First Edition: July 15, 2019

Kaiser Health News: Even When HIV Prevention Drug Is Covered, Other Costs Block Treatment
Three years ago, Corey Walsh, who was in a relationship with a man who was HIV-positive, got a prescription for Truvada, a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent infection with the virus that causes AIDS. Walsh, then 23, was covered by his parents’ health insurance policy, which picked up the cost of the drug. But the price tag for the quarterly lab tests and doctor visits he needed as part of the prevention regimen cost him roughly $400, more than he could afford. (Andrews, 7/15)

Kaiser Health News: Did Your Health Plan Deny You Care? Fight Back.
Have you ever stepped up to the pharmacy cash register only to learn your new prescription will cost you hundreds of dollars — instead of your typical $25 copay — because your insurance doesn’t cover it? Or received a painfully high bill for a medical test because your health plan didn’t think it was necessary? Most people have, but only a tiny fraction ever appeal such decisions. In 2017, for example, enrollees in federally run Affordable Care Act marketplace plans appealed fewer than one-half of 1% of denied medical claims, according to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. (Wolfson, 7/15)

CNN: Biden Proposes Massive New Obamacare Subsidies, Public Option In Health Care Plan
Joe Biden is proposing massive new subsidies to make health coverage through Obamacare's exchanges cheaper -- as well as a new "public option" that would allow people to buy into a program his campaign says would be similar to Medicare. The former vice president unveiled his health care plan Monday morning amid an escalating fight with his 2020 Democratic presidential foes as some more liberal candidates advocate enrolling all Americans in a national health plan, all but eliminating private health insurance. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is set to deliver a speech making his case for "Medicare for All" on Wednesday, according to his campaign. And California Sen. Kamala Harris, who has similarly backed a single-payer, government-run health program, teased the upcoming rollout of her plan in front of a crowd in New Hampshire on Sunday, too. (Bradner and Luhby, 7/15)

ABC News: Former Vice President Joe Biden Rolls Out Expanded Affordable Care Act Health Plan
In a video of the announcement released by the campaign, Biden expresses his surprise at so many Democratic candidates opposing the ACA. "I knew the Republicans would do everything in their power to repeal Obamacare. They still are. But I'm surprised that so many Democrats are running on getting rid of it," Biden said.The campaign estimates the plan will cost $750 billion over 10 years. Senior advisers said Biden would rescind President Donald Trump's tax cuts for the wealthy, raise the maximum tax bracket to 39% and get rid of the capital gains tax loophole for wealthy families with incomes greater than $1 million a year in order to cover the hefty price tag. (Harper, Donato and Nagle, 7/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Democratic Candidates Clash Over Health Care
The health-care debate among Democratic candidates is intensifying, with Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders fighting over whether to shore up the Affordable Care Act or to move to a government-run health plan. The former vice president warned in recent days that scrapping President Obama’s health-care law in favor of a government-run program would create a hiatus in coverage for families. Mr. Sanders has championed Medicare for All, a single-payer plan in which all Americans get health insurance through a government system. He accused Mr. Biden of spreading misinformation and said there would be no gaps in coverage. (Thomas, 7/14)

CNN: Bernie Sanders Accuses Biden Of 'Misinformation' On 'Medicare For All'
"At a time when Donald Trump and the health insurance industry are lying every day about Medicare for all, I would hope that my fellow Democrats would not resort to misinformation about my legislation," Sanders said in the statement. He said under his proposal, "over a four-year period, we will transition to a system in which Medicare is expanded to cover every man, woman, and child in the country." "It is preposterous to argue that as we expand Medicare for All that people with cancer and other illnesses will not get the care that they need," Sanders said. "In fact, under Medicare for All, the good news is that we will end the horror of millions of people going into bankruptcy and financial distress simply because they need hospital care for serious conditions." (Bradner, 7/13)

The Associated Press: Biden Campaigns As Obamacare's Top Defender 
Biden is hoping his positioning as Obamacare's chief defender could be helpful on several fronts. It's a reminder of his close work alongside President Barack Obama, who remains popular among Democratic voters. And it could reinforce his pitch as a sensible centrist promising to rise above the strident cacophony of Trump and Democrats including Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, all single-payer advocates. (Barrow, 7/14)

