First Edition: Jan. 4, 2024

KFF Health News: Woman Petitions Health Insurer After Company Approves — Then Rejects — Her Infusions 
When KFF Health News published an article in August about the “prior authorization hell” Sally Nix said she went through to secure approval from her insurance company for the expensive monthly infusions she needs, we thought her story had a happy ending. That’s because, after KFF Health News sent questions to Nix’s insurance company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, it retroactively approved $36,000 worth of treatments she thought she owed. Even better, she also learned she would qualify for the infusions moving forward. Good news all around — except it didn’t last for long. After all, this is the U.S. health care system, where even patients with good insurance aren’t guaranteed affordable care. (Sausser, 1/4)

KFF Health News: Doctors Are As Vulnerable To Addiction As Anyone. California Grapples With A Response. 
Ariella Morrow, an internal medicine doctor, gradually slid from healthy self-esteem and professional success into the depths of depression. Beginning in 2015, she suffered a string of personal troubles, including a shattering family trauma, marital strife, and a major professional setback. At first, sheer grit and determination kept her going, but eventually she was unable to keep her troubles at bay and took refuge in heavy drinking. By late 2020, Morrow could barely get out of bed and didn’t shower or brush her teeth for weeks on end. She was up to two bottles of wine a day, alternating it with Scotch whisky. (Wolfson, 1/4)

KFF Health News: Utah Survey Shows Why So Many People Were Dumped From Medicaid 
It’s one of the biggest mysteries in health policy: What happened to millions of Americans kicked out of Medicaid last year? A survey conducted for state officials in Utah, obtained by KFF Health News, holds some clues. Like many states, Utah terminated Medicaid coverage for a large share of enrollees whose eligibility was reevaluated in 2023, following a three-year pause during the coronavirus pandemic. And like most states, an overwhelming share of those disenrollments were made for procedural reasons, such as missing paperwork. (Galewitz, 1/3)

Fierce Biotech: Roche Designs New Antibiotic To Fight Drug-Resistant Infections
Researchers at Roche have developed a novel antibiotic with the ability to fight a dangerous drug-resistant bacteria that kills in up to 60% of infections. In a pair of articles published Jan. 3 in Nature, Roche and Harvard University scientists described how they developed a new antibiotic that is effective against carbapenem-resistant acinetobacter baumannii—also known as CRAB—in mice. The drug, zosurabalpin, works by interrupting construction of the bacteria’s outer membrane. ... CRAB is a common culprit in hospital-acquired sepsis and other infections, and is at the top of the list of both the World Health Organization’s and the Centers for Disease Control’s “priority pathogens” for which new drugs are urgently needed. (Floersh, 1/3)

Los Angeles Times: New Type Of Antibiotic Targets Drug-Resistant Bugs, Study Says
Under a microscope, this drug-resistant superbug looks as benign as a handful of pebbles. Yet carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, or CRAB, is a nightmare for hospitals worldwide, as it kills roughly half of all patients who acquire it. (Purtill, 1/3)

CIDRAP: Study Highlights Threat Of Dual-Carbapenemase–Producing Bacteria
A study conducted in a New York City health system identified several patients infected with dual-carbapenemase–producing organisms (DCPOs), researchers reported late last week in JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance. The study authors say the findings are concerning. "Infectious diseases physicians should be aware of this threat, as our study shows high mortality in patients infected or colonized with DCPOs," they wrote. (Dall, 1/3)

The Wall Street Journal: Exclusive: Cigna Nears Deal To Offload Medicare Business
Cigna is in advanced talks to sell its Medicare business in an about-face for the health-insurance giant, which had been expanding its footprint in the fast-growing sector. Cigna, which has been running an auction for the business, known as Medicare Advantage, is now in exclusive talks to sell it to Health Care Service Corp. for between $3 billion and $4 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. (Cooper, Mathews and Thomas, 1/3)

Modern Healthcare: PBMs, Medicare Pay, Telehealth Lead Congress’s 2024 To-Do List
Presidential election years tend to be poor times to attempt major healthcare legislation, but Congress' failure to cope with its 2023 responsibilities has raised the prospects that significant bills could pass in 2024. Lawmakers left town before Christmas having failed to complete much-delayed fiscal 2024 appropriations legislation—the prior fiscal year ended Sept. 30—and leaving in place temporary spending bills that last until Jan. 19 and Feb. 3, depending on the part of government. (McAuliff, 1/3)

USA Today: Insulin Price Cap: More Americans Will Now Pay No More Than $35
A price cap on insulin from one of the three major manufacturers took effect on New Year's Day, giving more Americans with diabetes more affordable treatments. ... As of Jan. 1, 2024, Sanofi cut the price of Lantus by 78% and short-acting Apidra by 70%. The price cuts will reduce the cost of the drug for most patients at $35 through either price caps or savings programs. (Al-Arshani and Alltucker, 1/3)

