Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: Feb. 15, 2024
KFF Health News: Early Detection May Help Kentucky Tamp Down Its Lung Cancer Crisis
Anthony Stumbo’s heart sank after the doctor shared his mother’s chest X-ray. “I remember that drive home, bringing her back home, and we basically cried,” said the internal medicine physician, who had started practicing in eastern Kentucky near his childhood home shortly before his mother began feeling ill. “Nobody wants to get told they’ve got inoperable lung cancer. I cried because I knew what this meant for her.” (Huff, 2/15)
KFF Health News: New Eligibility Rules Are A Financial Salve For Nearly 2 Million On Medi-Cal
Millions of Medi-Cal beneficiaries can now save for a rainy day, keep an inheritance, or hold on to a modest nest egg, without losing coverage, thanks to an eligibility change phased in over the past year and a half. It also has opened the door for thousands who previously did not qualify for Medi-Cal, the health insurance program for low-income residents that covers over one-third of California’s population. Until Jan. 1, 3 million Medi-Cal beneficiaries, mainly those who are aged, blind, disabled, in long-term care, or in the federal Supplemental Security Income program, faced limits on the value of financial accounts and personal property they could hold to qualify for coverage. Now, nearly 2 million of them will no longer face these restrictions, putting them on par with the roughly 12 million other Medi-Cal beneficiaries who don’t have asset limits. (Wolfson, 2/15)
KFF Health News: Watch: The Feds May Reexamine Covid Protocols. Here's Why You Should Care
Céline Gounder, KFF Health News’ editor-at-large for public health, appeared Feb. 14 on “CBS Mornings” to discuss why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may be weighing a change in its current isolation guidelines for people with covid-19, and how to protect others if they continue to test positive. (2/15)
The New York Times: US Agencies Start Inquiry Into Generic Drug Shortages
The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Health and Human Services said on Wednesday that they would examine the causes of generic drug shortages and the practices of “powerful middlemen” that are involved in the supply chain. The federal agencies’ inquiry is aimed at the group purchasing organizations and drug distributors that have been in the spotlight in recent months as drug shortages reached a 10-year peak. The agencies want to examine the companies’ influence on how the drugs are sold to hospitals and other health facilities, assessing whether the middlemen put pressure on pricing and manufacturing that led to breakdowns. (Jewett, 2/14)
Stat: Trade Deal Leak Raises Alarm Over Access To Generic Medicines
A leaked version of a proposed agreement between India and the European Free Trade Association is causing alarm among civil society and patient advocacy groups over concerns the deal would delay access to affordable generic versions of newer, lifesavings medicines for several years. (Silverman, 2/14)
USA Today: Chiefs Super Bowl Parade Shooting Leaves 1 Dead And 21 Injured
Bullets ripped through crowds of spectators following a Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade attended by tens of thousands Wednesday, killing one and injuring at least 21 others in the nation's latest shooting assault at a major sports or concert venue. Lisa Augustine, spokesperson for Children’s Mercy Kansas City, said the hospital was treating 12 patients from the rally, including 11 children, some of whom suffered gunshot wounds. (Arshad and Nurse, 2/14)
The Hill: Lawmakers Lament Kansas City Shooting On Sixth Anniversary Of Parkland
The parade shooting comes on the sixth anniversary of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., that killed 17 people and injured 17 more. It remains the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history. “I’m heartbroken for the victims of the senseless mass shooting in Kansas City. On the anniversary of one of America’s deadliest school shootings, the persistent cycle of gun violence is a painful reality,” Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Fla.), said on X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday. “We ALL deserve to live without the fear of being shot, whether at school, home, or celebrating special moments with our communities,” he continued. “We don’t have to live like this.” (Robertson, 2/14)
Stat: Long Covid Research Funding Gets A Major Boost From NIH
The Biden administration has dedicated an additional $515 million to a major initiative to study long Covid, a nearly 50% increase to the project’s budget. The research initiative at the National Institutes of Health, dubbed RECOVER, was created in 2020 with a $1.15 billion investment in research to understand and investigate treatments for long Covid. (Cohrs, 2/15)
Los Angeles Times: Risk For Chronic Fatigue Soars Among COVID-19 Patients, Study Says
People who have had COVID-19 have a significantly higher risk of suffering chronic fatigue than those who haven’t had the disease, a new study published Wednesday shows. “Our data indicate that COVID-19 is associated with a significant increase in new fatigue diagnoses,” according to the study, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. “Physicians should be aware that fatigue might occur or be newly recognized [more than a year] after acute COVID-19,” the report said. (Lin II, 2/14)
CIDRAP: Researchers Report COVID Home Tests As Accurate As The Same Tests Given By A Clinician
