First Edition: June 9, 2023

KFF Health News: Dental Therapists Help Patients In Need Of Care Avoid The Brush-Off 
All six of Michelle Ehlert’s children have Medicaid plans that should cover their dental care. But for years, she and her husband paid for dental care out-of-pocket — sometimes thousands of dollars a year. They couldn’t find a dentist near their home in Wilkin County, Minnesota, who accepted Medicaid. When a mobile clinic that would treat Medicaid patients drove nearly 200 miles from Minneapolis to the rural county on Minnesota’s western border, appointments that fit her family’s schedule were “hit-or-miss,” she said. (Saint Louis, 6/9)

KFF Health News: Debt Deal Leaves Health Programs (Mostly) Intact
The bipartisan deal to extend the U.S. government’s borrowing authority includes future cuts to federal health agencies, but they are smaller than many expected and do not touch Medicare and Medicaid. Meanwhile, Merck & Co. becomes the first drugmaker to sue Medicare officials over the federal health insurance program’s new authority to negotiate drug prices. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner, to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News senior correspondent Sarah Jane Tribble, who reported the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature, about the perils of visiting the U.S. with European health insurance. (6/7)

Roll Call: Supreme Court Preserves Medicaid Recipients' Right To Sue 
The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled 7-2 to protect the right of Medicaid nursing home residents to seek relief in federal court when state officials do not meet a certain quality of care — a ruling policy watchers are hailing as a civil rights victory for Medicaid patients. (Cohen, 6/8)

Axios: CMS Announces New Decade-Long Primary Care Payment Experiment
The Biden administration on Thursday announced a 10-year experiment aimed at improving the way Medicare and Medicaid pay for primary care. The effort, dubbed the Making Care Primary Model, will ease safety-net and independent primary care providers — including federally qualified health centers — into getting paid for the value of services they provide, rather than the volume. (Goldman, 6/9)

The New York Times: Wildfire Smoke: Haze Begins To Lift In Northeast As It Pushes South And West 
In St. Louis the air quality is forecast to be unhealthy on Friday for older people, children and those with heart or lung conditions on Friday, according to the Weather Service. Similar conditions are expected farther east in Louisville, Ky., where smoke from the Canadian wildfires will continue to seep into the region on Friday, causing hazy skies, the Weather Service said. (6/8)

The Washington Post: Philadelphia’s Air Quality Hits Disastrous Levels As Smoke Blankets City
Philadelphia is experiencing its worst air quality in at least 24 years as the noxious haze from the Canadian wildfires blanketing the East Coast this week has caused “hazardous” air quality that city officials say should keep residents indoors until conditions improve. ... The Air Quality Index in Philadelphia was at 361 as of 8 a.m. Thursday, significantly worse than the air-quality levels in other major East Coast cities hit by the smoke like New York and Washington. (Bella, 6/8)

The Washington Post: Hazardous Air Quality From Wildfire Smoke Takes A Toll On Outdoor Workers
From dog walkers to delivery drivers, from landscapers to farm laborers, many workers whose jobs require time in the outdoors have plowed on this week, even as smoke from wildfires raging in Canada has created abysmal air quality up and down the East Coast. Their predicament reveals how outdoor laborers, more than any other segment of the workforce, remain vulnerable when it comes to climate change. (Verma, Shaban, Dennis, Peiser and Gregg, 6/8)

The Washington Post: What’s Actually In All That Smoke You’re Breathing
The haze is a noxious mixture of particles and gases that can spread across long distances, potentially harming anything with a heartbeat. (Patel and Chiu, 6/8)

Reuters: What Health Experts Say Wildfire Smoke Novices Need To Know 
Are health risks lower during a first-time wildfire smoke event? People in the Northeast may like to think they are not at risk from the wildfire smoke drifting down from Canada because research on health effects comes largely from regions where people are exposed to wildfire smoke for weeks at a time, year after year. "The bad news is, there's no safe level" of inhaled particles from wildfire smoke, said Doug Brugge, a public health researcher at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. (Lapid, 6/8)

NBC News: Odd Symptoms Of Poor Air Quality Include Wrinkles And Sleep Troubles
Itchy eyes, a scratchy throat and a cough probably come as no surprise when the air is thick with wildfire smoke. But poor air quality can contribute to less expected symptoms, too. It is not uncommon for people to also experience chest pain, headaches and dizziness, according to Dr. Gregory Wu, a critical care medicine physician at Albany Medical Center in Albany, New York. (Lovelace Jr., 6/8)