CNN: FDA Looking Into Reports Of Hair Loss, Suicidal Thoughts In People Using Popular Drugs For Diabetes And Weight Loss 
The US Food and Drug Administration is evaluating reports of side effects such as hair loss and suicidal thoughts in people taking medications like Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy. These drugs, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, are approved to treat diabetes or weight loss. They include semaglutide, branded as Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy; liragutide, branded as Saxenda and Victoza; and tirzepatide, branded as Mounjaro and Zepbound. They mimic GLP-1, a hormone made naturally in the body whose roles include slowing the passage of food through the stomach. (Dillinger, 1/3)

CBS News: Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy Linked With Language Delays, University Of Illinois Study Finds 
A new study from researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign linked acetaminophen with language delays in children. Susan Schantz, professor emerita of comparative biosciences and one of the authors of the study, spoke to CBS 2 about the findings. Schantz said the study looked at language development among children ages 2 and 3, and found that those whose mothers took acetaminophen, especially during the third trimester of their pregnancy, had smaller vocabularies and shorter sentence lengths. (1/3)

AP: Alzheimer's Drugs Might Get Into The Brain Faster With New Ultrasound Tool, Study Shows
Scientists have found a way to help Alzheimer’s drugs seep inside the brain faster — by temporarily breaching its protective shield. The novel experiment was a first attempt in just three patients. But in spots in the brain where the new technology took aim, it enhanced removal of Alzheimer’s trademark brain-clogging plaque, researchers reported Wednesday. “Our goal is to give patients a head start,” by boosting some new Alzheimer’s treatments that take a long time to work, said Dr. Ali Rezai of West Virginia University’s Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, who led the study. (Neergaard, 1/3)

Bloomberg: Smokers Taking Old Generic Drug Cytisine Are Twice As Likely To Quit
Smokers taking a course of cytisine are twice as likely to kick the habit, researchers found as the UK prepares to introduce the plant-based drug this month. Scientists found that the treatment was twice as effective as a placebo — and marginally better than nicotine substitutes — in research published earlier this week in the medical journal Addiction. (Ganatra, 1/3)

NPR: New Study Ties Hearing Aid Use To Longer Life. But Only If Worn Regularly
Among the roughly 40 million adults in the U.S. who have hearing loss, most don't use hearing aids. This means they may be missing out on more than just good hearing. Research shows hearing loss, if left untreated, can increase the risk of frailty, falls, social isolation, depression and cognitive decline. One study from scientists at Johns Hopkins University found that even people with mild hearing loss doubled their risk of dementia. Now a new study finds that restoring hearing loss with hearing aids may lengthen people's lives. (Aubrey, 1/3)

USA Today: New York Health Officials Sound Alarm On Whooping Cough Outbreak In Schools
The Suffolk County Department of Health in New York is sounding the alarm on a whooping cough outbreak happening throughout school districts in the region, it detailed in a press release Saturday. ..."With so many respiratory illnesses currently circulating, some for which there are no treatment, we wanted to make sure that parents know that pertussis, also called whooping cough, can be treated with antibiotics if diagnosed early," Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott said in the release. (Coblentz, 1/3)

NBC News: Rising Flu Cases Continue To Surge Among Young Children, Especially In The Southeast And West
As kids go back to school and families return to a post-holiday routine, flu season is on track to be a rough one in some states, especially in the Southeast and parts of the West, doctors say. Thirty-three states are reporting high to very high case counts of influenza-like illnesses, and there have been about 4,500 flu-related deaths, including those of 20 children, since the 2023-24 season began in October. (Edwards, 1/3)

Reuters: Mask Mandates Return At Some US Hospitals As COVID, Flu Jump 
Hospitals in at least four U.S. states have reinstated mask mandates amid a rise in cases of COVID, seasonal flu and other respiratory illness. Healthcare facilities in New York, California, Illinois and Massachusetts have made masks mandatory among patients and providers. New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan told WABC TV on Wednesday that mask mandates had resumed at all 11 of the city's public hospitals, 30 health centers and five long-term care facilities. (Brooks, 1/4)

Crain's New York Business: NYC Health + Hospitals Reinstate Mask Mandate Amid Covid Rise
New York City Health + Hospitals, the city’s public health system, issued a mask mandate for all employees amid rising rates of Covid-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus, H+H confirmed. H+H staff and visitors are required to mask up at all 11 of New York City’s public hospitals, as well as at community health centers and post-acute care facilities, said Chris Miller, spokesman for H+H. The requirement went into effect shortly after Christmas. (D'Ambrosio, 1/3)

CBS News: Main Line Health Implements Temporary Mask Mandate Due To COVID-19
Over 10 Main Line Health facilities are requiring temporary masks starting Thursday, Jan. 4 for at least the next two weeks due to the rise of COVID-19, flu, and RSV across the Philadelphia region. Officials said Wednesday all patients, employees, medical staff and visitors are required to wear masks in clinical and common areas. (Newbill, 1/3)

