First Edition: Monday, March 17, 2025

KFF Health News: Scientists Say NIH Officials Told Them To Scrub MRNA References On Grants
National Institutes of Health officials have urged scientists to remove all references to mRNA vaccine technology from their grant applications, two researchers said, in a move that signaled the agency might abandon a promising field of medical research. The mRNA technology is under study at the NIH for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, including flu and AIDS, and also cancer. It was deployed in the development of covid-19 vaccines credited with saving 3 million lives in the U.S. alone — an accomplishment President Donald Trump bragged about in his first term. (Allen, 3/16)

KFF Health News: Scientist Whose Work Led FDA To Ban Food Dye Says Agency Overstated Risk
When the FDA announced in January, before President Joe Biden’s term ended, that it would ban a dye called red dye No. 3 in food and ingested drugs, the federal agency cited just one 1987 study on rats to support its action. The industry-funded study, based on data from two prior studies, was led by a Virginia toxicologist who said then — and still believes today, decades after concerns first arose that the chemical could be carcinogenic — that his research found the petroleum-derived food coloring doesn’t cause cancer in humans. (Galewitz, 3/17)

KFF Health News: Checking The Facts On Medicaid Use By Latinos
Spending cuts, immigration, and Medicaid are at the top of the Washington agenda. That climate provides fertile ground for misinformation and myths to multiply on social networks. Some of the most common are those surrounding immigrants, Latinos, and Medicaid. These claims include assertions that Latinos who use Medicaid, the federal-state program for low-income people and those with disabilities, “do not work” and exaggerations of the percentage of people with Medicaid who are Latinos. (Andalo and Rubio, 3/17)

KFF Health News: Watch: The Dr. Oz Show Comes To Congress
The Senate Finance Committee got its chance March 14 to question Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the vast Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the largest agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. Oz, with his long history in television, was as polished as one would expect, brushing off even some more controversial parts of his past with apparent ease. (Rovner, Pradhan and Armour, 3/17)

KFF Health News: Without Federal Action, States Wrestle With Kratom Regulation
Montana lawmakers are grappling with how — if at all — the state should rein in kratom, an unregulated plant-derived substance with addictive properties sold mainly as a mood and energy booster at gas stations, vape shops, and elsewhere. Kratom, which originates from the leaves of a tree native to Southeast Asia, is also touted for helping relieve pain and opioid withdrawal symptoms. But it can have wide-ranging mental and bodily effects, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, addiction medicine experts, and kratom researchers. (Silvers, 3/17)

KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘On Air’: Journalists Share How Additives Enter Food Supply And Measles Harms Kids' Immune Systems
KFF Health News senior correspondent David Hilzenrath discussed how the FDA allows risky chemicals in America’s food supply on CBS’ “CBS Mornings Plus” on March 11. ... KFF Health News editor-at-large for public health Céline Gounder discussed the measles outbreak on CBS’ “CBS Mornings” on March 7. She also discussed how measles affects the immune system on CBS 24/7’s “The Daily Report” on March 5. (3/15)

Politico: Dr. Oz, With A TV Host’s Flair, Promises Simple Solutions For America’s Health Care Ills
Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump’s pick to oversee Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare, told senators a combination of investments, technology, and regulatory changes could both bring down costs and make America healthy again. “We have a generational opportunity to fix our health care system and help people stay healthy for longer,” Oz told senators on the Finance Committee on Friday. (King and Cirruzzo, 3/14)

The Washington Post: A Trump County Worries Medicaid Cuts Could Throw Them Back Into Opioid Spiral
Candice Fee isn’t sure who’s right in the debate over the future of Medicaid: the Republican president whose party says it will leave federal health funding intact as it seeks to slice billions in government spending or the Democrats who warn that the broad cuts the president has promised can’t happen without carving into one of the government’s most costly programs. But if Medicaid is axed, Fee knows exactly what will happen to the life she has pieced back together after decades of addiction. “If it were to go away today, I would be homeless tomorrow. I would lose everything. All my counseling, all my treatment. I would absolutely be homeless tomorrow,” said Fee, 42. (Wootson Jr., 3/16)

