First Edition: Feb. 27, 2024

KFF Health News: Without Medicare Part B’s Shield, Patient’s Family Owes $81,000 For A Single Air-Ambulance Flight 
Debra Prichard was a retired factory worker who was careful with her money, including what she spent on medical care, said her daughter, Alicia Wieberg. “She was the kind of person who didn’t go to the doctor for anything.” That ended last year, when the rural Tennessee resident suffered a devastating stroke and several aneurysms. She twice was rushed from her local hospital to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, 79 miles away, where she was treated by brain specialists. She died Oct. 31 at age 70. (Leys, 2/27)

KFF Health News: A Government Video Would Explain When Abortion Is Legal In South Dakota 
South Dakota lawmakers want state officials to create an educational video to help doctors understand when they can end a pregnancy without risking prison time under the state’s near-total abortion ban. It’s an example of how states are responding to the national controversy over what exceptions to abortion bans actually mean. Critics point to reports of women developing dangerous complications after hospitals in states with strict abortion laws refused to terminate their pregnancies. (Zionts, 2/27)

USA Today: Will There Be A Government Shutdown? Congress Is Running Out Of Time To Strike A Deal
Stop us if you've heard this one before: Congress has until Friday to reach a spending agreement, or the nation will face a partial government shutdown. It's the fourth such deadline lawmakers have approached in recent months. The last three times, they opted for short-term deals, pushing off more permanent solutions after failing to reach a funding compromise. ... With only five days to go until a partial shutdown, leaders have still not released bills to fund agriculture, food and drug, energy and water, military construction, veterans affairs, transportation and housing programs. (Beggin, 2/26)

Roll Call: Health Package Talks Break Down Amid Broader Spending Feud 
Lawmakers who hoped to address price transparency and lower drug costs are instead negotiating a smaller health care package after talks broke down again amid a broader stalemate over government funding. (Clason, 2/26)

Stat: PBM Reform Efforts Get Punted In Congress 
Congress has abandoned its attempt to reform how pharmacy middlemen operate in an upcoming package to fund the federal government, 11 lobbyists and sources following the talks told STAT. (Cohrs and Wilkerson, 2/26)

Stat: Site-Neutral Medicare Payments Axed From Congress' Negotiations
Congress will not move forward with a controversial policy to equalize certain Medicare payments to hospitals and physicians’ offices in an upcoming government funding package, five lobbyists and sources following the talks told STAT. (Cohrs, 2/26)

The New York Times: Supreme Court Seems Wary Of State Laws Regulating Social Media Platforms
The Supreme Court seemed skeptical on Monday of laws in Florida and Texas that bar major social media companies from making editorial judgments about which messages to allow. The laws were enacted in an effort to shield conservative voices on the sites, but a decision by the court, expected by June, will almost certainly be its most important statement on the scope of the First Amendment in the internet era, with broad political and economic implications. (Liptak, 2/26)

The Washington Post: Pentagon Probe Finds No ‘Attempt To Obfuscate’ Austin Hospitalization 
The Defense Department on Monday released a long-awaited review of senior officials’ handling of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s recent hospitalizations, finding that there was “no attempt to obfuscate” his cancer diagnosis and medical treatment, even though the Pentagon initially withheld it from the White House and public. An unclassified summary of the review did not identify any failures by Austin or his aides as they oversaw the transfer of top-level authority from Austin to his deputy several times while he was undergoing medical treatment in December and January. But the probe, which was conducted by a senior Pentagon official, said that Austin’s staff was constrained by medical privacy laws and their own concern about their boss’s privacy. (Ryan, 2/26)

Military.com: 'Millions' Of Veterans Exposed To Environmental Hazards Will Be Eligible For VA Health Care On March 5 
Millions of U.S. veterans will be eligible beginning March 5 for health care with the Department of Veterans Affairs under an accelerated effort to provide benefits and services to those exposed to toxic substances while serving. The VA announced Monday that all veterans who have served in a combat zone since the Vietnam War, as well as those who participated in training or operations and came into contact with hazardous materials, will be able to enroll in VA health care. (Kime, 2/26)

