First Edition: June 14, 2024

KFF Health News: Indiana Weighs Hospital Monopoly As Officials Elsewhere Scrutinize Similar Deals
Locals in this city of 58,000 are used to having to wait at railroad crossings for one of the dozens of daily cargo trains to pass through. But a proposed merger between the two hospitals on either side of the city could exacerbate the problem in emergencies if the hospitals shut down some services, such as trauma care, at one site, which the proposal cites as a possibility. Tom High, fire chief of a nearby township, said some first responders would be forced to transport critical patients farther, risking longer delays, if they become what locals call “railroaded” by a passing train. (Liss, 6/14)

KFF Health News: California Lawmakers Preserve Aid To Older, Disabled Immigrants
California lawmakers on Thursday passed a 2024-25 budget that rejected Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to cut in-home supportive services for low-income older, blind, and disabled immigrants lacking legal residency. However, the Democratic governor has not said whether he’ll use his line-item veto authority to help close the state’s $45 billion deficit. (Sánchez, 6/14)

KFF Health News: KFF Health News' 'What The Health?': SCOTUS Rejects Abortion Pill Challenge — For Now
The Supreme Court has dismissed a challenge to the FDA’s approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, ruling unanimously that the anti-abortion doctor group that filed the suit lacked standing. But abortion opponents are expected to pursue other strategies to ban or restrict the medication. ... Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF president and CEO Drew Altman about KFF’s new “Health Policy 101” primer. (Rovner, 6/13)

The Washington Post: After Ruling, The Future Of Abortion Pills Rest With Biden Or Trump
The Supreme Court’s decision Thursday not to impose restrictions on a key abortion drug, while a victory for abortion rights advocates, crystallizes the stakes of the next presidential election for access nationwide. Because a president has enormous power to influence federal agencies that oversee abortion policy, a potential Trump administration could unilaterally choose to do what the Supreme Court did not: impose strict restrictions on mifepristone, one of two drugs used in over 60 percent of abortions — or even move to take the drug off the market entirely. (Kitchener and Scherer, 6/13)

Politico: The Anti-Abortion Wins Buried In The Supreme Court’s Unanimous Ruling Against Them 
The Supreme Court on Thursday slapped down an attempt by conservative doctors to roll back access to a widely used abortion pill — a seemingly decisive defeat for the anti-abortion movement almost exactly two years after the court overturned Roe v. Wade. Yet tucked in the pages of the unanimous ruling were potentially useful hints for abortion opponents, laying out a path to mount similar challenges to the medication in the future and limit abortion access in other ways. (Ollstein, 6/13)

NPR: Medication Abortion Providers Shocked And Relieved At Ruling
Some abortion providers were stockpiling mifepristone. Others were preparing to use alternative drug regimens to terminate pregnancies. But the Supreme Court’s decision on Thursday to uphold the FDA’s rules on abortion medication means none of that is necessary, at least right now. "We continue business as usual,” says Lauren Jacobson, a nurse practitioner in Massachusetts who provides abortion pills, including mifepristone, by mail. (Nadworny and Simmons-Duffin, 6/13)

Roll Call: Senate Falls Short On IVF Vote
The Senate on Thursday fell short of the votes needed to move forward on legislation that would protect access to and expand coverage of commonly used fertility treatments, with just two Republicans joining Democrats in support of the legislation. (Cohen and Raman, 6/13)

Politico: House Votes To Overturn Pentagon Abortion Policy, Pushing Defense Bill Hard-Right 
A Republican proposal to block a Biden administration policy that shores up troops’ access to abortion was added to the House Pentagon policy bill Thursday, a move that will jeopardize bipartisan support and complicate efforts to pass the legislation. Speaker Mike Johnson allowed a vote on the anti-abortion measure and a laundry list of other conservative amendments to ensure Republican support for the National Defense Authorization Act. But the tactic also means losing Democrats who had previously supported the bill, and there’s no guarantee Republicans can pass the bill. (O'Brien, 6/13)

San Francisco Chronicle: Despite Abortion Pill Ruling, Crusade Against Contraceptives Continues
Even though the U.S. Supreme Court declined to limit the use of the abortion pill mifepristone Thursday, Republicans lawmakers have made little secret of what they want to ban next: contraceptives. From Donald Trump to Congress to state legislatures, conservatives are trying to restrict or deny access to contraceptives, often by employing campaigns riddled with misinformation and lies, like equating IUDs and emergency contraceptives with abortion. (Garofoli and Stein, 6/13)

