First Edition: June 20, 2023

KFF Health News: Medical Exiles: Families Flee States Amid Crackdown On Transgender Care
Hal Dempsey wanted to “escape Missouri.” Arlo Dennis is “fleeing Florida.” The Tillison family “can’t stay in Texas.” They are part of a new migration of Americans who are uprooting their lives in response to a raft of legislation across the country restricting health care for transgender people. (Sable-Smith, Chang, Rodriguez and West, 6/20)

KFF Health News: California’s Homelessness Crisis Is Homegrown, Study Finds 
California’s homelessness crisis is a homegrown problem that is deepening amid a shortage of affordable housing and emergency shelter, and it’s often the brutal conditions of living on the street that trigger behavioral health problems, such as depression and anxiety, researchers found in a comprehensive study on homelessness. The new findings by leading researchers at the University of California show that at least 90% of adults who are experiencing homelessness in the state became homeless while living in California. (Hart, 6/20)

KFF Health News: Dementia Can Take A Toll On Financial Health, As Some Families Learn The Hard Way 
Angela Reynolds knew her mother’s memory was slipping, but she didn’t realize how bad things had gotten until she started to untangle her mom’s finances: unpaid bills, unusual cash withdrawals, and the discovery that, oddly, the mortgage on the family home had been refinanced at a higher interest rate. Looking back, Reynolds realizes her mother was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease: “By the time we caught on, it was too late.” (Boden, 6/20)

KFF Health News: Journalists Cover Air Quality, Tick Risks, And … Brazilian Butt Lifts? 
KFF Health News senior fellow and editor-at-large for public health Céline Gounder discussed health concerns from hazardous air quality on CBS’ “CBS Mornings” on June 8. And on May 29, she dug into the number of tick-borne disease cases on the rise in the U.S. ... KFF Health News Florida correspondent Daniel Chang discussed the draw and dangers of Brazilian butt lifts in Miami on Al Jazeera’s “Fault Lines” on June 7. (6/17)

KFF Health News: Doctor Lands In The Doghouse After Giving Covid Vaccine Waivers Too Freely
A Tennessee doctor has lost his medical license for issuing covid-19 vaccine waivers to patients he never met in at least three states. One, it turned out, was a dog named Charlie Kraus. Robert Coble, 76, of Goodspring, Tennessee, agreed to surrender his license in a May settlement with the Tennessee Department of Health that was announced by the agency on June 15. (Kelman, 6/16)

The Washington Post: Biden Announces Physician Mandy Cohen Will Lead CDC 
The Biden administration announced Friday that Mandy Cohen, a physician and a former North Carolina health secretary, will be the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, assuming leadership of an agency left battered by the coronavirus pandemic. “Dr. Cohen is one of the nation’s top physicians and health leaders with experience leading large and complex organizations, and a proven track-record protecting Americans’ health and safety,” President Biden said in a statement, adding that she is recognized by leaders of both parties for her ability “to find common ground and put complex policy into action.” (Diamond and Sun, 6/16)

AP: More Than 1 Million Dropped From Medicaid As States Start Post-Pandemic Purge Of Rolls
More than 1 million people have been dropped from Medicaid in the past couple months as some states moved swiftly to halt health care coverage following the end of the coronavirus pandemic. Most got dropped for not filling out paperwork. Though the eligibility review is required by the federal government, President’s Joe Biden’s administration isn’t too pleased at how efficiently some other states are accomplishing the task. (Lieb and DeMillo, 6/19)

AP: Iowa Supreme Court Declines To Reinstate Strict Abortion Limits, But A New Law Could Be Coming
Abortion will remain legal in Iowa after the state’s high court declined Friday to reinstate a law that would have largely banned the procedure, rebuffing Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and, for now, keeping the conservative state from joining others with strict abortion limits. In a rare 3-3 decision, the Iowa Supreme Court upheld a 2019 district court ruling that blocked the law. The latest ruling comes roughly a year after the same body — and the U.S. Supreme Court — determined that women do not have a fundamental constitutional right to abortion. (Fingerhut and McFetridge, 6/16)

AP: Abortion Providers In North Carolina File Federal Lawsuit Challenging State's New Restrictions 
Abortion providers in North Carolina filed a federal lawsuit Friday that challenges several provisions of a state law banning most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy in the dwindling days before the new restrictions take effect. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and Dr. Beverly Gray, a Duke University OB-GYN, are asking a federal judge to block numerous provisions they argue are unclear and unconstitutional, or to place an injunction on the law to prevent it from being enforced. (Schoenbaum, 6/16)

