First Edition: March 28, 2023

KHN: Truly Random Drug Testing: ADHD Patients Face Uneven Urine Screens And, Sometimes, Stigma
Some adults who take prescription medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are required to have their urine tested for drugs several times a year. Others never are tested. Such screenings are designed to check if ADHD patients are safely taking their pills, such as Adderall, and not selling them, taking too many, or using other drugs. (Zionts, 3/28)

KHN: Congressman Seeks To Plug ‘Shocking Loophole’ Exposed By KHN Investigation 
A U.S. lawmaker is taking action after a KHN investigation exposed weaknesses in the federal system meant to stop repeat Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) said he decided to introduce a bill in the House late last week after KHN’s reporting revealed what he called a “shocking loophole. “The ability of fraudsters to continue billing Medicare for services is outrageous,” Doggett said. “This is an obvious correction that is needed to safeguard our system. Wherever there are large amounts of government money available, someone tries to steal it.” (Tribble, 3/28)

KHN: As Colorado Reels From Another School Shooting, Study Finds 1 In 4 Teens Have Quick Access To Guns 
One in 4 Colorado teens reported they could get access to a loaded gun within 24 hours, according to survey results published Monday. Nearly half of those teens said it would take them less than 10 minutes. “That’s a lot of access and those are short periods of time,” said Virginia McCarthy, a doctoral candidate at the Colorado School of Public Health and the lead author of the research letter describing the findings in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics. (Hawryluk, 3/27)

The New York Times: Shooter Who Killed 6 At Nashville School Was A Former Student, Police Say
A 28-year-old from Nashville fatally shot three children and three adults on Monday at a private Christian elementary school, officials said, leaving behind writings and detailed maps of the school and its security protocols. In the latest episode of gun violence that has devastated American families and communities, the assailant opened fire just after 10 a.m. inside the Covenant School, in the affluent Green Hills neighborhood, where children in preschool through sixth grade had just begun their final full week of classes before Easter break. (Cochrane, Shpigel, Levenson and Jimenez, 3/27)

The Washington Post: Nashville School Shooter Who Killed 6 Was Heavily Armed, Left Manifesto
Police said the shooter, Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, of Nashville, was armed with two semiautomatic weapons — an AR-15-style rifle, an “AR-style pistol” and a handgun. At least two of the weapons were purchased legally, according to Drake, who did not give the status of the third. He said Hale had “multiple rounds of ammunition prepared for confrontation with law enforcement” and was “prepared to do more harm.” The department late Monday released images of the weapons, adding that Hale had “significant ammunition.” Tennessee’s gun laws, like those in many conservative states, are comparatively loose. The state allows people to own automatic assault weapons and does not have a law banning high-capacity magazines. (Mueller, Shammas, Brasch and Bailey, 3/27)

The New York Times: Biden Calls On Congress To Pass An Assault Weapons Ban. That Is Unlikely
President Biden has repeatedly called for such a ban in recent public speeches and visits, including during a recent visit to Monterey Park, Calif., where a gunman killed 11 people at a dance studio in January. His remarks on Monday once again highlighted not only the scourge of mass shootings in America, but also the limits of his power to address them. Even with majorities in both houses of Congress during Mr. Biden’s first two years in office, Democrats were unable to pass a ban, and any effort now would be all but certain to die in the Republican-controlled House. That has left Mr. Biden with few options but the bully pulpit. (Rogers, 3/27)

The Hill: Senate GOP: Gun Reform Legislation Unlikely After Nashville School Shooting
Senate Republicans on Monday cast doubt on the possibility of legislative action on firearms in response to the shooting at a school in Nashville, Tenn., earlier in the day. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told reporters that he does not believe the Senate can go any further on firearm-related bills or on expanding background checks than the chamber did last year when it passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act following the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The legislation was the most consequential gun safety package signed into law in three decades and became law with bipartisan support, with Cornyn as the lead GOP negotiator for the legislation. (Weaver, 3/27)

The Hill: House Judiciary Postpones Pistol Brace Rule Markup After Nashville Shooting 
The House Judiciary Committee postponed a scheduled Tuesday markup on a resolution to nullify a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) pistol brace rule following the mass shooting at a Nashville, Tennessee, school on Monday. “Democrats were going to turn this tragic event into a political thing,” Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) told The Hill on Monday evening. (Brooks, 3/27)

