First Edition: Aug. 8, 2023

KFF Health News: What One Lending Company’s Hospital Contracts Reveal About Financing Patient Debt
With tens of millions of Americans burdened by medical debt, hospitals and other medical providers are increasingly shuttling their patients into loans serviced by banks, credit cards, and other financial services companies. The arrangements have proven very profitable for lenders. But, as KFF Health News reported in November, the rise of the patient financing industry is often less welcome for patients, who can end up in loans that pile interest on top of what they owe for their medical care. (Levey, 8/8)

KFF Health News: Amid Lack Of Accountability For Bias In Maternity Care, A California Family Seeks Justice
Aniya was ready to leave. She was dressed in a fuzzy white onesie her mother had packed for her first trip home. Yet Aniya’s family had more questions than answers as they cradled the newborn out of the hospital, her mother’s body left behind. April Valentine, a 31-year-old Black mother, died while giving birth in Inglewood, California, on January 10. Her family has raised questions of improper care: Why didn’t nurses investigate numbness and swelling in her leg, symptoms she reported at least 10 times over the course of 15 hours? Why did it take nearly 20 hours for her doctor to see her after she arrived at the hospital already in labor? (Kwon, 8/8)

KFF Health News: Seeking Medicare Coverage For Weight Loss Drugs, Pharma Giant Courts Black Influencers 
Pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has turned to influential Black Americans in pursuit of what would be a lucrative victory: having Medicare cover a new class of weight loss drugs, including the company’s highly sought Wegovy, which can cost patients more than $1,000 a month. During a conference of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation last fall — a jampacked gathering featuring prominent Black lawmakers and President Joe Biden — Novo Nordisk sponsored a panel discussion on obesity for which it selected the moderator and panelists, company spokesperson Nicole Ferreira said. The foundation is a nonprofit affiliated with the Congressional Black Caucus, a powerful group of lawmakers on Capitol Hill. (Pradhan, 8/8)

KFF Health News: How The Texas Trial Changed The Story Of Abortion Rights In America
During the five decades that followed Roe v. Wade, lawsuit after lawsuit in states across the country chipped away at abortion rights. And again and again, the people who went to court to defend those rights were physicians who often spoke in clinical and abstract terms. “The entirety of abortion rights history is a history of doctors appearing in court to represent their own interests and the interests of pregnant people,” said Elizabeth Sepper, a law professor at the University of Texas-Austin. (Varney, 8/7)

Politico: Ohio’s Proxy War Over Abortion Reaches Its Final Battle
The outcome of Tuesday’s election will have immediate implications for the fate of Ohio’s abortion rights ballot measure this November, but many predict it will shape the two parties’ strategies on ballot measures more broadly. (Fernandez and Ollstein, 8/7)

The New York Times: What’s At Stake In Ohio’s Referendum On Amending The State Constitution
Ohioans will finish voting on Tuesday on a referendum with an ostensibly straightforward question: Should it be harder to amend the State Constitution? But the results could have far-reaching consequences for another, more explosive issue on the ballot in November: whether to establish a right to abortion. That subtext has turned what would normally be a sleepy summer election on an off year into a highly visible dogfight that has taken on national importance and already drawn nearly 600,000 early voters. The few polls taken leave it unclear which side has an edge, and there are plausible scenarios in favor of both. (Wines, 8/8)

CNN: How Ohio's Ballot Vote Could Preview The 2024 Politics Of Abortion 
The ballot initiative Ohio voters will decide Tuesday is likely to demonstrate again the continuing public resistance to last year’s Supreme Court decision ending the nationwide constitutional right to abortion – while also offering an early indication about how broadly that backlash may benefit Democrats in the 2024 election. (Brownstein, 8/8)

AP: Cost Of Missouri Abortion-Rights Petition Challenged In Court Again 
Republican lawmakers and anti-abortion activists on Monday filed a court challenge against an initiative petition to legalize abortion. In the lawsuit, Rep. Hannah Kelly, Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman and activist Kathy Forck argued that the cost estimate that will be provided to voters considering whether to adopt the constitutional amendment is too low. (Ballentine, 8/7)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Atty. Gen. Kaul Moves To Speed Up Abortion Ban Court Challenge
Attorney General Josh Kaul on Monday filed a motion seeking to expedite a decision in his challenge against Wisconsin's abortion ban — a move that comes less than a week after liberals gained control of the state Supreme Court. The case, which is currently before Dane County Circuit Judge Diane Schlipper, is expected to make its way to the state's high court. (Opoien, 8/7)