The Hill: Republicans Make U-Turn On Health Care
Senate Republicans are reversing course and now taking a hard look at health care legislation to replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act in case the courts strike down former President Obama’s signature achievement. There’s a sense of urgency among GOP lawmakers to come up with a plan to replace the most popular components of ObamaCare after a panel of appellate judges on Tuesday aggressively questioned whether the law passes legal muster following Congress’s repeal of the tax penalty for not having insurance. (Bolton, 7/14)

Politico: Republicans Ready To Dive Off A Cliff On Obamacare
After a decade of trying to gut Obamacare, Republicans may finally get their wish thanks to a Trump administration-backed lawsuit. Its success would cause chaos not only in the insurance markets but on Capitol Hill. And Republican senators largely welcome it — even if they don’t know what comes next. “I’m ready for it to succeed,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). “I would love to get back in and actually deal with health care again.” “Do I hope the lawsuit succeeds? I do,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). “What I wish is we had some idea where we are going if it does succeed, as it looks more and more like it might.” Even Republicans not known for taking a hard line are eager for a forcing mechanism to take on Obamacare. (Everett, 7/14)

The Associated Press: Court Order Blocking Contraception Exemptions Upheld
A federal appeals court upheld a lower court order that blocked the Trump administration from enforcing rules that allow more employers to deny insurance coverage for contraceptives to women. The three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia said Friday that state plaintiffs in Pennsylvania and New Jersey were likely to succeed in proving that appropriate procedures weren't followed and the regulations weren't authorized under the 2010 health care overhaul or required by a law aimed at protecting religious freedom. (7/13)

The Wall Street Journal: Appeals Court Upholds Decision Barring Trump Birth-Control Exemptions
The Trump administration’s rules, issued in November by the DHHS, would have exempted a broad swath of employers from the mandate contained in the Affordable Care Act. Those rules represented a second attempt by Trump officials to create such an exemption, after a first set was blocked in 2017. Judge Patty Schwartz, writing for the court, said the Affordable Care Act plainly states women must be provided preventive health services. “Nowhere in the enabling statute did Congress grant the agency the authority to exempt entities from providing insurance coverage for such services,” she wrote. (Hackman, 7/12)

The Hill: Appeals Court Blocks Trump Administration Birth Control Rules
Louise Melling, the deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), applauded the court for its decision, calling the rules “discriminatory.” “Yet another court has stopped this administration from sanctioning discrimination under the guise of religion or morality,” Melling wrote in a statement. “The Trump administration’s rules authorized employers and universities to strip women of birth control coverage — a benefit guaranteed to them by law, and meant to advance their health and equality. We applaud the order to enjoin the enforcement of these discriminatory rules.” (Campisi, 7/12)

The Hill: House Report: Trump Administration Separated At Least 18 Immigrant Infants And Toddlers
At least 18 migrant infants and toddlers under the age of 2 were separated from their parents at the southern border as part of the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy, including nine infants under the age of 1, according to a new report released Friday by the House Oversight and Reform Committee. Those infants and toddlers were kept apart for 20 days to up to six months, the report found. The Democratic-led report was released just ahead of a hearing on alleged abuses committed against migrant children in the aftermath of the zero tolerance policy. (Weixel, 7/12)

The Wall Street Journal: Migrant Families Were Separated Longer Than Previously Known, House Report Says
From April to June 2018, thousands of children were separated from their parents when they sought asylum at the border. Many of these people were from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras and sought refuge from gang violence, hunger, poverty and corruption. The committee held a hearing on Friday about the report, where inspectors from the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services testified. At the hearing, the focus shifted from the report to the current treatment of migrants seeking asylum at the border. Jennifer Costello, acting inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security, said her office is concerned the department isn’t taking sufficient steps to remedy the situation. (Andrews and Naranjo, 7/12)

The Wall Street Journal: Federal Agencies Trade Blame Over Detention Of Migrant Children
Officials from two federal agencies that oversee care for migrants are pointing fingers at each other over which bears more responsibility for children being detained for weeks on end in Border Patrol cells that have been widely criticized as unsafe. While the number of children held in such conditions declined sharply last month, according to federal data, the debate over how the situation became so dire remains heated. Kevin McAleenan, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, on Thursday said the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is charged with taking custody of children who cross the border alone after they are apprehended by border authorities, was slow to place them in shelters. (Caldwell, 7/12)