A single-center study conducted at a free community testing site in Maryland suggests that patient-administered BinaxNow COVID-19 rapid antigen tests (RATs) have similar accuracy as those performed by a clinician, although the results can be misinterpreted or falsely negative. (Van Beusekom, 2/14)
The New York Times: Some Pregnant Women And Infants Received The Wrong R.S.V. Shots
This winter, for the first time ever, there were two vaccines available to ward off respiratory syncytial virus, which is particularly dangerous to older adults and infants. Only one of them — Abrysvo, made by Pfizer — was approved for pregnant women, and neither was for young children. The distinction apparently slipped by some clinicians and pharmacists. At least 128 pregnant women were mistakenly given the alternative vaccine — Arexvy, by GSK — and at least 25 children under age 2 received a vaccination, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned. (Mandavilli, 2/14)
Axios: Prescriptions For Postpartum Depression Pill Off To "Promising" Start
At least 120 prescriptions were written for the first pill treating postpartum depression in the days following its launch, drugmaker Sage Therapeutics disclosed in its year-end earnings report on Wednesday. Postpartum depression affects an estimated 500,000 people each year. But with a launch price of $15,900 for the drug Zurzuvae, analysts had expressed uncertainty about its potential market and how insurers may cover the treatment. (Reed, 2/15)
Reuters: Putin Says Russia Is Close To Creating Cancer Vaccines
President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russian scientists were close to creating vaccines for cancer that could soon be available to patients. Putin said in televised comments that "we have come very close to the creation of so-called cancer vaccines and immunomodulatory drugs of a new generation". Putin did not specify which types of cancer the proposed vaccines would target, nor how. (2/14)
Reuters: Cholera Vaccine Stocks 'Empty' As Cases Surge
The emergency global stockpile of cholera vaccines is empty with all available doses for this month already allocated to countries battling major outbreaks, two United Nations agencies told Reuters. The rest of this year will see a predicted shortfall of at least 50 million doses between demand and supply, a UNICEF official added, as cases continue to surge worldwide. (Rigby and Dickie, 2/14)
Modern Healthcare: University Of Georgia To Open Medical School
The University of Georgia plans to launch an independent medical school amid a worsening shortage of medical professionals. The school will be transitioning from a 14-year partnership with the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and expanding its own reach across the state. Almost two-thirds of Georgia’s 159 counties lack adequate dental, mental health, and primary care services, largely due to a lack of providers, according to the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. (Devereaux, 2/14)
CNN: St. David’s North Austin Medical Center: Driver Dead, At Least 5 Injured After A Vehicle Crashed Into A Texas Emergency Room, Officials Say
A driver died and at least five people were hurt as a vehicle crashed Tuesday evening into an Austin, Texas, medical center emergency room, the facility’s chief medical officer said. (Simonson, Sykes, Razek and Davis, 2/14)
The Mercury News: Medical Waste, Chemicals And Patient Information In Dumpsters: Quest Diagnostics To Pay $5 Million To Settle State Charges
Quest Diagnostics, one of America’s largest medical testing companies, has agreed to pay $5 million to settle charges that it improperly disposed of hazardous chemicals, medical waste and patient information at multiple locations across the Bay Area and California. California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the settlement on Wednesday. “Quest Diagnostics’ illegal disposal of hazardous and medical waste and patient information put families and communities at risk and endangered our environment,” Bonta said. “Let today’s settlement send a clear message that my office will hold corporations, including medical services providers, accountable.” (Rogers, 2/14)
AP: Cyberattacks On Hospitals Are Likely To Increase, Putting Lives At Risk, Experts Warn
Cybersecurity experts are warning that hospitals around the country are at risk for attacks like the one that is crippling operations at a premier Midwestern children’s hospital, and that the U.S. government is doing too little prevent such breaches. Hospitals in recent years have shifted their use of online technology to support everything from telehealth to medical devices to patient records. Today, they are a favorite target for internet thieves who hold systems’ data and networks hostage for hefty ransoms, said John Riggi, the American Hospital Association’s cybersecurity adviser. (Seitz, 2/14)
Modern Healthcare: Lurie Children's Hospital Cyberattack: Phones, Email Restored
Lurie Children's Hospital phone lines are opening back up and providers and other employees are now able to share email with the outside world following a complete network outage that the hospital initiated Jan. 31 due to a cyberattack. The children's hospital is still using a call center to communicate with patients and their families while the restoration of its communications progresses, Julianne Bardele, director of public affairs and communications at Lurie, said in a text message to Crain's. (Asplund, 2/14)
Axios: Quality Of EMS Care Varies Widely Across The U.S.
