Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: August 30, 2018
Kaiser Health News: HHS Watchdog To Probe Enforcement Of Nursing Home Staffing Standards
The inspector general at the Department of Health and Human Services this month launched an examination into federal oversight of skilled nursing facilities amid signs some homes aren’t meeting Medicare’s minimum staffing requirements. The review comes on the heels of a Kaiser Health News and New York Times investigation that found nearly 1,400 nursing homes report having fewer registered nurses on duty than the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires or failed to provide reliable staffing information to the government. (Rau, 8/30)
Kaiser Health News: For Nursing Home Patients, Breast Cancer Surgery May Do More Harm Than Good
Surgery is a mainstay of breast cancer treatment, offering most women a good chance of cure.For frail nursing home residents, however, breast cancer surgery can harm their health and even hasten death, according to a study published Wednesday in JAMA Surgery. The results have led some experts to question why patients who are fragile and advanced in years are screened for breast cancer, let alone given aggressive treatment. (Szabo, 8/29)
Kaiser Health News: Californians Living Longer With Cancer — Some Longer Than Others
As he grew older, Dale Kunitomi paid closer attention to his health — and to his doctor’s advice. When he noticed rectal bleeding in 2010, he went to see his physician, who ordered a colonoscopy.The diagnosis: colon cancer. (Gorman, 8/30)
Kaiser Health News: The Pluses And Minuses Of Allowing Medical Marijuana At School
Every school day at noon, Karina Garcia drives to her son’s South San Francisco high school to give him a dose of cannabis oil to prevent potentially life-threatening seizures. But she can’t do it on campus. She has to take Jojo, a 19-year-old with severe epilepsy, off school grounds to squirt the drug into his mouth, then bring him back for his special education classes. (Young, 8/30)
Kaiser Health News: Watch: What Happened To That $109,000 Heart Attack
Kaiser Health News editor-in-chief Elisabeth Rosenthal discusses the latest Bill of the Month installment on “CBS This Morning” on Wednesday. The story of a high school teacher who faced an outrageous hospital bill is part of an ongoing crowdsourced investigation by KHN and NPR. (8/29)
The Associated Press: Even A Small Amount Of Medical Debt Can Trigger Headaches
It doesn't take a huge unpaid medical bill to make a collection agency come calling ... and calling. Researchers found in a study of credit reports that more than 2 percent of adults had medical bills under $200 sent to a collection agency. Over half of the annual medical collections were for less than $600, according to the study, which examined 2016 credit reports for more than 4 million unidentified people. (Murphy, 8/29)
Los Angeles Times: Trump's Supreme Court Pick Signals Skepticism Over GOP's Latest Bid To Repeal Obamacare
If Republicans are hoping Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will help them knock down Obamacare in the courts, they might be in for a disappointment. Kavanaugh has signaled in private meetings with Senate Democrats that he is skeptical of some of the legal claims being asserted in the latest GOP-led effort to overturn the Affordable Care Act. (Haberkorn, 8/29)
The Hill: Dem Introduces Measure To Overturn Trump Expansion Of Non-ObamaCare Plans
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) on Wednesday introduced a measure to overturn a Trump administration rule expanding access to non-ObamaCare insurance plans. The move is a step in Senate Democrats’ plan to force a vote on the measure as they seek to argue Republicans are attacking protections for people with pre-existing conditions, a key argument Democrats want to make in the midterm election campaign. (Sullivan, 8/29)
The Hill: CDC: Uninsured Rates Hold Steady After One Year Of Trump
The uninsured rate in the first three months of 2018 held steady compared to the same time frame last year, according to new numbers released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the first three months of 2018, 8.8 percent of people of all ages were uninsured, or 28.3 million people, according to the report. (Hellmann, 8/29)
The Washington Post: ‘We Did A Fantastic Job In Puerto Rico’: Trump Defends Response Despite Spike In Deaths After Hurricane Maria
President Trump on Wednesday defended his administration's response to a devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico last year, despite a study released this week that said there was a spike in deaths on the island in the six months that followed. “I think we did a fantastic job,” Trump said, responding to a question from a reporter at the White House. He called the emergency on the island “by far the most difficult” of the areas of the United States and its territories ravaged by hurricanes. (Nakamura, 8/29)
CNN: Trump Touts Puerto Rico Response As 'Fantastic' Despite Nearly 3,000 Dead
It was an optimistic accounting of his administration's handling of the natural disaster, which left much of the US territory without power for weeks and resulted in thousands of deaths. The island's governor formally raised the death toll from 64 to 2,975 on Tuesday following a study conducted by researchers at George Washington University. (Liptak and Diamond, 8/29)
Stat: Trade Deal Between U.S. And Mexico Is Criticized For Allowing High Drug Prices To Continue
Although details of the new trade deal between the U.S. and Mexico have not yet been released, a fight is already brewing among some drug makers and consumer advocates over one provision. At issue is a sentence in a fact sheet that was released this week by the U.S. Trade Representative. A section concerning intellectual property noted there will be 10 years of data protection for biologic drugs and an “expanded scope” of products that will be eligible for protection, although the meaning of this last phrase was not fleshed out. (Silverman, 8/29)
The Washington Post: FDA Pushes For Development Of Non-Opioid Pain Medications