Bloomberg: Wildfire Smoke Increases The Risk Of Contracting Covid-19
As the world warms, disasters collide. That’s happening right now, as health experts warn that  exposure to wildfire smoke across North America increases the risks of catching Covid-19 and worsens the impacts for people who already have or are particularly susceptible to the virus. “Exposure to air pollution from wildfire smoke can increase susceptibility to Covid and other respiratory diseases,” says Kristie Ebi, a climate and health professor at the University of Washington. (Hirji, 6/8)

The Washington Post: Ashish Jha To Leave As Covid Czar As White House Winds Down Response 
White House covid coordinator Ashish Jha will step down next week as the Biden administration formally ends the role, the latest marker that officials believe the virus threat has largely passed. “We now have the tools to manage COVID-19 and the virus no longer controls our daily lives,” President Biden said in a statement on Thursday, announcing Jha’s departure and thanking him for his work. Jha’s last day will be June 15, and he will return to his position as dean of Brown University’s public health school. (Diamond, 6/8)

Columbus Dispatch: A Virologist's Search For Answers: Curious Case Of 'Cryptic COVID' Leads To Columbus Area
A virologist in Missouri studying wastewater data in order to analyze the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 is looking for someone he says has had the disease for two years but doesn't know it. That search has led him straight to central Ohio. Marc Johnson, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, has traced what he calls a unique strain of the novel coronavirus to two locations: Columbus and Washington Court House. (Shuda, 6/8)

CIDRAP: Fatigue Can Lower Long-COVID Patients' Quality Of Life More Than Some Cancers 
Long-COVID fatigue can diminish quality of life more than some cancers, suggests an observational study published yesterday in BMJ Open. ... Many long-COVID patients were seriously ill, and their average fatigue scores were similar to or worse than those of people with cancer-related anemia (low counts of oxygen-carrying red blood cells) or severe kidney disease. Their health-related quality of life scores were also lower than those of people with advanced metastatic cancers, such as stage 4 lung cancer. (Van Beusekom, 6/8)

Houston Chronicle: 3D-Printed Lungs Helping Houston Researchers Study Aerosols
A 3D-printed replica of the lungs has been touring Greater Houston to help UTHealth Houston researchers study the health risks posed by small airborne particles that collect in the respiratory system. The system, known as the Mobile Aerosol Lung Deposition Apparatus (MALDA), is comprised of replicas of the three major sections of the human respiratory system. It was designed by Wei-Chung Su, an assistant professor of epidemiology, human genetics and environmental sciences at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. (MacDonald, 6/8)

ABC News: Accidental Shootings By Children Climbed During COVID. Why Is That Changing Now? 
There have been at least 122 unintentional shootings by children across the country from January to mid-May, according data from Everytown. They have resulted in 54 deaths and 77 injuries. The numbers account both for children who accidentally shoot themselves, or others. The number of such shootings has decreased each of the past three years. There were 131 such shootings from January to mid-May in 2022. There were 141 in 2021, according to Everytown data. (El-Bawab, 6/9)

The Hill: New York AG Hits Anti-Abortion Group With Lawsuit For Blocking Access To Health Care Clinics 
New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit Thursday against an anti-abortion group, Red Rose Rescue, alleging its members have repeatedly blocked entrances to health clinics and have “made it their mission to terrorize reproductive health care providers and the patients they serve.” (Fortinsky, 6/8)

Politico: McCarthy’s Fractured Leadership Team Faces New Abortion Tension 
As conservatives continue to snarl the House floor in protest, centrists are taking their turn to squeeze Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Behind closed doors on Wednesday, McCarthy’s No. 2 and No. 3 briefed about a dozen Republicans — mostly battleground-seat members — on their plan to take up two bills next week: Rep. Andrew Clyde’s (R-Ga.) bid to nix a Biden administration gun regulation and a separate proposal bill to strengthen limits on taxpayer funding for abortion. The meeting didn’t go smoothly. (Beavers and Ferris, 6/8)

ABC News: 2024 Candidate Who Signed Strict Abortion Ban In His State Wouldn't Outlaw It Nationwide
Republican presidential candidate and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said Thursday that while he backed a strict abortion ban in his own state, he would not support a similar, nationwide law if he is elected to the White House. "I think the decision that was made returning the power to the states was the right one. And I think we're going to have -- we have a lot of division on this issue in America. And what's right for North Dakota may not be right for another state ... the best decisions are made locally," Burgum said on "CNN This Morning." (Walsh and Oppenheim, 6/8)

