First Edition: June 12, 2019
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
Never Say ‘Die’: Why So Many Doctors Won’t Break Bad News
After nearly 40 years as an internist, Dr. Ron Naito knew what the sky-high results of his blood test meant. And it wasn’t good. But when he turned to his doctors last summer to confirm the dire diagnosis — stage 4 pancreatic cancer — he learned the news in a way no patient should. The first physician, a specialist Naito had known for 10 years, refused to acknowledge the results of the “off-the-scale” blood test that showed unmistakable signs of advanced cancer. “He simply didn’t want to tell me,” Naito said. (Aleccia, 6/12)
California Healthline:
Drug Users Armed With Naloxone Double As Medics On Streets Of San Francisco
The man was out of his wheelchair and lay flat on his back just off San Francisco’s Market Street, waiting for the hypodermic needle to pierce his skin and that familiar euphoric feeling to wash over him. The old-timer, who appeared to be in his 60s, could not find a viable vein, so a 38-year-old man named Daniel Hogan helped him. Hogan, a longtime drug user originally from St. Louis, leaned over the older man, eyeing his neck as he readied a syringe loaded with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl. (Rinker, 6/11)
Kaiser Health News:
Trump Administration Rule Would Undo Health Care Protections For LGBTQ Patients
A new Trump administration proposal would change the civil rights rules dictating whether providers must care for patients who are transgender or have had an abortion. Supporters of the approach say it protects the freedom of conscience, but opponents say it encourages discrimination. The sweeping proposal has implications for all Americans, though, because the Department of Health and Human Services seeks to change how far civil rights protections extend and how those protections are enforced. (Huetteman, 6/12)
Kaiser Health News:
‘An Arm And A Leg’: Forget The Shakedown. To Get Paid, Hospitals Get Creative.
An unexpected hospital bill can bust the family budget. More and more Americans have health plans that require them to pony up a high deductible before insurance kicks in. That leaves lots of people with bills they can’t pay. Turns out, that’s a crisis for hospitals too, and some are getting creative about collecting debt. A few years ago, a table saw accident sent woodworker Jim Crannell to the emergency room with a bloody gash in his finger. The pain was bad, and afterward Crannell was bracing for a ghastly medical bill, too. But at discharge, he got an offer that promised to ease his financial suffering. (Weissmann, 6/12)
The Hill:
Major Doctors Group Votes To Oppose Single-Payer Health Care
The nation's largest doctors group on Tuesday voted against a measure that would have dropped its decades-long opposition to single-payer health care proposals. The American Medical Association's (AMA) House of Delegates voted 53 percent to 47 percent against the measure, but adopted a slate of proposals to shore up the Affordable Care Act. (Hellmann, 6/11)
The Associated Press:
2 Health Organizations Sue To Stop New Federal Health Rules
Two health organizations sued the federal government Tuesday to stop a new policy creating obstacles for women seeking abortions. The National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association and Public Health Solutions Inc. sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Manhattan federal court, joining other women's groups, organizations and multiple states seeking to reverse the rule announced in February. (Neumeister, 6/11)
The Hill:
Advocates Sue Trump Administration Over 'Conscience Protection' Rule
The lawsuit claims the rule’s sweeping terms are also likely to embolden refusals to provide a range of other health services.