Crain's Chicago Business: Walgreens, CVS Issue Rules To Stop Denials, Delays For Lawful Reproductive Drugs
Walgreens and CVS are voluntarily implementing new procedures designed to improve timely access to medications that, while they can be used for abortion, have been prescribed for other purposes, according to a statement Friday from a federal agency. (Asplund, 6/18)

CBS News: OB-GYN Shortage Expected To Get Worse As Medical Students Fear Prosecution In States With Abortion Restrictions
A year after Roe v. Wade was overturned, the U.S. is facing a shortage of OB-GYN doctors. It's only expected to get worse in the years ahead as medical students make decisions on what and where to practice, in part, based on states' abortion laws. Erin Duggey is a third-year medical student in Florida, but unless things change, she said that is not where she wants to be a doctor. (Shamlian, 6/19)

The Washington Post: In The Death Of An Olympian, Black Moms Hear Echoes Of Their Own Crises
They see themselves in her story. Not necessarily the part about being an elite athlete. But the part about being a Black woman who suffered catastrophic complications of pregnancy and childbirth, hers being fatal. Some poured out their pain on social media, recounting the trauma they endured. Others commiserated in group chats for Black mothers or gasped in solitude, saying quiet prayers of thanks that they survived what hundreds annually do not. And many of the obstetricians, midwives, doulas and reproductive-health equity researchers who said her name — Tori Bowie — with reverence also expressed exasperation that the nation’s worsening maternal health crisis had claimed another victim. (Johnson and Nirappil, 6/19)

AP: Popular 'Low T' Treatment Is Safe For Men With Heart Disease, But Doctors Warn It's No Youth Serum
Testosterone replacement therapy is safe for men with “low T” who have heart disease or are at high risk for it, a new study suggests. But doctors warn the popular treatment is no “anti-aging tonic.” The research, published Friday in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that heart attacks, strokes and other major cardiac issues were no more common among those using testosterone gel than those using a placebo. (Ungar, 6/16)

Los Angeles Times: Could Fourth Of July Trigger Summer COVID-19 Spike? What L.A. County Data Show
Summer has been a fraught and cautious time in the pandemic era, with travel and gatherings for holidays and vacation fueling COVID-19 spikes each of the last three years. Could the fourth time be the charm? (Lin II and Money, 6/19)

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Long COVID-19 Can Make You Thirsty - A First Look At The Data Showing Us What Scientists Have Learned
Scientists are now sharing a first look at the data they had collected from adults with long COVID-19 and they found some interesting patterns. Among them, thirst is a common complaint among long haulers. The national study followed nearly 10,000 patients for six months. It included those who had received a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis within 30 days of entering the study and patients who started the study never having been infected with the virus. The findings were published May 25 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. (Kroen, 6/19)

CIDRAP: Gestational Diabetes, Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes Increased During Pandemic
More pregnant women were diagnosed with gestational diabetes during the pandemic, and more kids received a type 2 diagnosis, according to new research presented this week at ENDO 2023, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago. (Soucheray, 6/16)

The Press-Enterprise: VA Tolerates Hostile Work Environment At Hospital, Congressman Says 
Several VA Loma Linda Healthcare System whistleblowers have come forward with new allegations of retaliation, harassment and hostile working conditions amid a widening investigation by the House Veterans Affairs Committee, according to a lawmaker. On Friday, committee member U.S. Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Hesperia, met behind closed doors with VA Loma Linda’s interim director Bryan Arnette, and other officials to discuss the whistleblower complaints and map out needed changes. (Schwebke, 6/18)

USA Today: Why Nursing Home Residents May Not Be Reporting Abuse, Neglect: Report
Fear of retaliation from staff is a major barrier to nursing home residents asking for their needs or complaining of abuse or neglect, a new survey found. The survey by the Long Term Care Community Coalition, a nonprofit organization that advocates for residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, examined 100 complaints by nursing home residents across the country. (Hassanein, 6/16)

Modern Healthcare: Virtual Nursing Boosts Workforce, Closes Gaps
More health systems are developing virtual nursing teams to augment their workforce and close care gaps. Nurses in remote positions tend to take on many administrative responsibilities, freeing up their in-person colleagues to provide hands-on care and spend more time with patients. Health systems are experimenting to determine which technology solutions and workflows are most effective, while unions raise concerns about patient safety and push for in-person hiring instead. (Devereaux, 6/19)

