First Edition: June 27, 2023
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
KFF Health News:
The Hospital Bills Didn’t Find Her, But A Lawsuit Did — Plus Interest
Bethany Birch had pain in her diaphragm on and off for eight months in 2016. She knew it was triggered by food, so she said she tried taking an antacid. That helped a little, but, eventually, she avoided eating altogether. She estimated she lost 25 pounds in that time. One night that September, the pain would not go away for hours. It was so severe she went to the emergency room at Indian Path Community Hospital in Kingsport, Tennessee, where she lives. An ultrasound revealed she needed her gallbladder removed right away. She was able to get into surgery quickly because she hadn’t eaten in over 12 hours due to her food avoidance. (Sable-Smith, 6/27)
KFF Health News:
New Charleston Museum Nods To Historical Roots Of US Health Disparities
Maude Callen, a Black nurse-midwife, delivered more than 800 infants across the South Carolina Lowcountry starting in the 1920s, when segregation made it difficult for Black people to get medical care. Although Callen isn’t commonly considered a household name, visitors passing through the new $120 million International African American Museum that opened this week will learn about her work. (Sausser, 6/27)
KFF Health News:
The DEA Relaxed Online Prescribing Rules During Covid. Now It Wants To Rein Them In.
Federal regulators want most patients to see a health care provider in person before receiving prescriptions for potentially addictive medicines through telehealth — something that hasn’t been required in more than three years. During the covid-19 public health emergency, the Drug Enforcement Administration allowed doctors and other health care providers to prescribe controlled medicine during telehealth appointments without examining the patient in person. The emergency declaration ended May 13, and in February, the agency proposed new rules that would require providers to see patients at least once in person before prescribing many of those drugs during telehealth visits. (Zionts, 6/27)
KFF Health News:
Localize This: Public Reporting Of Opioid Settlement Cash
State and local governments will, over the next nearly two decades, receive billions of dollars from companies accused of sparking the opioid epidemic. KFF Health News is, in a yearlong series, investigating the use — and misuse — of this cash. Our stories provide a national perspective on issues ranging from the distribution formulas that determine how much money each locality receives to the lack of public reporting on how settlement dollars are spent. We’ve also compiled databases and sets of documents that we hope can help others investigate opioid settlement stories in their communities. (Pattani, 6/26)
The New York Times:
Conditions at Guantánamo Are Cruel And Inhuman, U.N. Investigation Finds
The last 30 detainees at Guantánamo Bay, including the men accused of plotting the Sept. 11 attacks, are being held by the United States under circumstances that constitute “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment under international law,” a United Nations human rights investigator said on Monday. Fionnuala Ni Aolain, a law professor in Minnesota serving as special rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights, included the finding in a report drawn from a four-day visit to the prison in February. ... She specifically cited the cumulative effects of inadequate health care, solitary confinement, restraints and use of force to remove prisoners from their cells as contributing to her conclusions. She said the conditions at the prison “may also meet the legal threshold for torture.” (Rosenberg, 6/26)
Politico:
U.N. Investigator At U.S. Detention Center At Guantanamo Says Detainees Face Cruel Treatment
Ní Aoláin said her visit marked the first time a U.S. administration has allowed a U.N. investigator to visit the facility, which opened in 2002. ... Ní Aoláin said the specialist care and facilities at Guantanamo “are not adequate to meet the complex and urgent mental and physical health issues of detainees” ranging from permanent disabilities and traumatic brain injuries to chronic pain, gastrointestinal and urinary issues. (6/27)
AP:
Republicans Close In On Changes To New North Carolina Abortion Law That Could Counter A Lawsuit
