First Edition: October 17, 2019

Kaiser Health News: ‘Fear Of Falling’: How Hospitals Do Even More Harm By Keeping Patients In Bed
Dorothy Twigg was living on her own, cooking and walking without help until a dizzy spell landed her in the emergency room. She spent three days confined to a hospital bed, allowed to get up only to use a bedside commode. Twigg, who was in her 80s, was livid about being stuck in a bed with side rails and a motion sensor alarm, according to her cousin and caretaker, Melissa Rowley. “They’re not letting me get up out of bed,” Twigg protested in phone calls, Rowley recalled. (Bailey, 10/17)

California Healthline: Surprise Settlement In Sutter Health Antitrust Case
Sutter Health has reached a tentative settlement agreement in a closely watched antitrust case brought by self-funded employers, and later joined by the California Attorney General’s Office. The agreement was announced in San Francisco Superior Court on Wednesday morning, just moments before opening statements were expected to begin. While representatives for both sides confirmed they had reached a tentative settlement, they would not divulge details of the agreement, which must be approved by the court. (Gold, 10/16)

California Healthline: California To Provide Financial Boost To Help Buy Health Coverage
If you are among the Californians who buy your own health insurance, a surprise may await you as the enrollment period for 2020 coverage opens this week. Starting Jan. 1, California will become the first state to offer subsidies to middle-income people who make too much money to qualify for the federal tax credits that help consumers buy health coverage through Covered California, the state’s Affordable Care Act insurance exchange. (Wolfson, 10/16)

Kaiser Health News/Politifact: Refereeing Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren On Public Support For ‘Medicare For All’
Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., sparred with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) at the most recent Democratic presidential primary debate over how to expand health insurance coverage for all Americans. Buttigieg said he favors allowing Americans younger than 65 to enroll in Medicare if they wish. Warren, by contrast, prefers to transition all Americans from their current insurance plan to government coverage. (Jacobson, 10/16)

The Associated Press: US Rep. Elijah Cummings Has Died
Maryland Rep. Elijah E. Cummings died early Thursday at Johns Hopkins Hospital due to complications from longstanding health challenges, his congressional office said. He was 68. A sharecropper’s son, Cummings became the powerful chairman of a U.S. House committee that investigated President Donald Trump, and was a formidable orator who passionately advocated for the poor in his district that encompassed a large portion of Baltimore. ... Throughout his career, Cummings used his fiery voice to highlight the struggles and needs of inner-city residents. He was a firm believer in some much-debated approaches to help the poor and addicted, such as needle exchange programs as a way to reduce the spread of AIDS. (Witte, 10/17)

The New York Times: Joe Biden Ramps Up Attacks On Elizabeth Warren’s ‘Credibility’
A day after their fiercest debate-stage confrontation to date, Joseph R. Biden Jr. escalated his criticism of his most formidable rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, suggesting that she was not being forthright about the costs of her far-reaching policy proposals and questioning her “credibility.” Mr. Biden zeroed in on Ms. Warren’s refusal to say if she would raise taxes on middle-class Americans to pay for “Medicare for all,” a single-payer health care system that would all but eliminate private health insurance. (Glueck, 10/16)

The Washington Post: Democrats Target Warren As Liberals And Moderates Seek Advantage In Presidential Race
Warren (Mass.) is entering a crucial phase of her campaign, taking attacks from all sides for the first time since she ascended in popularity, and attempting to demonstrate she can withstand the kind of scrutiny that previously fell mostly on Biden, who until recently held an unchallenged lead in the polls. Yet as she attempts to coalesce support on the party’s left flank, Warren faces a renewed challenge from liberal Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), whose debate appearance helped alleviate questions about his health and whose new endorsements and deep bank account have made clear he has no intention of leaving the race. (Viser, 10/16)

The Hill: Warren Faces Tougher Sell With 'Medicare For All'
Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) main health care proposal is losing support in the polls, posing a challenge to the emerging front-runner as “Medicare for All” comes under fresh attacks from fellow presidential candidates, hospitals, doctors and insurers. Opposition to Medicare for All was on full display at Tuesday night’s Democratic primary debate, where moderate candidates called the plan a “pipe dream” and an “obliteration” of the private health insurance system. (Hellmann, 10/17)