The Washington Post: How The AR-15 Became A Powerful Political, Cultural Symbol In America
The AR-15 wasn’t supposed to be a bestseller. The rugged, powerful weapon was originally designed as a soldiers’ rifle in the late 1950s. “An outstanding weapon with phenomenal lethality,” an internal Pentagon report raved. It soon became standard issue for U.S. troops in the Vietnam War, where the weapon earned a new name: the M16. (Frankel, Boburg, Dawsey, Parker and Horton, 3/27)

The Washington Post: High-Capacity-Magazine Bans Could Save Lives. Will They Hold Up In Court?
In the aftermath of the Dayton massacre and another hours earlier in El Paso, all the familiar debates ignited over guns, assault weapons bans, mental health interventions and red-flag laws. Yet much of the public discussion overlooked a key factor in Dayton, something that connected the massacre to the carnage unleashed by mass shooters in Orlando, Las Vegas, Buffalo and other communities: the ammunition magazines that can enable gunmen to fire a hail of bullets without needing to stop and reload. (Berman and Frankel, 3/27)

The Washington Post: Woman Who Survived Other Mass Killing Crashes Nashville News Conference 
A police spokesman had just finished updating reporters on the mass killing at a Nashville school when Ashbey Beasley suddenly stepped up to the clutch of microphones and asked, “Aren’t you guys tired of covering this?” She wasn’t an official or a member of law enforcement. She was a mom, she explained, who had grabbed her 6-year-old son and run months earlier when a gunman opened fire at a parade in Highland Park, Ill. Some TV stations cut away. Others continued rolling as Beasley, speaking quickly and forcefully, decried America’s epidemic of gun violence. She asked, “How is this still happening? How are our children still dying?” (Shammas, 3/27)

AP: N. Carolina Governor Signs Medicaid Expansion Bill Into Law
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Monday signed a Medicaid expansion law that was a decade in the making and gives the Democrat a legacy-setting victory, although one significant hurdle remains before coverage can be implemented, thanks to a Republican-backed provision. At an Executive Mansion ceremony attended by hundreds, Cooper celebrated passage of expansion legislation, which he’s ardently sought since being first elected governor in 2016. It took Republicans in charge of the General Assembly all this time to come around to the idea and agree to offer coverage to more low-income adults, with federal coffers paying for most of it. (Robertson, 3/27)

North Carolina Health News: Problems With Medicare 'Flex Card' System
Electric cooperative and public-power groups across North Carolina are reporting that a UnitedHealthcare “UCard” sent this year to dual Medicaid and Medicare enrollees doesn’t work as advertised to pay utility bills. According to energy officials and publications, the flex-card program has caused weeks of difficulty for specific utility customers who often have “complex health and social needs.” (Goldsmith, 3/28)

Stat: Health Insurers Fight Proposed Changes To Medicare Advantage
For the past two months, the health insurance industry has attempted to scare older adults and the public into thinking the federal government is slashing Medicare benefits next year. Op-eds, ads, and industry-backed reports have warned of cuts to prized perks and increases to premiums for Medicare Advantage, the growing alternative to traditional Medicare run by private health insurers. Since any changes to Medicare are politically unpopular, health insurers are hoping the pressure will force the Biden administration to retreat from its February proposals that would specifically change how Medicare Advantage plans are paid. Final regulations are due to come out April 3. (Herman, 3/27)

Modern Healthcare: HHS’ Xavier Becerra Focused On Improving Medicare, Healthcare Access
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, the first Latino to head the powerful, sprawling bureaucracy, often quotes his mother: “It’s better to prevent than to remedy.” The former California attorney general and 12-term House member applies that philosophy when it comes to implementing and enforcing policy, while ensuring such efforts hold up to legal challenges. (Turner, 3/27)

Houston Chronicle: UTHealth Study: COVID-19 Virus Can Change The Structure Of Cells
The virus that causes COVID-19 can alter the genomic structure of cells, which may explain the immunological symptoms that someone experiences from an infection, according to a new study from researchers at UTHealth Houston. Researchers also believe the changes to the genomic structure of cells could play a role in long COVID, which remains a mystery three years into the pandemic. (MacDonald, 3/27)

Los Angeles Times: Vaccines And Trust Are Key To Preventing COVID Deaths, Study Finds
In a comparison that controlled for demographic differences between states, Arizona’s COVID-19 mortality rate of 581 deaths per 100,000 residents was almost four times higher than Hawaii’s, where there were 147 deaths per 100,000 residents. Death rates in the hardest-hit U.S. states resembled those of countries with no healthcare infrastructure whatever. States that fared best had rates on a par with countries such as Australia, New Zealand and South Korea, which worked zealously to keep their pandemic death tolls low. (Healy, 3/27)

