First Edition: June 13, 2023

KFF Health News: Biden Admin Implores States To Slow Medicaid Cuts After More Than 1M Enrollees Dropped
Too many Americans are losing Medicaid coverage because of red tape, and states should do more to make sure eligible people keep their health insurance, the Biden administration said Monday. More than a million Americans have lost coverage through the program for low-income and disabled Americans in the past several weeks, following the end of pandemic protections on April 1, according to the latest Medicaid renewal data from more than 20 states. (Recht, 6/13)

KFF Health News: Fraudsters Are Duping Homeless People Into Signing Up For ACA Plans They Can’t Afford
Mary Zhelyazkova was surprised when pharmacists at Florida’s largest safety net hospital said they could not fill her prescription. Zhelyazkova, 40, was living at a homeless shelter and needed Suboxone, a medication to manage the symptoms of opioid withdrawal. She said she had been getting Suboxone at the Jackson Memorial Hospital pharmacy for free through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which provides medical care at little or no cost to people with HIV. (Chang, 6/13)

KFF Health News: On The Brink Of Homelessness, San Diego Woman Wins The Medi-Cal Lottery
Annie Malloy started getting sick in 2020. Fits of uncontrolled vomiting would hit, causing debilitating nausea and severe dehydration that would send her to the emergency room. She couldn’t keep weight on, and the vomiting got so bad she was admitted to the hospital 26 times that year. Malloy, one of the 15.8 million low-income people enrolled in California’s Medicaid program, called Medi-Cal, racked up extraordinary health care costs while her doctors struggled to diagnose her illness. One hospitalization for a patient in a Medi-Cal managed-care program can cost nearly $18,000, on average. (Hart, 6/13)

Politico: Compromise Struck To Preserve Obamacare’s Preventive Care Mandate 
The Texas conservatives challenging Obamacare’s preventive care mandate have reached a tentative compromise with the Justice Department that preserves free coverage for a range of services — from syphilis tests to depression screenings. The agreement, which still needs approval from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, keeps coverage intact nationwide while the case proceeds. The Biden administration, in exchange, pledged not to enforce the mandate to cover HIV prevention drugs and other preventive care services against the employers and individual workers who sued claiming that doing so violated their religious beliefs. This means that even if the Affordable Care Act rules are upheld on appeal, the government can’t penalize the challengers for refusing to cover required services. (Ollstein, 6/12)

The New York Times: Obamacare Mandate For Preventive Care Is Restored, For Now
The deal they reached leaves the provision almost fully intact, requiring a vast majority of health plans to continue providing preventive care at no charge. The agreement includes an exemption for the small businesses and individuals challenging the provision; these entities will be allowed to use a plan that does not cover all preventive services if they can find a health insurer who offers it. (Kliff, 6/12)

Modern Healthcare: HHS Offers States New Medicaid Redetermination Flexibilities
The Health and Human Services Department announced new flexibilities for states to use during the Medicaid redeterminations process, as Secretary Xavier Becerra expressed concern at the number of enrollees removed from the program. (Turner, 6/12)

Modern Healthcare: HHS, HRSA Establish Student Loan Repayment Program For Pediatric Clinicians 
Efforts to recruit and retain clinicians caring for children and adolescents, particularly in schools and underserved areas, are getting a $15 million boost from the federal government. The need for the services is growing. Over the course of the pandemic, pediatric behavioral health in particular has been a major area of concern with delays in treatment due to a lack of qualified personnel and access to specialized care. (Devereaux, 6/12)

Reuters: US Budget Deficit Mushrooms In May As Revenue Falls, Medicare Outlays Jump 
The U.S. budget deficit swelled in May from a year earlier as revenue tumbled and Medicare spending surged, the Treasury Department said on Monday in its first monthly accounting of the government's finances since a deal was reached to suspend the debt limit and avoid a first-ever federal default. (6/12)