The Washington Post: Biden Decries Rash Of ‘Cruel’ State Laws Targeting Rights Of LGBTQ+ Individuals
President Biden forcefully pushed back Thursday against a rash of “cruel” state laws curtailing the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals, including transgender youths, saying the measures are being adopted by “prejudiced people” and pledging that his administration will stand up for those being targeted. “It’s wrong that extreme officials are pushing hateful bills targeting transgender children, terrifying families and criminalizing doctors,” Biden said. “These are our kids. These are our neighbors.” (Wagner, 6/8)

Roll Call: HHS' First National STI Plan Could Face Obstacles 
The Biden administration on Thursday issued its new multiagency plan to address rising rates of sexually transmitted infections, but experts see possible legislative and judicial hurdles that could thwart that effort. (Raman, 6/8)

CIDRAP: High Mpox Vaccine Shortfall Seen Among Black Americans
As many as 78% of Black Americans eligible for mpox protection via the Jynneos vaccine have not been vaccinated, according to a new shortfall analysis published today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). A second MMWR report today delves into mpox transmission risks to kids, noting that some adults did not begin to isolate until after they had received a diagnosis. (Soucheray, 6/8)

The Hill: FDA Panel To Vote On Alzheimer’s Drug
The FDA panel meeting Friday is likely to recommend full approval, and the agency has a deadline of July 6 to make a determination. The FDA doesn’t have to follow the panel’s recommendation, but it usually does. FDA staff in a briefing document were largely positive about the drug and indicated that data from a clinical trial supported Leqembi’s clinical benefit to patients. (Weixel and Choi, 6/8)

Stat: Tracking The FDA Advisory Panel On Eisai And Biogen’s Treatment For Alzheimer’s Disease
The Food and Drug Administration is convening a meeting of outside experts on Friday to consider full approval for Leqembi, the Alzheimer’s treatment made by Eisai and Biogen. We’ll be watching a livestream of the FDA advisory meeting, starting at 10 a.m. ET, and writing updates and analysis throughout the day. Coverage will be posted in reverse chronological order. (Feuerstein and Garde, 6/9)

The New York Times: FDA Panel Recommends RSV Shot To Protect Infants 
A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommended approval of a monoclonal antibody shot aimed at preventing a potentially lethal pathogen, respiratory syncytial virus, or R.S.V., in infants and vulnerable toddlers. The treatment, called Beyfortus by its developers Sanofi and AstraZeneca, would be the second such therapy that the F.D.A. has allowed to be given to very young children to prevent R.S.V., which is a leading killer of infants and toddlers globally. A similar treatment approved more than 20 years ago is given in multiple doses and is only approved for high-risk infants. (Jewett, 6/8)

USA Today: Klebsiella Pneumoniae Bacterial Outbreak At Seattle Hospital: 9 Deaths
A hospital in Seattle has confirmed two more deaths in connection to a bacterial outbreak that began last year. Beginning in October 2022, hospital staff at Virginia Mason Medical Center said it detected an increase in cases of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria at its downtown campus. Since then, nearly a dozen people have died after contracting the bacteria strain. (Hauari, 6/8)

Modern Healthcare: Amazon's One Medical Expands Into Connecticut
Amazon's One Medical is expanding its membership-based primary care services into Connecticut with two offices, as part of a larger collaboration with Hartford HealthCare. One Medical, purchased by Amazon for $3.9 billion earlier this year, opened an office at Darien Commons this week and will open another at New Canaan later this summer. The locations will offer primary care, including lab services, chronic disease management and behavioral health resources. Patients will also have access to Hartford HealthCare's network of specialty providers, outpatient facilities and hospitals. (Hudson, 6/8)

The Boston Globe: Residents, Fellows At Mass General Brigham Vote To Unionize
Medical residents and fellows at the state’s largest health system have voted to unionize, creating one of the largest unions of its kind in the country. In a vote of 1,215 to 412, residents and fellows at multiple Mass General Brigham hospitals voted to join the Committee of Interns and Residents, or CIR, at the Service Employees International Union. (Bartlett, 6/8)