The final rule “imposes a virtually absolute obligation to accommodate employee objections, regardless of impact, giving employees carte blanche to refuse to do core aspects of their job and yet stay in their role,” the lawsuit stated. (Weixel, 6/11)
Reuters:
Planned Parenthood Sues U.S. To Block Rule That May Limit Abortions
"Trust is the cornerstone of the physician-patient relationship," Leana Wen, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement. "No one should have to worry if they will get the right care or information because of their providers' personal beliefs." HHS pledged to defend the rule vigorously. Planned Parenthood said the rule might affect more than 613,000 hospitals, health clinics, doctors' offices and nonprofits. (Stempel, 6/11)
NPR:
Santa Clara County Fights Trump's 'Conscience Rule' For Health Workers
Moral and religious objections to providing health care sometimes arise in medicine: A medical assistant might not agree with blood transfusions. A nurse might not want to assist in sex reassignment surgery. Last month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services put out a new rule that "implements full and robust enforcement" of existing laws that protect what the administration calls "conscience rights" for health care workers. The rule is set to go into effect on July 22. (Simmons-Duffin, 6/11)
The Associated Press:
Missouri Election Head Rejects Petition For Vote On Abortion
Missouri's top election official on Tuesday rejected a third petition for a public vote on a new law banning abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft's action came as opponents of the law are fighting in court to force the Republican to approve two similar petitions for a referendum that he rejected last week. (Ballentine, 6/11)
The Associated Press:
US Court Appeals Maryland's Move To Block Abortion Changes
The federal government is appealing a court injunction against a Trump administration action that prohibits family planning organizations from referring pregnant women to abortion clinics. Last month, the administration changed a public health law known as Title X, which from 1970 until now had required health care providers to make information about abortion available to low-income individuals at little or no cost. (6/11)
The Associated Press:
Republican Governor Signs Bill Protecting Abortion Rights
Vermont's Republican governor has signed a bill passed by the Democrat-controlled Legislature that protects women's access to abortion amid proponents' concerns that the U.S. Supreme Court could review Roe v. Wade. After signing the bill in private Monday, Gov. Phil Scott released a written statement saying he has consistently supported a woman's right to choose. (Rathke, 6/11)
The Washington Post:
Women Seeking Abortions Turn To Volunteer Network For Help
The work of a nationwide network of volunteers and nonprofit groups that assist women trying to end unwanted pregnancies has reemerged as new state restrictions on abortion threaten to force women to travel farther, pay more and wait longer for the procedure. The groups, which help with the cost and logistics of travel, lodging, food, child care and the abortion procedure itself, say they’re working harder and spending more. They’ve also seen an increase in donations for aid to the low-income women who have three-quarters of U.S. abortions and who are most of their clients. (Bernstein, 6/11)
Los Angeles Times:
Women’s Health Worsened Over 5 Years After Being Denied An Abortion, Study Says
States across the country are tightening regulations on abortion providers in the name of protecting women’s health. But a long-term study of women who sought abortions has found that those who ended their pregnancies reported slightly better health than their counterparts who requested the procedure but were denied. The findings, reported Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, suggests that a woman’s access to abortion may influence her health over time — providing new fodder for the highly charged debate. (Healy, 6/11)
The Associated Press:
Planned Parenthood Launches Regional Political Group
Planned Parenthood says it is launching a regional political advocacy group to help protect abortion rights in Maryland, the District of Columbia and northern Virginia. Planned Parenthood is announcing this week that it is creating the political 501(c)(4) group. The announcement comes as abortion restrictions have been approved in state legislatures around the nation. (6/12)
The Associated Press:
Florida Governor Signs Bill For Foreign Drug Importation
Floridians could eventually gain access to cheaper prescription drugs from Canada and other countries under legislation signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Ron DeSantis, if the federal government gives it a green light. The Republican governor signed the bill in The Villages, home to one of the state's largest retirement-age communities. The U.S. overall spends 30% to 190% more on prescription drugs than other developed countries and pays up to 174% more for the same prescription drug, according to a legislative bill analysis. (Anderson, 6/11)
The Wall Street Journal:
Congress Is Set To Reinforce 9/11 Survivors Fund