The Hill: DeSantis Says He Does Not Support Punishments For Women Who Violate Abortion Bans 
GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis said that he would not support punishments for women who violate abortion bans.  “Not at all,” DeSantis responded when NBC’s Dasha Burns asked whether he supported punishments for those who violate an abortion ban. “No, I don’t think this is an issue about the woman. I think a lot of these women, you know, are in very difficult circumstances. They don’t get any support from a lot of the fathers.” (Sforza, 8/7)

NBC News: FDA Policy Allowing More Gay And Bisexual Men To Donate Blood Goes Into Effect
In a victory for LGBTQ rights, a broad swath of the U.S. population of gay and bisexual men Monday became newly able donate blood, thanks to the American Red Cross’ implementation of a landmark recent change in Food and Drug Administration policy. The policy, which the FDA put on the books in May, newly permits donations from men in monogamous relationships with other men, as well as those who have not recently engaged in anal sex. (Ryan, 8/7)

Reuters: New Pregnancy Bias Law Broadly Protects Workers, US Agency Says
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Monday proposed a rule endorsing a broad application of a new federal law extending stronger legal protections to pregnant workers. The EEOC proposal is designed to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which took effect last month after President Joe Biden signed it into law late last year. The commission is tasked with enforcing the law. ... The commission in Monday's proposal listed a slew of accommodations that workers may seek under the law, including part-time or modified work schedules, more frequent breaks, modified equipment and uniforms, seating, remote work, and paid or unpaid leave. (Wiessner, 8/7)

The Boston Globe: Drug Makers Postpone Pricing Of New Postpartum Depression Pill
A pair of Cambridge drug makers Monday postponed setting a price for their newly approved pill to treat postpartum depression as they weighed the financial impact of a US regulatory decision to reject the pill’s use for the more widespread condition of major depressive disorder. (Weisman, 8/7)

The Washington Post: What New Parents Need To Know About Groundbreaking Postpartum Treatment
The Washington Post asked clinicians what pregnant people and their families should know both about Zurzuvae, its symptoms and its treatment of postpartum depression. (Felton, 8/7)

Stat: Sage Considers Ways To Reduce Costs Following FDA Rejection
Sage Therapeutics said Monday that it may need to reduce costs, including through employee layoffs, following the Food and Drug Administration’s denial of its rapid-acting drug for major depressive disorder. On Friday, the agency granted market clearance for the drug, called Zurzuvae, to treat women with postpartum depression, a smaller commercial market. Sage failed to convince regulators to also approve the drug for depression, a broader condition. (Trang, 8/7)

The Boston Globe: Leominster Hospital To Close Its Maternity Ward. Will That Harm Care?
The closure of inpatient maternity services at UMass Memorial Health - HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital, formerly known as Leominster Hospital, has splintered the community. So far, it has resulted in two protests, the creation of a Facebook group, and hours of testimony at a Department of Public Health hearing last month contesting the need to shutter the service. Local pediatricians oppose the closure, which is slated for Sept. 23, saying it would hurt local residents. (Bartlett and Mohammed, 8/7)

Stat: Discs Beat Pads, Tampons For Heavy Menstrual Flow, New Study Shows
There are many period products on the market from pads, tampons and cups to discs. Yet, there is a dearth of reliable information about how much menstrual blood they can hold — a useful metric for clinicians as well as consumers. Heavy menstrual bleeding affects up to a third of people who menstruate and that can only be diagnosed using traditional menstrual products like pads and tampons. However, as more people use non-traditional products, clinicians are looking for data to advise patients on what would be the best product to absorb heavy menstrual flow. (Balthazar, 8/7)

CBS News: CDC Says COVID Variant EG.5 Is Now Dominant, Including Strain Some Call "Eris"
EG.5 includes a strain with a subgroup of variants designated as EG.5.1, which a biology professor, T. Ryan Gregory, nicknamed "Eris" — an unofficial name that began trending on social media. Experts say EG.5 is one of the fastest growing lineages worldwide, thanks to what might be a "slightly beneficial mutation" that is helping it outcompete some of its siblings. (Tin, 8/7)

USA Today: COVID Eris, The Variant Dominating US, UK Cases Has Familiar Symptoms
The World Health Organization (WHO) has its eyes on yet another new COVID-19 variant that has been linked to a spike in hospitalizations overseas. EG.5.1, nicknamed Eris, was added to the WHO SARS-CoV-2 variant monitoring list and has quickly become prevalent in both the U.K. and U.S. As of July 20, Eris is the second most common variant infecting people in the U.K., accounting for roughly 14.55% of cases and growing at a rate of 20.51% per week, according to The U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA). It trails behind fellow Omicron subvariant Arcturus, or XBB.1.16, at 41.82% of U.S. cases. (Walrath-Holdridge, 8/7)

