Ascension Alerting 5.6M Patients, Staff Of Data Breach

Modern Healthcare: Ascension Cyberattack Hit 5.6M Patients
About 5.6 million patients and employees at Ascension were affected by a cyberattack earlier this year, according to a report filed with the federal government. Ascension will notify affected individuals over the next two to three weeks, in addition to providing credit monitoring and identity protection services, the health system said in a Thursday statement. (Hudson, 12/19)

Stat: Gilead Plans To Halt Free Access To An HIV Drug, Worrying Patient Advocates
Gilead Sciences will no longer provide four HIV medicines for free as part of a patient assistance program starting at the end of January, alarming community activists who worry the move will limit access and, consequently, impede nationwide efforts to combat the infectious disease. (Silverman, 12/19)

Stat: Ionis Pharmaceuticals Rare Disease Drug Wins FDA Approval 
Ionis Pharmaceuticals on Thursday won Food and Drug Administration approval for a therapy that treats patients with a rare and deadly genetic disease that impedes the body’s ability to break down fats, setting the stage for the company to kick off the first solo drug launch in its 35-year history. (Wosen, 12/19)

CBS News: New Health Clinic For Children May Reduce Barriers To Services For Some Denver Metro Area Residents
One Colorado community is working to address a health care desert- defined as an area where people have little to no access to health care services. A new clinic is being built in Westminster. It's in what has become a growing community where Ana Martinez and her family have chosen to settle down for the last six years. "That's what motivated us to be closer to here," said Martinez. "My husband, my daughter, my son and me." (Vidal, 12/19)

KFF Health News: Readers Offer Solo Agers Support And Reflect On Ancestors
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories. (12/20)

In legal news —

The Boston Globe: ‘Skeleton Crews.’ ‘Endless Tasks.’ What Employees Said About Working Conditions At CVS, According To A Federal Lawsuit.
Pharmacies operating on “skeleton crews.” A barrage of “endless tasks,” while failing to provide employees with “basic human rights, such as going to the bathroom.” Those are just some of the hundreds of complaints from pharmacists and employees that CVS executives repeatedly ignored, according to federal prosecutors, who in a lawsuit unsealed Wednesday alleged the Woonsocket, R.I.-based chain unlawfully dispensed opioids and other controlled substances for more than a decade. (Gavin, 12/19)

Bloomberg: What Snapchat Owes Families For The Teen Fentanyl Crisis
“I’m a survivor, and that’s bad for you, CEO of Snapchat, because, uh, uh, uh …” Michael Brewer can’t finish his sentence. The teenager’s speech is slow and slurred, interrupted by an involuntary gag reflex as his tongue slides down his throat—a symptom of a brain injury caused by fentanyl poisoning. ... Rain pelts the windows, but Michael can’t see it, because the fentanyl also left him blind. He swallows, breathes and tries again: “I survived, and that’s bad for you, Snapchat, because I’m talking on the record.” (Carville, 12/19)

Bloomberg: Amazon To Pay $145,000 Penalty To Settle Worker Safety Citations
Amazon.com Inc. will pay $145,000 in penalties as part of a settlement with federal workplace regulators regarding allegedly unsafe conditions at several of its US warehouse and logistics facilities. The settlement requires Amazon to assess ergonomic risk at all of its facilities and conduct annual updates to improve safety, according to terms announced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (Soper, 12/19)