The Washington Post: Momentary Border Reprieve Rests On A Rickety Foundation, As U.S. Immigration Policies Are Put To The Test
The dirt lot beneath the border bridge here is a parking area again, not an outdoor jail. When the Border Patrol station next door had 2,000 detainees spilling out of its cells this spring, families slept on the ground beneath the overpass in a razor-wire enclosure. On Friday, the station had six. Cells that were standing room only now stand empty. (Miroff, 7/13)

Politico: The Border Patrol Hits A Breaking Point
Vice President Pence’s Friday visit to a Border Patrol detention facility in Texas didn’t go according to plan. Meant to pressure Democrats to address the migrant crisis at the southern border, the visit instead appeared to horrify those who accompanied Pence and raised pointed questions about Customs and Border Protection, America’s most troubled law enforcement agency. Nearly 400 migrants were crammed into a converted vehicle sallyport; many hadn’t showered in weeks, and space was so tight there was no room for cots for them to sleep. “The stench was horrendous,” the Washington Post’s Josh Dawsey wrote, noting that Border Patrol agents were wearing face masks and saying, “Pence appeared to scrunch his nose when entering the facility, stayed for a moment and left.” (Graff, 7/15)

ProPublica: Border Patrol Agents Are Passing Around A Commemorative Coin Mocking Care For Migrant Kids
An unofficial commemorative coin has been circulating among Border Patrol agents at the U.S./Mexico border, mocking the task of caring for migrant children and other duties that have fallen to agents as families cross into the U.S. On the front, the coin declares “KEEP THE CARAVANS COMING” under an image of a massive parade of people carrying a Honduran flag — a caricature of the “caravan” from last fall, which started in Honduras and attracted thousands of people as it moved north. (While the caravan included many women and children, the only visible figures on the coin appear to be adult men.) (Lind, 7/12)

The Washington Post: As Immigrant Families Wait In Dread, No Sign Of Large-Scale Enforcement Raids
The nationwide immigration raids that President Trump said would begin Sunday failed to materialize on the streets of major U.S. cities, even as his statement cast a cloud of fear that kept many families indoors. Immigration enforcement authorities said their plans to track down migrants with deportation orders would continue, but their operations over the weekend appeared more akin to routine actions rather than the mass roundups the president promised. (Hauslohner and Miroff, 7/14)

Stat: Lawmakers Urge Trump Administration To Alter Trade Deal Or Americans Will Pay More For Drugs
More than 100 Democratic members of Congress urged the Trump administration to remove pending language from the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement trade agreement that would lock the U.S into at least 10 years of marketing exclusivity for biologics, a move they argue will hurt taxpayers and patients. (Silverman, 7/12)

Reuters: Democrats Take Aim As Trump Abandons Drug Pricing Plan
Democrats see U.S. President Donald Trump becoming increasingly vulnerable to criticism about healthcare costs after the administration's decision to scrap a proposal to lower drug prices, and 2020 White House candidates are rushing to seize the spotlight on the issue. The debate over the future of the American healthcare system has become a focal point of the Democratic presidential nominating contest. As Trump has failed to make strides to remedy the problem, Democrats are becoming more vocal. (Gibson, 7/13)

The Associated Press: House Approves 9/11 Victims Bill, Sends It To Senate
The House on Friday overwhelmingly approved a bill ensuring that a victims compensation fund for the Sept. 11 attacks never runs out of money. The 402-12 vote sends the bill to the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has agreed to call a vote before Congress goes on its August recess. Lawmakers from both parties hailed the House vote, which comes a month after comedian Jon Stewart sharply criticized Congress for failing to act. (Daly, 7/12)

The Wall Street Journal: House Passes Bill Shoring Up 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund
The legislation, which passed the House by a 402-12 vote, would fund all current and future medical claims from 9/11 survivors through 2090. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the cost of fully funding the trust at roughly $10.2 billion. The fund was created to pay health-care costs for volunteers and rescue workers who have become sick since responding to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and United Flight 93, which crashed near Shanksville, Pa. It also compensates survivors of the attacks and residents who lived near the sites. (Rubin, 7/12)

