First Edition: April 3, 2024

KFF Health News: Medical Debt Affects Much Of America, But Colorado Immigrants Are Hit Especially Hard
In February, Norma Brambila’s teenage daughter wrote her a letter she now carries in her purse. It is a drawing of a rose, and a note encouraging Brambila to “keep fighting” her sickness and reminding her she’d someday join her family in heaven. Brambila, a community organizer who emigrated from Mexico a quarter-century ago, had only a sinus infection, but her children had never seen her so ill. “I was in bed for four days,” she said. Lacking insurance, Brambila had avoided seeking care, hoping garlic and cinnamon would do the trick. (Bichell and Toomer, 4/3)

KFF Health News: Attacks On Emergency Room Workers Prompt Debate Over Tougher Penalties
Patients hurl verbal abuse at Michelle Ravera every day in the emergency room. Physical violence is less common, she said, but has become a growing threat. Ravera, an ER nurse at Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento, recalled an incident in which an agitated patient wanted to leave. “Without any warning he just reached up, grabbed my glasses, and punched me in the face,” said Ravera, 54. “And then he was getting ready to attack another patient in the room.” (Parekh, 4/3)

KFF Health News: Heat Protections For California Workers Are In Limbo After Newsom Abandons Rules
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration has abandoned proposed protections for millions of California workers toiling in sweltering warehouses, steamy kitchens, and other dangerously hot workplaces — upending a regulatory process that had been years in the making. The administration’s eleventh-hour move, which it attributed to the cost of the new regulations, angered workplace safety advocates and state regulators, setting off a mad scramble to implement emergency rules before summer. (Hart and Young, 4/3)

The Hill: Second Bird Flu Case Confirmed In Human In US: What To Know
Federal authorities are downplaying the public health risk after the second ever case of a human contracting the “highly pathogenic” bird flu in the United States was confirmed in Texas on Monday. The infected man was exposed while he worked as a dairy worker, the Texas Department of State Health Services said. The person had minor symptoms but has received treatment, state health officials said. (Vickers, 4/2)

Politico: Health Agencies Brief Congress On Avian Flu
Senior Biden health officials on Tuesday briefed congressional committees and leadership, telling them that the risk to the general public from the avian flu remains low. ... Officials from the FDA, CDC, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response and U.S. Department of Agriculture largely repeated publicly available information, according to one of the congressional aides who relayed details of the briefing. (Lim, 4/2)

Politico: Marks Confident In Bird Flu Vaccine Stockpile
Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA’s top vaccine regulator, said Monday he’s confident the U.S. stockpile of avian flu-specific vaccines would work well if deployed. ... “We believe that, if we needed to, they would be reasonably good matches,” Marks said at the World Vaccine Congress in Washington, responding to Lauren’s question about whether the stockpiled vaccines would be effective against the avian flu strain. Whether the federal government would activate new vaccine production depends on how the situation unfolds, Marks indicated. (Lim and Gardner, 4/2)

CIDRAP: Tests Confirm Avian Flu On New Mexico Dairy Farm; Probe Finds Cats Positive
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service yesterday announced that tests have now confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a New Mexico dairy herd. ... And in another development, Texas officials yesterday said that cats showing illness signs in the dairy farm settings were also positive for the virus. So far, the virus has now been confirmed on seven Texas farms, along with two in Kansas, and one each from New Mexico and Michigan. (Schnirring, 4/2)

The Hill: Backers Of Arizona Abortion Amendment Say They Have Signatures For Ballot
Groups working to enshrine abortion rights in Arizona’s constitution said Tuesday they have collected enough signatures to put the amendment on the ballot in November. Arizona for Abortion Access — a coalition of organizations including the ACLU of Arizona, Reproductive Freedom for All Arizona and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona — announced they have so far collected more than 500,000 voter signatures, with more than three months left until the July 3 submission deadline. (Weixel, 4/2)

The Washington Post: Abortion Ruling By Florida Supreme Court Leaves Women With Few Options
More than 80,000 women get an abortion in Florida in a typical year — accounting for about 1 in 12 abortions in the country. Now, most of those women will need to find somewhere else to go. With the Florida Supreme Court’s decision Monday night upholding an existing 15-week ban and allowing a strict new six-week ban to take effect in 30 days, the court has cut off nearly all abortion access across the South, where all other states have either implemented similar bans or outlawed abortion entirely since Roe v. Wade was overturned. (Kitchener, 4/2)

The New York Times: Florida’s Abortion Ballot Question Presents An Opportunity For Democrats
The nation’s third-largest state, once the biggest battleground in presidential politics, has become less important as its election results have trended repeatedly toward the political right. Few consider it a true swing state anymore.But three rulings from the Florida Supreme Court on abortion and marijuana, released on Monday, may inject new life into Democratic campaigns before the general election on Nov. 6. (Mazzei, 4/2)