San Francisco Chronicle: Two Bay Area Counties Extend Mask Requirements For Health Care Sites
As California lifts its COVID-19 masking requirements for health care settings on April 3, two of the Bay Area’s biggest counties are taking a cautious approach to ensure the continued protection of their vulnerable populations. (Vaziri, 3/27)

CIDRAP: Four Groups Call For Enhanced Action Against One Health Threats 
After their first fact-to-face meeting, four global health agencies today issued an urgent call for more intensified action on a host of health issues that fall under the One Health umbrella, including zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), food safety, and the impacts from climate change. The groups include the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Environment Program (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). (Schnirring, 3/27)

AP: Kansas High Court Signals Continued Abortion Rights Support
Kansas’ highest court signaled Monday that it still considers access to abortion a “fundamental” right under the state constitution, as an attorney for the state argued that a decisive statewide vote last year affirming abortion rights “doesn’t matter.” The state Supreme Court is considering exactly how far the Republican-controlled Legislature can go in restricting abortion under a 2019 decision protecting abortion rights. The justices heard arguments from attorneys for Kansas and abortion providers in two lawsuits but isn’t likely to rule for months. (3/27)

AP: New Maryland Provider Opening In Post-Roe 'Abortion Desert' 
A new abortion provider is opening this year in Democratic-controlled Maryland — just across from deeply conservative West Virginia, where state lawmakers recently passed a near-total abortion ban. The Women’s Health Center of Maryland in Cumberland, roughly 5 miles (8 kilometers) from West Virginia, will open its doors in June — a year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal abortion protections — to provide abortions to patients across central Appalachia, a region clinic operators say is an “abortion desert.” (Willingham, 3/27)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: City's Free Doula Program Serves 171 Milwaukee Mothers And Counting
Monica Cook was a mother of two, with her third on the way, when she sat down with her doula to have a serious talk. Cook decided she wanted to deliver her baby without medication — no epidural or other drugs — until and unless she reached the point where she could no longer take it. She wanted to fully experience labor and delivery. (Shastri, 3/27)

The Boston Globe: Jury Awards $20 Million To Man Who Lost A Leg After Hospital Missed Blood Clot
A state court jury has awarded $20 million to a Lowell man who filed a lawsuit alleging that his left leg had to be amputated after employees at Lowell General Hospital’s emergency department twice misdiagnosed a painful blood clot as sciatica and sent him home. (Saltzman, 3/27)

Stat: Novartis Says Breast Cancer Drug Succeeds In Key Trial
Novartis announced data Monday that could set up one of the biggest marketing battles in cancer. At issue is the market for medicines called CDK 4/6 inhibitors. The first of these drugs, Pfizer’s Ibrance, is a $5-billion-a-year product and one of that company’s top sellers. But it has been losing market share to Eli Lilly’s Verzenio. (Herper, 3/27)

NBC News: Drug Combo May Extend The Lives Of Women With Advanced Endometrial Cancer
Women with advanced endometrial cancer may live longer before their tumors return if they receive immunotherapy and chemotherapy at the same time, according to two studies published Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine. (Edwards, 3/27)

Reuters: U.S. Supreme Court Mulls Amgen Bid To Revive Cholesterol Drug Patents 
Amgen Inc sought to convince the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to revive patents on its cholesterol-lowering drug Repatha, while rival Sanofi SA urged the justices not to stifle competition for therapies to address a common health risk. The justices heard arguments in Amgen's appeal of a lower court's ruling that invalidated two of its patents on Repatha, a drug that can reduce risk of heart attack and stroke in people with heart disease, after a legal fight with French drugmaker Sanofi and its partner Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Kruzel and Chung, 3/27)

AP: Minnesota Suit Against E-Cigarette Maker Juul Goes To Trial 
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is slated to lead off opening statements expected for Tuesday in his state’s lawsuit against Juul Labs – marking the first time any of the thousands of cases against the e-cigarette maker over its alleged marketing to young people is going to play out in a courtroom. Minnesota sued Juul in 2019, accusing the San Francisco-based company of unlawfully targeting young people with its products to get a new generation addicted to nicotine. Ellison has declined to put a dollar figure on how much money the state is seeking in damages and civil penalties. But he said when he announced the lawsuit that it could be in the ballpark with Minnesota’s landmark $7.1 billion settlement with the tobacco industry in 1998. (Karnowski, 3/27)

