First Edition: June 16, 2022

KHN: 100 Million People In America Are Saddled With Health Care Debt 
Elizabeth Woodruff drained her retirement account and took on three jobs after she and her husband were sued for nearly $10,000 by the New York hospital where his infected leg was amputated. Ariane Buck, a young father in Arizona who sells health insurance, couldn’t make an appointment with his doctor for a dangerous intestinal infection because the office said he had outstanding bills. (Levey, 6/16)

KHN: Upended: How Medical Debt Changed Their Lives
Some lost their homes. Some emptied their retirement accounts. Some struggled to feed and clothe their families. Medical debt now touches more than 100 million people in America, as the U.S. health care system pushes patients into debt on a mass scale. Debtors are from all walks of life and all corners of the country. Here are their stories ― how they got into debt, what they’ve given up for it, and how they’re living with the burden. (Levey and Pattani, 6/16)

KHN: Tell Us About Your Medical Debt 
Have you been forced into debt because of a medical or dental bill? Have you had to make any changes in your life because of such debt? Have you been pursued by debt collectors for a medical bill? We want to hear about it. (6/16)

KHN: At A Bay Area ‘Test-To-Treat’ Site, Few Takers For Free Antivirals
After avoiding movie theaters, restaurants, and gyms for more than two years, Helen Ho decided to take her first big risk since the start of the pandemic to attend her graduation. In late May, Ho, 32, flew to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to collect her Ph.D. in public policy from Harvard University. A few days after returning home to the Bay Area, she tested positive for covid-19. At first, the Ivy League-educated researcher found herself at a loss for what to do. (Scheier, 6/16)

The New York Times: F.D.A. Panel Recommends Pfizer And Moderna Vaccines For Youngest Children
The only Americans still not eligible for coronavirus vaccines — babies, toddlers and preschoolers — appear on the verge of finally getting cleared to receive them after an advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously on Wednesday to recommend the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for the group. The F.D.A. appears poised to authorize Moderna’s vaccine for children younger than 6 and Pfizer’s for those younger than 5 as soon as Friday. States have already ordered millions of doses, and White House officials have said shots could roll out as early as next week. (LaFraniere and Weiland, 6/15)

CIDRAP: FDA Advisers OK COVID-19 Vaccines For Youngest Kids 
The group voted separately on whether benefits outweigh the risks for the two vaccines, but results were unanimous for approval for both. Moderna's EUA applies to kids ages 6 months through 5 years, given in two 25-microgram doses, which is one fourth of the adult dose. Pfizer's EUA applies to kids ages 6 months through 4 years, given in three 3-microgram doses, one tenth of the adult dose. (Schnirring, 6/15)

Stat: FDA Panel Backs Use Of Pfizer, Moderna Covid Shots In Young Kids
Before families can start to avail themselves of the vaccines, though, an advisory committee for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention needs to recommend the shots, too, and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky must accept the recommendation. The group meets Friday and Saturday, when the votes will be held. (Herper and Branswell, 6/15)

Politico: Florida Is The Only State To Skip Pre-Ordering Covid-19 Vaccines For Kids
Florida is the only state in the nation that has not placed an order with the federal government for doses of the Covid-19 vaccine for young children, saying the distribution process is “convoluted.” The Florida Department of Health, through a statement, said Wednesday that it did not place an order with the federal government for vaccine doses for kids five and under in part because it doesn’t advise all children get vaccinated. The deadline for placing a pre-order was Tuesday and 49 other states met the cutoff date. (Sarkissian, 6/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Moderna To Study Its Covid-19 Vaccine In Babies As Young As 3 Months 
Moderna Inc. is planning to test its Covid-19 vaccine in babies 3 months to 6 months old, the youngest age group studied to date. The Cambridge, Mass., company said Wednesday it is in the final stages of planning the study, to be called BabyCove and expected to begin enrolling as many as 700 babies in September. BabyCove would be the first study of Moderna’s vaccine in infants younger than 6 months. (Loftus, 6/15)