The New York Times: Biden Assails ‘Outrageous’ Florida Abortion Ruling As His Campaign Blames Trump
President Biden on Tuesday called a decision by the Florida Supreme Court to uphold a restrictive abortion law “outrageous” and “extreme,” saying that it had effectively eliminated access to the procedure across the American South. The president said in a statement that the restrictions in Florida and others enacted by Republicans across the country “are putting the health and lives of millions of women at risk.” (Rogers, 4/2)

The New York Times: Trump Will Address Abortion Issue Next Week, He Says
Donald J. Trump, appearing in two crucial swing states on Tuesday, avoided discussing abortion but teased that he would address the issue “next week,” once again demurring on taking a clear position on the issue after two Florida Supreme Court rulings shook up the 2024 campaign in the former president’s home state. (Cameron, 4/2)

The Hill: Democratic Senator Eyeing Bill To Repeal Comstock Act
Congressional Democrats are strategizing over legislation to repeal the Comstock Act, the 19th century anti-vice law that’s being eyed by conservative activists to potentially enact a national abortion ban. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said in a New York Times op-ed Tuesday that she wants to introduce a bill “to take away the Comstock Act as a tool to limit reproductive freedom.” (Weixel, 4/2)

St. Louis Public Radio: Planned Parenthood Now Can Sedate Patients During IUD Insertion
Health workers at Planned Parenthood’s Fairview Heights clinic this week began offering patients sedation before they undergo procedures to insert intrauterine devices, which are placed in the uterus to prevent pregnancy. The devices have been used for decades, but many patients describe waves of pain when a nurse or doctor inserts them. Patients have long endured the uncomfortable procedure, but providers are now considering offering women the option of sedation to make the insertion less unpleasant. (Fentem, 4/2)

Reuters: US Takes Next Step In Medicare Drug Price Negotiations With Pharma Companies
The agency overseeing Medicare, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), picked the first 10 drugs for negotiation in August and sent its initial price offers in February. The companies involved had until March 1 to respond and all did so. Each company can meet with CMS up to three times for further negotiations before a final price is announced on Aug. 1. The negotiated prices will come into effect in 2026. (4/2)

Politico: CMS Rejects Drugmaker Price Offers, Kick-Starting Medicare Talks
CMS said Tuesday it shot down drugmakers’ price offers for 10 pharmaceuticals subject to Medicare price negotiations, kicking off talks expected to stretch through the summer. The agency’s decision is the latest development in a negotiation process created by the Inflation Reduction Act. Officials touted the prospect of savings for those on Medicare, but the final prices won’t take effect until 2026. (King, 4/2)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Finalizes Network Rules For Exchange Plans
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services made some tweaks to the health insurance exchanges in a final rule published Tuesday. The regulation establishes network adequacy standards based on the time and distance patients have to travel for in-network care beginning in 2026 and aligns the annual open enrollment period for state-based exchanges with the federal sign-up campaign. The final rule is consistent with what the agency proposed in November. (Berryman, 4/2)

AP: Lawsuit Seeks To Force Ban On Menthol Cigarettes After Delays By Biden
Anti-smoking groups sued the U.S. government Tuesday over a long-awaited ban on menthol cigarettes, which has been idling at the White House for months. The lawsuit is the latest effort to force the government to ban menthols, which are disproportionately used by Black smokers and young people. It comes amid growing concerns from advocates that the federal plan could be derailed by election-year politics. (Perrone, 4/2)

CIDRAP: Alaskapox Virus Renamed As Borealpox Virus
The Alaska Department of Health (ADH) announced that it has been consulting with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to change the name of the Alaskapox virus to “borealpox virus,” with the renaming taking effect with the start of April. ADH said the name references the ecosystem where the virus was found in humans and small animal reservoirs. (Schnirring, 4/2)

Axios: Senate To Examine Private Equity's Growing Role In ER Care
The Senate homeland security committee is examining whether expanding private equity control over hospital emergency departments is compromising patient care and potentially putting emergency preparedness at risk. Why it matters: A new inquiry by Chairman Gary Peters (D-Mich.) adds to congressional scrutiny of big private equity firms' ownership of hospitals, physician staffing firms, nursing homes and other cogs in the health system. (Sullivan, 4/3)

Modern Healthcare: Joint Commission Considers Stronger Suicide Prevention Standards
The Joint Commission is considering whether its hospital accreditation standards should include more requirements tied to suicide prevention efforts.The accrediting body already has standards intended to prevent suicide among patients treated for behavioral health conditions once they are discharged. However, there are no standards for other patients related to detailed safety planning, including how individuals are transitioned to outpatient care providers and how access to lethal weapons is restricted. (Devereaux, 4/2)