Reuters: Musk's Brain Implant Company In Search Of Human Trials Partner
Elon Musk's brain implant company Neuralink has approached one of the biggest U.S. neurosurgery centers as a potential clinical trials partner as it prepares to test its devices on humans once regulators allow for it, according to six people familiar with the matter. Neuralink has been developing brain implants since 2016 it hopes will eventually be a cure for intractable conditions such as paralysis and blindness. (Taylor and Levy, 3/27)

Houston Chronicle: Texas GOP Likely Has Votes To Outlaw Transgender Care For Minors
A bill that would ban transgender medical care for minors has the votes to pass in the Republican-dominated Texas House, marking a tipping point for the body that was the roadblock for the legislation two years ago. (Goldenstein, 3/27)

AP: Idaho Senate Passes Ban On Gender-Affirming Care For Minors
The Idaho Senate on Monday voted 22-12 to pass a bill criminalizing gender-affirming healthcare for minors, one month after the state House passed similar legislation. The measure bars transgender and transitioning children, or children with gender dysphoria, from receiving hormones or puberty blockers to alleviate their symptoms or help them with transitioning, KTVB reported Monday. (3/28)

AP: Idaho Bill To Provide Free Period Products In Schools Fails 
A bill that would have provided free menstrual products in girls bathrooms in Idaho public schools failed in the state House, with at least one Republican lawmaker calling the proposal “very liberal.” The measure advanced earlier this month from the House Education Committee with a “do pass” recommendation. It failed on the House floor 35-35 last week. (3/27)

Tampa Bay Times: Pushing Fentanyl Fear, Pinellas Sheriff Seeks Thousands For Drug Tests
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri wants the county to invest hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars in contactless technology to field-test suspected drugs. To him, the promise of TruNarc to test for them in the field is about life and death. The County Commission is set to vote Tuesday on the request of $625,000 for 25 TruNarc analyzers, which use lasers to determine the composition of a substance, at $25,000 a pop. It likely will get the thumbs-up: It’s grouped with other budgetary requests they already have determined are not controversial. (Evans, 3/28)

Stateline: States With Legal Pot Consider How To Protect Cannabis Workers
Most cannabis dispensaries are cash-only businesses, constantly at risk of being robbed. Indoor growing facilities use harsh lighting, and plants get sprayed with pesticides. Those conditions can create daily hazards for cannabis workers, which is why labor organizers are trying to unionize them as legalization spreads and the marijuana workforce grows. (Giangreco, 3/27)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Bristol Plant That Spilled Chemicals Into Philly’s Water Supply Had Other Mishaps Over The Last Decade
A chemical plant in Bristol that authorities said caused a toxic spill, threatening Philadelphia’s drinking water, has a long history of mishaps — including at least four recent contamination incidents. The complex is owned by chemical company Trinseo, which produces acrylic products such as Altuglas, which is similar to Plexiglass. But the site is part of a cluster of industrial companies along the Delaware River north of Philadelphia that has hosted chemical giants since the early 20th Century. (Briggs, 3/27)

USA Today: Educational Model Wanted Students 'To Be Nice.' That's Controversial In Florida Now Under DeSantis
As states ranging from Iowa to Montana consider legislation targeting SEL, the sometimes-subtle changes happening in Florida show the chilling effect state inquiries can have on work to support students’ mental health and make schools more welcoming places. It’s “a tremendous blow to young people,” said Christiane Gunn, a veteran social studies teacher in Broward County, Florida. “Kids come to school with a lot of baggage. Right now, there's not enough available that's going to help them and it really scares me – what’s going to happen to the social-emotional wellness of some of these children” if these programs are cut? (Wong, 3/27)

NBC News: Losing Weight Is Good For The Heart, Even If You Regain Some Of It
Losing weight — even if some pounds are gained back — may help your heart over the long term, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. The findings may be welcome news to those who have found it difficult to keep weight off and feared the risks thought to be associated with gaining weight back. (Carroll, 3/28)

The Washington Post: Early Birds With Sleep Apnea Use CPAP Machines Longer, Study Shows 
Many people with sleep apnea struggle to keep wearing their CPAP machines all night because they find the treatment so uncomfortable. Now new research shows that your chronotype — whether you are a morning lark, night owl or somewhere in between — can influence your reaction to the breathing devices. (Bever, 3/27)

WUSF Public Media: Research Shows High-Rent Burden Negatively Impacts Mental Health
Residents who spend more than 30 percent of their paycheck on rent are shown to experience higher rates of anxiety and depression, according to a study published by the National Library of Medicine. Isabelle Schroeder Le Bourlegat has moved four times in four years. She started therapy while living at her last apartment, a roughly 300-square-foot studio with no windows and bare amenities. (Paul, 3/27)