Late revisions to new North Carolina abortion restrictions scheduled to begin this weekend cleared the state Senate on Monday night, changes that if enacted could frustrate pending litigation seeking to stop the law’s enforcement. The Senate voted overwhelmingly for a measure containing what the Republican supporters have called clarifying and technical changes to a law approved last month over Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto that in part will ban starting Saturday most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. This will replace current rules that ban nearly all abortions after 20 weeks. The new law also adds exceptions to the 12-week ban. (Robertson, 6/26)
AP:
Arguments Over South Carolina Abortion Ban Returns To Newly All-Male State Supreme Court
The right to an abortion in South Carolina is back before the state’s highest court as Republicans try to restore a ban that was overturned earlier this year — this time in front of the only state Supreme Court in the nation made up entirely of men. Tuesday’s oral arguments will mark the second time since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down federal protections last summer that lawyers for the state and providers will present their arguments to the state Supreme Court. A 3-2 majority in January tossed a similar law that banned abortion once cardiac activity is detected, or at about six weeks and before most people know they are pregnant. (Pollard, 6/27)
Fox News:
Tennessee Rep. Green Introduces States Choose Life Act To Stop Biden Admin's 'Retribution' On Pro-Life States
Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., will introduce the States Choose Life Act of 2023 on Tuesday to protect Tennessee and other pro-life states from the Biden administration and "retribution" from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Fox News has learned. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Green said his legislation would prevent the HHS from stripping Title X funding from states that do not allow abortions and do not refer residents to abortion-allowing states, as it is doing to Tennessee. (Richard, 6/27)
The CT Mirror:
CT Abortion Provider Sees Sharp Increase In Out-Of-State Clients
As nearly two dozen state legislatures across the country have moved to restrict or ban abortion access since the overturning of Roe v. Wade last summer, Connecticut’s largest abortion provider has seen a 56% increase in people traveling from many of those places for care. But while the percentage of people coming from out of state has skyrocketed — namely from southern states like Tennessee and Texas — the wait times for those seeking abortions are “definitely better,” according to Nancy Stanwood, the chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, who added that people of color and people with low income account for many of the individuals pursuing care. (Edison, 6/27)
The Washington Post:
Malaria Infections In Florida, Texas Are First In U.S. Since 2003
The last confirmed instance of local transmission happened in 2003, when eight people became infected in Palm Beach County, Fla., the CDC said. In the five cases discovered between May and June, the species of mosquito has been identified as P. vivax, which is less likely to cause severe disease. But failing to treat it can cause relapsing episodes. (Shammas, 6/26)
NBC News:
Anthony Fauci To Join Georgetown University As Professor
Dr. Anthony Fauci is joining the faculty at Georgetown University in his first position after a decades-long government career that included a leading role during the Covid pandemic. Starting next week, Fauci will be a professor at the school of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases. He will also work in the McCourt School of Public Policy. (Lebowitz, 6/26)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Q&A With CDC Director Rochelle Walensky As She Prepares To Leave
Dr. Rochelle Walensky is preparing for life after the pandemic. She announced her plans to step down as head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on May 5, just six days before the federal government declared the end of the public health emergency. ... The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spoke with Dr. Walensky as her time leading the CDC winds down. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. (Thomas, 6/26)
The New York Times:
U.S. Vaccine Program Now Flush With Cash, But Short On Key Details
Efforts to develop the next generation of Covid vaccines are running up against bureaucratic hassles and regulatory uncertainty, scientists say, obstacles that could make it harder to curb the spread of the coronavirus and arm the United States against future pandemics. The Biden administration, after months of delay, has now addressed at least a shortfall in funding, hurrying to issue the first major grants from a $5 billion program to expedite a new class of more potent and durable inoculations. (Mueller, Weiland and Zimmer, 6/26)