The Food and Drug Administration is planning new steps to encourage the development of nonaddictive alternatives to opioid pain medications, Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in an interview. As part of the effort, the agency plans to withdraw its existing 2014 guidance to the drug industry on pain medicines. That document is overly broad, Gottlieb said, and is sometimes a barrier to new products and innovations. The current guidelines call for a large number of studies to get FDA approval for general use for chronic pain, he added. (McGinley, 8/29)
Bloomberg: Narcan Owner Sees Schools As Growth Area For Overdose Spray
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. Chief Executive Officer Daniel J. Abdun-Nabi said he sees an untapped market in U.S. high schools and colleges for Narcan, the opioid-overdose nasal spray his company will market after its acquisition of Adapt Pharma Inc. Narcan is available in 1,144 high schools across 31 states and 309 colleges and universities in 35 states, Abdun-Nabi said Wednesday in an interview. That’s a small percentage of the nation’s more than 24,000 public high schools and over 4,000 colleges and universities, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. (Hopkins, 8/29)
The New York Times: Posters Suggesting That Women Can Drink While Pregnant Stir Backlash
On posters distributed to medical facilities across Australia, large type over an image of a pregnant woman read: “It’s safest not to drink while pregnant.” Good so far. It was the next line, in smaller type, that alarmed medical professionals: “It’s not known if alcohol is safe to drink when you are pregnant.” Public health groups responded with resounding protests — drinking alcohol while pregnant is very definitively known to be unsafe, they said. (Victor, 8/29)
The Washington Post: Alcohol While Pregnant: DrinkWise Group Criticized Over Poster
Simon Strahan, DrinkWise’s chief executive, said the organization fixed the language after receiving a complaint from the Australian Medical Association. “DrinkWise is committed to communicating the importance of women abstaining from alcohol while pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breast-feeding,” he told the Sidney Morning Herald. Public health organizations around the world, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia, and the National Health Service in the United Kingdom, have all said that no amount of alcohol, whether it be wine, liquor or beer, is safe for pregnant women. Drinking can cause miscarriage, stillbirth and lifelong disabilities, according to the CDC. (Phillips, 8/29)
The Associated Press: Mom's Use Of Opioids In Pregnancy May Stunt Kids' Learning
Learning disabilities and other special education needs are common in children born with opioid-related symptoms from their mother's drug use while pregnant, according to the first big U.S. study to examine potential long-term problems in these infants. About 1 in 7 affected children required special classroom services for problems including developmental delays and speech or language difficulties, compared with about 1 in 10 children not exposed to opioids before birth, the study found. (Tanner, 8/30)
The New York Times: These Companies Really, Really, Really Want To Freeze Your Eggs
Jennifer Lannon lay, her feet propped in stirrups, on an examining table at Extend Fertility, an egg-freezing clinic in Midtown Manhattan. A screen at her right displayed the results of her ultrasound, the image closely monitored by Ms. Lannon and her doctor, Joshua Klein. How many eggs could she expect to see? she asked. She would likely end up with some 20, Dr. Klein told her. He was making no promises. “But to the extent you can ensure fertility later,” he said, “you are in very good shape.” She ought to be. (La Ferla, 8/29)
The Associated Press: Know What To Say When Postpartum Depression Hits A Loved One
Gwyneth Paltrow, Chrissy Teigen, Adele: The charge to destigmatize postpartum depression has never before had so many high-profile sufferers willing to share their stories. Add Serena Williams to the list. The 23-time Grand Slam champion playing in the U.S. Open took to Instagram to share her story after a loss in San Jose, California, last month. She said she has been struggling with feelings of inadequacy as a mother since the birth last September of her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. (Italie, 8/30)
NPR: Parents Of Twins Run Higher Risk Of Depression Than Other New Parents
In 2014, when Crystal Duffy found out she was pregnant with twins, she felt shocked and overjoyed. "Twins run in our family," says the Houston resident, who was 33 at the time, and already the mom of a 2-year-old. "But we still weren't prepared for the news." Duffy had hoped for a joyful twin pregnancy. But during her second trimester, she began having complications. (Fraga, 8/29)
The Associated Press: Satanic Temple's Missouri Abortion Law Challenge Dismissed
A federal appeals court on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit brought by The Satanic Temple against Missouri abortion laws, but there still are two pending lawsuits that could revive the complaints. Judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit upheld a lower court's dismissal of the lawsuit, which dealt with Missouri's "informed consent" counseling that is required 72 hours before abortions are performed. (Ballentine, 8/29)
The Associated Press: California Closer To Making Colleges Offer Abortion Drugs
A measure that would make California the first state to require all public universities to offer abortion medication at their campus health centers cleared a hurdle Wednesday. None of the 34 University of California or California State University campuses currently offer abortion services. The California Assembly approved the measure, which returns to the Senate for a final sign-off. (8/29)
The Wall Street Journal: Starbucks’ Frappuccino Gets A Sugar Makeover
Starbucks Corp. is putting its decadent Frappuccino on a diet, looking to reduce the drink’s high sugar levels, which have scared away increasingly health-conscious consumers and hurt sales. ... it has been tough for Starbucks to lower the calories and keep the sweet taste that consumers expect. “It was incredibly challenging to mimic what was taken out,” said Jason Davis, senior manager of beverage innovation at Starbucks. To achieve a similar texture and taste, the company tested more than 20 types of cream, 70 different vanilla flavorings and created a new bottle to make sure the proper amounts of flavor are dispensed. (Jargon, 8/30)
The Wall Street Journal: Is Getting ‘Hangry’ Actually A Thing?
