University. (Washington, 2/21)

NPR: CVS Health Hubs: Retail Clinics To Offer More Care
When it comes to making changes in health care, CVS Health isn't settling for tinkering around the edges. The company is looking to strike at the heart of how health care is delivered in the U.S. In November, the drugstore chain completed a $70 billion acquisition of health insurance giant Aetna that CVS has said will change the company and in the process alter the way consumers experience health care. (Kodjak, 2/21)

Kaiser Health News: Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ How Safe Are Your Supplements?
The federal government’s annual projections of health spending for the next decade suggest that it will go up faster than in recent years. One of the main reasons is the aging of the huge baby boom generation. And drug prices are expected to continue to rise rapidly, although drugs are still a relatively small portion of overall drug spending. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration wants to crack down on potentially dangerous dietary supplements. (2/21)

The Associated Press: Oklahoma GOP Leaders To Push ‘Triggered’ Abortion Ban
Republican leaders in Oklahoma said Thursday they want to join at least five other states in automatically banning abortions if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its landmark 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. GOP Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat said a bill will be drafted and considered next week that would make Oklahoma the sixth state with a “trigger” abortion ban. The Republican governor in neighboring Arkansas signed a similar measure this week, and comparable laws are on the books in Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota and South Dakota. (Murphy, 2/21)

Georgia Health News: Stalemate Or Solution? Legislative Fight Over Surprise Billing Renewed
The thorny problem of surprise medical billing has once again sparked competing remedies within the General Assembly. Past attempts at a solution have ended in failure and frustration. Whether this year’s bills will actually lead to a resolution is anyone’s guess. (Miller, 2/21)

The Associated Press: Arizona Lawmakers Consider Religious Exemption For Vaccines
Arizona lawmakers are looking at expanding exemptions from children’s vaccine requirements as public health officials in the Pacific Northwest try to contain a measles outbreak that has sickened dozens of people who were not inoculated. Republicans on a state House committee voted Thursday to create a religious exemption for schoolchildren, adding to the personal beliefs exemption Arizona already has. The measure also would get rid of a requirement for parents who decline to vaccinate to sign a form listing the risks. (Cooper, 2/21)

NPR: U.S. Soda Taxes Work, Studies Suggest — But Maybe Not As Well As Hoped
The governor of Connecticut is proposing the first statewide tax on sugar-sweetened drinks to raise money and to fight obesity. Several cities have already enacted such soda taxes, and there's new evidence this week suggesting that they do work but sometimes not as well as hoped. NPR's Dan Charles has the story. (2/21)

Kansas City Star: Kansas Lawmakers Want To Know When Foster Kids Go Missing
A bill introduced in the Kansas Senate would require the Department for Children and Families (DCF) to notify the legislature, the governor, and the media when one of the state’s 7,300 foster children goes missing or has to spend the night in an office. Reports of missing children, kids sleeping in offices and abuse have plagued the Kansas child welfare system for years. In May 2018, a 14-year-old reported she was raped while staying at a KVC office in Olathe. (Korte, 2/21)

Arizona Republic: Proposal To Ban Arizona Drivers From Using Handheld Phones Moves Ahead
The Senate Transportation and Public Safety Committee on Wednesday nearly unanimously passed a bill the families are supporting, which would enact a statewide ban on hand-held cellphone use while driving. Supporters say the bill, introduced by Republican state Sen. Kate Brophy McGee, of Phoenix, has momentum they haven't seen before. The bill now goes to the full Senate. (Fifield, 2/21)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin GOP Legislators Release $3.8M Package To Combat Homelessness
Lawmakers are seeking to expand efforts to combat homelessness in Wisconsin through a package of bills that would double state funding for programs aimed at keeping people in stable housing. Assembly Republicans introduced eight bills Thursday that would increase funding for such efforts by nearly $4 million and put into law recommendations made in November by the state's first panel to address homelessness. (Beck, 2/21)

The CT Mirror: Connecticut Lawmakers Split Over Medicare For All
Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Jahana Hayes, a newcomer to the all-Democratic Connecticut congressional delegation, have endorsed Sanders’ latest “Medicare for All” proposal. But other Connecticut lawmakers are backing less sweeping change that would allow the state’s health insurers to stay in business, and maybe even expand their markets. (Radelat, 2/22)

The Associated Press: Study Finds Spike In Pennsylvania Child Abuse-Related Deaths
A state study released Thursday found the number of Pennsylvania children killed or nearly killed after abuse had occurred spiked recently, increases likely driven by a new definition of abuse and an uptick in its reporting in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky and Roman Catholic clergy child sexual abuse scandals. The state Human Services Department report into fatalities and near fatalities during 2015 and 2016 showed both types of reports were up sharply after being fairly level for the preceding six years. (2/21)

Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky's 'Too Low And Too Slow' Response To Hepatitis A Outbreak
Last spring, Kentucky's infectious disease chief was ringing the alarm. An outbreak of hepatitis A that already had infected nearly 400 people in Louisville was seeping into Appalachia, where rampant drug addiction provided fuel for the virus to explode across rural Kentucky. To contain it, the drug users and homeless largely spreading the disease had to be vaccinated – and quickly. (Ungar and Kenning, 2/22)

San Francisco Chronicle: SF Supervisors Ask City’s General Hospital Why Its Bills Are So Big
Flabbergasted by recent reports of San Francisco General Hospital sending huge bills to some privately insured patients, a Board of Supervisors committee held a hearing Thursday to determine how the city can treat insured patients more fairly. The Department of Public Health is working on ways it can add more transparency to its billing practices and presented some of those findings to the Government Audit and Oversight Committee. (Thadani, 2/21)

Dallas Morning News: Doctors Reject Feds' Claim They Lined Their Pockets At Patients' Expense In Big Dallas Medical Bribery Trial 
They're medical innovators and pioneers, their attorneys said, who saved some lives and improved many others. The surgeons brought patients to a "state-of-the-art" Dallas hospital called Forest Park Medical Center. But did they illegally put their own financial interests before everything else, including their patients? That's the basic question before jurors in the Forest Park Medical Center bribery case during opening statements Thursday in a packed Dallas federal courtroom. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Wirmani told jurors that the doctors acted out of pure greed, making medical decisions to "line their own pockets." (Krause, 2/21)

The Associated Press: North Dakota's 1st Medical Marijuana Dispensary Set To Open
North Dakota's first medical marijuana dispensary is set to open next week, the culmination of a nearly two-year effort by the state Health Department to establish a distribution system for the drug. New York City-based Acreage Holdings plans to open The Botanist in Fargo on Feb. 28, selling drugs produced by a manufacturing facility in Bismarck, the company and state announced Thursday. The dispensary first will need to undergo what amounts to a final state inspection to ensure it meets all security rules, according to state Medical Marijuana Division Director Jason Wahl. (2/21)

WBUR: To Reduce Chronic Homelessness, A Chicago Hospital Is Treating It As A Medical Condition
The University of Illinois Hospital is one of a few hospitals in the Chicago area that have started providing permanent housing for homeless patients that repeatedly show up in emergency rooms. The program, called Better Health Through Housing, in partnership with the Center for Housing and Health, treats chronic homelessness as a health issue. (Hobson, 2/21)

Seattle Times: Cost Of Washington’s Measles Outbreak Tops $1 Million; Expected To Climb Higher 
The cost of Washington’s measles outbreak has surpassed $1 million as more than 200 health-department staffers from the state and Clark County focus their efforts on the disease. As of Tuesday, there were 63 confirmed cases of measles in Clark County, 44 of which were in children under 10 years old, according to the county’s Public Health department, which is also investigating one suspected case. There is also a single case reported in King County, bringing the statewide total to 64, according to the state Department of Health (DOH). (Goldstein-Street, 2/21)

Sacramento Bee: CA To Offer Inmates Health Care Without Required Copayments
Starting in March, California inmates will no longer need to make copayments when they go in for medical help. The payments are no longer necessary, as they offer “minimal fiscal benefit” and “may hinder patients from seeking care,” according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Correctional Health Care Services department. (Anderson, 2/21)

The Oregonian: Nearly 70 People Diagnosed With Measles In Oregon, Washington Outbreak
The number of people with measles in Clark County continues to climb. Public health officials have identified 69 people between Oregon and Washington. A young child was diagnosed Thursday, bringing the Vancouver-area total to 64 cases. Four people in Oregon and one is the Seattle area have also been identified. Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air and can linger for up to two hours in an enclosed area. (Harbarger, 2/21)

Sacramento Bee: Dignity Health To Give $1 Million To Sacramento Nonprofits
Dignity Health announced Thursday it is distributing $1.05 million this year to dozens of community-based organizations in Nevada, Sacramento and Yolo counties to help meet community health needs outside its hospital walls. The grants are going toward assisting the most vulnerable residents of the region: at-risk children, survivors of human and labor trafficking, individuals living with mental illness and dementia, the homeless and ethnic groups with high rates of chronic disease. (Anderson, 2/21)