Fox Business: Baby Formula Production Halted At Abbott's Michigan Plant Due To Flooding After Severe Storms
The Abbott Laboratories plant in Michigan that was at the center of the nation's baby formula crisis has stopped production again. Production of its EleCare specialty formula was stopped after severe storms in southwestern Michigan flooded areas of its Sturgis, Michigan plant. This is the same plant that forced Abbott to issue a recall of some of its formulas in February due to contamination issues. The closure of the Sturgis facility, the largest in the U.S. and source of leading brands like Similac, exacerbated the industry-wide baby formula shortage. For several months, parents and caregivers have been scrambling as shelves increasingly become more barren. Meanwhile, retailers were forced to put purchasing limits on the product to try and curtail stockpiling. (Martin, 6/16)

CNN: Formula Production At Abbott's Michigan Plant Delayed After Flooding From Severe Storms 
In tweets Wednesday night, US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said, "We know Abbott is working quickly to assess the damage and will be reporting its progress to us in the days ahead. Once the company establishes a plan, FDA will be back in the facility working to ensure that they can restart producing safe and quality formula products quickly." (Gumbrecht, 6/15)

Bloomberg: US Supreme Court Sides With Hospitals On Medicare Drug Reimbursement Case
The U.S. Supreme Court said the federal government improperly cut more than $1 billion a year in Medicare reimbursements to hospitals in a ruling that limits regulators’ power to control what the program pays for some drugs. The justices on Wednesday unanimously sided with the American Hospital Association in a clash over drug reimbursement rates for facilities that serve low-income communities. (Stohr, 6/15)

Modern Healthcare: Hospitals Win 340B Lawsuit At Supreme Court
The Health and Human Services Department does not have the discretion to change 340B reimbursement rates without gathering data on what hospitals pay for outpatient drugs, the Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. The unanimous opinion, authored by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, reverses a 2020 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. "Absent a survey of hospitals' acquisition costs, HHS may not vary the reimbursement rates only for 340B hospitals; HHS's 2018 and 2019 reimbursement rates for 340B hospitals were therefore unlawful," Kavanaugh wrote. "Under the text and structure of the statute, this case is therefore straightforward." The high court also rejected HHS's contention that the regulations aren't subject to judicial review. (Goldman, 6/15)

Fierce Healthcare: Supreme Court Overturns 340B Pay Cut To Hospitals
In the ruling (PDF), the justices noted that the Department of Health and Human Services did not survey hospital costs before adjusting payments for 340B in a 2018 rule, which cut payments to hospitals in the program by nearly 30%. The agency repeated that approach in 2019 rulemaking, and attorneys for HHS argued before the court that the surveys were not required. SCOTUS disagreed. (Minemyer, 6/15)

The Washington Post: Man Accused Of Kavanaugh Murder Plot Indicted By Federal Grand Jury 
A California man accused of flying across the country with plans to break into Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh’s home to assassinate him was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury, officials said. The single count of attempting to kill a U.S. judge added new details about what authorities say Nicholas Roske, 26, had with him when he arrived via taxi cab to the conservative justice’s home just after 1 a.m. in Chevy Chase, Md., last week. (Morse, 6/15)

The Wall Street Journal: House Republicans Request Investigation Into Reports Of Vandalism, Arson At Antiabortion Offices 
A group of 122 Republicans in the House of Representatives sent a letter Wednesday asking Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate more than a dozen acts of vandalism and arson at locations run by organizations that seek to persuade women not to have abortions. According to local media reports in locations including Madison, Wis., and Buffalo, N.Y., the acts of vandalism have taken place at numerous so-called pregnancy crisis centers over the past two months as well as the offices of antiabortion organizations. (Kesling, 6/15)

