First Edition: Feb. 1, 2024

KFF Health News: More ‘Navigators’ Are Helping Women Travel To Have Abortions 
Chloe Bell is a case manager at the National Abortion Federation. She spends her days helping people cover the cost of an abortion and, increasingly, the interstate travel many of them need to get the procedure. “What price did they quote you?” Bell asked a woman from New Jersey who had called the organization’s hotline seeking money to pay for an abortion. Her appointment was the next day. “They quoted me $500,” said the woman, who was five weeks pregnant when she spoke to Bell in November. She gave permission for a journalist to listen to the call on the condition that she not be named. (Hughes, 2/1)

KFF Health News and WPLN: Surge In Syphilis Cases Leads Some Providers To Ration Penicillin 
When Stephen Miller left his primary care practice to work in public health a little under two years ago, he said, he was shocked by how many cases of syphilis the clinic was treating. For decades, rates of the sexually transmitted infection were low. But the Hamilton County Health Department in Chattanooga — a midsize city surrounded by national forests and nestled into the Appalachian foothills of Tennessee — was seeing several syphilis patients a day, Miller said. A nurse who had worked at the clinic for decades told Miller the wave of patients was a radical change from the norm. (Sweeney, 2/1)

Stat: Biden Administration Opens Offers In Medicare Drug Price Negotiations
The offers will not be made public unless a manufacturer chooses to publicly disclose information about the talks, a senior administration official said. Companies have until March 2 to either accept the government’s offer or propose a counteroffer. The Biden administration will publish the final prices by Sept. 1 of this year after the negotiation process ends. (Cohrs, 2/1)

USA Today: Biden Administration Launches Medicare Drug Price Negotiations
The drugs include Eliquis, Jardiance, Xarelto, Januvia, Farxiga, Entresto, Enbrel, Imbruvica, Stelara and the insulins Fiasp and NovoLog. Biden administration officials said the initial offers will start a back-and-forth with drug manufacturers over the spring and summer months. Final prices for the first batch of drugs will be made public Sept. 1, and the negotiated prices will take effect in January 2026.(Alltucker, 2/1)

Stat: Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Legal Challenge Met With Skepticism
Wednesday was the first time that a federal judge asked questions in-person of drug industry lawyers who are trying to stop Medicare from negotiating drug prices. It didn’t go well for them. (Wilkerson, 1/31)

USA Today: Biogen Ditches Aduhelm, An Alzheimer's Drug That Was Approved Amid Controversy
In a statement, Christopher A. Viehbacher, president and CEO of Biogen, said the company will reprioritize its Alzheimer's disease resources. “When searching for new medicines, one breakthrough can be the foundation that triggers future medicines to be developed," Viehbacher said. "Aduhelm was that groundbreaking discovery that paved the way for a new class of drugs and reinvigorated investments in the field.” (Alltucker, 1/31)

Politico: Alzheimer’s Program Renewal On The Way, Lawmakers Say
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) sees a way to get Alzheimer’s legislation to the president’s desk. In an interview at the “How Fast Can We Solve Alzheimer’s” POLITICO live event Wednesday evening, Kaine said the Senate HELP Committee members are looking to combine their two bipartisan priorities from recent months — reforming pharmacy benefit manager operations and boosting the health workforce — into one health package. (Payne, 1/31)

Politico: Five Takeaways From POLITICO’s ‘How Fast Can We Solve Alzheimer’s’ Event 
Senior lawmakers and health policy experts said Wednesday that the United States is well-positioned to move forward on new diagnostics and treatments for Alzheimer’s disease — poised to build on new technologies. But they also pointed out several challenges — including patient access and high care costs. (Lim, 1/31)

Stat: Some Dementia Cases Could Be Undiagnosed Liver Disease 
The descent into dementia can feel like traversing a minefield, coming across new symptoms without the hope of a cure. But some dementia patients, even up to 10% of people diagnosed with the condition, might actually have undiagnosed liver disease and accompanying neurological problems, a new study in JAMA Open Network suggests. Most importantly, it’s possible their liver-related brain symptoms could be resolved with treatment. (Cueto, 1/31)

The New York Times: Senators Denounce Tech Companies Over Child Sex Abuse Online 
Lawmakers on Wednesday denounced the chief executives of Meta, TikTok, X, Snap and Discord, accusing them of creating “a crisis in America” by willfully ignoring the harmful content against children on their platforms, as concerns over the effect of technology on youths have mushroomed. In a highly charged 3.5-hour hearing, members of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee raised their voices and repeatedly castigated the five tech leaders — who run online services that are very popular with teenagers and younger children — for prioritizing profits over the well-being of youths. Some said the companies had “blood on their hands” and that users “would die waiting” for them to make changes to protect children. At one point, lawmakers compared the tech companies to cigarette makers. (Kang and McCabe, 1/31)