Houston Chronicle: Cracking The Code: How Facility Procedure Codes Can Become Weapons
The cause of [Sarah] Hirsch’s symptom was never determined, but the doctor who saw her the next day quickly discovered fluid in her ears, a common cause of dizziness that usually requires no immediate treatment. Yet, by the time she left the Montrose Emergency Center, a free-standing emergency room, Hirsch had accumulated more than $15,000 in charges that included two CAT scans, an electrocardiogram, two urine tests, blood work, and an IV of saline solution to prevent dehydration — even though she was told she was not dehydrated. (Deam, 2/22)

Boston Globe: Boston Firefighters Get Easier Access To Cancer Screenings
Twenty-seven Boston firefighters under the age of 70 died from cancer between 2012 and 2017, and 13 are currently on leave because of cancer, according to the Boston Fire Department Relief Fund.In response to those scary statistics, the Boston Fire Department Relief Fund has launched a new initiative to subsidize 50 percent of the costs of cancer screening and cardiovascular tests that are not covered by insurance. (Sweeney, 2/21)

Pioneer Press: Couple With Baby Born With Brain Injuries Sues Regions Hospital And HealthPartners Claiming Malpractice 
A Minnesota couple whose baby was born with significant brain damage is suing Regions Hospital and HealthPartners claiming that medical staff failed to provide adequate medical care and interventions to the mother and her son during labor and delivery. John Richardson and Leotha Pinkney filed the malpractice lawsuit in Ramsey County District Court Tuesday. The suit seeks monetary damages from both the St. Paul hospital and Health Partners, which operates the hospital, to cover what are expected to be the child’s ongoing medical and care costs. It also seeks damages to account for the emotional relationship the boy’s disabilities will deprive him of having with his parents. (Horner, 2/21)

The Star Tribune: Hennepin County Board, Hennepin Healthcare Meet To Discuss Hospital Merger With North Memorial 
The Hennepin County Board and top Hennepin Healthcare officials met Thursday to renew discussions about a possible merger between their Minneapolis hospital, HCMC, and the North Memorial health system. The talks are in a very preliminary stage, with no timeline for a decision, said County Board Chairwoman Marion Greene. Because “competitive” information was discussed at the meeting, Hennepin Healthcare Board Chairwoman Dr. Sheila Riggs declined to comment. (Chanen, 2/21)

Boston Globe: Newton Doctor Who Overbilled Medicare And MassHealth Agrees To Pay $680,000 Fine
A Newton doctor specializing in geriatric medicine has agreed to pay a $680,000 fine for overbilling government-run insurers Medicare and MassHealth for services rendered to nursing home patients, according to US Attorney Andrew E. Lelling’s office. Lelling’s office said that according to a settlement agreement, authorities contend that Dr. Hooshang Poor submitted inflated claims for care between June 1, 2011, and May 31, 2017. (Andersen 2/21)

USA Today: Haley Moss May Be The First Autistic Lawyer In Florida
Haley Moss is one month into her practice as a lawyer. So far, so good. She has laser focus, a photographic memory and an extreme eye for detail — invaluable assets for poring over endless briefs and reports at Miami-based firm Zumpano Patricios. And what's more, she just might be making history: In January, Moss raised her hand, took an oath and became known as Florida's first lawyer living openly with autism. (Hafner, 2/21)

The Daily Pilot: Challenge Success Helps O.C. Schools Monitor Students’ Mental Wellness
For the last several years the Newport-Mesa Unified School District has been steadily working to address the growing incidence of depression, anxiety, suicide and other mental health challenges among its students. Several districtwide training sessions were mandatory for teachers and staff and optional for parents. The elementary staff completed the avatar-based Kognito program, which teaches motivational interviewing to intervene in social and emotional concerns. Signs featuring suicide hotline numbers were posted in bathrooms. (Pearlman, 2/21)

Pioneer Press: Minn. Mom Who Fed Toddler Laxatives Says She Was Suffering From Postpartum Depression
A postpartum-induced delusion that doctors were failing her ailing toddler compelled a Winona mother to try to make him sicker so medical staff would pay closer attention to his case, she told a judge Thursday. That’s why Megan Lee Kafer periodically disconnected his feeding tube while he was hospitalized for about three weeks last July for “failure to thrive,” she said. And why she let him drink water from her water bottle without controlling how much he consumed. (Horner, 2/21)

Stat: Lawmakers Should Act To Protect Some Rural Hospitals From Closing
The decline of rural hospitals has been a slow-moving train wreck. It’s now accelerating.Since 2010, nearly 100 rural hospitals have closed their doors. The closures have resulted in statistics like this — half of all rural counties lack an obstetrician — that make the United States sound like a third-world country. As bad as that may seem, things are likely to get much worse, and soon. (Dave Mosley, 2/21)