The Wall Street Journal: Medicare Will Recalculate Quality Ratings Of Medicare Advantage Plans
The federal government plans to redo this year’s quality ratings of private Medicare plans, a move that will deliver hundreds of millions in additional bonus payments to insurers next year. The decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services was announced late Thursday, after The Wall Street Journal reported the agency’s plans. It comes in the wake of two court rulings that faulted the agency’s ratings, in cases filed by insurers SCAN Health Plan and Elevance Health. (Mathews, 6/13)

The Washington Post: Medicare Shutters Headquarters After Legionella Bacteria Detected 
The Baltimore-area headquarters of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is closed after bacteria linked to a serious pneumonia called Legionnaire’s disease was discovered in the water supply. Officials described the move as precautionary and said they were not aware of any staff members suffering health issues related to the bacteria. The General Services Administration found the Legionella bacteria when testing new plumbing fixtures before reopening construction sites at CMS headquarters, which has been undergoing renovations. The building was shuttered Friday. (Diamond, 6/13)

NBC News: FDA Recommends Covid Vaccine Update To Target KP.2 Strain
The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it had advised drugmakers to update the Covid vaccines to target the KP.2 strain, a descendant of the highly contagious JN.1 variant that began circulating widely in the U.S. this winter. The announcement came just over a week after an FDA advisory panel voted unanimously to recommend that the Covid vaccines for the fall be updated to target the JN.1 variant or one of its descendants. (Lovelace Jr., 6/13)

Reuters: US Government To Fund Up To $500 Mln For Studies On Oral, Nasal COVID Vaccines 
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on Thursday it will provide up to $500 million for mid-stage trials evaluating vaccines administered as a nasal spray or pill to protect against symptomatic COVID-19.The funding is part of Project NextGen, a $5 billion initiative led by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), to advance a pipeline of new, innovative vaccines and therapeutics providing broader and more durable protection against COVID-19 infection. (6/13)

Reuters: Moderna Says Next-Generation COVID Vaccine Efficacy Non-Inferior To Current Shot
Moderna said on Thursday its next-generation COVID-19 vaccine candidate showed it was not inferior in efficacy compared to its approved shot in a late-stage study. The experimental vaccine, which met the main trial goal, was being tested in more than 11,000 people aged 12 years and older. The shot showed superior efficacy in adults than the current vaccine sold under the brand Spikevax. (6/13)

Stat: USDA Reports Suggest Containing Bird Flu Outbreak In Dairy Cows Will Be Challenging
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released two reports Thursday that lay out what has been learned about how H5N1 bird flu is moving among dairy cow herds in the United States. The reports do not shed much new light on the situation. Instead, they sum up what is known: that the outbreak was probably the result of a single “spillover” of the virus from wild birds into a dairy herd, likely late last year, and that movement of cows, farmworkers, and shared equipment appears to be responsible for the spread. (Branswell, 6/13)

CIDRAP: USDA Reports Reveal Biosecurity Risks At H5N1-Affected Dairy Farms 
Shared equipment and shared personnel working on multiple dairy farms are some of the main risk factors for ongoing spread of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu in dairy cows, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said today in a pair of new epidemiologic reports. (Schnirring, 6/13)

CIDRAP: More COVID-19 Patients Died In Understaffed Hospitals, New Data Show
A new study in the International Journal of Nursing Studies suggests chronically understaffed US hospitals had higher rates of COVID-19 patient deaths early in the pandemic. "Our study found that individuals' likelihood of surviving was related to hospitals' investments in nursing services prior to the pandemic—in terms of hiring sufficient numbers of RNs [registered nurses], employing nurses with bachelor's educational preparation, and sustaining favorable work environments," said Karen Lasater, PhD, RN, the lead author of the study, in a press release from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. (Soucheray, 6/13)

Modern Healthcare: Nursing Home Staffing Mandate Could Be Overturned In Congress
A congressional bid to overturn a regulation imposing staffing minimums on nursing homes is picking up momentum, with a key Democrat arguing Congress should vote within weeks, but the Republican leading the campaign says he wants a veto-proof majority. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finalized a rule in April that mandates nursing homes provide at least 3.48 hours of nursing care per resident, per day. (McAuliff, 6/13)

Los Angeles Times: A Nurses Union In Riverside Fined Millions For Pandemic Strike 
The union representing nurses at Riverside Community Hospital has been ordered to pay more than $6 million to the hospital for the fallout from a 2020 strike. The unusual financial penalty was imposed by an arbitrator who found the 10-day work stoppage during the pandemic violated the terms of the labor agreement signed by HCA Healthcare, which operates the hospital, and Service Employees International Union Local 121RN. (Hussain, 6/13)

The Baltimore Sun: Residents Unionize At University Of Maryland Medical Center
In a historic first for Maryland, residents and fellow physicians at the University of Maryland Medical Center have voted to unionize, according to election results shared Thursday night by the Maryland chapter of the American Federation of Teachers. (Roberts, 6/13)

