First Edition: Jan. 2, 2024

KFF Health News: Can Family Doctors Deliver Rural America From Its Maternal Health Crisis? 
Zita Magloire carefully adjusted a soft measuring tape across Kenadie Evans’ pregnant belly. Determining a baby’s size during a 28-week obstetrical visit is routine. But Magloire, a family physician trained in obstetrics, knows that finding the mother’s uterus and, thus, checking the baby, can be tricky for inexperienced doctors. “Sometimes it’s, like, off to the side,” Magloire said, showing a visiting medical student how to press down firmly and complete the hands-on exam. She moved her finger slightly to calculate the fetus’s height: “There she is, right here.” Evans smiled and later said Magloire made her “comfortable.” (Tribble, 1/2)

KFF Health News: Child Care Gaps In Rural America Threaten To Undercut Small Communities 
Candy Murnion remembers vividly the event that pushed her to open her first day care business in Jordan, a town of fewer than 400 residents in a sea of grassland in eastern Montana. Garfield County’s public health nurse, one of few public health officials serving the town and nearly 5,000 square miles that surround it, had quit because she had given birth to her second child and couldn’t find day care. (Rodriguez, 1/2)

KFF Health News: Mental Health Courts Can Struggle To Fulfill Decades-Old Promise
In early December, Donald Brown stood nervously in the Hall County Courthouse, concerned he’d be sent back to jail. The 55-year-old struggles with depression, addiction, and suicidal thoughts. He worried a judge would terminate him from a special diversion program meant to keep people with mental illness from being incarcerated. He was failing to keep up with the program’s onerous work and community service requirements. “I’m kind of scared. I feel kind of defeated,” Brown said. (Whitehead, 12/28)

KFF Health News: States Expand Health Coverage For Immigrants As GOP Hits Biden Over Border Crossings 
A growing number of states are opening taxpayer-funded health insurance programs to immigrants, including those living in the U.S. without authorization, even as Republicans assail President Joe Biden over a dramatic increase in illegal crossings of the southern border. Eleven states and Washington, D.C., together provide full health insurance coverage to more than 1 million low-income immigrants regardless of their legal status, according to state data compiled by KFF Health News. Most aren’t authorized to live in the U.S., state officials say. (Galewitz, 12/28)

KFF Health News: ‘An Arm And A Leg’: When Hospitals Sue Patients (Part 2) 
Some hospitals sue patients who can’t afford to pay their medical bills. Such lawsuits don’t tend to bring in much money for the hospital but can really harm patients already experiencing financial hardships. In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” Dan Weissmann goes toe-to-toe with Scott Purcell, CEO of ACA International, a trade association for the collection industry, on the effects these lawsuits have on patients. (12/28)

KFF Health News: In Year 6, KFF Health News-NPR’s ‘Bill Of The Month’ Helps Patients In A Changing System 
In 2023, our nationwide reporting team has been hard at work on a holiday gift to you: a packet of advice for navigating the labyrinthine American medical system. In the sixth year of KFF Health News-NPR’s “Bill of the Month” series, readers shared more than 750 tales of medical billing problems, contributing to our ongoing effort to investigate the financial consequences of becoming sick or injured in the United States — and empower patients to advocate for themselves. Reporters analyzed more than $730,000 in charges, including more than $215,000 owed by 12 patients and their families. (12/23)

KFF Health News and Politifact: RFK Jr.’s Campaign Of Conspiracy Theories Is PolitiFact’s 2023 Lie Of The Year 
As pundits and politicos spar over whether Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign will factor into the outcome of the 2024 election, one thing is clear: Kennedy’s political following is built on a movement that seeks to legitimize conspiracy theories. His claims decrying vaccines have roiled scientists and medical experts and stoked anger over whether his work harms children. He has made suggestions about the cause of covid-19 that he acknowledges sound racist and antisemitic. (Czopek and Sanders, 12/27)