The New York Times: Divided Over Abortion, But Joining Forces For Women’s Workplace Rights
When South Carolina passed a law last year to provide pregnant workers and new mothers with more protections in the workplace, it was driven by an unlikely alliance: supporters of abortion rights working alongside religious groups that oppose them. “We were all on the same page pragmatically,” said Ashley Crary Lidow, associate director of policy and government relations at the Women’s Rights & Empowerment Network in Columbia, S.C., which supports abortion rights. Palmetto Family Council, a religious advocacy group in Columbia, also said the partnership had “raised some eyebrows” around the Statehouse. (Bernard, 7/12)

The Associated Press: ACLU: Timing Threatens Public Vote On Missouri Abortion Law
Timing threatens to stymie efforts to let the public vote on a new Missouri law banning abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy or later after the state Supreme Court on Friday refused to intervene to force the state's top election official to act quickly. At issue is a push by the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri to put the anti-abortion law on the 2020 ballot. ACLU attorneys now worry that if Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft doesn't act fast to process the petition, the organization could be left with as little as two weeks to collect the more than 100,000 signatures need to put the law to a vote. (Ballentine, 7/12)

The Associated Press: Oklahoma Judge Upholds Law Banning Common Abortion Procedure
An Oklahoma judge on Friday upheld a ban on a common second-trimester abortion procedure in what abortion rights proponents decried as a "rogue" decision that will threaten the reproductive rights of women throughout the state. Oklahoma County District Judge Cindy Truong ruled from the bench following arguments over the ban approved by the state's Republican-controlled Legislature and signed into law in 2015. (Murphy, 7/12)

The Hill: Oklahoma Judge Upholds State Ban On Particular Abortion Method
The law, which was put on hold during the legal challenge, was passed by the state’s GOP-controlled legislature and signed into law in 2015. The only exceptions to the ban are if the woman’s life is in danger or if a serious health risk is posed to her. The Center for Reproductive Rights, which challenged Oklahoma’s law, tweeted Friday that “we cannot overstate the harm the decision will have” on women in the state. (Campisi, 7/12)

The Wall Street Journal: OxyContin Made The Sacklers Rich. Now It’s Tearing Them Apart.
Jacqueline Sackler was fed up. HBO’s John Oliver would soon use his TV show to pillory her family, the clan that owns Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin. In a nearly 15-minute Sunday-night segment, he joined a long line of people who blamed the Sacklers in part for the nation’s opioid crisis. Before the show aired, Ms. Sackler, who is married to a son of a company co-founder, emailed her in-laws, lawyers and advisers. “This situation is destroying our work, our friendships, our reputation and our ability to function in society,” she wrote. “And worse, it dooms my children. How is my son supposed to apply to high school in September?” (Hopkins, 7/13)

The Associated Press: Virginia To Get Share Of Opioid Settlement
Virginia is set to get a still-to-be determined amount of a $1.4 billion settlement to resolve U.S. investigations into the marketing of an anti-addiction drug. The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that a British-based company has agreed to settle over allegations its former Virginia-based subsidiary, Indivior, sought to increase prescriptions for Suboxone Film by deceiving health care providers into believing the drug was safer than other opioid addiction treatments. (7/12)

Colorado Sun: AG Phil Weiser Backs Philly In Lawsuit Over Supervised-Drug-Use Sites, Even If Colorado’s Effort Is Stalled
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is supporting a Philadelphia nonprofit in its legal battle with the federal government over whether it should be allowed to open a supervised drug consumption site in that city, stepping into an issue at the center of one of Colorado’s most divisive political debates. Weiser, a Democrat, joined six other states and Washington, D.C., in filing a friend-of-the-court brief in the federal government’s legal battle with the Philadelphia nonprofit Safehouse, which wants to open a location where people can inject drugs, such as heroin, under the watch of medical professionals. (Paul, 7/11)

The New York Times: When Big Tobacco Invoked Eric Garner To Fight A Menthol Cigarette Ban
With San Francisco banning menthol cigarettes last year, and the Food and Drug Administration considering a nationwide ban, it seemed like the time was ripe for New York to follow suit. Then Reynolds American, the tobacco giant, got to work. It enlisted the Rev. Al Sharpton and his group, the National Action Network, as well as the boss of the Manhattan Democratic Party, Keith L.T. Wright, a former 12-term assemblyman from Harlem, to fight the ban proposed by the City Council. (Goodman, 7/14)