Reuters: Biden Postpones NATO Leader Meeting After Root Canal Treatment
President Biden reported tooth pain on Sunday, prompting an X-ray examination and root canal treatment by a team from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, according to a letter from his physician that was distributed to the press. "The President tolerated the procedure well," the physician, Kevin O'Connor, wrote about the previously undisclosed treatment. "There were no complications." Biden, 80, experienced more pain on Monday, received local anesthesia and did not need to transfer his powers to Vice President Kamala Harris under the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the White House said. (Hunnicutt, 6/12)

The Washington Post: Sanders Vows To Oppose NIH Nominee Until Biden Produces Drug-Pricing Plan 
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate health panel, is vowing to not move forward with President Biden’s nominee to lead the National Institutes of Health — or any health nominee — until he receives the administration’s “comprehensive” plan on lowering drug prices. “I will oppose all nominations until we have a very clear strategy on the part of the government … as to how we’re going to lower the outrageously high cost of prescription drugs,” Sanders said in an interview with The Washington Post. (Diamond, 6/12)

The Boston Globe: Biogen CEO Calls New Alzheimer’s Drug First Breach Of Disease’s ‘Fortress Wall’
Chris Viehbacher, chief executive of Cambridge-based Biogen, speaking Monday at the World Medical Innovation Forum in Boston, also called for broad insurance coverage of the treatment, Leqembi, and defended the $26,500 annual price of the drug set by Biogen and its Japanese partner Eisai. Viehbacher, interviewed in a fireside chat with CNN medical correspondent Meg Tirrell, said he “struggles with” pricing drugs, but believes industry critics don’t fully appreciate the expense and risk inherent in drug discovery — and the decades of failures in attempts to treat the memory-robbing disease. (Weisman, 6/12)

The Hill: Walensky To Face House COVID Panel Before Stepping Down As CDC Head 
Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will testify before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on Tuesday to discuss the decisions her agency made during the pandemic. This will be the final appearance she will make in front of the GOP-led panel before she steps down as head of the CDC at the end of this month. She is the sole witness scheduled to speak before the committee on Tuesday. (Choi, 6/12)

CIDRAP: US COVID Markers Decline Amid XBB Subvariant Shifts 
The CDC also posted its latest variant proportion estimates, which show that the level of XBB.1.5 has declined from 54.4% to 39.9%. A group of other Omicron XBB subvariants continue to gain ground, including XBB.1.16, XBB.1.9.1, XBB.1.16.1, XBB.1.9.2, and XBB.2.3. (Schnirring, 6/9)

CIDRAP: Study: Southern US Hit Hardest With Mental Health Concerns During Pandemic 
A study from researchers at the University of Kansas shows Southern states may have carried the brunt of mental health troubles during the COVID-19 pandemic, with people in that region most consistently worried about finances throughout COVID-19 lockdowns and the emergence of new strains of the virus. The findings were published yesterday in PLOS One. (Soucheray, 6/9)

CNN: About 15% Of US Children Recently Received Mental Health Treatment, CDC Data Shows
Nearly 15% of children in the United States were recently treated for mental health disorders in 2021, according to new research from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The finding, released Tuesday by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, suggests that mental health disorders – such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or anxiety – are common among school-age children. (Howard, 6/13)

CIDRAP: Study Shows Detectable Mpox DNA In Skin Lesions For More Than 3 Weeks
In a study involving 16 men who have sex with men (MSM) infected with mpox, viral DNA remained detectable in skin lesions for 17 to 31 days after symptom onset. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. All MSM included in the study had contracted mpox through sexual transmission, and their median age was 36. None were treated with antivirals throughout the course of the study. (Soucheray, 6/12)

CIDRAP: AI Can Accurately Diagnose Mpox Using Photos Of Rash, Researchers Say
Researchers in India say they used artificial intelligence (AI) to diagnose mpox using photos of skin lesions with an accuracy up to 99.5%. Their study, published last week in Medicine in Novel Technology and Devices, tested the ability of the trained deep-learning networks GoogLeNet, Places365-GoogLeNet, SqueezeNet, AlexNet, and ResNet-18 to diagnose mpox using photos of patients' skin lesions (mpox, chickenpox, and other viruses) and computer models designed to mimic human vision. Currently, mpox is diagnosed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, but the study authors noted that the results are not always accurate because the virus remains in the blood only a short time. (Van Beusekom, 6/12)