Reuters: Exclusive: Drugmakers Set To Raise US Prices On At Least 500 Drugs In January
Drugmakers including Pfizer, Sanofi and Takeda Pharmaceutical plan to raise prices in the United States on more than 500 drugs in early January, according to data analyzed by healthcare research firm 3 Axis Advisors. Excluding different doses and formulations, more than 140 brands of drugs will have their prices raised next month, the data showed. The expected price hikes come as the pharmaceutical industry gears up for the Biden Administration to publish significantly discounted prices for 10 high-cost drugs in September, and continues to contend with higher inflation and manufacturing costs. (Erman and Wingrove, 12/29)

Stat: Pharmacies Brace For PBM Fee Cash Crunch After Jan. 1
The Biden administration seemed to be giving pharmacies a win when they forced pharmacy benefit managers to be more up-front about the behind-the-scenes fees they charge. But now pharmacies are afraid the transition to the new system on Jan. 1 will lead to a cash flow crunch. (Cohrs, 1/2)

The New York Times: New State Laws Will Affect Americans Starting Jan. 1, 2024 
A spate of new state laws, including on guns, minimum wage and gender transition care, went into effect as the calendar flipped to 2024. Perhaps the most significant change bans programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion at publicly funded colleges and universities in Texas. In other states, Americans will follow new rules on guns and marijuana, as well as have additional health care and workplace protections. About three dozen states enacted new laws on voting in 2023, but most of the practical effects won’t be felt until primary and general elections in 2024. (Hassan, 1/1)

ABC News: California Becomes First State To Offer Health Insurance To All Undocumented Immigrants 
California will welcome the new year by becoming the first state to offer health insurance for all undocumented immigrants. Starting Jan. 1, all undocumented immigrants, regardless of age, will qualify for Medi-Cal, California's version of the federal Medicaid program for people with low incomes. Previously, undocumented immigrants were not qualified to receive comprehensive health insurance but were allowed to receive emergency and pregnancy-related services under Medi-Cal as long as they met eligibility requirements, including income limits and California residency in 2014. (Kekatos, 12/29)

AP: A Tax Increase, LGBTQ+ Youth Protections And More Sick Leave Highlight California's New Laws In 2024 
Doctors in California who mail abortion pills to patients in other states will be protected from prosecution. Workers will receive more paid sick leave on the heels of a big year for labor. And companies can’t fire employees for using marijuana outside of work. These are among the hundreds of laws that take effect Jan. 1 in the nation’s most populous state. Each year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs hundreds of laws passed by the state Legislature. Most take effect Jan. 1 the following year. But sometimes lawmakers will delay a law’s effective date for a variety of reasons, including giving people more time to prepare for the new rules. (Austin, Nguyen and Beam, 12/29)

CBS News: New 2024 California Laws Remove "Retarded" And "Addict" From Official Terminology
Two bills signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom this year will remove outdated terminology in state law language for certain classes of people beginning in January. Assembly Bill 248, also known as the Dignity for All Act, removes the words and phrases "mentally retarded persons," "mentally retarded children," "retardation" and "handicap" from existing laws to eliminate "obsolete terminology," as per the bill's text. Instead, terms like "individuals with disabilities" or "individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities" will be used. (12/30)

The Mercury News: California Youth, And Their Parents, Can Access Free Mental Health App
The new year is bringing new mental health resources to California’s youth, right on their phones. Two new apps — available to state residents on Jan. 1 — will provide free resources, including one-on-one coaching support via in-app chat, call or video; a place to chat with peers; various wellness exercises; and information about local behavioral health resources or crisis services. Users will find “age-tailored” educational content, such as videos, games and podcasts, according to California’s Department of Health Care Services. (Schallhorn, 1/1)

The New York Times: Appeals Court Allows California Ban On Guns In Most Public Places To Take Effect 
A federal appeals court on Saturday allowed California’s ban on the carrying of firearms in most public places to take effect in 2024, halting a lower court judge’s ruling that had blocked enforcement of the law. The state law, Senate Bill 2, sets several restrictions on gun ownership, and Gov. Gavin Newsom approved it in September. But Judge Cormac Carney of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California blocked enforcement of the law in December, saying that the ban on guns in most public places would unconstitutionally “deprive” citizens of their right to bear arms. (Edmonds, 12/31)