The 19th: Democratic Senators Suggest Actions Biden Can Take To Protect Abortion Rights
A public health campaign. A new reproductive health ombudsman. Abortion clinics on federal land. These are just a few of the steps Senate Democrats want the White House to take if the Supreme Court, as expected, strikes down Roe v. Wade in the coming weeks — and there are signs that President Joe Biden is listening. “We’ll fight the Republicans on the ground here, in the Senate, but the administration has its own tools,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, told The 19th during a conversation for its annual 19th Represents summit that starts Wednesday. (Luthra and Becker, 6/15)

The Hill: Cornyn Warns Gun Safety Framework May Have To Be Slimmed Down
Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), the lead Republican negotiator of a bipartisan gun safety framework, said Wednesday that some issues still need to be ironed out and warned the package may have to be slimmed down in order to get a bill passed. Cornyn said he’s “starting to get a little concerned” about the impasse over “a couple of issues that need to be settled before we can reach an agreement.”  (Bolton, 6/15)

Roll Call: Mental Health Becomes Focal Point Of Senate Gun Framework 
Mental health advocates are walking a fine line on the Senate’s bipartisan gun violence package framework — happy that it contains long sought-after provisions to expand access to treatment while stressing that there is little connection between gun homicides and mental illness. A framework released Sunday calls for expanding access to mental health care across the country, with gun control opponents framing those provisions as part of the solution to reducing mass shootings. (Hellmann, 6/15)

The Washington Post: Suspect In Buffalo Grocery Massacre Charged With Federal Hate Crimes 
Payton Gendron, an 18-year-old White man, was charged Wednesday with federal hate-crime violations and a federal gun offense in the mass shooting at a Buffalo grocery store that left 10 Black people dead last month, making him potentially eligible for the death penalty. Authorities announced the 27-count indictment as Attorney General Merrick Garland met in Buffalo with dozens of survivors of the May 14 shooting and family members of those who were slain. He spoke in broad terms about the federal government’s efforts to address rising white nationalism. (Nakamura, 6/15)

Reuters: VP Harris To Launch Task Force On Online Harassment After Shootings
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will inaugurate a task force on Thursday to curb online harassment, fulfilling one of the Biden campaign's promises in the wake of a mass shooting that highlights a link between online abuse and violence. The group will be tasked with producing within six months a blueprint detailing actions to address the problem, including more support for victims, prevention and greater accountability for aggressors and platforms hosting them. (6/16)

Politico: Biden Launches Plan To Protect Transgender Youths’ Health Care 
President Joe Biden on Wednesday will order his health agency to begin efforts to ban conversion therapy and expand access to gender-affirming treatment after a slew of state attempts to limit transgender health care, particularly for children. The president’s executive order will call on the Department of Health and Human Services to clarify that federally funded programs cannot offer conversion therapy, a widely discredited practice that attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, and work on a public information campaign about the practice. Biden is also directing HHS to take “steps to address the barriers and exclusionary policies” to different types of health care and treatment. (Owermohle and Daniels, 6/15)

AP: Trans Kids' Treatment Can Start Younger, New Guidelines Say
A leading transgender health association has lowered its recommended minimum age for starting gender transition treatment, including sex hormones and surgeries. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health said hormones could be started at age 14, two years earlier than the group’s previous advice, and some surgeries done at age 15 or 17, a year or so earlier than previous guidance. The group acknowledged potential risks but said it is unethical and harmful to withhold early treatment. (Tanner, 6/15)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Monkeypox Case Reported In Las Vegas Area
The U.S. outbreak of monkeypox has touched Clark County, with a presumptive positive case reported in a local man who recently traveled within the country, the Southern Nevada Health District said on Wednesday. The man, who is in his 20s, was not hospitalized and is isolating at home. The health district is coordinating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to perform confirmatory testing of the case, which was detected through the presentation of lesions and testing by the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory. The district has not identified any additional cases through its investigation and contact tracing. (Hynes, 6/15)