The Washington Post: A Covid Uptick Is Here. Good Luck Finding A Free Test
The United States is experiencing a bump in coronavirus transmission for the first time since the public health emergency ended in May, exposing the challenges of avoiding the virus when free testing is no longer widely accessible. The Biden administration stopped mailing test kits to households in June. The ones Americans stockpiled over the last year and a half are expiring. Major insurers no longer pay for over-the-counter tests once the requirement to do so ended with the emergency declaration. (Nirappil, 8/7)

Modern Healthcare: No Surprises Act Ruling Halts Billing Arbitration Process
The federal government stopped processing payment disputes between providers and insurers regarding out-of-network bills following last week's court ruling that vacated parts of the surprise billing law. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Health and Human Services Department paused the independent dispute resolution process Thursday as the agencies adapt to a court ruling earlier Thursday that invalidated the federal government’s fee increases for filing disputes and batching requirements that would bundle multiple claims in a single dispute. (Kacik, 8/7)

Axios: Why Insurers Are Paying Double For The Same Procedure In The Same Hospital
Hospitals charge commercial health plans two to three times more than what they charge the same insurer's Medicare Advantage plans for the same procedure, a new study in Health Affairs found. While it's well established that private plans are typically charged more than Medicare, this study leverages the latest available pricing data to shed light on differing dynamics between the commercial and Medicare Advantage markets. (Dreher, 8/7)

Stat: Hospitals Use Virtual Reality To Design More Inclusive Rooms For Kids
For many young patients, harsh lights, bare walls, and windows facing parking lots or brick buildings make already painful hospital visits more unpleasant, stoking fear and uncertainty instead of hope. Often, those patients say, it makes recovery harder. Their perspectives — historically overlooked in hospital design — are at the heart of a budding movement to make architecture more inclusive for the people who actually spend time there. (Ravindranath, 8/8)

The Washington Post: Latinos Underrepresented Among Physicians, Overrepresented As Aides 
Latinos — especially Mexican Americans — remain underrepresented in the U.S. medical workforce, according to a recent analysis. The study, published in the journal Health Affairs, found that Latino and Hispanic groups are underrepresented in medical professions that require advanced degrees and overrepresented in similar professions that don’t require a bachelor’s or higher degree. (Blakemore, 8/6)

The New York Times: Queens Doctor Charged With Drugging And Assaulting Patients On Camera 
Zhi Alan Cheng, a former doctor at a prominent New York hospital, recorded dozens of videos as he raped and sexually abused women, prosecutors said. (Closson and Schweber, 8/7)

AP: A Florida Man Is Charged With Flooding An Emergency Room After Attacking A Nurse And Stripping
A man in southwest Florida has been charged with flooding a hospital’s emergency rooms after attacking a nurse and stripping off his clothes, authorities said. The 53-year-old became agitated while in a waiting room at the North Collier Hospital in Naples, Florida, on Saturday, according to a report from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. He barged into the emergency room, pushed a patient and then pushed a nurse in the head. After the hospital staff got him into a room in an effort to keep him from disturbing other patients, he took off his clothes and pulled a high-pressure water pipe from the wall, the report said. (8/7)

The Missouri Independent: A Quarter Of Missouri Nursing Homes Haven’t Had Health Inspection In Years
One in four Missouri nursing homes hasn’t had a standard inspection in two or more years, according to recently updated federal data. Federal law requires states conduct an unannounced comprehensive inspection for each long-term care facility at least every 15 months to assess compliance with federal health and safety rules. During those visits, inspectors generally spend several days at each facility reporting on factors including medication management, resident rights and quality of life. (Bates, 8/7)

Stat: More Regulation Could Be Coming For Drug Ads
Government regulators may soon decide whether to crack down on distracting visuals in television drug commercials or require subtitles about side effects, a regulation that’s been 13 years in the making. White House budget experts are reviewing changes to the regulation of broadcast drug advertisements that the Food and Drug Administration proposed in 2010, according to the Office of Management and Budget website. That proposal aimed to make commercials present drug risks in a manner that consumers notice and understand. (Wilkerson, 8/8)

The Washington Post: Anti-Venom Shortage For Black Widow Spider Bites May Be Ending
Merck, the company that makes Antivenin, now says that the drug is available and that it has “taken a number of steps to ensure uninterrupted supply.” Merck sells only between 300 to 800 vials of Antivenin each year. The drug is made by injecting horses with the venom, then extracting antibodies the animals produce, and it should not be given to anyone with an allergy to horses. (Cimons, 8/7)