The Washington Post: Wages And Health Care: New Year’s Day Brings New Laws To The DMV 
Maryland lawmakers also passed a half-dozen measures aimed at improving access to health care by placing new requirements on medical insurers. One of those laws eliminates cost-sharing for patients receiving diagnostic and supplemental breast exams. Similarly, insurers will have to cover the costs of screening for and diagnosing lung cancer. Some insurers will also have to cover biomarker testing. Another new law requires the state’s Medicaid program to cover medically necessary gender-affirming care without discrimination. Accessing prescription drugs may get a little easier for some patients under another new law in Maryland. Medical insurers must develop a process for patients to request an exception to a step therapy or fail-first protocol that requires patients to try the least-expensive drug available before advancing to a more expensive treatment option, even when their doctor recommends a more expensive drug. Those exception requests must be processed swiftly under the new law. (Shepherd, Vozzella and Brice-Saddler, 12/31)

CBS News: Illinois To Ban Indoor Vaping In 2024
Vaping will be banned indoors in public places in Illinois in the new year.Effective Jan. 1, 2024, an amendment to the Smoke Free Illinois Act will ban the use of "electronic smoking devices" such as vape pens and electronic cigarettes inside public spaces. ..."E-cigarettes contain nicotine and other chemicals which can be harmful to both those who use them and those who are exposed to them," said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. (Feurer, 12/29)

MSNBC: Ohio GOP Governor Vetoes Anti-Trans Bill, Spurns Fellow Republicans
Splitting from other GOP governors on the issue and spurning his fellow Republicans in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a bill on Friday that would ban gender-affirming care for trans minors and prevent trans girls from participating in girls sports. At a press conference, he spoke about his reasons for vetoing the legislation, saying its consequences for children with gender dysphoria and their families “could not be more profound.” “Many parents have told me that their child would not have survived, would be dead today, if they had not received the treatment they received from one of Ohio’s children’s hospitals. I’ve also been told by those who are now grown adults that but for this care, they would have taken their life when they were teenagers,” he said. The governor’s veto puts him at odds with other Republicans in his state, including his own second-in-command, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who had expressed his support for the bill on Thursday. (Lim, 12/30)

The Hill: Nutramigen Powder Baby Formula Recalled For Fear Of Bacterial Contamination
Reckitt/Mead Johnson Nutrition on Sunday recalled some batches of its Nutramigen Hypoallergenic Infant Formula Powder, a product marketed toward infants with milk allergies. The recall affects Nutramigen Powder 12.6 and 19.8 ounce cans sold in the United States. MJN said in an announcement that the recall was due to a “possibility of contamination with Cronobacter sakazakii.” The recall was triggered by a sample outside the United States — according to the company, “all product in question went through extensive testing by MJN and tested negative for the bacteria.” The recalled product was manufactured in June and distributed between June and August. (Bernal, 1/1)

CNN: Respiratory Virus Activity Is High And Rising Across The United States, CDC Data Shows 
Nationally, Covid-19 levels in wastewater, a leading measure of viral transmission, are very high – higher than they were at this time last year in every region, CDC data shows. Weekly emergency department visits rose 12%, and hospitalizations jumped about 17% in the most recent week. And while Covid-19 remains the leading driver of respiratory virus hospitalizations, flu activity is rising rapidly. The CDC estimates that there have been more than 7 million illnesses, 73,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths related to the flu this season, and multiple indicators are high and rising. (McPhillips, Musa and Hassan, 1/1)

CBS News: Public Health Officials Reinstate Mask Mandate At LA County Health Care Facilities
Los Angeles County has reinstated a mask-wearing requirement for staff and visitors at all licensed health care facilities in light of an upswing in coronavirus metrics, officials said Saturday. The county recently entered the "medium" level of COVID-19 hospital admissions, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (12/30)