The Boston Globe: Health Officials Identify Two New Cases Of Monkeypox In Mass., Bringing Total To Six
Two more men in Massachusetts have tested positive for the monkeypox virus, state health officials announced Wednesday, raising the total number to six cases identified in the state since the first one was reported in May amid an international outbreak. Testing on the two new cases was completed Tuesday at the State Public Health Laboratory in Jamaica Plain, the state Department of Public Health said in a statement Wednesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will conduct further testing to confirm the cases, the statement said. Officials said the two new cases are not connected, and both men are isolating to prevent further spread of the virus as officials work to identify anyone who may have come in contact with the patients, the statement said. (Stoico, 6/15)

Fox News: Chicago Urges Monkeypox Caution At Gatherings As US Cases Top 70
Monkeypox and orthopoxvirus cases in the U.S. topped 70 on Wednesday, as officials in Illinois' city of Chicago warned residents to take caution regarding transmission. In a statement, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) said Monday that it continues to investigate reports of cases in residents and is asking people to take proper precautions when in spaces or situations were the virus could be spread through close or intimate contact. The state of Illinois has confirmed eight cases, seven of which are in Chicago. Some of the cases involve individuals who recently traveled from Europe. (Musto, 6/15)

AP: WHO To Share Vaccines To Stop Monkeypox Amid Inequity Fears 
The World Health Organization said it’s creating a new vaccine-sharing mechanism to stop the outbreak of monkeypox in more than 30 countries beyond Africa. The move could result in the U.N. health agency distributing scarce vaccine doses to rich countries that can otherwise afford them. To some health experts, the initiative potentially misses the opportunity to control monkeypox virus in the African countries where it’s infected people for decades, serving as another example of the inequity in vaccine distribution seen during the coronavirus pandemic. (Cheng, 6/15)

NPR: Dr. Anthony Fauci Tests Positive For COVID-19, But Is Experiencing Mild Symptoms
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to President Biden and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has tested positive for COVID-19. The 81-year-old is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and has been boosted twice, according to the National Institutes of Health. He is experiencing mild symptoms and will continue to isolate and work from home. He was also prescribed Paxlovid, the anti-COVID drug, according to a representative for the agency. Fauci has helped lead the U.S. government's response to the coronavirus pandemic since the initial outbreak. (Diaz, 6/15)

ABC News: Low Levels Of Testing May Be Hiding A COVID Wave In Texas: Experts 
Looking at data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would give the impression that COVID-19 is generally under control in Texas. The federal agency's map of levels of COVID-19 spread in the community shows most counties in the state are classified as "low" or "medium." But public health experts said this doesn't tell the true story and that case counts are artificially low in Texas due to low levels of testing reported to public health officials. (Kekatos, 6/15)

Los Angeles Times: Being ‘Fully Vaccinated’ But Not Boosted Won't Stop Omicron
Two shots of COVID-19 vaccine without an additional booster offer essentially no lasting protection against infection with Omicron, and a coronavirus infection is as effective as a recent booster shot in preventing a new Omicron-fueled illness, researchers reported Wednesday. At the same time, any immunity to the highly contagious variant, either from infection or vaccination, appears to offer significant and lasting protection against serious illness, hospitalization and death, the researchers found. And if you haven’t had either the virus or the vaccine, doctors urged, it’s better to get the jab. (Purtill, 6/15)

NBC News: 'Part Of A New Normal:' Covid Reinfections Are Here To Stay
In 2020, Covid reinfections were considered rare. In 2021, breakthrough infections in vaccinated individuals could occur, but again, the risk was low. In 2022, that's no longer the case for either. As more immune-dodging coronavirus variants emerge, reinfections and breakthrough infections appear increasingly normal. The United States isn't currently tracking Covid reinfections. However, U.K. researchers have found that the risk of reinfection was eight times higher during the omicron wave than it was in last year's delta wave. (Syal and Miller, 6/16)

AP: Dolly Parton Gives $1M To Infectious Disease Research, Again 
Dolly Parton is donating $1 million to pediatric infectious disease research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, the organization announced on Wednesday. The new gift is one of several Parton has made to the center over the years, including a $1 million gift in April 2020 for COVID vaccine research. ... Parton’s new gift will support a variety of ongoing research at the medical center, including understanding how viruses and bacteria cause disease, understanding and preventing antibiotic resistance, preventing and treating infections, diagnosing and treating infections in children with cancer, and gauging the impact of childhood infections throughout the world, according to the news release. (6/15)