The Baltimore Sun: Johns Hopkins Medical School Renames Outpatient Center After Levi Watkins Jr., First Black Chief Resident
Dr. Levi Watkins Jr. was the first Black chief resident at the Johns Hopkins Medical School and the first surgeon to successfully implant an automatic heart defibrillator in a human in 1980. Forty-three years later, his family gathered to see the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center renamed for him on Thursday. The cardiac surgeon pioneered the procedure that now routinely saves the lives of those with an irregular heartbeat. In addition, he was an advocate for diversifying the medical industry. (Brown, 6/8)

Modern Healthcare: FTC Pharmacy Benefit Manager Probe Expands To Emisar Pharma
A Federal Trade Commission investigation into pharmacy benefit managers and group purchasing organizations continues to broaden. On Thursday, the FTC issued a compulsory order to Emisar Pharma Services requiring it to turn over information about its business practices. The GPO negotiates rebates with drug manufacturers on behalf of UnitedHealth Group subsidiary OptumRx. The company has 90 days to provide the records. (Berryman, 6/8)

The Washington Post: Opioid Distributor, Already Facing License Revocation, Sued By Tribe 
Morris & Dickson, one of the nation’s largest drug distributors, was sued Thursday over claims that it fed a devastating addiction crisis within the Cherokee Nation by not stopping the suspicious shipment of millions of painkillers to a small number of Oklahoma pharmacies. The negligence lawsuit was filed by the tribe in Oklahoma state court nearly two weeks after the Drug Enforcement Administration, in a separate matter, announced that it would revoke the company’s ability to distribute controlled substances unless Morris & Dickson can reach a settlement agreement with the agency. The company is fighting that move in federal court, saying the revocation would force the company to close after 180 years in business. (Ovalle, 6/8)

Stat: CRISPR Therapy Offers Lasting Benefits For Sickle Cell, Thalassemia
Updated results released Friday highlighted the lasting benefits of a CRISPR-based medicine for blood disorders developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics, as the treatment awaits regulatory decisions in the United States and Europe. The treatment, a one-time infusion known as exa-cel, uses CRISPR to fix the genetic faults at the root of sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia. The latest findings were described Friday, coinciding with the European Hematology Association’s annual meeting in Frankfurt. (Joseph, 6/9)

AP: Salmonella Outbreak In Chicago Area Linked To Ground Beef 
An outbreak of salmonella infections in the Chicago area has been linked to ground beef, the Illinois Department of Public Health said Wednesday. Health officials have identified 26 confirmed cases in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties, the department said. Those people fell ill between April 25 and May 18. (6/8)

San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Residents Can Eat Garden Produce Despite Toxic Refinery Dust
Toxicologists tested soil samples taken across about a dozen miles and centered in Martinez, a city in the backyard of a major oil refinery, PBF Energy’s Martinez Refining Co., which processes 157,000 barrels of crude oil each day. Scientists analyzed levels of a variety of heavy metals, such as chromium, barium and nickel, to determine if there were any long-term health risks from the dust that coated the ground the day after Thanksgiving. (Johnson, 6/8)

AP: Jury Returns $63M Verdict After Finding Chevron Covered Up Toxic Pit On California Land
A California jury has returned a $63 million verdict against Chevron after finding the oil giant covered up a toxic chemical pit on land purchased by a man who built a house on it and was later diagnosed with a blood cancer. Kevin Wright, who has multiple myeloma, unknowingly built his home directly over the chemical pit near Santa Barbara in 1985, according to his lawsuit. (6/9)

NBC News: New Drug For Marijuana Addiction Shows Promise, Small Study Finds
As marijuana use in the United States reaches record highs among young adults, there is a growing need to address its potential for addiction, experts say. An experimental pill, the first in a new class of drugs, has shown promise in treating cannabis use disorder, according to the results of a small trial published Thursday in Nature Medicine. (Syal, 6/8)

The New York Times: Energy Drinks Are Surging. So Are Their Caffeine Levels
It has been more than 25 years since Red Bull hit the market and introduced caffeinated energy drinks to the United States. While the company claimed its beverage would “give you wings,” it never said it was actually good for people. Yet as the energy drink market continues to grow rapidly, companies both new and old are trying to attract health-conscious customers with a wave of no-sugar, low-calorie drinks that claim to boost energy as well as replenish fluids with electrolytes and other ingredients. ... But there are concerns that drinks being pitched as healthy are resulting in children and teenagers consuming caffeine in unhealthy amounts. (Creswell, 6/9)