The Hill: Ohio’s Top Court Rules Parts Of Ballot Measure At Center Of Abortion Fight Must Be Rewritten
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Monday that a ballot measure at the center of an abortion fight in the state needed to be partially rewritten ahead of an August election, but also ruled against Democratic litigants on some of their key requests. Ohioans will be heading to the polls Aug. 8 to weigh in on a proposed constitutional amendment that would, if passed, require at least 60 percent of voters to pass any amendment to the state’s constitution — up from a simple majority. (Vakil, 6/12)

AP: Clinic, Physicians Challenge Revised North Dakota Abortion Laws In Ongoing Lawsuit 
A former North Dakota abortion provider challenged one of the nation’s strictest abortion laws Monday, arguing the law “fragrantly violates” a court ruling supporting the right of patients in the state to obtain the procedure to preserve their life or health. The lawsuit initially filed last year by what was the conservative state’s sole abortion provider seeks to block a law recently approved by the Republican-led Legislature and signed by Gov. Doug Burgum. The law outlaws all abortions except in cases where women could face death or a “serious health risk” or pregnancies caused by rape and incest, but only in the first six weeks, when many women often don’t know they are pregnant. (Dura, 6/12)

CNN: First-Of-Its-Kind Erectile Dysfunction Gel Gets FDA’s OK For Over-The-Counter Marketing, Company Says
A first-of-its-kind topical gel for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, called Eroxon, has been authorized for over-the-counter marketing in the United States, according to pharmaceutical company Futura Medical, which developed the product. (Howard, 6/12)

The Boston Globe: Ironwood’s Blockbuster GI Drug Approved For Children And Teens
Boston-based Ironwood Pharmaceuticals’ blockbuster drug for gastrointestinal problems was cleared Monday to treat functional constipation in patients 6 to 17 years of age, making it the first approved medicine for the disorder in pediatric patients. Linzess, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2012 to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation in adults, generated more than $1 billion in US net sales in each of the last two full years, according to a company spokesman. (Saltzman, 6/12)

Stat: Ro Pauses Advertising Of Weight-Loss Drug Wegovy Amid Shortages
Telehealth company Ro has paused advertising of the obesity drug Wegovy as the drug suffers shortages, a reversal in aggressive promotional efforts by the provider that involved splashy ads in subway stations. (Chen, 6/12)

Stat: Hospitals Still Don't Know How To Talk To Patients About AI In Care
Health systems across the country are exploring blending artificial intelligence into their communication with patients, from billing to after-hours messages about medication or symptoms. But how best to actually talk to patients about the technology and its risks is still an open question. (Ravindranath, 6/13)

The New York Times: Doctors Are Using Chatbots in an Unexpected Way
On Nov. 30 last year, OpenAI released the first free version of ChatGPT. Within 72 hours, doctors were using the artificial intelligence-powered chatbot. ... They worried, though, that artificial intelligence also offered a perhaps too tempting shortcut to finding diagnoses and medical information that may be incorrect or even fabricated, a frightening prospect in a field like medicine. (Kolata, 6/12)

NPR: Drug-Maker May Renege On $1.7 Billion Opioid Settlement 
The generic drug-maker Mallinckrodt says the company's board might not make a $200 million opioid settlement payment scheduled for later this week. In a June 5 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the financially troubled firm said it faces growing questions internally and from creditors about the payout, which is part of a $1.7 billion opioid deal reached as part of a bankruptcy deal last year. (Mann, 6/12)