Reuters: U.S. Federal Judge Orders FDA To Implement 10-Month Deadline For E-Cig Applications
A U.S. federal judge on Friday ordered the Food and Drug Administration to impose a 10-month deadline for the submission of e-cigarette applications, turning the screws on companies like Juul Labs Inc whose products have come under intense scrutiny for their popularity among teenagers. The FDA last month proposed the shorter timeline after the U.S. District Court for Maryland ruled in a lawsuit filed by anti-tobacco groups that the agency had exceeded its authority in allowing e-cigarettes to remain on the market until 2022 before companies applied for regulatory approval. (7/12)

The Washington Post: Doing These Five Things Could Decrease Your Risk Of Alzheimer’s By 60 Percent, New Study Says
Here’s a to-do list for preventing dementia, new research suggests: Ditch red meat, take a brisk walk to the grocery store, do the Sunday crossword and stick to one glass of wine at dinner. A study presented Sunday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Los Angeles found that combining five lifestyle habits — including eating healthier, exercising regularly and refraining from smoking — can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by 60 percent. A separate study showed that lifestyle choices can lower risk even for those who are genetically prelifestyle disposed to the disease. (Natanson, 7/14)

Stat: LGBT People More Likely To Report Memory Problems, Survey Finds 
LGBT Americans report increased rates of memory loss and confusion — two early signs of dementia — compared to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts, a large survey has found. The observations present new risk factors to consider for Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, and raise questions about the potential influence of social stressors. “This idea that LGBT people might have more … subjective cognitive impairment is a very interesting one,” said Yaakov Stern, a professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. (Cai, 7/14)

The Associated Press: A Healthy Lifestyle May Offset Genetic Risk For Alzheimer's
A healthy lifestyle can cut your risk of developing Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia even if you have genes that raise your risk for these mind-destroying diseases, a large study has found. People with high genetic risk and poor health habits were about three times more likely to develop dementia versus those with low genetic risk and good habits, researchers reported Sunday. Regardless of how much genetic risk someone had, a good diet, adequate exercise, limiting alcohol and not smoking made dementia less likely. (7/14)

The Washington Post: Signs Of Dementia For Family Members To Notice
Julie Staple was a child when her dad, Mark Womack, began exhibiting odd behavior. An award-winning violin, viola and cello maker, Womack was not following through for clients nor returning phone calls promptly. He was watching more TV and taking more breaks from work. He began drinking and was quick to become angry. The behavior lasted years and took its toll. Staple and her mom, Ginny Womack, a professional violinist, thought Mark Womack was depressed. (Berger, 7/13)

The New York Times: He Emerged From Prison A Potent Symbol Of H.I.V. Criminalization
Last week, Michael L. Johnson, a former college wrestler convicted of failing to disclose to sexual partners that he was H.I.V. positive in a racially charged case that reignited calls to re-examine laws that criminalize H.I.V. exposure, walked out of the Boonville Correctional Center in Missouri 25 years earlier than expected. Mr. Johnson, 27, was released on parole on Tuesday after an appeals court found that his 2015 trial was “fundamentally unfair.” His original sentence was longer than the state average for second-degree murder. (Rueb, 7/14)

The New York Times: Urinary Tract Infections Affect Millions. The Cures Are Faltering.
For generations, urinary tract infections, one of the world’s most common ailments, have been easily and quickly cured with a simple course of antibiotics. But there is growing evidence that the infections, which afflict millions of Americans a year, mostly women, are increasingly resistant to these medicines, turning a once-routine diagnosis into one that is leading to more hospitalizations, graver illnesses and prolonged discomfort from the excruciating burning sensation that the infection brings. (Richtel, 7/13)

The New York Times: What You Need To Know About Resistant Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary tract infections, or U.T.I.s, are one of the world’s most common infections. Increasingly, they also are resistant to major drug treatments. Here’s what you should know. (Richtel, 7/13)

The Washington Post: This Show Is Really ‘Sick.’ If You’re Concerned About Your Health, That’s Why You Should Watch It.
From malaria to measles to the common cold, disease can do a number on the human body. But how? “Sick,” a YouTube show from Seeker, a digital publisher devoted to science, answers that question in gripping, often gross detail. The first season of the series is online now. (Blakemore, 7/13)