CIDRAP:
Study: Sperm Counts Decline Even After Mild COVID Infections
Men recently infected with COVID-19 have decreased sperm counts for more than 3 months following even mild infections, and the sperm they do produce is less able to swim, according to new findings presented today at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) in Denmark. The findings are intriguing because men produce new sperm every 2 or 3 months, and the findings are based on semen analyses taken after 100 days, suggesting COVID does long-term damage to the male reproductive tract. (Soucheray, 6/26)
The Hill:
Move Over, Mounjaro: New Eli Lilly Drug Lost Patients 24 Percent Of Their Weight In Trials
A new Eli Lilly experimental drug has helped patients lose 24 percent of their weight, according to new mid-stage clinical trial results. The results, released on Monday, followed 338 adults, nearly 52 percent of whom were men, who were obese or overweight and had either received Eli Lilly’s retatrutide injection or a placebo treatment. (Oshin, 6/26)
Los Angeles Times:
Compressing Your Eating Day Is As Effective As Counting Calories, Study Finds
If you’re trying to lose weight and you’re sick of watching what you eat, researchers have some good news: You can watch the clock instead. In a yearlong study, people who didn’t change what they ate — but ate it all between noon and 8 p.m. — achieved significant, sustained weight loss that was comparable to people who paid close attention to their food choices in order to cut their daily calories by 25%. (Errico, 6/26)
Modern Healthcare:
Physician-Owned Hospitals Have Lower Prices: Study
Physician-owned hospital prices were about a third lower than traditional hospitals in the same market, a study found, potentially fueling debate over legislation that would remove the ban on building more physician-owned hospitals. (Kacik, 6/26)
Modern Healthcare:
Dialysis Reimbursement To Increase Under CMS Proposed Rule
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed a payment boost for dialysis providers next year in a draft regulation released Monday. The agency is proposing to raise the end-stage renal disease Prospective Payment System base rate for dialysis services provided to Medicare beneficiaries by $4.42, or 1.7%, to $269.99. It projects total payments will rise 2.6% for hospital-based end-stage renal disease facilities and 1.6% for freestanding facilities. (Berryman, 6/26)
Fierce Healthcare:
Ascension Facing Largest Nurse Strikes In Texas, Kansas History
About 2,000 registered nurses are slated to launch a one-day strike Tuesday morning and, upon completion, will be locked out of their Ascension hospitals for an additional three days, according to statements from their union and the major Catholic health system. The nurses are employed at Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin, Texas, and Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph Hospital and Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Hospital, both in Wichita, Kansas. (Muoio, 6/26)
Fierce Healthcare:
Hospital Consolidation Linked To Pediatric Service Closures
Recent study findings suggest that hospital consolidation is associated with a reduction of inpatient pediatric services during subsequent years—a new data point for policymakers weighing whether and how to rein in health systems’ consolidation of smaller provider facilities. Published in JAMA Pediatrics, the analysis by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers reviewed American Hospital Association annual survey reports from thousands of U.S. hospitals between 2011 and 2020. (Muoio, 6/26)
The Washington Post:
U-Penn Medicine Quits Cooperating With U.S. News Hospitals Ranking
The University of Pennsylvania Health System will no longer participate in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of hospitals, officials announced Monday. The decision by the perennially highly ranked health system, part of Penn Medicine, added to a growing revolt against the lists by prominent schools. Kevin B. Mahoney, chief executive of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, said his moment of clarity came when someone asked how a decision to save a hospital in a low-income neighborhood might affect their place in the rankings. (Svrluga, 6/26)
Capital & Main:
How Deeply Does Our Health Care System Discriminate?