Politico: Buttigieg Backed Medicare For All In 2018 Tweet
Pete Buttigieg has spent recent Democratic presidential debates sparring with Medicare for All proponents, but the South Bend, Ind., mayor backed the concept in a 2018 tweet that resurfaced Wednesday. The February 18, 2018 message came as part of an exchange with other Twitter users pushing Democratic politicians to support the sweeping health care plan. (Strauss, 10/16)

The New York Times: Republicans, Defiant After Debate, Throw Punches On Impeachment And Economy
President Trump and his allies sought to turn the Democratic debate on Tuesday night into a referendum on the congressional impeachment inquiry, accusing the party’s presidential candidates and its leaders in Washington of pursuing a vendetta against Mr. Trump while ignoring more pressing pocketbook issues. But Republicans also saw an opportunity to seize on debate moments over middle-class tax increases, health care reform and economic inequality to portray the Democrats as tax-and-spend liberals — in hopes of redirecting the national conversation at a time when public opinion is moving against the president. (Peters, 10/16)

The New York Times: Democrats Fear Impeachment Is Blurring Their ‘Kitchen Table’ Focus
The impeachment inquiry that has imperiled President Trump and captured the attention of a divided nation is now threatening to overshadow House Democrats’ attempts to show that they can govern, posing a political dilemma that deepens as the investigation marches on. Democrats returned to Washington this week determined to spotlight the popular domestic initiatives, like lowering the cost of prescription drugs and education, that helped to sweep them into the majority last year. (Stolberg, 10/16)

The New York Times: Drug Giants Close In On A $50 Billion Settlement Of Opioid Cases
The nation’s three largest drug distributors and two manufacturers have agreed with multiple states on a framework to resolve thousands of opioid cases with a settlement worth nearly $50 billion in cash and addiction treatments, according to three people familiar with the negotiations. The agreement would release AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson Corporation, which together distribute about 90 percent of the country’s medicines, along with Johnson & Johnson and Teva, the Israel-based manufacturer of generic drugs, from a rapidly growing list of more than 2,300 lawsuits that they face in federal and state courts. (Hoffman, 10/16)

Reuters: Drug Firms Offer To Settle U.S. Opioid Suits With $50 Billion Package-Sources
The distributors, accused of failing to halt and report suspicious drug orders, are pushing for a settlement to be agreed to before the trial begins Monday, one source said. The second source added that a sticking point was compensation for lawyers who typically are paid a percentage of settlements and represent many of the state and local plaintiffs. (10/16)

The Associated Press: Book: Trump Mulled Order To Close Parts Of VA Health System
Eager for changes at the Department of Veterans Affairs, President Donald Trump toyed early on with issuing an executive order to close parts of the VA health system without consulting Congress, according to an upcoming book by his former VA secretary. In the book, obtained by The Associated Press, David Shulkin describes a March 6, 2017, conversation in the Oval Office where Trump explored ways his administration could act quickly to shutter government-run VA medical centers that he viewed as poorly performing. (Yen, 10/16)

The Associated Press: Trump Rule May Mean 1 Million Kids Lose Automatic Free Lunch
Nearly a million children could lose their automatic eligibility for free school lunches under a Trump administration proposal that would reduce the number of people who get food stamps. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released an analysis that says as many as 982,000 children could be affected by the change. About half would have to pay a reduced price of 40 cents for school lunch and 30 cents for breakfast. Around 40,000 would need to pay the full price, which varies depending on the district. (Choi, 10/16)

The Hill: House Democrats Change Drug Pricing Bill In Bid To Address Progressive Concerns 
House Democratic leaders are adjusting their signature bill to lower drug prices in an effort to address progressive concerns that a previous version of it was not strong enough. The underlying bill will allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower prices for up to 250 drugs per year, and the savings will apply to people in private insurance plans as well as Medicare. (Sullivan, 10/16)

The Hill: Top Republican Rejects Democratic Chairman's Approach To Stopping Surprise Medical Bills 
The top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday rejected a proposal from the Democratic chairman of the panel to protect patients from surprise medical bills, saying a different approach is needed to solve the problem. “I think we ought to go back to the drawing board rather than pursue that,” Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) told reporters when asked about the proposal from Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.). (Sullivan, 10/16)