CBS News: Mass General Brigham Bringing Back Mask Requirement For Staff
Masks are coming back soon at a major hospital network in the Boston area. Mass General Brigham said that starting Jan. 2, it will require health care staff who interact directly with patients to wear masks. Patients and visitors will also be "strongly encouraged" to wear masks given out by its hospitals and clinics. (Riley, 12/28)

CBS News: Maryland Group Urges All Healthcare Systems To Reinstate Masking Due To Spike In Respiratory Hospitalizations
Maryland health experts say they are seeing a spike in hospitalizations due to respiratory viruses, such as RSV, COVID and the flu. Volunteer groups are also urging healthcare systems in Maryland to reinstate their masking policies. ... According to the Maryland Department of Health, when respiratory virus hospitalization rates meet or exceed 10 hospitalizations per 100,000 residents, healthcare systems should reinstate or update their masking policies. (Reece, 12/27)

The Washington Post: Four Years On, Long Covid Still Confounds Us. Here’s What We Now Know
Many people now view covid-19 as an almost routine inconvenience, much like flu, RSV and other seasonal infections. But four years after reports surfaced of a new respiratory illness, prompting a massive response among researchers, the disease’s aftereffects — commonly called long covid — continue to confound doctors and patients alike. “We know a lot about this particular coronavirus,” said Francesca Beaudoin, chair of the department of epidemiology at Brown University. “That does not translate into an understanding of the long-term consequences of infection.” (Sellers, 12/31)

CIDRAP: Study Shows COVID Leaves Brain Injury Markers In Blood
A study published in Nature Communications last week describes how markers of brain injury are present in the blood months after COVID-19 infection, despite normal inflammation blood tests. The findings, which come from research teams at the University of Liverpool and King’s College London, add to the complicated picture of how COVID-19 can cause a range of neurologic symptoms. (Soucheray, 12/27)

CIDRAP: Studies: More US Adults Roll Up Sleeves For Flu Than COVID, RSV Vaccines 
A trio of new studies provide a snapshot of US adult vaccine uptake and views, with two showing the highest coverage for flu, followed by COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and one confirming greater willingness to get a flu shot than a COVID-19 shot. (Van Beusekom, 12/27)

The Washington Post: A Va. Plant Promised PPE For Health Workers. $123M Later, It’s Mothballed. 
The federal government spent $123 million during the coronavirus pandemic to build a massive chemical plant here in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a project meant to help ensure that supply-chain disruptions would never again leave the nation short of medical gloves. In late spring, construction wrapped up on the plant, the only one in the country capable of producing the synthetic rubber needed to make disposable nitrile gloves. By fall, the factory was mothballed. (Vozzella, 12/28)

CIDRAP: Americas And Europe Cases Fuel Rise In Mpox Activity
In its latest monthly update, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 906 new mpox cases from 26 countries in November, reflecting an increase of 26% compared to October. With nearly 300 cases, the United States reported the steepest rise in the Americas, followed by Portugal reporting 128 new cases, which makes Europe the region with the second highest number of cases. (Schnirring, 12/27)

The New York Times: Serious Medical Errors Rose After Private Equity Firms Bought Hospitals
The rate of serious medical complications increased in hospitals after they were purchased by private equity investment firms, according to a major study of the effects of such acquisitions on patient care in recent years. The study, published in JAMA on Tuesday, found that, in the three years after a private equity fund bought a hospital, adverse events including surgical infections and bed sores rose by 25 percent among Medicare patients when compared with similar hospitals that were not bought by such investors. The researchers reported a nearly 38 percent increase in central line infections, a dangerous kind of infection that medical authorities say should never happen, and a 27 percent increase in falls by patients while staying in the hospital. (Abelson and Sanger-Katz, 12/26)