The New York Times: Covid Has Resurged, But Scientists See A Diminished Threat 
The holidays have come and gone, and once again Americans are riding a tide of respiratory ailments, including Covid. But so far, this winter’s Covid uptick seems less deadly than last year’s, and much less so than in 2022, when the Omicron surge ground the nation to a halt. “We’re not seeing the signs that would make me think that we’re heading into another severe wave,” said Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “So far, we’re in relatively good shape.” (Mandavilli, 1/3)

CIDRAP: Cost Of Hospital Care Rose 26% For COVID-19 Patients Over Course Of Pandemic, Data Show 
A study published today in JAMA Network Open shows the average direct cost to provide hospital treatment for COVID-19 patients in the United States rose by 26% from 2020 to 2022, with costs increasing even after the launch of vaccination and the emergence of new variants. ... The adjusted mean cost of an inpatient stay was $11,275 overall, increasing from $10,394 at the end of March 2020 to $13,072 by the end of March 2022, the authors said. That 26% increase is in significant contrast to a 2% to 5% average annual medical cost increase due to inflation. Certain comorbidities significantly increased the costs incurred during a patent stay, with obesity adding $2,924 on average per stay. (Soucheray, 1/3)

CBS News: Arguments Set For February On Florida Abortion Measure
With the measure's supporters getting close to meeting a petition-signature requirement, the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will hear arguments on February 7th about a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at ensuring abortion rights in the state. The arguments will center on whether the Supreme Court should approve the wording of the proposed constitutional amendment and allow it to go on the November ballot. (1/3)

CBS News: Gov. Gavin Newsom, LA Mayor Karen Bass Announce Mental Health Development
Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass held a news conference Wednesday supporting expansions to mental health treatment across California. "It is not enough to get a bed for a person," Bass said. We can get people off the street. People are willing to come off the street. But, you have to address why they became unhoused to begin with." (Radin and Wait, 1/3)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: One Resident Still Missing Nearly Three Weeks After St. Louis Nursing Home Closure
Authorities were still searching Wednesday for one former resident of the St. Louis nursing home that closed down abruptly last month. St. Louis police are requesting assistance locating the man, Frederick Caruthers, 61, a former resident of the Northview Village Nursing Home. Missouri State Highway Patrol issued an endangered silver advisory for Caruthers Wednesday afternoon. (Merrilees, 1/3)

The Hill: New Rule Designed To Protect LGBTQ Foster Children Draws GOP Opposition 
A new rule requiring child welfare agencies to place LGBTQ children in “environments free of hostility, mistreatment, or abuse” based on the child’s sexual orientation, gender identity or expression is drawing opposition from Republicans. The proposed rule, issued in September by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), also would require caregivers to undergo cultural competency training to ensure LGBTQ youths are placed in homes where their identities are affirmed. (Migdon, 1/3)

The Washington Post: States Looking To 2024 To Pass Revised Kids’ Online Safety Bills
A group of state legislators and children’s safety advocates are planning a renewed campaign to import British digital safeguards for kids into the United States as they look to ward off legal challenges from the tech industry. After California passed a landmark online safety law in 2021 — styled after child protection rules in the United Kingdom — lawmakers in several other states, including Maryland and Minnesota, introduced their own versions. (Lima, 1/2)

Modern Healthcare: BrightSpring Health Services Files IPO Plans With SEC
BrightSpring Health Services, a home health services provider backed by KKR, filed plans for an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission Tuesday. The Louisville, Kentucky-based company did not state in the filing how much it intended to raise. Bloomberg News reported in September the company planned to raise $1 billion from an IPO. (Eastabrook, 1/3)

The Boston Globe: Brigham & Women’s Hospital Water Main Break Delays IVF Treatments
A water main break at Brigham and Women’s Hospital on Christmas Eve has disrupted in vitro fertilization services for upward of 300 people, forcing patients to reschedule or move egg retrievals and embryo transfers ... The flood damaged the walls of several areas of the hospital, including the IVF clinic, making frozen embryos stored in the area inaccessible as crews work to do remediation work. (Bartlett, 1/2)

Axios: As Hackers Escalate Health Care Attacks, Growing Concerns Over Medical Devices
Amid growing cybersecurity threats to health care facilities, federal officials and health systems are turning their attention to potential vulnerabilities hiding in plain sight in hospital rooms, imaging centers and even patients' homes: medical devices. (Reed, 1/4)

Axios: Scoop: AI Prescription Assistant Nabs Backing From Mayo Clinic, Eli Lilly
A startup that created a voice-based AI app to manage insulin and other prescriptions is launching Thursday with backing from powerhouses including Mayo Clinic and Eli Lilly. (Reed, 1/4)

American Homefront Project: Doctors Turn To AI And Wearable Monitors To Measure The Effects Of Burn Pits On Veterans' Health
A long-term study hopes to shed light on an array of vague symptoms that can affect veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. (D'lorio, 1/3)