NPR: Sleep Training Truths: What Science Can (And Can't) Tell Us About Crying It Out
Welcome to parenthood! For many of us, parenthood is like being air-dropped into a foreign land, where protohumans rule and communication is performed through cryptic screams and colorful fluids. And to top it off, in this new world, sleep is like gold: precious and rare. (Oh, so precious.) Throughout human history, children were typically raised in large, extended families, filled with aunts, uncles, grannies, grandpas and siblings. Adding another baby to the mix didn't really make a big dent. (Doucleff, 7/15)

The Associated Press: Agencies Boost Efforts To Stop Wildland Firefighter Suicides
Shane Del Grosso spent some 30 summers crossing smoke-shrouded mountains and forests to fight increasingly devastating wildfires in the U.S. West. Toward the end, his skills and experience propelled him to lead a federal multi-agency team that responded to large-scale national disasters. On some days he directed a thousand firefighters and helped coordinate aircraft attacks on massive blazes. (Ridler, 7/14)

NPR: Gene Test For Alzheimer's Can Raise Thorny Questions
In a waiting room at the Banner Alzheimer's Institute in Phoenix, a 74-year-old woman named Rubie is about to find out whether she has a gene that puts her at risk for Alzheimer's. "I'm a little bit apprehensive about it, and I hope I don't have it," she says. "But if I do, I want to be able to plan for my future." The gene is called APOE E4, and it's the most powerful known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's after age 65. (Hamilton, 7/12)

NPR: Doctors Begin To Raise Climate Change's Health Effects With Patients
When Michael Howard arrives for a checkup with his lung specialist, he's worried about how his body will cope with the heat and humidity of a Boston summer. "I lived in Florida for 14 years and I moved back because the humidity was just too much," Howard tells pulmonologist Mary Rice, as he settles into an exam room chair at a Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare clinic. Howard, who is 57, has COPD, a progressive lung disease that can be exacerbated by heat and humidity. (Bebinger, 7/13)

NPR: More Tai Chi, Fewer Meds: Simple Steps To Help Seniors Avoid Falling
As we age, the risk of falling increases and becomes increasingly perilous. A fall can be a real health setback for a frail, elderly person. And, more older adults are dying from falls today than 20 years ago. A recent study showed that more than 25,000 U.S. adults age 75 or above died from a fall in 2016, up from more than 8,600 deaths in 2000, and the rate of fatal falls for this age group roughly doubled. But the risk of falling can be minimized, says Dr. Elizabeth Eckstrom, professor and chief of geriatrics at Oregon Health & Science University. "A lot of older adults and a lot of physicians think that falling is inevitable as you age, but in reality it's not." (Torres, 7/14)

NPR: Caregiving For A Loved One? How To Get The Help You Need
This year I joined the ranks of 40 million Americans who are family caregivers as I began to care for my 81-year-old father. As a physician, taking on this role has given me the chance to experience what so many of my patients and their families encounter. As I've learned, no one is prepared to become a caregiver. It just happens. (Henning Schumann, 7/14)

NPR: A Call For More Research On Cancer's Environmental Triggers
We already know how to stop many cancers before they start, scientists say. But there's a lot more work to be done. "Around half of cancers could be prevented," said Christopher Wild in the opening session of an international scientific meeting on cancer's environmental causes held in June. Wild is the former director of the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer. (Schattner, 7/12)

The Wall Street Journal: Schools Relax Dress Codes In Bid To End Body Shaming
The old fingertip test to measure length of shorts and skirts is out in a growing number of school districts, while short shorts, tube tops, pajamas and attire showing cleavage are in. Clothing once considered taboo is now permitted as more districts across the U.S. relax student dress code policies, deemed disproportionately targeted at females, and move to gender-neutral or equitable dress codes. The districts also want to end body shaming, causing humiliation by criticizing a person’s body shape or size. (Hobbs, 7/13)