Congress is poised to shore up the finances of the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund, months after the trust said it would have to cut back on claim awards for injured and ill first responders and other survivors. Legislation that would fund the trust through 2090 has more than 300 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, and at a hearing Tuesday members from both parties assured survivors that they would act quickly to pass it. The fund was created to pay health-care costs for volunteers and rescue workers who have become sick since responding to the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and United Flight 93 that crashed near Shanksville, Pa. (Rubin, 6/11)
The Associated Press:
Jon Stewart Lashes Out At Congress Over 9/11 Victims Fund
Comedian Jon Stewart scolded Congress Tuesday for failing to ensure that a victims’ compensation fund set up after the 9/11 attacks never runs out of money. Stewart, a longtime advocate for 9/11 responders, angrily called out lawmakers for failing to attend a hearing on a bill to ensure the fund can pay benefits for the next 70 years. Pointing to rows of empty seats at a House Judiciary Committee hearing room, Stewart said “sick and dying” first responders and their families came to Washington for the hearing, only to face a nearly deserted dais. (Daly, 6/11)
Politico:
O'Rourke Pledges Protections For LGBTQ People
Beto O’Rourke on Wednesday pledged to reverse President Donald Trump’s restrictions on transgender people serving in the military and push for passage of the Equality Act if elected president. The Texas Democrat, releasing a broad plan for addressing LGBTQ rights, said he would also end the practice of discharging service members who test positive for HIV and reverse the Trump administration’s “deploy or get out” policy affecting service members deemed non-deployable. (Siders, 6/12)
The Associated Press:
US To Use Army Base In Oklahoma To Shelter Migrant Children
The federal government has chosen a military base in Oklahoma as the location for a new temporary shelter to house migrant children and is considering a customs port in southern New Mexico as another option as existing shelters are overwhelmed. The Office of Refugee Resettlement said Tuesday it's dealing with a dramatic spike in the number of children crossing the border without parents. (6/11)
The Associated Press:
Trump Orders Simpler Path For Genetically Engineered Food
President Trump wants to make it easier for genetically engineered plants and animals to enter the food supply, and he signed an executive order Tuesday directing federal agencies to simplify the "regulatory maze" for producers. The move comes as companies are turning to newer genetic engineering techniques that make it easier to tinker with the traits of plants and animals. (Choi, 6/11)
The Washington Post:
Maryland Opioid Epidemic: Overdose Deaths Down For First Time In 10 Years
Fewer people died of heroin and fentanyl in Maryland in the first quarter of 2019 than during the same period the previous year, preliminary data shows, marking the state’s first decline in fatal opioid overdoses in a decade. Though the data represents a 14 percent decline, or 85 fewer deaths, Maryland public health officials were quick to point out that the opioid epidemic continues at a historic pace, killing more than 500 people in the first three months of this year. (Cox, 6/11)
The Associated Press:
Oklahoma Judge Wants More Answers On $85M Opioid Settlement
An Oklahoma judge is declining to approve the state's proposed $85 million settlement with an opioid maker until he's assured it complies with a new law targeting such deals. The attorney general's office says Cleveland County Judge Thad Balkman on Monday ordered attorneys for both the state and Israeli-owned Teva Pharmaceuticals to file additional paperwork before he approves the settlement. (6/10)
The Associated Press:
Daily HIV Prevention Pill Urged For Healthy People At Risk
Doctors should offer a daily HIV prevention pill to healthy people who are at high risk of getting infected with the virus, an influential health care panel recommended Tuesday. The new guidelines aim to help cut the nearly 40,000 new HIV infections in the U.S. each year. Screening people for the HIV virus also is critical. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reiterated its long-standing advice that everyone ages 15 to 65 — and anyone who's pregnant — should be regularly screened, a step to early, life-saving treatment. (6/11)
NPR:
PrEP To Prevent HIV Infection In High-Risk People Should Be Expanded, Panel Says
There's lots of evidence that preexposure prophylaxis — also known as PrEP — is effective. The Food and Drug Administration-approved pill Truvada contains two antiretroviral medicines (tenofovir and emtricitabine). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites evidence that PrEP can reduce the risk of HIV infection by up to 92% in people who are at high risk and who take the drug consistently. The CDC recommended PrEP several years ago and calls it "a powerful HIV prevention tool," but so far uptake of PrEP has been slow. (Aubrey, 6/11)
NPR:
Suspected Cases Of Elder Abuse Still Underreported, Federal Auditors Say
It can be hard to quantify the problem of elder abuse. Experts believe that many cases go unreported. And Wednesday morning, their belief was confirmed by two new government studies. The research, conducted and published by the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, finds that in many cases of abuse or neglect severe enough to require medical attention, the incidents have not been reported to enforcement agencies, though that's required by law. (Jaffe, 6/12)
The New York Times:
Can Home Cooking Reverse The Obesity Epidemic?