The Associated Press: Sutter Health, California Settle Massive Antitrust Case
One of California's largest hospital systems has reached an agreement to settle a massive class-action lawsuit over allegations that it abused its market power and has been overcharging patients for medical bills. Wednesday's announcement of an agreement offered no details but came just in time to avoid a trial, with attorneys preparing to give opening statements Thursday. (Gecker, 10/16)

Politico: Sutter Health Reaches Settlement With California, Union Before Antitrust Trial
The settlement would resolve a lawsuit filed in 2014 by a trust that pays health care costs on behalf of the United Food and Commercial Workers union and self-funded employers, as well as a separate suit filed in 2018 by Attorney General Xavier Becerra. The case became a symbol of concern over big hospital chains that require insurers to access their networks on an all-or-nothing basis and make it harder for plans to steer patients to lower-cost competitors. (Colliver, 10/16)

The New York Times: Sutter Health To Settle Antitrust Lawsuit
Sutter had long been viewed as a classic example of a hospital system that grew too big, leading to higher prices in the region. While hospital care for a heart attack costs around $25,000 in San Francisco, for example, the price is closer to $15,000 in parts of Los Angeles. Sutter denied that it engaged in any activities that harmed competition in the region. (Abelson, 10/16)

The Wall Street Journal: Lawmakers Pressed To Take Action On E-Cigarettes
Some public-health experts urged lawmakers Wednesday to pass legislation aimed at curtailing the use of e-cigarettes, particularly in teenagers and young adults, while others cautioned that such steps could backfire. A House bill would ban flavors in all tobacco products and prohibit advertising e-cigarette use to youths, among other steps. It comes amid a wave of about 1,300 recent U.S. respiratory illnesses linked to vaping and after the Trump administration said it intends to ban flavored e-cigarettes. (Burton, 10/16)

The Associated Press: Officials Say Death Of Montana Teenager Was Vaping-Related
Health officials say a teenager in Montana has died of a lung disease associated with a national outbreak of vaping-related illnesses. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services said Tuesday it was the state's first recorded death connected to e-cigarette use. (10/16)

Stat: These Four Companies Are Betting Big On CBD-Based Prescription Drugs
Americans are already spending millions on CBD gummies and CBD lotions — but that’s chump change, at least if you ask the pharmaceutical companies betting that a CBD-based prescription medicine will ultimately be far more lucrative. A number of pharmaceutical companies are shepherding their CBD-based products through the lengthy and expensive FDA approval process on exactly that bet — and some are further along than others. (Florko, 10/17)

Stat: Most State Medicaid Programs Still Restrict Access To Hepatitis C Medicines
Despite guidance from the federal government, most state Medicaid programs continue to deny hepatitis C treatments to beneficiaries, although more states are gradually easing restrictions, according to a new analysis. Between November 2018 and July 2019, six states have either removed or eliminated restrictions based on a patient’s stage of liver disease, one state loosened rules that required patients to demonstrate they have not abused drugs or alcohol for a period of time before starting treatment, and six states scaled back prescribing restrictions for health care providers. (Silverman, 10/16)

The Washington Post: Teen Suicides Are Increasing At An Alarming Pace, Outstripping All Other Age Groups, A New Report Says
Suicide death rates among teenagers and young adults have increased at an alarming pace in the past decade, according to a new government report. While suicide has steadily become more common across the population, the increase among youths has outpaced all other age groups. For many years, suicide among youths was relatively rare and its frequency relatively stable. But from 2007 to 2017, the number of suicides among people ages 10 to 24 suddenly increased 56 percent — from 6.8 deaths per 100,000 people to 10.6, the new report shows. (Wan, 10/17)

The Wall Street Journal: Youth Suicide Rate Rises 56% In Decade, CDC Says
Violent death, including homicide and suicide, is a major cause of premature death for the age group. Around 2010, the death rate of suicides among adolescents and young adults surpassed the rate of homicide deaths, according to the report. “The chances of a person in this age range dying by suicide is greater than homicide, when it used to be the reverse,” said Sally Curtin, a statistician at the CDC and an author of the report. “When a leading cause of death among our youth is increasing, it behooves all of us to pay attention and figure out what’s going on.” (Abbott, 10/17)