It’s 4 p.m., and for no discernible reason, any little thing can make your blood boil. Are you hangry? The portmanteau of hungry and angry has become so common in colloquial speech, it made news when U.S. Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim tweeted about the condition when she skipped part of her breakfast. The Oxford English Dictionary gave it an official definition this year. (Mitchell, 8/29)
The New York Times: Detroit Schools Turn Off Drinking Water, Citing Elevated Lead And Copper
When public school students in Detroit return to their classrooms next week for the first day of the school year, the water fountains will be dry. Since 2016, water testing in the district has found elevated levels of lead or copper in dozens of schools. And while it is unclear how many of the district’s 106 schools currently have water quality issues, the drinking water will be turned off in all of them, Superintendent Nikolai P. Vitti said on Wednesday. (Fortin, 8/30)
Los Angeles Times: FDA To California: Cancer Warning Labels For Coffee Would Be 'Misleading'
There are still parts of the Trump administration that value science, and coffee drinkers in California can be thankful that the Food and Drug Administration is one of them. On Wednesday, the FDA sent a letter to Sacramento urging the state to put science ahead of the requirements of a controversial ballot initiative and end its war on coffee. (Kaplan, 8/29)
Reuters: California University Doctor Accused Of Sex Abuse Sees License Suspended
A former University of Southern California (USC) gynecologist, accused of sexually assaulting hundreds of students, has agreed to a suspension of his medical license, officials said on Wednesday. Dr. George Tyndall reached an agreement this week with the Medical Board of California temporarily prohibiting him from practicing medicine until it makes a final decision on the status of his license, board spokeswoman Susan Wolbarst said. (8/29)
The Associated Press: Staff At Psychiatric Hospital Fear For Safety
A patient with a history of violence has been charged with the weekend assault of a nurse at a Washington state psychiatric hospital that recently lost accreditation and federal funding due to safety violations. He is accused of punching the nurse, knocking her to the floor and repeatedly stomping on her head. (Bellisle, 8/29)
The New York Times: One Dead, 17 Sickened From Salmonella Linked To Kosher Chicken
A person in New York has died and 17 people from four states were sickened from a salmonella outbreak linked to chicken from the largest kosher poultry producer in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. The C.D.C., which investigated the outbreak, said eight people were hospitalized, and cases of the illness were reported in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. The outbreak started in September 2017 and the last case was reported in June 2018. (Pager, 8/29)
The Washington Post: Salmonella-Tainted Chicken Kills One In New York, Sickens 17, CDC Says
Authorities are not warning people at this time to stay away from any particular chicken, CDC spokeswoman Brittany Behm said, and Empire Kosher said in a statement that none of its products are being recalled. But health officials also are not sure whether they have accounted for everyone who was sickened in that period. (Horton, 8/29)
Los Angeles Times: California Lawmakers Vote To Raise The Age For Buying Long Guns From 18 To 21
Alarmed by a string of mass shootings by young people, California lawmakers on Wednesday sent the governor a bill that would raise the minimum age for buying long guns in the state from 18 to 21. Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) said his bill would address concerns raised by incidents including the February shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in which a 19-year-old is accused of using an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle to kill 17 students and school employees. (McGreevy, 8/30)
Reuters: Florida Finds Atypical Mad Cow Case, No Human Threat Seen
A 6-year-old beef cow in Florida tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday. The animal tested positive for atypical H-type BSE on Aug. 26 at the Colorado State University's veterinary diagnostic laboratory, as part of routine surveillance of cattle that are found to be unfit for slaughter, the agency said. (Huffstutter, 8/29)
The Associated Press: Ex-Medical Examiner Gets 8 Years In Opioids-For-Sex Case
A highly regarded former Georgia medical examiner has been sentenced to serve eight years in prison for trading opioid prescriptions for sex in what former colleagues say is a sad and shocking turn for a man they knew as an ethical and dedicated public servant. A forensic pathologist and former medical examiner, Joseph Burton, 73, handled cases from seven metro Atlanta counties, including some of the region's most high-profile murders. (8/29)
The Associated Press: New Illinois Law Allows Medical Marijuana Pain Prescriptions
Doctors in Illinois can now prescribe marijuana as a painkiller thanks to a new law intended to counter a growing opioid abuse epidemic. Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner signed the bill into law Tuesday allowing physicians to temporarily prescribe cannabis for pain relief, effective immediately. (8/29)