Modern Healthcare: HHS Public Comments Rollback May Face Supreme Court, Legal Issues
The Health and Human Services Department aims to fast-track policymaking by scrapping procedures it followed for more than 50 years to collect public feedback on government decisions. The Supreme Court and several federal laws may stand in the way. As such, healthcare interests could cite decades of legal and statutory precedent supporting the notice-and-comment process for federal policies to push back against HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s plan to reduce transparency, according to legal and policy experts. (Early, 3/14)

ProPublica: Trump Halted an Agent Orange Cleanup. That Puts Hundreds of Thousands at Risk for Poisoning.
Diplomats in Vietnam warned Washington that halting USAID’s efforts to clean up the massive deposit of postwar pesticides would be a catastrophe for public health and relations with a key strategic partner in Asia. (Barry-Jester, Murphy and Van, 3/17)

Military.Com: Marines With Skin Condition Affecting Mostly Black Men Could Now Be Booted Under New Policy
A new Marine Corps policy says troops with a genetic skin condition that can cause pain and scarring from shaving and mainly affects Black men can be separated if the health issue persists. The "interim guidance" issued Thursday gives military health care providers 90 days to reevaluate Marines diagnosed with pseudofolliculitis barbae, or PFB. If they don't recover based on a four-phase treatment program outlined in the message, have to remain on a shaving waiver for more than a year, and a commander deems it fit, the Corps can administratively separate them "due to incompatibility with service," according to the message. (Lawrence, 3/14)

The Washington Post: A Vaccine Researcher Mentioned ‘Hesitancy.’ Now Her Funding Is Gone
When the National Institutes of Health terminated dozens of research grants that focused on why some people are hesitant to accept vaccines, many researchers were taken aback, outraged, disheartened. Nisha Acharya read her letter in disbelief. Acharya, an ophthalmologist and professor at the University of California at San Francisco, doesn’t study how to combat vaccine hesitancy or test ways to increase vaccine uptake. ... Instead, she studies how well the shingles vaccine works to prevent the painful infection. (Johnson, 3/15)

The 19th: How Will Linda McMahon Approach School Shootings?
For almost three hours, Linda McMahon sat through a confirmation hearing last month in which senators pressed her on everything from teacher pay to transgender athletes. But none from either party asked her about school shootings. (Nittle, 3/14)

Modern Healthcare: Spending Bill Advances With Telehealth Extension In The Senate
Congress completed work on a government funding bill Friday that modestly trims spending, gives President Donald Trump greater flexibility to cut programs and extends expiring healthcare priorities. In a 54-46 vote, the Senate approved legislation the House passed Tuesday that prevents the partial government shutdown that would have commenced at midnight EDT. Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Angus King (Maine), an independent who caucuses with Democrats, broke with the minority party to vote in favor and Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) was the lone Republican to vote nay. Trump intends to sign the bill. (McAuliff, 3/14)

Modern Healthcare: Rural Hospitals Brace For Telehealth Cuts Amid Policy Uncertainty
Rural hospitals may have to cut investments into telehealth and remote patient monitoring programs as they deal with potential changes beyond their control. The policymaking uncertainty in Washington, D.C., is affecting all of healthcare and is particularly challenging for providers in rural areas. Cuts to Medicaid are on the table and the fate of Medicare telemedicine reimbursement flexibilities is in doubt. (Perna, 3/14)

ABC News: Measles Cases Linked To Texas Outbreak Grows To 259, With Just 2 Among Fully Vaccinated People
The number of measles cases associated with an outbreak in western Texas has grown to 259, with 36 cases reported over the last three days, according to new data released Friday. Almost all of the cases are in unvaccinated individuals or in individuals whose vaccination status is unknown. Two cases have occurred in persons vaccinated with two doses, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Breakthrough infections, when a vaccinated person is infected are rare, as the measles vaccine provides up to 97% protection after 2 doses. (Kekatos, 3/14)