San Francisco Chronicle: Virus Update: COVID Can Cloud The Brain For Half A Year, Study Finds
The neurological impact of a COVID-19 infection often persists after other symptoms have cleared up, according to an initial round of research published Wednesday by scientists at UCSD. A majority of patients in the study, published in Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, reported symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, memory impairment, and decreased concentration for up to six months after a mild or moderate case of COVID-19. Some also had coordination and cognitive issues. While the symptoms generally improved after half a year, only one-third of the participants said they were completely resolved at that point. None of the individuals in the study had any history of pre-existing neurological conditions prior to their infections. (Vaziri and Ho, 6/15)

USA Today: EPA Finds No Safe Level For Toxic PFAS In Thousands Of Water Systems
The Environmental Protection Agency stunned scientists and local officials across the country on Wednesday by releasing new health advisories for toxic "forever chemicals" known to be in thousands of U.S. drinking water systems, impacting potentially millions of people. The new advisories cut the safe level of chemical PFOA by more than 17,000 times what the agency had previously said was protective of public health, to now just four "parts per quadrillion." The safe level of a sister chemical, PFOS, was reduced by a factor of 3,500. The chemicals are part of a class of chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals due to their extreme resistance to disintegration. They have been linked to different types of cancer, low birthweights, thyroid disease and other health ailments. In effect, the agency now says, any detectable amounts of PFOA and PFOS are unsafe to consume. (Bagenstose, 6/15)

The Washington Post: EPA Warns PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ More Dangerous Than Once Thought
The Environmental Protection Agency warned Wednesday that a group of human-made chemicals found in the drinking water, cosmetics and food packaging used by millions of Americans poses a greater danger to human health than regulators previously thought. The new health advisories for a ubiquitous class of compounds known as polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, underscore the risk facing dozens of communities across the country. Linked to infertility, thyroid problems and several types of cancer, these “forever chemicals” can persist in the environment for years without breaking down. (Grandoni, 6/15)

AP: Alaska Kids Served Sealant Instead Of Milk At School Program 
A dozen children and two adults were served floor sealant instead of milk at a day care summer program at an Alaska elementary school after containers were apparently mixed up, the school district superintendent said Wednesday. Several students complained of burning sensations in their mouth and throats, and at least one child was treated at a hospital after the Tuesday morning incident in Juneau, Superintendent Bridget Weiss said. (Thiessen, 6/15)

AP: West Virginia To Offer Food Benefits To Non-School Age Kids
West Virginia families with eligible children under the age of 6 will be receiving funding from the federal government for groceries. Children are eligible if they live in a household that receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, state Department of Health and Human Resources officials said in a news release. They must also live in a county where one or more schools have been closed or operated at reduced attendance due to COVID-19. (6/16)

The Boston Globe: Mass. House Set To Pass Mental Health Bill
A focus on youth behavioral health underpins the mental health bill that House lawmakers plan to vote on Thursday, top Democrats said. Speaker Ronald Mariano has said representatives would pass their own mental health bill to “complement” one the Senate approved last November, and the House bill received an initial approval vote Wednesday after it emerged from the House Ways and Means Committee. House lawmakers are set to take up their bill (H 4879) on Thursday, and its passage would give the two branches a little more than six weeks to reconcile a pair of wide-ranging bills that have some overlap before formal legislative sessions end for the year on July 31. (Lannan, 6/15)