Since before the country’s formation, unequal health based on race, from inferior care and treatment to shorter life spans, has been part and parcel of American history. Surveys in recent decades have enabled researchers to bring those disparities into sharper and sometimes harrowing focus. But identifying these issues hasn’t brought the country much closer to resolving them. And a new report underscores how truly intractable those problems are — because it brings race-based disparities right into the safest hospitals in the United States. (Kreidler, 6/22)
AP:
Washington's Long-Term Care Payroll Tax Starts July 1, As Other States Explore Similar Programs
Beginning July 1, Washington will be the first state to deduct money from workers’ paychecks to finance long-term care benefits for residents who can’t live independently due to illness, injury or aging-related conditions such as dementia. (Komenda, 6/27)
AP:
Maine House Votes To Ensure Teens Can Receive Gender-Affirming Health Care
The Maine House voted Monday in favor of a bill to ensure 16- and 17-year-olds can receive gender-affirming hormone therapy without parental consent if certain conditions are met. The bill, approved 73-60, allows those teens to undergo treatment without parental consent if they are diagnosed with gender dysphoria, are experiencing harm and have received counseling. It now goes to the Senate for further debate. (6/26)
The Hill:
New York Is Latest ‘Safe Haven’ For Gender-Affirming Care
New York on Sunday became the latest in a growing list of states to pass legislation protecting access to gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors as more than a dozen other state governments have moved to ban treatments including puberty blockers and hormone therapy. New York’s new “safe haven” law bars state courts from enforcing the laws of other states that authorize a minor to be removed from their home if their parents or legal guardians allow them to receive gender-affirming health care. (Migdon, 6/26)
AP:
Kansas Must Undo Gender Changes For Trans People In State Records, Attorney General Says
A new Kansas law requires the state to reverse any previous gender changes in its records for trans people’s birth certificates and driver’s licenses while also preventing such changes going forward, the state’s conservative Republican attorney general declared Monday. Attorney General Kris Kobach also said public schools’ records for students must list them as being the gender they were assigned at birth, whether or not teachers and staff recognize their gender identities. (Hanna, 6/26)
CalMatters:
More California Prisoners Are Requesting Gender-Affirming Health Care, Including Surgeries
The number of California prisoners requesting gender-affirming health care more than doubled last year, and the state’s corrections agency expects the trend to continue even as the overall state inmate population is projected to decline. The estimate comes from budget documents detailing the agency’s responsibilities for two groundbreaking policies the state adopted over the last seven years. (Sosa, 6/26)
The Washington Post:
Delaware Lawmaker Seeks To Become First Transgender Member Of U.S. House
Sarah McBride, a Democratic state senator in Delaware, announced Monday that she is running for the state’s sole U.S. House seat, a bid that, if successful next year, would make her the first transgender person to serve in Congress. (Wagner, 6/26)
The Washington Post:
Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooter Has Mental Disabilities, Defense Says
Attorneys for the man convicted of fatally shooting 11 people and wounding seven at the Tree of Life synagogue in 2018 said in federal court Monday that their client has brain impairments, including schizophrenia and epilepsy, that make him ineligible for the death penalty. (Nakamura, 6/26)
CNN:
Most Accidental Shooting Deaths Among Children Involve Guns Left Loaded And Unlocked, Study Finds
Most children in the US who die from an accidental shooting are playing around with guns at home or mistaking them for toys, according to a new study. And the research suggests that over 90% of guns used in such shooting deaths were left unlocked and loaded. The study, published Monday in the scientific journal Injury Epidemiology, looked at cases over a nearly a decade in which children under 15 accidentally killed themselves or another child with a gun. Most of the shootings happened at the victim’s home, where, in 8 out of 10 cases, the gun belonged to an older relative. (Viswanathan, 6/26)
AP:
Clock Ticking For West Virginia To Select Leadership For Opioid Money Distribution
West Virginia is finalizing the leadership for a newly created foundation tasked with distributing the lion’s share of the more than $1 billion in opioid lawsuit-settlement money coming to the state with the nation’s highest overdose death rate. That means funding for opioid treatment and addiction services can soon begin going out to communities after years of litigation, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said Monday in his state Capitol office in Charleston. (Willingham, 6/26)
The Washington Post:
Insomnia Linked To Up To 51 Percent Higher Risk Of Strokes
People suffering from insomnia may have as much as a 51 percent greater chance of having a stroke than those who do not have trouble sleeping, according to a study published in the journal Neurology. For nearly a decade, the study tracked 31,126 people, age 61 on average and with no history of stroke at the start of the study. In that time, 2,101 strokes were recorded. (Searing, 6/26)
Bloomberg:
Pickleball Injuries May Cost Americans Nearly $400 Million This Year, According To UBS
Earlier this month, shares of big health insurance companies fell after UnitedHealth Group Inc. warned that healthcare utilization rates were up. At a conference the company had said that it was seeing a higher-than-expected pace of hip replacements, knee surgeries and other elective procedures. (Weisenthal, 6/26)