AP: Mark Zuckerberg's Long Apology Tour: A Brief History
Mark Zuckerberg has accumulated a long history of public apologies, often issued in the wake of crisis or when Facebook users rose up against unannounced — and frequently unappreciated — changes in its service. It’s a history that stands in sharp contrast to most of his peers in technology, who generally prefer not to speak publicly outside of carefully stage-managed product presentations. But it’s also true that Facebook has simply had a lot to apologize for. (Hamilton, 2/1)

Stat: WTO May Reject Proposed Waiver On Patents For Covid Diagnostics, Therapies
After more than a year of deliberation, the World Trade Organization appears close to rejecting a waiver on intellectual property protection for Covid-19 diagnostics and treatments, a divisive issue that has pitted low-income nations and civil society groups against medical products companies. (Silverman, 1/31)

AP: Miracle Cures: Online Conspiracy Theories Are Creating A New Age Of Unproven Medical Treatments 
Tesla Biohealing, which has no connection to the car company, is part of a growth industry marketing unproven cures and treatments to conspiracy theorists and others who have grown distrustful of science and medicine. Experts who study such claims say they’re on the increase, thanks to the internet, social media and skepticism about traditional health care. “There have always been hucksters selling medical cures, but I do feel like it’s accelerating,” said Timothy Caulfield, a health policy and law professor at the University of Alberta who studies medical ethics and fraud. “There are some forces driving that: obviously the internet and social media, and distrust of traditional medicine, traditional science. Conspiracy theories are creating and feeding this distrust.” (Klepper, 1/31)

PBS NewsHour: Why Experts Worry More Pet Owners May Skip Rabies Shots Over Vaccine Hesitancy
“We’re aware that we live in a world where rabies transmission is relatively low,” said Matthew Motta, an assistant professor of health law, policy and management at Boston University. “But we worry very much about a world in which that won’t be the case, and the way you get there is through vaccine hesitancy." Very few humans die in the U.S. from rabies ... but that was no accident. ... “It’s really tied to our really largely successful dog and cat vaccine programs and livestock to a lesser extent over the last 50 years,” Rohde said. (Santhanam, 1/31)

Minnesota Public Radio: Essentia's Decision To End Labor And Delivery Services In Fosston Sparks Outrage
Essentia Health is facing public outrage after announcing it will end labor and delivery services at the Fosston hospital it operates in north central Minnesota. About 40 community members gathered at Fosston City Hall Tuesday night to tune into a virtual public hearing on the matter, according to Fosston Mayor Jim Offerdahl. Roughly 100 others joined online. (Stockton, Wurzer and Eagle III, 1/31)

Bloomberg: Tower Health’s Turnaround Hits Snag With Failed Sale Of Brandywine Hospital
Troubled Pennsylvania hospital chain Tower Health is eyeing a turnaround after struggling even before the pandemic hit. It is essentially undoing the ill-fated 2017 merger that transformed it into a six-hospital system. But its plan hit a snag last week when the sale of its shuttered 171-bed Brandywine Hospital to Penn Medicine fell through. (Coleman-Lochner, 1/31)

Modern Healthcare: St. Peter’s Healthcare, Atlantic Health Move Toward Merger
Saint Peter's Healthcare System and Atlantic Health System have signed a letter of intent to form a strategic partnership, with the goal of merging the two New Jersey providers. Under the terms announced Wednesday, Atlantic would make "significant" but unspecific investments in the 116-year-old Saint Peter's, according to a news release. If a definitive agreement is reached and a merger completed, Saint Peter's would continue to operate as a Catholic hospital and would transition onto Atlantic's electronic medical record system, the systems said. (DeSilva, 1/31)

Stateline: Private Equity’s Growing Footprint In Home Health Care Draws Scrutiny
Alabama’s largest provider of home care services said it abruptly left the state last fall because the state’s “reimbursement and regulatory environment” made it difficult to recruit and retain enough workers, according to Kristen Trenaman, the company’s vice president of public relations. Its departure sent state agencies scrambling to find new caregivers for the people who relied on it. Help at Home’s departure from Alabama “had a significant effect,” according to Debra Davis, deputy commissioner for the Alabama Department of Senior Services. (Claire Vollers, 1/31)