AP: Nation’s Top Health Official To Visit Alabama In Wake Of IVF Ruling
The Biden administration is sending the nation’s top health official to Alabama on Tuesday for discussions with patients and doctors about the controversial court ruling that upended in vitro fertilization treatment in the state. The ruling by the Republican-controlled Alabama Supreme Court has unexpectedly propelled the issue of IVF into the presidential campaign conversation right ahead of Super Tuesday voting on March 5. The visit by Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra comes just days after former President Donald Trump vowed to protect access to the fertility care. (Seitz, 2/26)

The Washington Post: Florida Lawmakers Postpone ‘Fetal Personhood’ Bill After Alabama IVF Ruling 
Republican legislators in Florida hit the pause button on a bill that would have given any “unborn child” new protections after opponents raised concerns it would impact women’s reproductive rights in ways similar to the Alabama IVF ruling. The bill had passed easily through most committees in the Republican-led legislature until Democrats began raising concerns last week that the proposal was so broad that it might also impact in vitro fertilization treatments. (Rozsa, 2/26)

The Register: ALPHV/BlackCat Responsible For Change Healthcare Cyberattack
The ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware gang is reportedly responsible for the massive Change Healthcare cyberattack that has disrupted pharmacies across the US since last week. According to Reuters, citing "two people familiar with the matters," the notorious ransomware-as-a-service operation was behind the UnitedHealth owned business' attack. The Register has not independently confirmed that ALPHV was involved in the intrusion. (Lyons, 2/26)

Stat: Change Healthcare Cyberattack Shows Risk Of Industry Consolidation
Experts told STAT it’s a glaring example of the risk of consolidation in health care. Change, which is owned by UnitedHealth Group, is one of the nation’s largest insurance claim processing hubs. A cyberattack, first announced Wednesday, took the entire company’s network down. Hospitals, doctors’ offices, and pharmacies have since resorted to sending claims via fax, validating patients’ insurance over the phone, and watching helplessly as unpaid bills pile up, multiple hospital employees told STAT. In an update Monday, UnitedHealth said it was still working to restore its impacted systems. (Trang, Bannow and Herman, 2/27)

The Wall Street Journal: New Billion-Dollar Gift To Cover Tuition For All At Albert Einstein College Of Medicine
The Albert Einstein College of Medicine will now be tuition-free for all students, thanks to a historic $1 billion gift from a former faculty member and board chair. The donation comes from Ruth Gottesman, who after joining the faculty at the Bronx, N.Y.-based Einstein in 1968 developed widely used tools to screen children for learning problems and launched an adult literacy program. Gottesman, 93 years old, and her husband, the late billionaire-investor David “Sandy” Gottesman, were longtime donors to the medical school, and Ruth Gottesman serves as chair of its board of trustees. Einstein’s tuition this year is nearly $60,000, and the school recommends students budget at least another $35,000 a year for living expenses, books and other incidentals. The program lasts four years. ...Students assembled Monday morning to hear Gottesman announce the gift jumped up to hug one another, cheered, and grew tearful upon learning their new financial fate. (Korn, 2/26)

The Boston Globe: ‘It Frankly Disgusts Me.’ Healey Steps Up Criticism Of Steward
Governor Maura Healey on Monday intensified her criticisms of the troubled Steward Health Care hospital system and its chief executive, calling the company’s financial situation a “house of cards” and a “charade” that is threatening the state’s health care market. The first-term Democrat’s comments came just days after Steward officials submitted some financial data, but not all, in response to a Friday deadline set by Healey. (Stout, 2/26)

Stat: New Documents Shed Light On MD Anderson Cancer Institute Feud
Early last year, MD Anderson Cancer Center leadership had a problem on their hands: a contentious dispute between one of its most powerful researchers and a junior scientist over authorship, credit, and charges of verbal abuse. High-ranking officials at the cancer center tried — and failed — to resolve the feud, and documents obtained by STAT shed new light on the deep divisions at the heart of this case. (Chen, 2/26)

Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealth, Elevance, Centene Earned Big Investment Income In 2023
Health insurance companies had a terrific 2023 on Wall Street—as investors. Some of the largest publicly traded health insurers raked in the largest investment gains in at least a decade last year, according to a Modern Healthcare analysis of financial filings. These windfalls helped boost finances for insurers contending with headwinds such as higher-than-expected Medicare Advantage spending. (Tepper, 2/26)

Becker's Hospital Review: In 1 Day, 3 Prisoners Launch Escapes From Hospital Campuses
Three prisoners attempted to escape police custody after being treated at hospitals across the country — all within the same 24 hours. The unrelated incidents took place at hospitals in Louisiana, Florida and Pennsylvania. In two cases, police are still searching for the escapees. (Kayser, 2/26)

Los Angeles Times: San Francisco Will Start Prosecuting Drug Dealers For Murder
County by county in California, as fentanyl overdoses escalate, local prosecutors are turning to a novel legal strategy to stem the spiraling death toll: charging drug dealers with murder. In July, Placer County reached a landmark plea deal that sent a man to prison for 15 years-to-life on charges of second-degree murder after he provided a Roseville teenager with a fentanyl-contaminated pill that proved lethal. (Wiley, 2/26)

San Francisco Chronicle: Law To Test Poop Samples Statewide For Drugs Could Guide Public Health
For years, state and local health officials have watched in dismay as drug overdoses spiraled ever higher. Now they could gain a new tool to track the extent of the crisis. If proposed legislation from Assembly Member Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, is successful, California could become the first state to mandate routine testing of wastewater treatment plants statewide for fentanyl, methamphetamine and other drugs. (Ho, 2/26)

Los Angeles Times: Hours On Hold, Limited Appointments: Why California Babies Aren’t Going To The Doctor
Maria Mercado’s 5- and 7-year-old daughters haven’t been to the doctor for a check-up in two years. And it’s not for lack of trying. Mercado, a factory worker in South Los Angeles, has called the pediatrician’s office over and over hoping to book an appointment for a well-child visit, only to be told there are no appointments available and to call back in a month. Sometimes, she waits on hold for an hour. Like more than half of children in California, Mercado’s daughters have Medi-Cal, the state’s health insurance program for low-income residents. (Gold, 2/26)

CBS News: MDH Now Screening Minnesota Newborns For Rare Krabbe Disease
The Minnesota Department of Health announced on Monday that Krabbe disease will now be a part of its Newborn Screening Program. Krabbe disease is an inherited condition that prevents newborns from fully breaking down certain fats, according to MDH. That fat buildup can cause severe neurological problems and possibly death within the first two years of a child's life. (Swanson, 2/26)

AP: West Virginia Medical Professionals Condemn Bill That Prohibits Care To At-Risk Transgender Youth
Hundreds of medical professionals in West Virginia have signed a letter condemning a bill advancing in the House of Delegates that would bar transgender youth at risk for suicide from accessing medical interventions such as hormone therapy. The bill before the full House would completely ban minors’ access to hormone therapy and puberty blockers, removing a narrow exemption passed by lawmakers last year that allows kids at risk for self-harm and suicide to receive such care. (Willingham, 2/26)

Military.com: VA Won't Cover Gender-Affirmation Surgery For Transgender Veterans Until It Reviews PACT Act Effects 
The Department of Veterans Affairs will not move forward with covering gender-affirmation surgery for transgender veterans while it studies the effects of a sweeping law that expanded VA eligibility to millions of veterans, VA Secretary Denis McDonough confirmed Monday. McDonough did not rule out proceeding with covering gender-affirmation surgery after the PACT Act analysis is done. But the move further delays the availability of a treatment that transgender veterans have been eagerly anticipating since McDonough first announced the VA would provide it two and a half years ago -- a year before the PACT Act became law. (Kheel, 2/26)