AP: AP Exclusive: EPA Didn't Declare A Public Health Emergency After Fiery Ohio Derailment
The aftermath of last year’s fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio doesn’t qualify as a public health emergency because widespread health problems and ongoing chemical exposures haven’t been documented, federal officials said. The Environmental Protection Agency never approved that designation after the February 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment even though the disaster forced the evacuation of half the town of East Palestine and generated many fears about potential long-term health consequences of the chemicals that spilled and burned. (Funk, 4/3)

Reuters: Abbott's Heart Valve Repair Device Gains US FDA Approval
Abbott Laboratories, opens new tab said on Tuesday the U.S. FDA has approved its heart valve repair device for patients with a potentially fatal heart disease, just months after rival Edwards Lifesciences, opens new tab received the regulator's nod for its device. The Abbott device, TriClip, aims to treat tricuspid regurgitation (TR), which occurs when the valve separating the right lower chamber of the heart from the right upper does not close properly, causing blood to flow backwards. (Singh, 4/2)

Reuters: US FDA Approves Vanda's Drug For Treatment Of Bipolar Disorder
The U.S. FDA approved Vanda Pharmaceuticals' drug to treat manic and mixed episodes associated with a type of bipolar disorder, the company said on Tuesday, marking the second approval for the treatment. Shares of the Washington, D.C.-based company jumped 16% after the bell. Fanapt, which was initially approved in 2009 as a treatment for schizophrenia, faces a potential loss of exclusivity in 2027. (4/2)

Politico: NIDA Director Nora Volkow: We Will Overcome The Overdose Crisis
Dr. Nora Volkow, who has led the National Institute on Drug Abuse for more than two decades, said she is convinced America will overcome the ongoing drug overdose death crisis that killed nearly 110,000 people last year. “We are much better than fentanyl, we are much, much better than the drug dealers,” she told participants at the Rx and Illicit Drug Summit Tuesday. (Paun, 4/2)

Politico: Docs Don't Want To Treat 'Them'
According to Thomas Prevoznik, deputy assistant administrator for the Drug Enforcement Administration. ... “The biggest thing I heard and continue to hear from prescribers and pharmacists … is they continue to call those who suffer from opioid use disorder ‘them,’ like they don’t want ‘them,’ they don’t want to treat ‘them’ in their practice,” Prevoznik said. That attitude was an eye-opener for the DEA, he said, noting that people with opioid use disorder are “our family members, our neighbors, our friends. … They’re dying. This has to become part of mainstream health care,” he said. (Paun, Reader and Schumaker, 4/2)

Axios: More Americans Forgoing ADHD Meds As Shortages Drag On
Shortages of commonly prescribed drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have stretched on for nearly 18 months, with no clear end in sight for many Americans who've found it difficult if not impossible to get the treatments. Why it matters: As demand for stimulants like Adderall and Vyvanse soared, the fill rate for such prescriptions has dropped more than 10% in two years, according to a new analysis from health analytics firm Truveta. (Reed, 4/3)

Newsweek: Demand For Weight-Loss Drugs Spikes Despite Horror Stories
Since weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro first hit the market, patients have shared horror story symptoms and even complained of how the pounds pile back on when they stop taking the medication. Nausea, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain and other gastrointestinal issues are just some of the common side effects listed. However, even if you make it through these, some patients say the weight loss goes into reverse once you're off the drug again. (Blake, 4/2)

Newsweek: Scientists Discover How Cancer Creates 'Acid Wall' Against Immune System
Scientists have made a breakthrough discovery in our understanding of how cancer cells evade our immune systems. The findings, published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, open new avenues for drug development in cancer research to better support our immune systems in killing cancer cells. Cancer cells have three main ways of interacting with our immune systems: They can hide, fight back or erect a physical barrier. It is this third tactic that the team at University of Texas Southwestern has been investigating. (Dewan, 4/2)

CIDRAP: Regional Decolonization Effort Linked To Fewer Infections, Deaths From Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens
A decolonization program implemented at a network of healthcare facilities in southern California significantly reduced the prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) on patients' skin, researchers reported yesterday in JAMA. But the overall impact of the intervention went beyond reduced MDRO colonization. The regional collaboration ... also resulted in reduced infections, hospitalizations, hospitalization-related costs, and deaths. (Dall, 4/2)

CIDRAP: Study Describes More Severe Pediatric Mental Health Crises During Pandemic
Children visiting the emergency department (ED) for mental health crises during the pandemic had longer stays and more severe diagnoses, according to a new study in Academic Emergency Medicine. The study was based on ED visits to nine US hospitals participating in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network Registry from 2017 to 2022. (Soucheray, 4/2)