Asheville Watchdog: Lawsuit: HCA Healthcare Overcharged Mission Patients
Two long-time emergency room doctors have blown the whistle on what they say is fraudulent overcharging by HCA Healthcare, which owns Mission Health, and its medical staffing company, TeamHealth, according to a recently unsealed lawsuit filed last year. HCA Healthcare and TeamHealth have intentionally run up patient costs with medically unnecessary trauma alerts and added tests, such as CT scans, extra blood samples and X-rays, according to the complaint from Allen Lalor and Scott Ramming. Both have served for more than two decades as emergency physicians in Mission Hospital in Asheville and its regional affiliates. (Durr and Jones, 6/19)

Axios: Hospitals Could Be One Cyberattack Away From Closure
Cyberattacks against hospitals are taking a toll beyond patient safety and privacy: they're threatening to put the most financially vulnerable facilities out of business entirely. The costs of recovering from a 2021 ransomware attack were too much for St. Margaret's Health in Spring Valley, Illinois, which is closing today. (Reed, 6/16)

CNN: A Daily Aspirin May Lead To Anemia In Older Adults, Study Says
Aspirin is one of the most commonly used medications in the US. Studies show that more than 40% of adults ages 60 or older take an aspirin every day to prevent dangerous blood clots that could lead to a heart attack or stroke. In recent years, experts have backed away from blanket use of aspirin therapy for all older adults, however, after studies showed that it carried an increased risk of major bleeding that most likely outweighed any benefit in preventing first heart attacks or strokes. However, it’s still recommended in some cases for people who have had a heart attack or stroke, to prevent another. (Goodman, 6/19)

The Wall Street Journal: Drug Shortages Stem From Quality Problems In Indian Factories 
Shoddy conditions at factories in India have sickened Americans and stoked a shortage in chemotherapy drugs for cancer patients, raising calls to make the generic-drug supply more resilient. (Mosbergen and Abbott, 6/19)

The Boston Globe: Unanswered Questions About Stolen Body Parts Eroding Public Faith In Harvard, Crisis PR Experts Say
Harvard Medical School has gone largely silent as it confronts an unfolding body parts scandal, leaving critical questions unanswered and potentially allowing more fear and distrust to seep in, according to experts in crisis communications. (Lazar and Freyer, 6/19)

The Wall Street Journal: Homeless Numbers Rise In U.S. Cities
The number of homeless people counted on streets and in shelters around the U.S. has broadly risen this year, according to a Wall Street Journal review of data from around the nation. The Journal reviewed data from 150 entities that count homeless people in areas ranging from cities to entire states. More than 100 places reported increases in early 2023 counts compared with 2022, and collectively, their numbers indicate the U.S. might see a sharper climb than in recent years. Most major urban areas reporting data so far have seen increases, including Chicago, Miami, Boston and Phoenix. (Kamp and Najmabadi, 6/19)

Newsweek: Poverty Is Killing Nearly 200,000 Americans A Year
The land of the free is suffering from a "self-inflicted" injustice when it comes to poverty, experts say, as the rich are getting richer while thousands living without sufficient means die every year in the United States, as a recent study shows. The issue, according to an exclusive poll conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies on behalf of Newsweek, worries a majority of Americans. (Carbonaro, 6/19)

AP: Federal Judge Blocks Much Of Indiana's Ban On Gender-Affirming Care For Minors 
A federal judge issued an order Friday stopping an Indiana ban on puberty blockers and hormones for transgender minors from taking effect as scheduled July 1. (Davies, 6/16)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: GOP Lawmakers Back Ban On Some Transgender Health Services Coverage
Wisconsinites who are transgender would be barred from utilizing Medicaid health care coverage to pay for puberty-blocking drugs or surgeries under a provision Republican lawmakers voted to include in the next two-year state budget plan. GOP lawmakers on the state Legislature's budget-writing committee voted to include the measure early Friday as part of a $3 billion spending plan for health care but it's unclear whether the provision will withstand legal scrutiny. (Beck, 6/16)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Becomes Transgender-Care Outlier As More In Europe Urge Caution 
The U.S. is becoming an outlier among many Western nations in the way its national medical institutions treat children suffering from distress over gender identity. For years, the American healthcare industry has staunchly defended medical interventions for transgender minors, including puberty blockers, which suppress the physical changes of adolescence as a treatment for those distressed over their gender. The European medical community, by contrast, is expressing doubts about that approach. (Sapsford and Armour, 6/19)

News Service of Florida: DeSantis Signs Off On Managed Care Pilot For People With Developmental Disabilities
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed off on creating a pilot program to provide Medicaid managed-care services to people with developmental disabilities. The pilot was included in a broader health care bill (SB 2510) that DeSantis signed Thursday with the state budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year. (6/19)