Bloomberg: Guns And Children: Strong Gun Laws Prevent Early Deaths
The National Rifle Association is mounting another round of information warfare, this time against a proposal in the House of Representatives to require background checks on all gun sales. As the talking points fly, it’s worth recalling the growing body of evidence that finds close correlation between more rigorous gun laws and greater public safety. One of the more recent studies in this vein comes from researchers associated with Stanford University, who tested the relationship between state gun laws and firearm-related fatalities among children and teens. Firearm-related mortality is the second-leading cause of pediatric death in the United States. (2/21)

The Hill: Life-Saving Gene Therapies Are Here — We Need To Get Them To Patients
For decades, scientists around the world have dreamed of medical interventions to repair or replace defective genes in a targeted way. Today, that vision is becoming reality for an ever-growing number of debilitating and deadly diseases thanks to breakthroughs in gene therapy technology. But if millions of Americans are to benefit from these advances, our health care system needs to adapt.(Liam Siguad, 2/20)

New England Journal of Medicine: The FDA’s Proposed Ban On Menthol Cigarettes
A proposed ban on menthol cigarettes marks a new chapter in a decades-long debate over the science of addiction, the public health costs, the marketing practices of tobacco companies, the politics of tobacco control in vulnerable populations, and the FDA’s authority. (Keith Wailoo, 2/20)

The Washington Post: Alternatives To Medicare-For-All That Are Worth Studying And Debating
Coverage of health care in the context of the 2020 Democratic presidential campaign amounts to asking a yes-or-no question about support for Medicare-for-all and then pointing out that Democrats are “divided.” (A rift! A split in the party!). The Medicare-for-all crowd accuses the others of being incrementalists (horror!) and the Medicare-for-all critics say this is pie-in-the-sky stuff that won’t work. That’s it. That’s the “health-care debate” as it has generally been covered. What’s missing is any deep analysis of the costs and feasibility of Medicare-for-all and, more important, what some of the alternatives might look like. (Jennifer Rubin, 2/21)

The Hill: The FDA Crackdown On Dietary Supplements Is Inadequate 
The Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb issued warning letters to 12 companies and announced plans to strengthen FDA oversight of supplements, as well as more effectively communicating concerns to the public. The misleading claims, touting ineffective nostra, have the attention of regulators. It is refreshing to see this agency following a mandate of protecting those less able to protect themselves. (David S. Seres, 2/21)

San Francisco Chronicle: Kaiser’ New School Joins A Movement To Make Medical School Less Costly
Kaiser Permanente, the Oakland-based health system, is preparing to open one of the country’s most unusual medical schools. The school, which will open in Pasadena during the summer of 2020, will be one of only a few medical schools in the country that’s not connected to a university. It will also be tuition-free for the first five graduating classes. (2/21)

The Wall Street Journal: Mexican Meth Fuels An American Crisis
The opioid crisis grabs the headlines, but what about the meth crisis? Methamphetamine, produced by Mexican cartels and smuggled over the southwestern border, killed 10,333 Americans in 2017, more than in any previous year. Worse, preliminary statistics show an increase to more than 12,000 in the year ending last July. President Trump says there’s a “crisis” at the border, and he’s right—its result is the meth-overdose epidemic. (Charles Fain Lehman, 2/20)

Cleveland Plain Dealer: The Drug-Overdose Death Of My Son Garrett Could Have Been Prevented With Treatment Instead Of An Ohio Felony Label
I’m haunted by the belief that if my son Garrett would have received treatment for drug addiction, instead of a felony charge, he would be alive today. Garrett’s death could have been prevented. (Richard Hughes, 2/21)

Louisville Courier-Journal: Mitch McConnell's Silent About Coal While Kentucky Miners Die
(Sen. Mitch) McConnell has repeatedly failed to do right by our coal workers and communities. In 2017, McConnell co-authored a high-profile op-ed claiming to support projects that would “provide financial, environmental and economic support to hard-hit coal regions.” However, in a stark contrast to this claim, last year (and the year before that, and the year before that) he failed to win, or even fight for, federal funding for the RECLAIM Act, the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, and miners’ pension fund. All three of these measures are urgently needed to support a Just Transition for workers and communities in Kentucky. (Mikaela Curry, 2/22)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Will Not Follow The Path Of Abortion-On-Demand
Ohio has proven itself to be a pro-life state time and time again, through both our legislative accomplishments and our electoral process. With pro-life Gov. Mike DeWine serving our state on the heels of former Gov. John Kasich’s pro-life administration, Ohio will witness an increase in protections and resources for women and children. Gov. DeWine proudly supports the heartbeat bill, and he believes in protecting our greatest resource – Ohio’s children. (Michael Gonidakis, 2/21)