CNN: Major Medical Society Re-Examines Clinical Guidelines For Gender-Affirming Care 
The major global medical association for endocrinologists will review its clinical guidelines for gender-affirming care, the Endocrine Society told CNN on Monday. Despite recent moves by some US states to restrict or ban such care, the society said it’s a routine update that was not prompted by politics. The society’s guidelines help the organization’s 18,000 members – doctors, nurses, educators and students who focus on hormone-related health – determine the best practices to provide appropriate care for people who are transgender and gender-diverse. The organization said it will take about three years for the guidelines to come together. (Christensen, 2/26)

Health News Florida: A Polk Adult Has The Measles As The State Advises Doctors About A 'Travel-Related' Case
Florida’s measles outbreak, first identified at a Broward County elementary school 10 days ago, has made its way to Polk County, according to the state Department of Health. One confirmed case of the highly contagious disease was reported by someone 20 to 24 years old in Polk County, the department reported Sunday on its Reportable Diseases Frequency Report. (Mayer, 2/26)

The CT Mirror: CT Owes Nursing Facilities $55M For Staffing Mandates, Officials Said
A disagreement between Connecticut’s chief public health official and the nursing home industry will cost the state tens of millions of dollars, legislators learned last week. (Phaneuf, 2/27)

CIDRAP: Study Estimates 134,000 Missed Cancer Diagnoses In US In 2020 
A new large study based on nationwide surveillance data suggests upwards of 134,000 cancer diagnoses were missed in the United States in the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, due to a combination of delayed screening and missed appointments. ... Cancers caught by annual screening were the most missed, with prostate cancer accounting for most potentially missed cases (22 ,950), followed by female breast (16,870) and lung (16,333) cancers, the authors said. (Soucheray, 2/26)

The Hill: More Than Half Of Americans Don’t Know Drinking Increases Risk Of Colon, Rectal Cancer 
Colorectal cancer cases are rising in the U.S., and many Americans don’t know the risk factors. Slightly more than half of Americans—51 percent—did not know that alcohol consumption is a risk factor for colon or rectal cancer, according to a new 1,000-person survey from The Ohio State University.  According to the survey, 42 percent of adults did not know lack of exercise may contribute to these types of cancer and 38 and 37 percent did not know obesity and poor diet are also risk factors. Black and Hispanic Americans were less likely to know about the risk factors for colon and rectal cancers than white Americans, according to the survey. (O'Connell-Domenech, 2/26)

CBS News: Eating A Plant Based Diet Could Reduce Snoring, Study Finds
A new study out of Australia analyzed data on more than 14,000 people and found that those who adhered to a healthy plant-based diet had a lower risk of obstructive sleep apnea while those on an unhealthy plant-based diet were at higher risk. A healthy plant-based diet is one high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and nuts not refined carbohydrates like sugary drinks, and high-sugar and high-salt foods. (Marshall, 2/26)  

The Wall Street Journal: Cigarettes Are Losing Their Hold On The Nicotine Fix
Pretty soon, Americans who crave a nicotine hit will be more likely to reach for a vape or an oral nicotine pouch than a cigarette. Few tobacco companies look ready for this milestone. According to data from Marlboro maker Altria MO -1.02crease; red down pointing triangle, cigarettes’ share of the U.S. nicotine industry fell to 60% last year, down from 80% in 2018. Smokers are switching to smoke-free products such as vapes in higher numbers than expected. If the trend continues, it will only take another three years for cigarettes’ share to slip below 50%. (Ryan, 2/26)

Reuters: New Zealand Set To Scrap World-First Tobacco Ban
New Zealand will repeal on Tuesday a world-first law banning tobacco sales for future generations, the government said, even while researchers and campaigners warned of the risk that people could die as a result. Set to take effect from July, the toughest anti-tobacco rules in the world would have banned sales to those born after Jan. 1, 2009, cut nicotine content in smoked tobacco products and reduced the number of tobacco retailers by more than 90%. (Craymer, 2/27)