Bangor Daily News: Maine State Police Will Add New Behavioral Health Team And Body Cameras
Word that change was on the horizon emerged nearly a month ago, but details were scarce. In a press briefing Tuesday, the Maine State Police described its plans to roll out a series of organizational changes starting early next year, along with a new body camera program and team of behavioral health specialists. Col. John Cote said the changes are necessary after years of budget and staffing challenges. The department has 34 trooper vacancies today, he said, and more are expected to retire. “As we take this snapshot right now and look forward for the next several years, we know we are not going to get this large influx of frontline personnel,” Cote said. “So it really drove us to realize we needed to come up with a non-traditional solution.” (Ogrysko, 6/15)

AP: Camp Counselors Receive Mental Health Training In NH 
Counselors are being trained to recognize signs of mental health struggles in campers under a new initiative in New Hampshire to make summer camp more accessible, New Hampshire officials said. The state’s education commissioner, Frank Edelblut said the new program, funded by federal COVID-19 relief aid, has partnered with 10 staff members from mental health facilities across the state to work with camps in the community, WMUR-TV reported Tuesday. (6/15)

The Washington Post: Glenn Youngkin’s Health Chief Doubts Racial Disparities In Health Care 
In five months on the job, Virginia’s chief public health official, Colin Greene, has rejected the state-recognized declaration that racism is a public health crisis and downplayed the role of racism in health disparities, leaving some fearful for their jobs. The head of the office that helps vulnerable mothers and their babies said a run-in with Greene left her and her team traumatized, ashamed and uncertain the programs they shepherded through a pandemic could continue under the new administration. She said he gaslighted staffers and reduced one to tears. (Portnoy, 6/15)

Bloomberg: US Elderly Skimp On Food, Clothes To Pay For Health Care: Survey
Older Americans are sacrificing basic necessities to afford costly health services, according to a survey that shows how many elderly people cut personal expenses to take care of medical needs. Out-of-pocket health costs for elders in the US rose 41% from 2009 to 2019, according to findings from analytics firm Gallup Inc. and West Health, a nonprofit that focuses on senior care. About 9% of Americans 65 and older spent less on food, 6% cut spending on utilities and 19% trimmed clothing expenditures to help cover health costs, according to the survey. (Taylor, 6/15)

Stat: CVS Whistleblower Details How Patients Were Charged Higher Drug Prices
The conversation reflected frustration and disbelief. A woman had called SilverScript, which runs one of the largest Medicare prescription drug plans, to complain that she was unable to get a generic version of a brand-name asthma medication known as Advair. She couldn’t understand why a less-expensive generic was not on the list of covered medicines, because paying for it anyway would cost her about $100 more. (Silverman, 6/16)

Modern Healthcare: Anthem Revives Wellpoint Name In Rebranding Effort
Anthem is continuing its corporate makeover. The nation's second largest insurer, which will change its name to Elevance Health on June 28, is extending its rebranding campaign, Anthem announced Wednesday. The company's healthcare services arm will be dubbed Carelon and some of its health plans will take on the Wellpoint brand, which was the parent company's name before it became Anthem in 2014. The divisional renaming will take place over the next few years. In markets where Anthem does not own Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, its Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurance products will take on the Wellpoint moniker. The name change will not impact the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans the company operates in 14 states. (Tepper, 6/15)

AP: Black Death's Ancient Origins Traced To Lake In Central Asia 
Scientists in Europe say they have pinpointed the origins of the Black Death, a bacterial plague that wiped out half of the continent’s population in the 14th century. The findings counter other theories that the disease — which caused repeated outbreaks into the early 19th century and also left its mark across the Middle East and North Africa — might have first emerged in China. (6/15)

The New York Times: Black Death: A Clue To Where The Plague Originated 
Where and when did the Black Death originate? The question has been asked for centuries and led to heated debate among historians. Now, a group of researchers reports that it has found the answer in the pulp of teeth from people buried in the 14th century. Based on their analysis of the preserved genetic material, the researchers report that the Black Death arrived in 1338 or 1339 near Issyk-Kul, a lake in a mountainous area just west of China in what is now Kyrgyzstan. The plague first infected people in a small, nearby settlement of traders eight years before it devastated Eurasia, killing 60 percent of its victims. (Kolata, 6/15)