The New York Times: Shielding Kids From The Sun Isn’t Just About Sunscreen
We have come to the time of year when everyone needs to be reminded about the daily duty of considering the sun. “We don’t want people to just stay inside,” said Dr. Lawrence F. Eichenfield, a professor of dermatology and pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego and Rady Children’s Hospital. “We know that sun can have harmful effects including increasing the risk of skin cancer, sunburn, aging of skin — sun protection makes sense.” (Klass, 7/15)

ProPublica: Maryland Sues Notorious For-Profit Group Homes. The Company Was The Subject Of ProPublica Investigation.
Alleging “Dickensian” conditions, Maryland’s Attorney General has sued a group home provider that has long faced allegations in multiple states of abusing children with severe developmental disabilities and behavioral challenges. The for-profit company, which in recent years changed its name from AdvoServ to Bellwether Behavioral Health, ran group homes in Delaware that took in residents from Maryland. Maryland removed the last of its children from the homes in October 2016, after inspections found filthy conditions and a teenage girl from Maryland died after being restrained. (Vogell, 7/12)

The New York Times: In Hawaii, Rat Lungworm Disease Infects People But Eludes Researchers
A tropical parasite transmitted through rats and snails has caught the attention of health officials in Hawaii. But few scientists have studied the infection once it makes its way into humans, and researchers can’t say for certain whether the disease is becoming more widespread. The parasite, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, typically resides in a rat’s pulmonary arteries and is commonly known as “rat lungworm.” (Sheikh, 7/12)

The Washington Post: Virginia Gun Violence: Pregnant Woman Is Shot In Richmond After Failed Gun Control Debate
Outrage was still rising Tuesday when Levar Stoney received the text message from his police chief. The mayor of Richmond had spent the morning speaking to crowds outside the state Capitol ahead of a special legislative session on gun control. He’d invoked the victims of a May 31 mass shooting in Virginia Beach and urged lawmakers to pass “common sense” gun laws. “There is an opportunity to do right,” he’d said. “That day is today.” (Miller, 7/14)

The Washington Post: Should There Be Diaper-Changing Stations In Men’s Bathrooms? With Proposed New Law, D.C. Wades Into National Debate. 
Having a kid changed a lot of things — including how Jeremy León enters restaurants. Today, when he steps through the door with 3-year-old daughter Naya, Jeremy León immediately switches to “my logical mind.” He scans the scene, locates the restroom and sets out to answer the all-important question: Will there be a diaper-changing table in the men’s bathroom? More often than not in the D.C. area, the answer is no, leaving León — a stay-at-home dad who is married to a man — at a loss. (Natanson, 7/14)

The Washington Post: Vision To Learn: Kids Get Free Eye Exams, Glasses From Nonprofit
Ja’karri Green can’t see mosquitoes when they land on his arm, and sometimes he has trouble reading his Japanese comic books. So it was no surprise when the optometrist who came to his Boys & Girls Club camp last week told him he needed to wear glasses. “So my seeing is bad?” Ja’karri, 11, asked the doctor, Marianne Mai. “Not bad at all!” Mai told him. “You just need a little help.” (Iati, 7/14)

The Associated Press: Mental Hospital Patient Died In Dogpile; No Charges Filed
A patient at a state mental hospital in South Carolina died earlier this year after being at the bottom of a dogpile of several employees — something specifically prohibited in their training. Three of the 13 employees involved in the death of 35-year-old William Avant in January had not been through training on physically restraining patients, according to The State newspaper . His death hadn't been reported prior to Sunday. (7/14)

The Associated Press: 2 Dead, Dozens Ill From Outbreak At Virginia Retirement Home
Virginia health department officials say two people have died and 20 more have been hospitalized by a respiratory virus outbreak at a large retirement community. The Fairfax County Health Department said Friday that 55 of the 263 residents at the Greenspring Retirement Community in Springfield, Virginia, have fallen ill during the outbreak. Over the past two weeks, the ill residents displayed symptoms such as coughs, fevers, and pneumonia. (7/12)

The Associated Press: 9 More Women File Lawsuits Against UCLA Gynecologist
Nine more women have alleged in two lawsuits they were sexually assaulted by a former gynecologist who worked for the University of California, Los Angeles. The lawsuits state the women were assaulted by Dr. James Heaps during examinations between 1989 and 2017. The women allege the inappropriate touching sometimes without gloves was not for any legitimate medical purpose and solely for Heaps' sexual gratification. (7/12)