Health News Florida: DeSantis Signs Measure Allowing CNAs To Become Qualified Med Aides At Nursing Homes
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed 11 bills, including a measure that allows certified nursing assistants in nursing homes to become trained as “qualified medication aides.” The aides could then administer “routine” medications to residents, freeing up registered nurses to provide other needed care. The aides could also perform tasks such as checking blood glucose levels. (Mayer, 6/19)

The Hill: ‘Magic’ Mushroom Use By Young Adults Has Nearly Doubled In Three Years 
Consumption of “magic” mushrooms and other hallucinogens by young adults nearly doubled over the past three years, a new study has found, illustrating the accelerating pace of America’s “psychedelic revolution” and growing societal acceptance of mind-altering drugs. Researchers found that 6.6 percent of adults from ages 19 to 30 used hallucinogens other than LSD, a category dominated by psilocybin, in 2021, up from 3.4 percent in 2018. LSD use by young adults rose from 3.7 percent to 4.2 percent in the same period, according to an article published this month in the journal Addiction.  (De Vise, 6/19)

Fox News: Most Women Diagnosed With Early Breast Cancer Will Survive Beyond 5 Years, Study Finds
Death rates from breast cancer have been on a steady decline in recent decades, dropping 43% between 1989 and 2020. The average risk of dying from breast cancer in the five years after an early diagnosis has fallen from 14% to 5% since the 1990s, according to a recent study from the University of Oxford in Oxford, England, that was published in the British Medical Journal. (Rudy, 6/20)

The Washington Post: Obesity Increases Risk Of 13 Types Of Cancer
Being overweight or obese increases a person’s risk for at least 13 types of cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those diseases are breast cancer (in postmenopausal women), multiple myeloma, meningioma (a type of brain cancer) and cancers of the esophagus, colon and rectum, uterus, gallbladder, upper stomach, kidneys, liver, ovaries, pancreas and thyroid. (Searing, 6/19)

AP: Martina Navratilova Says She Is Clear Of Cancer After Tests
Martina Navratilova says she is clear of cancer. The tennis Hall of Famer announced the news Monday on Twitter after what she said was a full day of tests at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “Thank you to all the doctors, nurses, proton and radiation magicians etc- what a relief,” she wrote. Navratilova, 66, revealed she had been diagnosed with throat cancer and breast cancer in January and that she would begin treatment that month. She had been diagnosed with a noninvasive form of breast cancer in 2010 and had a lumpectomy. (6/19)

AP: Donald Triplett, The 1st Person Diagnosed With Autism, Dies At 89
The Mississippi man known as “Case 1,” the first person to be diagnosed with autism, has died. Donald G. Triplett was the subject of a book titled “In a Different Key,” a PBS documentary film, BBC news magazine installment and countless medical journal articles. ... Triplett’s autism diagnosis arose from a detailed 22-page letter sent to a Johns Hopkins researcher in Baltimore containing telling observations by his parents about his aptitudes and behavior. The letter remains a primary reference document for those who study the disorder. (6/16)

Stat: Why ADHD Is Under-Diagnosed Among Asian Americans 
Behind a veneer of accomplishment, underneath good grades and musical talents, Emily Chen was in disarray. She never knew what she was missing, perpetually cycling through potential mistakes in her mind in a desperate attempt not to slip up. At the age of 23, after navigating school and college in a nearly perpetual state of panic, Chen was diagnosed with ADHD. At the time, she was the only Asian American she knew with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. (Goldhill, 6/19)

Fox News: West Nile Virus Cases, Positive Samples Detected Across The Country
Health officials around the country are reporting cases and positive samples of the West Nile virus. In Iowa, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday that the first case of West Nile virus infection was reported this year in an older adult — age 61-80 years — from Plymouth County. The case was confirmed through a test at the State Hygienic Lab. (Musto, 6/17)

CNN: Loneliness, Social Isolation Linked With Early Death
 If you’re lonely or socially isolated, you might have a higher risk of early death, according to a large new study. People who experienced social isolation had a 32% higher risk of dying early from any cause compared with those who weren’t socially isolated. Participants who reported feeling lonely were 14% more likely to die early than those who did not. (Rogers, 6/19)

Bloomberg: Cancer Warnings On Beer, Wine In Ireland Spark Industry Alarm
New health warnings by Ireland set to be the world’s strictest on beer, wine and spirits have sparked alarm from alcohol-producing countries that argue the labels would impose an obstacle to trade. The US and Mexico have raised concerns over the legislation ahead of World Trade Organization committee meetings this week. Argentina, Australia, Chile, Cuba and New Zealand have also expressed reservations about the law, which Ireland passed last month. While the European Commission gave Ireland the green light, at least nine wine- and beer-producing member countries opposed the measure. (O'Dwyer, 6/19)