Politico: Mental Hospitals Warehoused The Sick. Congress Wants To Let Them Try Again. 
The linked crises of drug addiction and homelessness have Washington on the verge of embracing a health care provider it once repudiated: the mental hospital. Nearly 60 years after Congress barred Medicaid from treating people in what were then derided as insane asylums, lawmakers are on the verge of reversing course. The reasons: Community-based care championed since the 1960s hasn’t stopped record overdoses — and constituents have had it with the brazen drug use and tent encampments in their cities. Some public health advocates agree that times have changed and the magnitude of the crises justifies lifting the rule. (Paun, 1/1)

Stateline: Report Ranks South Carolina Worst In The Nation In Nursing Home Inspectors
Statewide, there are about 190 nursing homes. The state agency tasked with regulating them has just one active inspection team that travels the state to check on them, though it’s close to activating a second. By federal law, each team of five must include a registered nurse, and that division of the state Department of Health and Environmental Control has just one nurse with the necessary credentials.Even if it were fully staffed at one inspector for every 11 homes — the state-funded ratio a federal report relied on — it would still have the lowest ratio in the nation. (Holdman, 12/22)

CBS News: Another Corewell Health Data Breach Impacts More Than 1 Million Patients
For the second time in just a few months, Corewell Health patients in Southeast Michigan may have had their medical information exposed in a data breach. According to Attorney General Dana Nessel, this breach involves HealthEC, LLC., which is a population health management platform that provides services to Corewell Health. HealthEC mailed impacted individuals notice letters on Dec. 22, 2023. (Powers, 12/27)

CBS News: Largest Health Care System In Massachusetts Now Offering Hospital Level Treatment At Home
Mass General Brigham, the largest health care system in Massachusetts, is expanding a program called Home Hospital. It is a model administrators say can improve outcomes and save money. ... The model uses a combination of nurses and other caregivers who come to the home, along with a telemedicine system that is set up by the hospital. MGB takes care of all of the equipment, including the internet connection. It may sound expensive, but Dorner said it's still cheaper than inpatient care. (Marshall, 12/29)

The Mercury News: Spending Fights, Supply Chain Delays Slow Mobile Health Boom
The use of mobile health clinics exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by the need to reach patients in outdoor, decentralized locations and also by the trillions of dollars in federal aid that Congress poured into the economy. In rural areas, mobile clinics often replace the dwindling preventive care network that helps keep patients healthy and out of the emergency room. Next year, a 2022 law will also authorize the further expansion of mobile clinics. But Congress would have to fund it first. (Clason, 12/29)

NPR: Why GSK's Flovent Asthma Inhaler Is Being Discontinued In 2024
Some asthma patients may start out the new year scrambling for their go-to inhaler – at least that's the concern as Flovent, a popular drug, leaves store shelves starting in January. Earlier this year, drugmaker GSK announced it's discontinuing Flovent in 2024. There is a generic version to take its place, but some doctors worry patients could be left in the lurch as they sort out how to get the new medication covered by insurance. (Lupkin, 12/30)

Fierce Biotech: Iovance Cell Therapy Trial Hit With FDA Hold After Patient Death
The FDA has hit Iovance Biotherapeutics’ cell therapy trial with a clinical hold after a patient with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) died in a case that may be related to the study. The federal agency implemented the hold Dec. 22 after a grade 5 adverse event (AE)—the most serious form of AE that signifies a fatality—was reported, according to a Dec. 27 release from Iovance. The patient death is potentially related to the non-myeloablative lymphodepletion pre-conditioning regimen, Iovance added in its statement. (Masson, 12/29)

The Washington Post: Apple Wins Temporary Reprieve From The Ban On Apple Watch Sales
One day after a ban on the import and sale of its two newest Apple Watches became official, Apple managed to buy itself some time. Shortly after the office of U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai confirmed on Tuesday that the United States would not overturn the International Trade Commission ruling calling for the ban, Apple appealed the decision and submitted an emergency filing to the D.C.-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, seeking a short pause on the ban’s enforcement. The court on Wednesday granted Apple that temporary reprieve. That means Apple is allowed to resume selling Apple Watch models with blood oxygen tracking features — the Watch Ultra 2 and the Watch Series 9 — direct to consumers. The company confirmed both devices would be available for sale in Apple retail stores Wednesday, and on its website by Thursday at 12 p.m. Pacific time. (Velazco, 12/27)