Many nutrition experts blame processed foods for the obesity epidemic, suggesting that a return to home cooking would turn it around. But now some researchers are pushing back against that idea, arguing that it oversimplifies the obstacles that poor and middle-class families face. The case against processed foods has been growing. A flurry of studies last month provided new evidence that these foods, which are typically loaded with salt, sugar, fat and chemical additives, heighten the risk of obesity and chronic disease. (O'Connor, 6/12)
Reuters:
Therapy In The Office: Banks Take Mental Health Fight In-House
In 'Billions', a U.S. television show set in the world of hedge funds, traders at the fictional Axe Capital regularly attend sessions with an in-house psychiatrist.In real life, finance professionals are rarely so open about seeking psychological help. On Wall Street and in the City of London, hyperambition and an 'always on' attitude are richly rewarded and people are often wary of revealing something that could be perceived as a weakness. (Cruise, 6/12)
NPR:
Psychology Student Says He Has A Better Idea For Science Posters
Mike Morrison hardly looks like a revolutionary. He's wearing a dark suit and has short hair. But we're about to enter a world of conformity that hasn't changed in decades — maybe even a century. And in there, his vision seems radical. "We are about to walk into a room full of 100 scientific posters, where researchers are trying to display their findings on a big poster board," says Morrison, a doctoral student in psychology at Michigan State University. (Greenfieldboyce, 6/11)
The New York Times:
Pushing The Limits Of Human Endurance
Our bodies seem to adjust to prolonged, repeated physical exertion and its energy demands by burning fewer — instead of more — calories over the course of the day, even if our exertions continue at the same level, according to a surprising new study of energy expenditure conducted during a 20-week running race across the United States. The study is among the first to quantify the upper limits of human daily energy expenditure and endurance, whether someone is running across the country, competing in the Tour de France or pregnant. (Reynolds, 6/12)
The Washington Post:
Alabama Chemical Castration Bill Signed By Gov. Kay Ivey
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) has signed a bill that will require people convicted of certain sex offenses to undergo “chemical castration” as a condition of parole — a requirement meant to keep perpetrators from committing similar crimes. Ivey signed the bill Monday — the last day under Alabama law that she could have done so after the state legislature passed it on May 31. Gina Maiola, a spokeswoman for Ivey, said the law will apply to people who commit sex offenses after Sept. 1 of this year. (Iati, 6/11)
The New York Times:
What To Know About The Alabama Chemical Castration Law
Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama has signed a so-called chemical castration measure into law, her office announced on Monday, leaving the state poised to set a stringent new parole condition for certain sex offenders. Supporters of the law contend that it will enhance public safety and reduce the risk of convicted sex offenders committing similar crimes once they are released from prison. But critics of the law, which will take effect in September, think it may prove unconstitutional. (Blinder, 6/11)
The New York Times:
After A Transgender Woman’s Death At Rikers, Calls For Justice And Answers
In April, Layleen Polanco, a transgender woman, was arrested on misdemeanor assault charges and sent to the Rikers Island jail complex because she could not afford to pay a $500 bail. Nearly two months later, she was found dead in her cell. The circumstances surrounding Ms. Polanco’s death on Friday, which have not yet been fully explained, quickly garnered national attention, sparking outcry from both transgender rights and criminal justice activists. Adding to their anger was what many saw as hypocrisy on the part of New York City officials. (Gold and Piccoli, 6/11)
The Associated Press:
Family: Transgender Inmate Who Died Had A Seizure Disorder
A transgender woman who died in a New York City jail had a seizure disorder and other health problems and had been hospitalized weeks before, her family's attorney said Tuesday amid calls for an investigation into her death. A jail officer found Layleen Polanco, 27, unresponsive in her Rikers Island cell Friday. She was pronounced dead soon afterward. (6/11)
The Wall Street Journal:
Measles Outbreak In New York City Slows
New York City health officials expressed optimism that the measles outbreak is slowing, while a bill in Albany seeking to repeal the religious exemption to New York’s school-vaccination requirements appears to be moving forward. As of Monday, there were 588 confirmed cases of measles in New York City, up from 566 cases on June 3, according to the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The majority of the confirmed cases is in unvaccinated children ages four and younger. The cases are concentrated in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, where there is a large, insular ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. (West and Vielkind, 6/11)
The New York Times:
Surrogate Pregnancy Battle Pits Progressives Against Feminists
The proposal to legalize surrogacy in New York was presented as an unequivocal progressive ideal, a remedy to a ban that burdens gay and infertile couples and stigmatizes women who cannot have children on their own. And yet, as the State Legislature hurtles toward the end of its first Democrat-led session in nearly a decade, the bill’s success is anything but certain. (Wang, 6/12)
The New York Times:
He Tried To Plug A Wasp Nest. He Ended Up Sparking California’s Biggest Wildfire.
It was a fire that crossed mountain ranges and valleys, that spanned multiple counties and shocked Californians by its sheer scale — by far the biggest wildfire in modern state history. And yet a newly disclosed investigation suggests it was probably started by a single man and a single spark. In a report released in recent days, forensic investigators found that a rancher started the fire when hammering a metal stake in his backyard to snuff out a wasp nest. Sparks flew, igniting dry grass stalks and spreading fire quickly across the desiccated landscape. (Fuller, 6/11)
The Hill:
Texas Governor Signs Law Legalizing Hemp, CBD Products
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed legislation creating a state-regulated hemp industry, which will allow farmers to grow hemp and hemp-derived products, such as cannabidiol (CBD). The law makes it legal for Texas farmers to grow and cultivate hemp and for the Texas Department of Agriculture to regulate the process, including inspections, fee collections and licenses. (Weixel, 6/11)