The New York Times: Keeping With Kennedy’s Advice, Measles Patients Turn To Unproven Treatments
Struggling to contain a raging measles epidemic in West Texas, public health officials increasingly worry that residents are relying on unproven remedies endorsed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, and postponing doctor visits until the illness has worsened. Hospitals and officials sounded an alarm this week, issuing a notice explaining which measles symptoms warranted immediate medical attention and stressing the importance of timely treatment. (Rosenbluth, 3/15)

Fierce Healthcare: Misinformation, CDC Cuts Hinder Measles, Avian Flu Responses
"The measles outbreak that we are currently witnessing is the result of misinformation," Dial Hewlett Jr., M.D., medical director of tuberculosis services at the Westchester County Department of Health, said during a media briefing hosted by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). "When I was completing my fellowship in the New York area back in the 1980s, the attending physicians said to me, 'You will never see a case of measles.' And so I thought at that time that we were never going to see measles, but we ended up seeing it." (Landi, 3/14)

Fierce Healthcare: Long-Term Acute Care Hospital Operator Landmark Holdings Of Florida Files For Bankruptcy
Long-term acute care hospital operator Landmark Holdings of Florida filed for Chapter 11 protections this week, citing high costs and “plateaued” reimbursement rates in the years following the onset of the pandemic. The Naples, Florida-based company currently owns and operates five hospitals in Georgia and Missouri and manages a sixth in Florida, none of which it plans to immediately close. It employs about 625 workers (340 full-time) and brought in revenue of $79.4 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2023. (Muoio, 3/14)

Modern Healthcare: AHCA Clifton Porter Has A Plan For Skilled Nursing's Recovery
The nursing home industry is slowly recovering from the “gut punch” the COVID-19 pandemic dealt the industry five years ago, said Clifton Porter, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association. Porter said capacity and staffing are improving for an industry that saw nearly 700 nursing homes shut down and 250,000 workers leave their jobs as the coronavirus infected more than 2 million skilled nursing facility residents and staff. (Eastabrook, 3/14)

Modern Healthcare: Mayo Clinic Reaches Settlement On Charity Care, Medical Debt
The Minnesota Attorney General's office reached a settlement with Mayo Clinic related to the nonprofit system's charity care practices. Mayo Clinic must continue to provide charity care to "presumptively eligible" patients and streamline its application process, according to a Friday news release from the attorney general's office. The system is barred from suing to collect medical debt outside of extraordinary circumstances, such as when a patient keeps payment from an insurer that is intended to cover care costs. (Hudson, 3/14)

AP: As AI Nurses Reshape Hospital Care, Human Nurses Push Back
The next time you’re due for a medical exam you may get a call from someone like Ana: a friendly voice that can help you prepare for your appointment and answer any pressing questions you might have. ... Ana has been trained to put patients at ease — like many nurses across the U.S. But unlike them, she is also available to chat 24-7, in multiple languages. That’s because Ana isn’t human, but an artificial intelligence program created by Hippocratic AI, one of a number of new companies offering ways to automate time-consuming tasks usually performed by nurses and medical assistants. (Perrone, 3/16)

NBC News: FDA Reportedly Raids Manufacturer Of Poppers, An Increasingly Popular Party Drug
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has reportedly targeted a manufacturer of poppers, an inhalant drug that has gained increasingly mainstream popularity as an adjunct to clubbing and sexual activity. The drug has long been sold in convenience stores under a legal loophole. Double Scorpio, an Austin-based poppers manufacturer, issued a statement on its website Thursday stating that the company had “stopped all operations following a search and seizure at our offices by the FDA.” (Ryan, 3/14)