Stat: 3 Trends To Watch In The Business Of Health Tech In 2024
Is it too early to say that the health tech boom feels like a million years ago? In 2020 and 2021, the jolt of pandemic and favorable economic conditions created an explosion of adoption and investment for companies that hoped to transform some corner of the stodgy health care system with technology. Those roaring days feel like a distant memory. Many of those would-be disrupters are now struggling through a much different environment. (Aguilar, 1/2)

The Washington Post: 42 Percent Higher Dementia Risk Linked To ‘Good Cholesterol’ 
Despite its nickname as the “good cholesterol” because of its cardiovascular benefits, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was linked to as much as a 42 percent increased risk for dementia in older people with very high levels of HDL, according to research published in a Lancet journal, the Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific. (Searing, 1/1)

Fox News: Smoking Shrinks The Brain And Drives Up Alzheimer’s Risk, Study Finds
Smoking is notorious for causing damage to the lungs — but a recent study confirmed that it’s also harmful to the brain. ... Those who smoked one pack daily were found to have decreased brain volume compared to those who never smoked or had smoked fewer than 100 total cigarettes. The study, published in the January 2024 issue of Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science, helps to explain why older people who smoke are at a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, according to the researchers. (Rudy, 1/2)

NBC News: Warnings Grow About Risky IV Drips And Injections At Unregulated Med Spas
The number of med spas and hydration clinics has ballooned in recent years, turning into a $15 billion wellness industry offering a variety of services, from IV therapy to skin care and cosmetic procedures. Federal health officials and representatives of med spa owners warn consumers that, along with the boom, some facilities are using unlicensed workers to inject unapproved products in unsanitary conditions. It’s difficult to know how many people have been injured at med spas, because the infections often are not reported to local or state health departments. But some infectious disease and emergency room doctors say they are seeing more adverse reactions associated with the facilities. (Edwards and Kopf, 1/1)

The Washington Post: If ‘Dry’ January Sounds Daunting, A Semi-Dry ‘Damp’ January Can Still Help 
A semi-dry ritual dubbed “Damp January” has become an annual event for people who want to cut back on alcohol without giving it up entirely. Studies show that even a modest reduction in drinking can lead to improvements in blood pressure, mental health and liver health. It can lower risk for cancer and heart disease. And you may even notice improvements in your sleep, energy levels and skin. (O'Connor, 12/26)

Reuters: Alabama Woman With Double Uterus Gives Birth To Rare Twin Girls
An Alabama woman with a rare congenital anomaly that results in her having two uteri gave birth to healthy twin girls earlier this week. Kelsey Hatcher and husband Caleb welcomed Roxi Layla on Tuesday night and her sister Rebel Laken on Wednesday morning at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital (UAB), the mother-of-five announced on social media. Hatcher has a rare double uterus and was pregnant with a baby on each side, a rare pregnancy known as a dicavitary pregnancy that has a one in a million chance of occurring. (Caspani, 12/24)

The Washington Post: Sidney Wolfe, Fierce Adversary Of Drug Companies And FDA, Dies At 86 
Sidney M. Wolfe, a doctor turned consumer activist who battled drug companies, lobbyists and regulators during a nearly five-decade crusade against ineffective, risky and overpriced medications that made him a hero to patient advocacy groups and an implacable foe to anyone who opposed him, died Jan. 1 at his home in Washington. He was 86.The cause was a brain tumor, said his wife, Suzanne Goldberg. Dr. Wolfe did not practice medicine for long and instead spent most of his career with the Health Research Group, part of the Washington-based Public Citizen organization founded by consumer activist Ralph Nader. (Rosenwald, 1/1)