Roll Call: ‘Site-Neutral’ Hospital Policy Muddles Health Package Progress 
Legislative language to restrict hospital billing rates in outpatient clinics continues to divide lawmakers as they try to coalesce around a broader health care package, with concerns about rural hospitals stalling progress in the Senate. The language is aimed at preventing hospitals from buying up independent physician practices and then billing for the same services at a higher rate. Critics allege the practice unnecessarily increases costs, while hospitals argue their own costs are higher. (Clason and Hellmann, 1/31)

Reuters: US FDA Says 561 Deaths Related To Philips Machines Since 2021 
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday there have been 561 deaths reported since 2021 related to the use of Philips' recalled ventilators and machines for treating obstructive sleep apnea. The health regulator added that in 2023, between July and September, it received more than 7,000 medical device reports, including 111 reports of deaths related to the use of these machines. (1/31)

Axios: Ozempic Maker Now Worth More Than $500 Billion
Surging demand for blockbuster anti-obesity drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy lifted Novo Nordisk's market value past $500 billion on Wednesday, cementing the Danish drugmaker's status as Europe's biggest company by market cap. (Reed, 1/31)

Reuters: GSK Settles Another Zantac Lawsuit In California
GSK said on Thursday it had agreed to settle another lawsuit in California that alleged its discontinued heartburn drug Zantac caused cancer, the latest in a series of settlements to end costly litigation. The case was set to go to trial on Feb. 20 and instead, will now be dismissed, the British drugmaker said in a statement. (2/1)

Modern Healthcare: CVS To Shutter 25 MinuteClinic Sites In Los Angeles
CVS Health will close 25 MinuteClinic sites in the Los Angeles area by Feb. 25, the pharmacy chain giant said Wednesday. A CVS spokesperson did not share the exact locations of the closures or how many employees would be affected. Some will be moved to other roles at the company, and others will be eligible for severance benefits, the spokesperson said. (Hudson, 1/31)

The Texas Tribune: Federal Complaint Faults Deloitte Software For Texas Medicaid Removal Errors
A group of privacy, technology and health care advocates on Wednesday filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission urging an investigation into Deloitte Consulting LLP, claiming that hundreds of thousands of Texans were wrongfully denied Medicaid coverage due to errors in the consulting firm’s eligibility software. (Rubin, 1/31)

AP: Mississippi Eyes Quicker Medicaid Coverage In Pregnancy To Try To Reduce Deaths Of Moms And Babies
Mississippi could allow Medicaid coverage earlier in pregnancy in an effort to improve health outcomes for mothers and babies in a poor state with the nation’s worst rate of infant mortality. With wide bipartisan support, the state House passed a bill Wednesday to allow up to 60 days of “presumptive eligibility” for Medicaid, starting July 1. This means a pregnant woman’s outpatient medical care would be paid by Medicaid as her application for coverage by the government insurance program is being considered. (Pettus, 1/31)

AP: Activists Renew Push To Repeal Kentucky's Near-Total Abortion Ban
Abortion rights supporters mounted another push Wednesday to restore abortion access in Kentucky, but the Democratic lawmaker sponsoring the legislation acknowledged the odds are overwhelmingly against them in the Republican-dominated legislature. A near-total abortion ban has been in place in Kentucky since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. The so-called trigger law banned abortions except when carried out to save the mother’s life. It does not include exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest. (Schreiner, 1/31)

Politico: California Introduces First-In-Nation Slavery Reparations Package 
California state lawmakers introduced a slate of reparations bills on Wednesday, including a proposal to restore property taken by “race-based” cases of eminent domain and a potentially unconstitutional measure to provide state funding for “specific groups.” The package marks a first-in-the-nation effort to give restitution to Black Americans who have been harmed by centuries of racist policies and practices. California’s legislative push is the culmination of years of research and debate, including 111-pages of recommendations issued last year by a task force. (Korte, 1/31)

Los Angeles Times: California Could Require Workplaces To Stock Naloxone
A new bill would require California workplaces to stock their first-aid kids with a nasal spray that can prevent opioid overdoses. ... AB 1976, introduced Wednesday by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), would build on existing requirements for California employers to have “adequate first-aid materials” for workers. Including naloxone in the kits would ensure its availability in stores, repair shops and other work sites, giving bystanders more places to turn for the lifesaving medication when they see that someone is overdosing, Haney said. (Alpert Reyes, 1/31)

The Boston Globe: First State-Regulated Drug Use Site In US To Open In Rhode Island This Summer
A nonprofit street outreach organization is planning to open the state’s first supervised drug use site this summer, the culmination of years of efforts and a couple of changes in plans. It will be the nation’s first state-regulated overdose prevention center, organizers say. Project Weber/RENEW is teaming up with clinical partner VICTA to open the location at 45 Willard Ave., a building that’s near Rhode Island Hospital. (Amaral, 1/31)