AP: FDA Warns Of Misuse Of Laughing Gas Sold In Colorful, Flavored Canisters
U.S. health officials are tracking a rise in injuries tied to the misuse of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, including some brands that are sold in small canisters containing flavors like blueberry, strawberry and watermelon. The Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned consumers that inhaling the gas for its euphoric effects can cause dangerously low blood pressure, leading to loss of consciousness and injuries. (Perrone, 3/14)

CIDRAP: Trial Links Probiotics To Fever Reduction In Kids With Respiratory Infections
The results of a small randomized controlled trial in Italy suggest that probiotics may be helpful in treatment of children with upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), Italian researchers reported today in JAMA Network Open. (Dall, 3/14)

The Wall Street Journal: Pfizer Has A New Playbook For Reviving Sales—And It’s Starting To Pay Off
Pfizer had a problem. Doctors weren’t prescribing its migraine drug Nurtec because they assumed insurance coverage would be too much of a hassle. So last year the company created a phone line for doctors and patients to call Pfizer directly for help. Pfizer now credits that and other changes for a 31% increase in Nurtec’s U.S. sales last year. (Hopkins, 3/17)

The 19th: Texas Bill Aims To Block Access To Abortion Pills
Republican state legislators unveiled a new effort on Friday to derail the health care network that has helped people in Texas continue accessing abortion years after the Lone Star State banned the procedure. (Luthra, 3/14)

WFSU: Florida Senate Passes Comprehensive Bill On Autism, With A Goal To Understand Its Prevalence 
The Florida Senate unanimously passed a measure aimed at improving the lives of children with autism and their families. The bill works to increase early detection and intervention, while filling in the gaps in educational opportunities. One part of the bill is directed at research to learn why autism is increasing. (Menzel, 3/14)

Central Florida Public Media: Medically Unnecessary: Why Florida Healthy Kids Doesn't Work For Many Kids With Complex Needs 
At 9 years old, Orlando resident Landon Chase has survived some pretty serious and scary things; cancer and chemotherapy are at the forefront. His big challenge now, though, is healing from chemo, a process his mom, Erin Booth, says is being hindered and made more difficult by Florida’s children's health insurance program. (Pedersen, 3/14)

Chicago Tribune: Judge Allows New Trial In Case Over Formula For Premature Infants
A St. Louis judge has granted a new trial in a case Abbott Laboratories won in the fall, in which a mother alleged that the company’s cow’s milk-based products for premature infants contributed to her son’s severe illness. The ruling is a setback for Abbott, which continues to face nearly 1,500 other lawsuits over the issue of whether its cow’s milk-based products for premature infants contribute to the development of a life-threatening intestinal disease called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). (Schencker, 3/14)

Missouri Independent: Missouri Advocates Decry Nursing Home Staffing Shortages, Which Rank Among Worst In Nation
Staffing at Missouri nursing homes ranks among the worst in the nation, with the latest federal data showing the state falls second-to-last for time spent caring for residents. Each nursing home resident in Missouri receives just 3.37 hours of nursing care per day, on average, according to quarterly data released by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services late last month. (Bates, 3/14)

The Washington Post: Parkinson’s Disease Numbers Set To Rise Dramatically In Coming Decades
By 2050, there will be an estimated 25.2 million people living with Parkinson’s disease worldwide, a 112 percent increase from 2021, according to a new study published in the journal BMJ. The World Health Organization estimated that 8.5 million people worldwide were living with Parkinson’s disease in 2019. (Docter-Loeb, 3/17)

The Washington Post: Researchers Tie Health Of Nine Organs To Diseases Later In Life
How old are your organs? The answer might not match your chronological age — and a new analysis finds that an organ’s biological age might predict a person’s risk of diseases such as cancer, dementia and heart disease. The research, published in the Lancet Digital Health, analyzed data from Whitehall II, a long-running British study of aging that has followed over 10,000 British adults for more than 35 years. (Blakemore, 3/15)