Stat: With Alzheimer's Tsunami Expected, Experts Weigh How To Shift Tide 
The forecast looms like a portent of doom. From 5.8 million people today, the number of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease is projected to reach 13.8 million by 2050, overwhelming caregivers and the health care system — a prospect that has produced alarm bordering on panic about an unstoppable Alzheimer’s tsunami. Reality, however, is far more nuanced: Medical breakthroughs and other factors could dramatically reduce that number — though, paradoxically, such advances could also increase the prevalence of this most common form of dementia. (Begley, 10/17)

The Wall Street Journal: Doctors Urge Americans To Get Flu Shots Amid Fears Over Deadly Flu Strain
Doctors are urging Americans to get their flu shots right away after a bad flu season in Australia has raised concerns about the coming season in the U.S. Public health experts often look to the Southern Hemisphere’s influenza patterns for clues of what’s to come. This year Australia saw an earlier-than-usual peak of flu cases and had a tough season overall. The predominant flu strain in Australia, as in recent years in the U.S., was the H3N2 virus, which generally causes more severe illness, particularly among the elderly, and more hospitalizations and deaths. (Reddy, 10/16)

The Associated Press: Scrutiny Of Vaccine Exemptions Banishes Some From Schools
Carl and Kerri Schwartz say they have good medical reason for not vaccinating their disabled 11-year-old son, Thorn, and until recently his local public school went along with their family doctor's advice. That changed, the Schwartzes said, when New York state did away with religious exemptions for vaccines in the middle of a measles outbreak, and then clamped down on medical exemptions like theirs. Thorn is now barred from his school in Fairport while his parents challenge the district's rejection of his exemption. (10/16)

The Washington Post: Group Seeks ‘Playground Equity’ — Giving Kids A Safe Place To Play
More than 200 volunteers recently gave up their Saturday to labor in a Southwest Baltimore schoolyard constructing a modern playground they hope will promote play — and level the playing field. Those behind the effort believe schools with many low-income black students, such as North Bend Elementary/Middle School, have been shortchanged for years when it comes to monkey bars, climbing walls and swings, and the known health benefits of playgrounds. They are making a concerted effort to correct that. (Cohn, 10/16)

The Washington Post: Mississippi Man Robert Wayne Johnson Killed Himself While Jailed For Unpaid Fines. Now His Wife Is Suing Kemper County.
In 2017, Robert Wayne Johnson had hit a rough patch. The married father of five had lost his job and was living on the streets. He was also grappling with mental illness, according to his family. The 51-year-old couldn’t afford about $2,500 in municipal court fines and fees accumulated over three years for infractions such as driving without a license that he owed in Kemper County, a rural Mississippi community roughly 125 miles east of Jackson. So a judge sentenced Johnson to a two-day stint in jail instead. Johnson never made it out alive. (Bellware, 10/16)

The Associated Press: Florida Commission Says Mental Health System Needs Overhaul
Florida's mental health system is underfunded and needs to be overhauled, with better coordination between providers, law enforcement and educators, the commission investigating last year's high school massacre recommended to the legislature Wednesday. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, meeting in Orlando, found that the state's mental health system is too often a revolving door. (10/16)

The Associated Press: Mormon Church Opposes Utah LGBTQ 'Conversion Therapy' Ban
A proposed ban on so-called conversion therapy in Utah is in danger of being derailed after the influential Church of Jesus of Christ of Latter-day Saints came out Tuesday night in opposition, just months after it said it wouldn't stand in the way of a similar measure under consideration. The church said in a statement that the regulatory rule prohibiting Utah psychologists from engaging in the discredited practice with LGBTQ minors would fail to safeguard religious beliefs and doesn't account for "important realities of gender identity in the development of children." (10/16)

The Associated Press: Indiana Hospital System Notifying Patients After Data Breach
A northwestern Indiana hospital system is warning more than 68,000 patients that their personal information, including Social Security numbers and health records, may have been exposed during a data breach. Methodist Hospitals has been mailing letters to patients detailing the steps they can take to safeguard themselves against possible fraud, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported Wednesday. (10/16)

The Associated Press: Lawsuit Challenges State's Use Of Solitary Confinement
A prisoner who suffers from several mental health disorders and has been held in solitary confinement for more than 12 years is one of four who filed a class-action lawsuit against the state of North Carolina on Wednesday, saying the treatment violates the state constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. (10/16)