The level of care patients receive in a medical emergency varies widely based on where 911 is being dialed. A first-of-its-kind study of emergency medical service systems' performance across the country points to opportunities to improve patient care when the pressure is on. (Millman, 2/14)
Modern Healthcare: Elevance Health, Blue Cross Of Louisiana Call Off Merger Again
Elevance Health's $2.5 billion bid to acquire Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is on hold again, the companies announced Wednesday. The health insurers proposed the transaction in January 2023 but encountered resistance in Louisiana. Nonprofit Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana and for-profit Elevance already backed off the deal in September, only to try again in December. (Berryman, 2/14)
Modern Healthcare: SCAN Group, CareOregon Call Off Merger
Health insurance companies SCAN Group and CareOregon called off their merger Tuesday amid skepticism about the merits of the proposed deal. The companies in December 2022 announced their intent to combine into a $6.8 billion Medicaid and Medicare Advantage insurer, to be called HealthRight Group. The insurers had expected to complete the deal last year. The Oregon Health Authority twice delayed offering a recommendation on whether to approve the proposed transaction at the request of the companies and was scheduled to offer its opinion on the matter March 18. (Tepper, 2/14)
Reuters: Wegovy Packing Supplier Catalent Lays Off 300 Workers
Catalent has reduced its headcount by about 300 employees as part of its ongoing restructuring plans, the company disclosed in a regulatory filing on Wednesday. The contract drug manufacturer first adopted plans to reduce costs and consolidate facilities last June and extended the efforts during the second-quarter with reported job-cuts in its Biologics and Pharma and Consumer Health segments. (2/14)
Stat: Juul Documents Reveal Insider Tactics On Political Lobbying
A new trove of internal emails and other documents from the e-cigarette maker Juul reveals the company’s extensive behind-the-scenes efforts to promote its interests in Washington — a rare insight into the otherwise opaque methods corporations use to influence the government. (Florko, 2/15)
Stat: 'Revelatory' Study Finds A Smoking Impact That Remains After Quitting
Public health messages have told us for decades that if you smoke, you should quit. And if you don’t smoke, don’t start. But a new study suggests smoking may be even worse than we thought. (Cooney, 2/14)
North Carolina Health News: NC's Medicaid Rolls Grow By 1,000 A Day Under Expansion
When North Carolina launched Medicaid expansion on Dec. 1, state officials said the measure would provide health insurance to an estimated 600,000 low-income adults over a span of two years. It took just two months to reach 58 percent of that goal. More than 346,400 newly eligible beneficiaries have been approved for coverage as of Feb. 1, according to data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. (Baxley, 2/15)
The Colorado Sun: Transgender Patient Whose Gender-Affirming Surgery Was Canceled Is Suing Children's Hospital Colorado
An 18-year-old transgender patient whose surgery was called off when Children’s Hospital Colorado stopped providing gender-affirming surgeries is suing the hospital. The ACLU of Colorado filed the lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of the 18-year-old, claiming the hospital violated state anti-discrimination laws. (Brown, 2/14)
Houston Chronicle: Food Not Bombs: Judge Orders Houston To Stop Feeding Homeless Tickets
A U.S. District Court judge on Wednesday ordered Houston to temporarily stop enforcing a law that requires city permission before anyone can serve more than five people in need on public property. The order marked a significant victory for Food Not Bombs, a group that has provided free meals outside of Central Library downtown for roughly two decades and received nearly 100 tickets for doing so since 2023. The ruling is a part of the group’s federal lawsuit against the city claiming that the food service is a form of constitutionally protected protest. (Schuetz, 2/14)
The Charlotte Observer: Fitness Trackers Find New Symptom Of Depression — Body Temperature
The study found that participants with higher body temperatures also reported higher rates of depressive symptoms and feelings of depression using temperatures taken while users were awake. ... While it’s not clear if poor body temperature regulation is a symptom of depression or vice versa, the researchers said people with depression overall had a change to their natural immune-based feedback system. (Wright, 2/14)
NPR: Tai Chi Is Better At Reducing Blood Pressure Than Aerobic Exercise, Study Finds
Tai chi, a traditional, slow-moving form of Chinese martial art, is known to increase flexibility and improve balance. Now, new research suggests it's better than more vigorous aerobic exercises for lowering blood pressure in people with prehypertension. Prehypertension is blood pressure that's higher than normal but doesn't quite reach the level of high blood pressure, or hypertension. It's considered a warning sign that heart disease may be ahead, and it raises the risk of having a heart attack. (Godoy, 2/14)
CNN: Walking, Yoga And Strength Training May Treat Depression As Well As Therapy, Data Shows
When a wave of depression hits, exercise may sound like the last thing you want to do. But a new study says it could be crucial to feeling better. Many types of exercise — including walking, jogging, yoga, tai chi, aerobic exercises and strength training — showed benefits as strong as therapy when it came to treating depression, according to the study published Wednesday in the BMJ. (Holcombe, 2/14)
Axios: Living Alone Linked To Higher Rates Of Depression In New National Health Survey
Living alone is linked to higher rates of self-reported depression than living with others, according to data released today from a 2021 National Health Interview Survey. (Mallenbaum, 2/15)