CBS News: Chicago Hospital ER Closed To New Patients Due To Sweltering Heat Inside
The emergency room at Community First Medical Center in the Portage Park neighborhood was placed on bypass Thursday. This meant the hospital, at 5645 W. Addison St., would not accept any new patients—including those coming by ambulance. The Illinois Department of Public Health said this was because of sweltering temperatures inside the hospital. Earlier this month, staff at the hospital said they were working in 80- and 90-degree temperatures inside the ER. (Cramer, 6/13)

San Francisco Chronicle: Alameda Hospital Cuts Elective Surgeries; Are Emergent Surgeries Next?
The only hospital in the city of Alameda, the public Alameda Hospital, will no longer perform elective surgeries after June 30 and plans to send those patients to two sister hospitals in Oakland and San Leandro. Hospital leaders said the move to reroute elective procedures is to “ensure the long-term viability” of Alameda Hospital and help offset the cost of seismic upgrades the hospital must complete by 2030 to remain operational. But many nurses and doctors worry the move will compromise patient care. (Ho, 6/13)

Modern Healthcare: Hospital-At-Home Sees Expansion With Medicaid Pay
Florida health systems are waiting for Medicaid hospital-at-home reimbursement to kick in as the state joins a growing group reimbursing for such services, though other states remain cautious about paying for a program with an uncertain future. Approximately 330 hospitals across 37 states offer at-home acute care services through a waiver the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services created during the COVID-19 pandemic for Medicare and fee-for-service Medicaid. (Eastabrook, 6/13)

CBS News: Ascension Cyberattack Caused After Employee Accidentally Downloaded Malicious File
Last month's cyberattack on Ascension hospitals nationwide happened because of what an investigation determined was a simple employee mistake. ... After bringing in a third-party company to investigate the attack, Ascension says the attacker gained access to its systems when an employee working at one of their facilities accidentally downloaded a malicious file, according to a release from Ascension. (Powers, 6/13)

Bloomberg: Oracle Cerner Contract With US Veterans Affairs Extended For Another Year
Oracle Corp.’s massive contract to modernize the health records system with the US Department of Veterans Affairs has been extended 11 months following renegotiations. The extension will have “an emphasis on improved fiscal and performance accountability,” the VA said Thursday in a statement. The VA is working toward “resuming site deployments in fiscal year 2025,” it said. (Ford, 6/13)

The Colorado Sun: Denver-Area Community Health Center Merging With Mental Health Provider
Two large health care organizations that serve historically disadvantaged populations in the northwestern Denver metro area — one that focuses on physical health care, the other focused on mental health care — have announced plans to merge. (Ingold, 6/14)

Politico: Three Takeaways From POLITICO’s ‘Transforming Health Care’ Event 
Lawmakers, top agency officials and private sector leaders are bullish on the potential of new medical technology diagnostics to alter the health care system, but they acknowledge barriers remain. Those include artificial intelligence, next-generation diagnostic testing and precision medicine. And to examine their promise and potential roadblocks, POLITICO spoke with medical experts and government leaders at a summit in Washington on Thursday. (Leonard, 6/13)

The Wall Street Journal: Executives From ADHD Telehealth Startup Arrested, Charged With Fraud In Alleged Adderall Scheme
The founder and head doctor of telehealth company Done Global were arrested and charged with fraud, accused by federal authorities of conspiring to provide easy access to Adderall and other stimulants. Done founder Ruthia He and clinical leader David Brody allegedly arranged for the prescription of more than 40 million stimulant pills and targeted “drug seekers,” spending tens of millions of dollars on “deceptive” social-media advertising, according to the Justice Department. (Winkler, 6/13)

CNN: CDC Warns Access To ADHD Meds May Be Disrupted After Arrests Of Health-Care Startup Executives
People taking medications for ADHD, or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, may face disruptions in accessing treatment after the arrests of two executives of a telehealth company that distributed such drugs to adults across the United States. (Howard, 6/13)

Modern Healthcare: Blue Cross Idaho, Amazon Pharmacy Launch Partnership
Blue Cross of Idaho said Tuesday it has partnered with Amazon Pharmacy to offer at-home delivery of prescriptions to its members. It's one of the latest Blue Cross Blue Shield plans to team up with the company. Through the arrangement, Blue Cross of Idaho members can transfer existing prescriptions to Amazon Pharmacy's platform to get at-home delivery. An Amazon Prime membership is not needed for this service, though users will need an Amazon account, according to the company. (DeSilva, 6/13)