The Washington Post: Fentanyl Overdoses Took A Record Toll On The Army In Recent Years 
The parents of Sgt. 1st Class Ronald Conley Jr. want to know how many days their son lay dead on his bathroom floor from fentanyl poisoning without the Army noticing. Kue Vue’s brother questions how the straight-laced sergeant turned to drugs. Spec. Ari McGuire’s parents wonder why he wasn’t immediately sent to treatment when he suffered withdrawal symptoms in a training exercise. None of the families expect they will get all the answers about how the men died from fentanyl, a lethal synthetic opioid that has hit the Army the hardest among military branches and caused a record number of fatal overdoses among soldiers in 2021, the last complete year of data available, according to new figures obtained by The Washington Post. (Kornfield, Rempfer and Rich, 6/12)

Military.Com: Troops In Navy, Marine Corps Barracks Guaranteed Right To Healthy, Safe Housing
The sea services have rolled out new policies for barracks and unaccompanied officer housing that allow incoming residents to refuse rooms considered uninhabitable based on standards set by the Navy and Marine Corps. Lt. Gen. Edward Banta, deputy commandant for Marine Corps installations and logistics, issued a service-wide message June 6 guaranteeing safe, functional, environmentally healthy barracks in good working order and giving Marines the right not only to refuse the housing but encouraging them to report issues without fear of retaliation or retribution. (Kime, 6/12)

The Hill: Americans Are Drinking As Much Alcohol Now As In Civil War Days
The average American drinks 60 percent more hard liquor now than in the mid-1990s, an unheralded surge in spirit consumption that signals changing tastes in alcohol. Americans are drinking more wine, too: 50 percent more per person since 1995. Overall, the average American consumed 2.51 gallons of ethanol, the alcohol in wine, beer and spirits, in 2021, compared to 2.15 gallons in 1995, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. If 2.5 gallons in a year sounds low, consider that the figure covers only alcohol, not water and other ingredients in an alcoholic drink. (De Vise, 6/12)

CNN: Small Amounts Of Alcohol May Turn Down Stress In The Brain, Benefiting The Heart, New Study Finds
Researchers say they may be able to explain how light drinking benefits the heart, and its main effect doesn’t stem from changes in the blood – as scientists once thought – but from its actions in the brain. But because alcohol also raises the risk of cancer at any amount, however, researchers say they aren’t advising people to imbibe. Instead, understanding this mechanism may point to healthier ways to tap into the same benefit, such as through exercise or meditation. (McPhillips and Goodman, 6/12)

Oklahoman: Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Regulations Vetoed By Gov. Stitt
Gov. Kevin Stitt has vetoed a medical marijuana regulation bill that would have added restrictions on who can get patient cards and how much THC can be in a single serving. The bill also included several other provisions meant to curtail illegal operations and, according to its author, move Oklahoma toward a true medical program. (Denwalt, 6/12)

CNN: Obesity Changes The Brain, With ‘No Sign Of Reversibility,’ Expert Says
Obesity may damage the brain’s ability to recognize the sensation of fullness and be satisfied after eating fats and sugars, a new study found. Further, those brain changes may last even after people considered medically obese lose a significant amount of weight — possibly explaining why many people often regain the pounds they lose. (LaMotte, 6/12)

The Washington Post: Hockey's Frequent Fights May Shorten Lives, According To New Study
National Hockey League “enforcers,” those players who engage in frequent fights on the ice, tend to die about 10 years earlier than their teammates, according to a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open. It describes enforcers as hockey players who “engage in fights to intimidate opponents and gain momentum for their team.” (Searing, 6/12)

CNN: ‘Unbelievably Excited’ - Wheelchair Users React To New Delta Airplane Seat Design
A new airplane seat concept that allows wheelchair users to stay in their own chair throughout a flight was revealed this week by a subsidiary of US airline Delta, a move welcomed as a “huge step” by potential customers. (Street, 6/8)

Anchorage Daily News: Alaska’s First-Ever Rabid Moose Case Prompts Higher Rabies Surveillance In State
A moose acting aggressively in a Northwest Alaska community tested positive for rabies this month, marking the first rabid moose case detected in the state — and North America overall. The case has prompted Alaska officials to increase rabies surveillance across a large swath of the state. (Naiden, 6/12)