The Hill: E-Cigarette Users 20 Percent More Likely To Develop Heart Failure: Study
People who use e-cigarettes are 19 percent more likely to develop heart failure, compared to those who have never used them, a new study published Tuesday revealed. The data point was included in one of the largest prospective studies to date on the link between vaping and heart failure. The findings of the study are being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) annual scientific session. (Fortinsky, 4/2)

Reuters: Roivant's Anti-Inflammatory Drug Shows Promise In Mid-Stage Study
Roivant Sciences' (ROIV.O) experimental drug to treat non-infectious uveitis helped reduce symptoms of the inflammatory eye disease in a mid-stage study, sending the biotech firm's shares up nearly 8% on Tuesday. At least three analysts said the data surpassed their expectations and showed that the drug could benefit patients more than Abbvie's (ABBV.N) Humira, which is the only targeted therapy approved for the condition. (Satija, 4/2)

The New York Times: The Organ Is Still Working. But It’s Not In A Body Anymore
On some level, the human liver in the operating room at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago was alive. Blood circulating through its tissues delivered oxygen and removed waste products, and the organ produced bile and proteins that are essential to the body. But the donor had died a day earlier, and the liver lay inside a boxy plastic device. The organ owed its vitality to this machine, which was preserving it for transplantation into a needy patient. (Alcorn, 4/2)

CIDRAP: Bavarian Nordic Announces Commercial Launch Of Mpox Vaccine
Bavarian Nordic today announced the commercial launch of its vaccine against mpox and smallpox, which means the vaccine will now be available outside of designated clinics that were tapped to administer doses from the US government's vaccine supply. The development comes as US mpox cases are outpacing activity reported last year at this time. (Schnirring, 4/2)

Reuters: Some Doses Of Lilly's Mounjaro In Tight Supply Through April, US FDA Says
Four doses of Eli Lilly's diabetes drug Mounjaro would remain in tight supply through 2024 due to soaring demand, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website showed. The regulator noted limited availability of 7.5, 10, 12.5, and 15 milligram doses through April, while lower doses were listed as "available". The FDA had previously said that three doses would have limited availability through early March. (4/2)

Modern Healthcare: Providence Launches Praia Health Following $20M Funding Round
Providence is spinning off a patient portal company from its incubator program, the health system said Tuesday. The Renton, Washington-based Catholic health system Providence is spinning out consumer engagement technology company Praia Health. Praia also received a $20 million Series A funding round as part of the spinoff. (Turner, 4/2)

Modern Healthcare: Aegis Ventures Launches Digital Consortium With 9 Providers
Nine health systems, including Northwell Health and Memorial Hermann Health, System joined a digital consortium led by startup studio Aegis Ventures. Aegis, which creates, invests and operates digital health companies, said Tuesday the consortium will develop, invest in and deploy digital health solutions. (Perna, 4/2)

Modern Healthcare: Risant Health Emerges As Kaiser-Geisinger Deal Closes
Kaiser Permanente has acquired Geisinger Health and folded it into Risant Health, a new nonprofit formed to create a national value-based care network. The deal between Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, part of Kaiser Permanente, and Geisinger closed Sunday, almost a year after it was announced. It may be more years before it's known whether Kaiser's ambitious strategy, which hinges on the acquisitions of multiple health systems into Risant, is achievable. (Hudson, 4/2)

Modern Healthcare: Intermountain Health's Closed Saltzer Health Sites Find Buyers
Four care sites formerly operated by Intermountain Health's shuttered multispecialty physician group Saltzer Health are under new ownership. Boise, Idaho-based Saint Alphonsus Health System has acquired Saltzer's Ten Mile Ambulatory Surgery Center in Meridian, Idaho, along with two urgent care centers, according to a Monday news release.  (DeSilva, 4/2)

Crain's Chicago Business: Walgreens Medicare-Medicaid Whistleblower Lawsuit Moves Forward
A federal judge has given the green light for a whistleblower lawsuit contending that Walgreens violated U.S. and Illinois false claims statutes by steering Medicare and Medicaid patients to its own pharmacy by waiving co-pays. In a case that's been kicked around for about a decade after several amendments and the U.S. and Illinois governments trying to hop aboard, Judge John F. Kness, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ruled on March 29 that the complaint brought by two former Walgreens pharmacy technicians could continue. (Asplund, 4/2)

Colorado Sun: New Report Shows Need For "Culturally Responsive Care" In Colorado
transgender man’s medical providers repeatedly used his birth name, even though he changed it during his transition. A doctor insulted a Latina woman while she was receiving mental health care, telling her she “needs to change her beliefs now” that she’s living in America. In parts of rural Colorado, there are so few health care providers, and so much turnover, people of color and LGBTQ people struggle to find providers from a similar background who can understand their needs. (Flowers, 4/3)