Stat: FDA Seeks Public Input On Advisory Committees
The day an FDA advisory committee met to weigh the merits of an experimental treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis was one of the worst of Mitze Klingenberg’s life. Her son Matt had benefited, she said, from an ALS treatment under review for approval by the Food and Drug Administration. However, the expert panel voted against the therapy on that day, Sept. 27, 2023. (Keshavan, 6/13)

Reuters: Employer Coverage For Weight-Loss Drugs Rises Sharply, Survey Finds
About one-third of U.S. employer health plans are offering coverage of GLP-1 drugs for both diabetes management and weight loss, up from last year, according to a survey of global employers released on Thursday by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. GLP-1 drugs for weight loss grew as a portion of employers' overall medical claims spending to 8.9% in 2024 from 6.9% in 2023, the trade group's survey found. Only about 26% of employers offered the drugs last year. (Niasse, 6/13)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Gross-Tasting Medications Can Be A Barrier To Treatment. Philly Researchers Developed A ‘Bitter Blocker’ To Help
Peihua Jiang knows how difficult it can be to convince a child to take a sip of a bitter liquid medication. ... And as a neurobiologist, Jiang knew the medical issues at stake went beyond a minor inconvenience. Swallowing pills can be difficult for many young children and elderly people. Liquid medications are easier to consume, but their taste is often so off-putting that some patients will avoid them entirely — a significant barrier to good health for those who need to take lifesaving medications. (Whelan, 6/13)

Idaho Capital Sun: Biden’s Title IX Transgender Protections Blocked In Federal Court 
A federal judge has temporarily halted enforcement of new rules from the Biden administration that would prevent discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty of Louisiana issued a temporary injunction Thursday that blocks updated Title IX policy from taking effect Aug. 1 in Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi and Montana. In April, the U.S. Department of Education announced it would expand Title IX to protect LGBTQ+ students, and the four aforementioned states challenged the policy in federal court. (Larose, 6/13)

Military.com: Army Doctor Tells Lewiston Shooting Commission That Oversight Of Mental Health Differs For Reservists 
A U.S. Army mental health expert told Lewiston shooting commission members Thursday that reservists in charge of Robert Card did not have to follow the same protocol for follow-up care as those who supervise active-duty military personnel. But Col. Mark Ochoa, a doctor stationed at Fort Liberty in North Carolina (formerly Fort Bragg) involved in the Army's psychological health program, also acknowledged under questioning that Card's commanders ultimately had the responsibility for ensuring he was being treated properly. (Russell, 6/13)

Health News Florida: Enrollment In Florida’s Medicaid Program Drops Another 36,000 In May 
Enrollment in Florida’s Medicaid program continued to drop in May, with 4.423 million people receiving health care through the system, according to newly posted data on the state Agency for Health Care Administration website. (6/14)

Health News Florida: DeSantis' 2024-25 Budget Gives A High Priority To Health Care Measures 
This year’s legislative session flew under the banner of “Live Healthy," the name given to four prioritized initiatives to help grow Florida’s health care workforce, increase access and incentivize innovation. So, it’s no surprise that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ $116.5 billion budget for fiscal 2024-25, signed Wednesday in Tampa, weighed heavily in that direction. (Mayer, 6/13)

Politico: Top Newsom Adviser Steps Away From Healthcare Initiative Amid Standoff With Allies
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s growing discomfort with a proposed ballot initiative sponsored by leading health care groups is spilling out into the public amid tense discussions over the November ballot and state budget. Jim DeBoo, a top consultant in Sacramento and a former chief of staff to Newsom, confirmed to POLITICO on Thursday that he’s stepped away from his leadership role on the campaign to use a tax on some health insurance to fund improvements in Medi-Cal. (Cadelago and Bluth, 6/13)

Axios: Melanoma Skin Cancer Rates Rising Across U.S.
Doctors are diagnosing more people with melanoma. Although melanoma accounts for only about 1% of skin cancers, it's responsible for the large majority of skin cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). (Mallenbaum, 6/14)

CNN: Suntegrity Sunscreen Foundation Recalled Due To Possible Mold Contamination
Las Vegas-based skincare company Suntegrity is recalling nine lots of Impeccable Skin Sunscreen Foundation after tests revealed “higher than acceptable” levels of Aspergillus sydowii mold in some tubes, according to a notice posted on the US Food and Drug Administration’s website Wednesday. (Davis, 6/13)

CIDRAP: Survey Reveals Many Americans Don't Know Much About STIs Like Syphilis
Many US adults harbor misconceptions about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as syphilis, despite its potential seriousness and cases rising around the world, the latest University of Pennsylvania Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) survey shows. Just over half of respondents (54%) knew that syphilis can be cured, most (84%) mistakenly believed that a vaccine to prevent the disease is available, and 45% said they weren't sure whether there is a vaccine. (Van Beusekom, 6/13)