AP: EBay Will Pay $59 Million Settlement Over Pill Presses Sold Online As US Undergoes Overdose Epidemic
The e-commerce giant eBay will pay $59 million in a settlement with the Justice Department over thousands of pill press machines sold on the platform, the Justice Department said Wednesday. The machines can be used to manufacture counterfeit pills that look just like prescription pills but instead can be laced with substances like fentanyl, a synthetic opioid drug that is largely fueling the deadliest overdose crisis in U.S. history. (Whitehurst, 1/31)

ABC News: As 988 Centers Struggle To Hire, Burnout Plagues Some Crisis Staff
Data obtained by ABC News found that, in some states such as Oklahoma and Colorado, more than one-third of employees left within months of taking their first call. In addition, turnover rates continue to increase across the United States. In Washington, for example, state data shows attrition rates increased 1.5 times between 2022 and 2023. As calls to 988 balloon with ever-higher demand, and as the line continues to provide much-needed services at a pressing time, officials are expressing concern about what the burnout trends among employees mean for the hotline. (Cahan, 2/1)

Bloomberg: Zyn, Lucy, Nicotine Pouches Gain Traction With Office Workers
Whenever Mark Moran, chief executive officer of the investor relations firm Equity Animal, is about to perform a boring task, he has a ritual. He pops a Zyn nicotine pouch into his mouth. Then his concentration sharpens, at least for a while. “Am I addicted to it? Absolutely,” he said. “But it’s something I very much enjoy.” (Anand, 1/31)

Military.com: More Than 46,000 Homeless Veterans Placed In Housing In 2023, Setting A Record For VA
The Department of Veterans Affairs placed 46,552 veterans in permanent housing in 2023, exceeding its goal to house 38,000 individuals in 2023 by nearly 23%.VA officials said Tuesday the department was able to ensure that nearly 96% of those who were housed in 2023 remained in their homes, exceeding its goal for the year by nearly 1%. The VA also rehoused -- or is in the process of helping -- nearly all the 1,919 veterans who returned to homelessness after receiving housing. (Kime, 1/31)

Military.com: Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Tied To A Range Of Cancers, CDC Study Says 
Military personnel stationed at Camp Lejeune from 1975 to 1985 had at least a 20% higher risk for a number of cancers than those stationed elsewhere, federal health officials said Wednesday in a long-awaited study about the North Carolina base's contaminated drinking water. Federal health officials called the research one the largest ever done in the United States to assess cancer risk by comparing a group who live and worked in a polluted environment to a similar group that did not. (Stobbe, 1/31)

San Francisco Chronicle: EPA OKs Use Of Controversial Herbicide Paraquat Tied To Parkinson's
At the request of farmworkers and environmentalists, the Biden administration agreed in 2022 to reconsider its 15-year re-approval of paraquat, a widely used herbicide that studies have linked to Parkinson’s disease. But the Environmental Protection Agency now says its review supports paraquat’s continued use. Paraquat has “high benefits for numerous crops” including cotton, soybeans, peanuts, bulb vegetables and vineyards, the EPA said in a preliminary report issued Tuesday. (Egelko, 1/31)

Stat: We’re Naming Cancers All Wrong, Oncology Leader Says
Naming cancers solely by the organs they originate in is getting a bit old, according to Fabrice André, a medical oncologist at Gustave Roussy in France and the president-elect of the European Society of Medical Oncology. Instead, André hopes to push for a new naming system that emphasizes the molecular characteristics of a cancer, regardless of its tissue of origin. (Chen, 1/31)

CNN: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Or PCOS, Linked With Cognitive Decline, Study Finds
Polycystic ovary syndrome, known as PCOS, has long been known for symptoms such as missed periods or excess body hair. Now, new research has revealed another potential effect: cognitive dysfunction later in life. (Rogers, 1/31)

The Washington Post: FDA Warns Public Against Using South Moon, Rebright, FivFivGo Eye Drops 
The Food and Drug Administration urged the public to avoid using South Moon, Rebright and FivFivGo eye drops, warning in a news release Wednesday that the products are unapproved drugs that put users at risk of eye infection. The three brands should not be sold in the United States, the FDA said. It added that the “copycat eye drop products” can be easily mistaken for the Lumify drops made by Bausch + Lomb, an FDA-approved, over-the-counter product used for redness relief. (Jeong, 2/1)