Reuters: WHO Flags India-Made Syrup In Latest Warning Over Contaminated Drugs 
The World Health Organization on Monday flagged a batch of contaminated common cold syrup, manufactured by an Indian company, the latest in a series of warnings by the agency about substandard medicines from the country. The United Nations agency said the batch of the syrup, branded Cold Out, found in Iraq was manufactured by Fourrts (India) Laboratories for Dabilife Pharma, and had higher than acceptable limit of contaminants diethylene and ethylene glycol. (8/7)

CNN: Lung Transplant Successful In Two People With Organs On Wrong Side Of Their Bodies
Fifty-year-old psychologist Dennis Deer’s lungs were failing, scarred by a rare inflammatory condition called polymyositis. Despite carrying supplemental oxygen, the Cook County Commissioner for the 2nd district in Illinois was finding it harder and harder to perform his job. “It was terrible. I would walk 10 steps and I was gasping for air,” Deer said in a news conference Monday. Deer was added to the lung transplant list, but he faced an additional hurdle. All of the organs in his chest and abdomen — including his lungs — were flip-flopped in his body, with organs that should be on the right existing on the left and vice versa. (LaMotte, 8/7)

Reuters: Purdue Asks Supreme Court Not To Block Opioid Settlement During US Appeal 
Oxycontin maker Purdue Pharma on Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reject the U.S. Department of Justice's request to delay its multi-billion-dollar bankruptcy settlement resolving thousands of lawsuits against it over the opioid epidemic. (Knauth, 8/7)

Bloomberg: Opioid-Treatment Access Is Tougher For Black Adults, Women In US
Black patients and women in the US are far less likely to receive medication to manage opioid abuse, according to research that shows how unequal access is to the life-saving treatments. White adults were 14 times more likely to receive medicine to combat opioid use disorder than Black adults, according to research released Monday in the JAMA Network Open medical journal. Meanwhile, men had six times the likelihood as women of getting access to drugs such as buprenorphine. (Jones and Griffin, 8/7)

NPR: Opioid Addiction Treatments Are Effective But Few Patients Are Getting Them
Imagine if during a deadly public health crisis, 80% of Americans weren't able to get safe, effective medications proven to help people recover. A study published Monday in the JAMA found that's exactly what's happening with the opioid crisis. Nationwide, only one in five people with opioid use disorder receive the medications considered the gold standard for opioid treatment, such as methadone, buprenorphine or extended-release naltrexone. (Mann, 8/7)

CBS News: Black Men Have Lowest Melanoma Survival Rate Compared To Other Races, Study Finds
Men with melanoma, particularly Black men, are more likely to die than women with melanoma, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. The study also showed that men of color were more likely to have melanoma diagnosed at an advanced stage, making it more difficult to treat. Even when adjusted for factors like income level and insurance coverage, Black race alone increased mortality risk compared to the White population, the study found. (Moniuszko, 8/7)

Reuters: Women Over 70 Risk Breast Cancer Overdiagnosis With Screening, US Study Finds
A new study is raising fresh questions about the value of breast cancer screening in older women, finding that those 70 and older who underwent mammograms were more apt to be diagnosed with tumors posing no threat to their health than those who did not screen. The study by researchers at Yale Medical School, published on Monday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, tracked 54,635 U.S. women 70 and older who received a mammogram - an X-ray of the breast - in 2002. Women who opted for continued screening were compared to those who chose not to be screened. (Welle, 8/7)

The Mercury News: Air Pollution May Increase Risk For Prostate, Breast Cancers, Study Says
Outdoor air pollution may raise the risk for non-lung cancer in older adults, with even low levels of air pollution exposure increasing the chances for prostate, colorectal, breast, and endometrial cancers. That’s according to a new Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health study of millions of Medicare beneficiaries. The researchers found that chronic exposures to fine particulate air pollutants (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) over a 10-year period increased the risk of developing cancer. PM2.5 has been in the news during the last couple of months because that’s the concerning air pollutant from the Canadian wildfire smoke, which has wreaked havoc across the U.S. (Sobey, 8/7)

AP: Carcinogens Found At Montana Nuclear Missile Sites As Reports Of Hundreds Of Cancers Surface
The Air Force has detected unsafe levels of a likely carcinogen at underground launch control centers at a Montana nuclear missile base where a striking number of men and women have reported cancer diagnoses. A new cleanup effort has been ordered. (Copp, 8/7)

Axios: "Unprecedented" Outbreak Of West Nile Virus Alarms Colorado Health Officials
The number of mosquitos infected with West Nile virus this season is the highest Colorado health officials have seen in years. A Weld County resident recently died from the virus, marking the state's first West Nile-related fatality in 2023, officials announced this month. It's unlikely to be the last, with an "abundance" of Culex mosquitoes — the primary species that carries the virus in the U.S. — swarming due to record rainfall this past winter and spring. (Alvarez, 8/7)